Hot New Ice Fishing Gear For The 2024 Winter Season

The outcome of a collaboration between VMC and Tony Roach, ice fishing savant and professional guide, the Rattling Roach Spoon is poised to be THE must-have ice fishing lure for walleye, yellow perch, crappie, sunfish, whitefish, trout, burbot and more. Looking at some of the key features of this high-performance, professional-grade jigging spoon, it becomes clear why this lure is in such high demand among anglers. 

From a fish attraction standpoint, the Rattling Roach Spoon’s intense fluttering action provides a striking visual fish can’t ignore. Enhancing this intriguing movement is the spoon’s distinct vibrations emanating from the exposed rattle chamber. 

These two characteristics alone are plenty to make aggressive fish see red and attack the Rattling Roach Spoon. Yet, the lure’s design makes it equally effective at eliciting strikes from neutral and inactive fish. 

When lightly shaken, the Rattling Roach Spoon’s rattle chamber emits just the right sonic frequencies to encourage hesitant fish to bite. Amping-up persuasion are the lure’s lifelike qualities, including a marabou teaser tail and holographic eyes. Significant, too, is the rainbow of available fish-catching colour options, which include glow, UV, holographic attractor and live baitfish patterns. 

Rattling Roach Spoons come in 1/16-, 1/8- and 3/16-ounce sizes. All feature a super sharp VMC treble hook. 

The popular Jigging Shadow Rap now comes in five additional crush-worthy colours — Baby Aspius, Bleak, Live Bleak, Muikku and Smelt on the Beach. Any ice angler worth their weight in salt will instantly recognize the potential of these highly detailed, fresh finishes for triggering strikes from walleye, lake trout, northern pike and other predatory fish. 

VMC’s proven series of tungsten panfish jigs grows with the release of the new Tungsten Larv Eye Jig, which is designed to maintain a 90-degree presentation of live or imitation bait. Available in either 1/32- or 1/16-ounces, these enticing panfish jigs are outfitted with a pair of oversized 3D holographic eyes, feature VMC’s exclusive super sharp Power Gap hook and come in various Ultra Glow patterns panfish can’t resist.

VMC’s existing lineup of panfish jigs and finesse spoons expands to include several fresh, field-tested colours. Tungsten Mongo Jigs and Tungsten Tubby Jigs now come in Glow Black Wonderbread, Glow Juicy Lucy, Glow Metallic Red and Glow Metallic Rainbow. Tingler Spoons and Flash Champ Spoons see of Glow Black Wonderbread, Glow Juicy Lucy, Glow Pink Squirrel and Glow Slimy Lime additions.

And speaking of panfish — you’ll want to get your hands on the new Glow Pick 6. This 2-in-1 pocket-sized tool features a forked punch remover for fast and easy de-hooking of fish. The second feature, as its name suggests, is a powerful, LED UV pinch light perfect for quickly charging glow baits.

Keeping with tradition, 13 Fishing is offering a BlackBetty Special Edition 2023 model for the upcoming hard-water season. This limited release boasts slick-looking stylings thanks to its distinct Trick Shop handle, star drag and spool components. 

Aesthetics aside, the BlackBetty Special Edition 2023 is loaded with high-performance features, such as 13 Fishing’s legendary FreeFall Trigger instant hookup system, Instant Stop Anti-Reverse and Magnetic Drop Speed Adjustment. Snag this limited run masterpiece while supplies last.   

The Northwoods is a feature-rich, elite performance, limited-edition inline reel that’s certain to elevate your ice fishing experience. As per 13 Fishing’s raison d’être, Northwoods reels are chock-full of highly specialized reel technologies, including the FreeFall system, precise Instant Stop Anti-Reverse, Magnetic Drop Speed Adjustment and a bulletproof carbon drag.

13 Fishing continues to push the boundaries of rod performance and reliability with the unveiling of their Wicked Pro series. These comprehensive and competitively priced ice rods are all about getting down to the business of putting fish on the ice.

There’s even more good news. RapalaVMC Canada collaborated with 13 Fishing to create two, Canada-only Wicked Pro Evolve XL models. These pro-designed rods measure 38 inches and come in medium-light and medium power ratings, and cater to discerning Canadian anglers who fish for walleye and other popular gamefish like lake trout and Pike.

Like to soak meat for walleye, lake trout and other predatory fish? Then you’ll want to check out the 47” Wicked Deadstick XL medium and medium-heavy rods. Featuring a Solid Toray Graphite Blank, these rods feature a sensitive, limber tip and plenty of backbone. The extended EVA Fighting Butt is another key feature. This added length ensures a secure fit in a rod holder as well as improves control when battling big, powerful fish.

The 40” medium and medium-heavy Infrared ice rods are an easy choice for anglers seeking a battle-ready product for taming lake trout, northern pike, trophy walleye and other big fish. The solid fibreglass blank is bulletproof and made to absorb jarring head shakes, powerful rolls and hard runs. The screw-in design of the Evolve Custom Reel Seat ensures a rock-solid hold of the reel, further bolstering the ruggedness of this impressive big-game ice rod.

With a new Lazer Lite 10” Drill Unit on your StrikeMaster Lithium 40v powerhead, you’ll cut through thick ice confidently and never worry about having enough space to get trophy lake trout, northern pike, walleye and other epic-sized fish up the hole. Designed for use with the Lithium 40v powerhead for maximum torque and drilling efficiency, this latest addition to the Lazer Lite Family tops the list as the lightest 10” drill assembly on the market. But don’t be mislead by its featherweight status because the Lazer Lite 10” Drill Unit is made to handle winter’s harshest conditions and outperform expectations from even the most hardcore of ice anglers.  

The Arm Extension 7 does the simple but important job of adding extra reach — seven inches to be exact — when placed between any SmartHub mount and accessory. Fully adjustable and lockable, adding the Arm Extension 7 to your collection makes it easier than ever to get the perfect placement of SmartHub Rattle Reels, Rod Holders, Adjustable Arms and other accessories. Doesn’t matter if you have a pop-up shack, permanent hut or have a gear table in your garage, you should look into the SmartHub system in its entirety to elevate your efficiency and overall experience!