Shawarma

^ solid advise right here. Use it. 

Braid in cold weather does not work well if you aren't in a heated hut. 

I bought some cold weather mono and fluro line last season and it worked quite well. 

As for fishing for pike: tip ups and minnows will work quite well for you. I don't run tip ups because i don't want to pay for them lol. I just use my regular ice rods and put them on a rod holder. Often times i'll have one on a rod holder and another i'll jig myself to both move and stay warm and to offset some of the sitting and waiting periods. I'll also go from minnows to lures just to change some things up. 

I started with an Amundson reel.. it was a beauty, looks wise. I fought a few fish with it and it was fine when fish was on, but the drifts weren't great. Wasn't smooth to let line out. It lasted 2 weeks in my box but i had a great deal on it and sold it for what i bought it. 

Picked up a used Islander and bought ABEC 7s for it. It didn't need them but i bought into the whole "spin it for 8 minutes!" bull poop. Don't do that. You don't need it to spin freely for 8 minutes. 

Figure out your budget, and there's a good reel in that range. 

My issue with beads, is i have no idea which one to pick. Is there any rhyme or reason for it, or do you just cycle through them until one works? 

That is a beauty too!! Congrats.