Expert Fishing Gear Reviews & Tips for Canadian Anglers
FishingGearCanada Team 
Every ice angler has a story about the one that got away. Nobody tells the story about the scoop that slipped out of their mitt, did a slow graceful pirouette, and vanished down a 20 cm hole. It happens anyway. Usually on the first cold morning, usually while you’re juggling a rod, a tip-up and … Read more
An ice scoop for ice fishing is a long-handled, cup-shaped tool, usually perforated or slotted, that lifts slush, floating chips and skim ice out of a freshly drilled hole so your line drops cleanly and the hole stays open. Think of it as the dustpan of hard-water angling: dull, unglamorous and completely non-negotiable. Here’s why … Read more
Shelter rod holder ice fishing gear is any mount, clamp, or rack that keeps your rod and reel secured inside a portable hub shelter, tent, or permanent hut, off the ice and within reach. Options range from single flex-arm holders to wall-mounted racks that store several rods at once. Picture this. It’s -22°C, you’re jigging … Read more
It’s –20 °C and the wind has opinions. Your fingers have gone from “cold” to “decorative.” The rod you’re gripping has done nothing for twenty minutes except steal your body heat. This is exactly where a hands free rod holder ice fishing rig earns its keep. The idea is simple. Let the holder do the … Read more
It’s −18 °C. A northwest wind is leaning on your shelter. Your jig rod, which was resting on the ice a second ago, is now sliding toward the hole while your hands are busy with a bait puck and a stubborn glove. Every ice angler knows that lunge. A good ice fishing rod holder ends … Read more
Ice fishing traction cleats are slip-on or screw-in traction devices that attach to winter boots and use metal spikes, carbide studs or steel coils to grip smooth ice. They cut the risk of slips and falls while you walk to your spot, drill holes and haul gear across a frozen lake. Most fit over the … Read more
Every ice angler has a version of the same story. You’re hauling a sled loaded with an auger, a heater, and a five-gallon bucket of optimism across a frozen bay, and somewhere between the truck and your favourite hole, your boots find a patch of glare ice with all the grip of a hockey rink … Read more
Picture a still January morning on a lake north of Sudbury. The auger’s quiet, the coffee’s hot, and your buddy wanders 12 metres off to scout a new hole. Then — crack. One heartbeat later he’s chest-deep in water hovering around 0°C. What happens next depends almost entirely on what’s in your sled. An ice … Read more
Here’s an uncomfortable truth nobody tells you at the tackle shop: the ice that held a snowmobile yesterday can swallow a boot today. Temperature swings, current under the surface, and springs you can’t see from above all conspire to make “it looked fine” the last sentence in a lot of very bad stories. That’s exactly … Read more
Here’s an uncomfortable little fact: the tool that saves your life on a frozen lake usually costs less than dinner for two. An ice chisel for safety isn’t flashy. It won’t show up in anyone’s fishing highlight reel. But ask any angler who’s spudded their way across sketchy early-season ice and felt that blade punch … Read more