Orders are coming in for the New 2022 Snobear already. If you are in the market for a SnoBear, be sure to contact us to ensure you can get icebound this hardware season.
Engine options for the SnoBear models are the 40HP Vanguard and the new Gamma engine from Zenith.
It’s easy, don’t worry if you’ve never driven a SnoBear before, we’ll teach you how. We’ll start your day with a tutorial so you can learn how to drive a Snobear, and you can watch our video to learn the basics.
Driving a SnoBear isn’t that much different than driving a car, the controls are similar with a steering wheel, shifter, gas and brake pedal. While on snow it handles as expected, while on bare ice, or gravel you have the ability to brake each track separately to make tighter turns.
When fishing the hydraulic system allows you to lower the machine closer to the ice and drill holes allowing you to fish in comfort inside the SnoBear.
Ice safety, especially during early ice conditions, is one of those things we all think about whether it is front of mind or back depends on how much experience you have. There is that old Socrates adage, “the only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
With regards to our operations, the safety of our guests is of the upmost importance. We have put policies in place to ensure to the best of our abilities that they won’t run into life threatening situations on the ice. The reality is THE ICE IS NEVER ‘SAFE’. Every year we get reminders of this fact, and this year is no exception. I have tried to do my small part to help fellow anglers by sharing satellite imagery of Lake Winnipeg daily on our social media channels.
One thing you won’t hear me say is ‘the lake is safe’, that decision is up to each individual, checking the conditions and making that judgment for themselves. To help you make that judgment for yourself, here are some of the things I look at when determining if it is safe for me to go out.
This one seems obvious, but the first thing to consider is the weather, what is the forecast, and what impact will it have on the ice. If you are like me as soon as the temperature drops below freezing, I get excited, and start preparing all my gear for first ice. There are many apps, and websites that will give you the forecast for the lake or river you’re looking to hit first ice. Here are my favourites, The Weather Network or their app available on IOS or Android.
I’m looking at the long term forecast, and trying to predict, based on my experience, what it will have on water temps, and eventual ice formation. Another great tool is the ice growth chart.
It allows you to calculate approximately how many inches of ice are being added each day. There are however many factors that can affect the growth rate, wind, current, snow load, etc. which brings me to my next tool.
Once I see signs of ice along shore lines and bays, I start checking the satellite images daily. I’m not expecting to be taking the Snobear out any day now, but I am watching to see how the ice forms, and where trouble spots may lay (these early ice spots can remain trouble spots for the entire season). My main source is NASA’s EOSDIS Worldview website, which generally passes overhead once per day, as long as the sky is clear you can get a really good picture of the Lake. Once the lake is locked up on satellite , I’m doing the ice formation calculations in my head to figure out how thick the ice is, and I turn my attention to my next tool.
The wind can be our best friend as it blows cold fall air over the lake dropping the water temperature, but in the middle of freeze up it is a nightmare. With the vast surface area of Lake Winnipeg if the wind gets going it puts a lot of pressure on the ice sheet, and until the lake is locked up with a minimum of twelve inches of ice on it, the wind will pop a ridge on one side of the lake and open up a crack on the other. We saw the results this past weekend with a group of anglers who with 10″ of ice underfoot found themselves blown out towards the middle of the lake as a massive cracked formed. They were lucky, a helicopter was able get to them, and they made it home safely. It easily could have been tragic had things gone differently.
I use the windfinder app, to look out for either high winds, or sustained winds in the forecast. It seems like every year there examples of individual getting stranded, or breaking through due to conditions that were entirely predictable by checking the satellite images, wind, and weather conditions.
The most important advise I can give you is to check the conditions for yourself. Whether you are using a spud bar while traveling by foot on smaller bodies of water, or by drilling holes with your auger as you make your way out.
When I check conditions, I’m not just looking for the minimum thicknesses (see chart). I am comparing what I expect to see with what is actually under my feet, and if there are any surprises, I’m asking myself why before I venture any further.
Before you leave home, use these tools they get an overall view view of the area you plan to fish and what to expect when you get out there, check for yourself and Get Icebound.
For current conditions visit our Lake Winnipeg Ice Reports page
Humminbird just announced the New LakeMaster Manitoba card, which builds on their already impressive High Definition ChartSelect library in Manitoba. Now with over 100 HD surveyed waters in incredible 1′ contour detail in Manitoba and other lakes available in standard definition. The card also includes the Ontario portion of the Winnipeg River in standard definition to Kenora and High Definition charts of Lake of the Woods and Rainy River.
Features:
This review has been a long time coming, it is certainly not a first impression, and to call it long term review is an understatement. My first Ice Helix was a Helix 5 Sonar G1 portable that I added the ice transducer to in 2016. I am now running Ice Helix 7 CHIRP/GPS G3N All-season bundle. These new units aren’t simply open water units with an ice transducer, they have their own dedicated operating system specifically designed for the unique demands of Ice Fishing, combined with the Low Q Ice CHIRP transducer.
Here are my thoughts and recommendations. I loved my Helix 5. The history the graph offers is what sold me on the Helix lineup, it allows me to learn, and more importantly it allows me to teach other anglers how the fish are responding to their presentation. Humminbird quickly built on what the G1 Helix units offered, introducing an updated Ice Mode, CHIRP Sonar and interference rejection in the G2. Now with the G3 units we have instantaneous response times, amazing target separation, better interference rejection and crystal clear displays. To the point that we are running up to 4 units in our SnoBear, and each one can make out every detail that is going on below the ice. These units are simply, clearly, better.
What to consider when buying a Ice Helix unit:
We Recommend:
Ice Helix 7 CHIRP/GPS All-Season G3N
By far the most versatile option, it provides the best bang for your buck. As well suited for the ice as it is on your boat, the larger 7″ screen lets you take advantage of all the features the Ice Helix has to offer with great visibility in split screen mode. The most over looked feature is the networking, allowing you take advantage of OneBoat network connecting to any network enabled Humminbird units and Minn Kota products. I use it at the bow of my boat with the US2 built into my Minn Kota Ulterra.
*The All-Season Bundle is available in a 5″ screen as well
Alternative:
If you don’t need the open water capabilities of the All season bundle, the Ice Helix 7 G3 Has all the features you’ll need to maximize your time on the ice with GPS to take advantage of the LakeMaster and ChartSelect maps available, and the larger display to take advantage of the split screen views available.
Budget option:
If you don’t have room in your budget for one of the other units, the Ice Helix 5 is still an excellent option, while not equipped with networking or GPS capabilities, the 5 Inch screen is well suited for use ice fishing where you are often closer to the screen, and it is still has the target separation, interference rejection and history that make Ice Helix such an effective tool to add to your Ice fishing arsenal.
*The Helix 5 is available with GPS as well
This summer I was able to take advantage of the suction cup mount on a fly-in trip to a remote Northern Ontario lake. There is no limit to where you can take the Ice Helix.
One last recommendation is to pair it with a Lithium battery, and turn the screen brightness down to extend your runtime and go days between charges.
We are selling Yogi, the second ever SnoBear in our fleet, a 2017 SnoBear TL with a 1.6L Hyundai – 1600 CC 4 Cylinder Gas Engine. At time of posting it has 403.5 engine hours. It has been serviced regularly with oil changes roughly every 100hrs, and a new transmission installed in March of 2020.
Seating Layout:
Engine Features:
We are selling Bumble, our first ever SnoBear, a 2017 SnoBear TL with a 1.6L Hyundai – 1600 CC
4 Cylinder Gas Engine. At time of posting it has 825 engine hours. It has been serviced regularly with oil changes roughly every 100hrs, and has upgraded raptor shocks, fans and new transmission in March of 2019.
Seating Layout:
Powertrain:
“The federal government has announced it is dropping all COVID-19 border restrictions for anyone entering Canada, including: proof of COVID-19 vaccination, quarantine and isolation requirements as well as all pre- or on-arrival COVID-19 testing…effective Oct. 1“
Covid-19 has us evaluating, and reevaluating our operations every week as changes to restrictions are anounced. With that being said, we are preparing for full operations for the upcoming season.
With new information coming out regularily, we are staying up to date with the guidelines set forth by the different levels of government.
The Federal Government has announced that cross border travel will be allowed for fully vaccinated US residents starting in August 2021, followed by international travellers a month later. Stay up to date with the the restrictions here.
The Province of Manitoba has restricted travel into the province to fully vaccinated (two doses) individuals, or individuals that are not fully vaccinated provided they self-isolate (quarantine) for 14 days upon arrival in Manitoba. Information on Provincial restrictions can be found here.
With these changes, we are now able to deliver our services to our Canadian, U.S. and international guests. We will not be extending the option to forward booking to 2022-2023 unless the request is received more than 30 days prior to the scheduled start date, or future restrictions prevent us from delivering our services. Deposits will not be refunded unless requested 90 days or more from the original start date.
The province of Manitoba has set up a colour coded pandemic response system, stay up to date with the current restrictions here. This system affects our operations, as such any guests that have tested positive for Covid-19, or unvaccinated guests that have been exposed to someone who has tested positive within the previous two weeks, or is exhibiting any symptoms related to cover-19 (headache, fever, cough, etc) will not be allowed to participate in either a SnoBear Rental, or a SnoBear Excursion. To participate in a SnoBear Excursion, all guests 12 years of age and older are required to provide proof of vaccination.
If your trip falls during a green – limited risk level we will be operating as per normal operations.
During a yellow – caution level, we may require masks be worn while inside the Snobear.
During an orange – Restricted level guided trips may be suspended (guests will be allowed to take the Snobear out as a rental instead, mask may be required.
In the event that the level is raised to Red – Critical level, all operations may cease, and customers will be allowed to forward their deposits to future dates (2022-2023 season) even within 30 days of scheduled start date.
*These procedures are subject change based on changes to public health guidelines. – Updated November 10th, 2021
The most exciting announcement to come out for us at the 2019 Winnipeg Ice Fishing Show, was that Humminbird was set to release their ChartSelect map of Lake Winnipeg. If you take the time to think about just how big Lake Winnipeg is, and how big the south basin that is now surveyed in 1 foot contours is, it is amazing that this map is available for just $39.59. Not to mention that it includes the Red River south to Lockport and the Winnipeg river to pine falls, and the rest of Lake Winnipeg is included in standard definition.
I was lucky enough to be out on Lake Winnipeg with Darrin Bohonis of Johnson outdoors the day the map went live on the ChartSelect website. We were able to download it to the Humminbird FishSmart app on his iPad mid way through the day, and start to explore the subtle and not so subtle features Lake Winnipeg has to offer. Although we didn’t track down any big greenbacks on that day, the map lead me to some new fishing spots that have proven to be some of the best fishing I have had on Lake Winnipeg, both for size and numbers.
To put things into perspective, we now have the ability to narrow in on a location we think the fish will be before we drill our first hole, adjust accordingly throughout the day and ultimately spend more time fishing and less time drilling holes.
Power: 200 Watts
Battery: 40V 5AH
Inches of ice: 1600"
Weight: 24lbs
Warranty: 2 years
Power: 240 Watts
Battery: 120V 2AH
Inches of ice: 1800"
Weight: 25lbs
Warranty: 5 years (1year Battery)
Power: 240 Watts
Battery: 40V 6AH
Inches of ice: 2000"
Weight: 17lbs
Warranty: 3 years3
