Have some extra sweat pants in the truck!

You have to keep the spool in place with a little bit of resistance, otherwise you'll be spooling on the line with twist all over the place.

Most lines have really bad "line memory" when they come off of the spool... to combat this you'll need to use a line conditioner and be sure to reel the line onto your rig with the direction of the loops that are coming off the spool. Reeling against these loops causes line twist.. Also DO NOT OVERSPOOL.. even if you do everything else right, overspooling will ruin your day. I leave about a quarter of an inch relief between the lip of the spool and my line on my spinning reels.

Good Fishin'

RatherBe

I'll get back to you on times.. conditions will have to improve a little for my taste though. This snow doesn't do much for my confidence, but I think with the cold temps we have a good shot by then.

The lake is just about completely blown out. The channels and backwaters especially long island have about 2"-2.5" of ice, but getting on it is a trick.. had to go out on a fallen tree just to get onto less than 2", I spuded a couple spots and left.
Moundwood is completely open with some busted up pieces of skim drifting around. It'll be a while before we get back on that I bet. Long Island will be our best bet as far as I can see, and even that is going to have to firm up before I go out on it.
It's a shame...

Good Swimmin'

RatherBe

Nice to have you here Hang Loose,
    The guys are right, you do have a lot of options as far as the type and quality of equipment you buy. You can get very cheap jigging rods in packs that don't have a reel on them. These are a cheap alternative, but remember you're getting what you pay for. My father in law uses them on his 1 1/2 acre pond and doesn't need anything more than that, however, if you get into a big fish (3lbs or more) you don't have a lot of margin for error when you're playing them in by hand. The other option is to buy a couple of rods that will be compatible with a small ultralight reel, I like the Pfleuger Trion UL because it's durable and I can use it for panfishing in the summer... don't forget that your ice rods are great for jigging docks in the soft water season.
Also you can pick up a set of tip-ups for very cheap... I recently got three in a pack for $10 at Outdoor World, but I have some that are upwards of $20 a piece that I use at my father-in-law's place.
As far as the Shanty... if you can go in your house to warm up you'll only want something basic, when I was a kid we actually used refrigerator boxes, and I have heard other people say this too. I will however be bringing my Clam Expedition to the Indian Lake event that has been rescheduled for mid January. You'll be able to see the advantages of the shelter and you can come in and fish for a while with my stuff if you want.
The auger is by far the most important thing for you to be concerned about when you're getting started. You'll want to be able to bore a big enough hole for whatever species you're after, but keep in mind that (Bigger hole = More labor)
I use a Strikemaster Mora with a 6" diameter, I had a 7" before and this one is plenty for me. I got it for $60. The next step up in the Strikemaster line is the Lazer and it's basically a $20 jump in price. They have a better blade system, but for me it wasn't something that I felt I needed.
Lures are pretty simple. Anything that you've used for panfish that has a small profile is good for those same species in the winter time. If you want to go for something bigger you can usually just change the bait you're using (hook size allowing.)
On ponds I almost exclusivly use small panfish jigs tipped with waxworms, spikes, maggots, or mousies. Don't be afraid to load the hook up!

Good fishin'

RatherBe

Cat-Like reflexes! But he used up one of his lives!

I was recently at Outdoor World for their ice event and I purchased a great hub style shelter, it's lightweight and easy to put up. I got it for $150 without the floor, with floor it was $300.. The problem with the floors they put in these shelters is that the hole placement isn't always ideal...

Here is the Solution....

You can purchase workspace flooring that fits together like a big jigsaw puzzle, I found some at Stites Variety on C.R. 130 outside of Bellefontaine... The package includes six 2'X2' tiles that are around 3/4" thick. You can place tiles anywhere you want and choose your ideal flooring pattern. This not only puts an extra barrier between you and ice, but it also serves to protect your investments i.e. Transducers, rod and reel, etc.

If you're not from the Logan County area you can probably locate this type of flooring at home improvement stores, and I know it is available online.


Good Fishin'

RatherBe