With colder weather approaching, it’s time to start thinking about drilling holes in the ice and catching fish. Having an auger is an integral part of any ice-fishing excursion, but the type of auger you need, will depend on the type of fishing you plan to do.
Here are a few items to consider before you invest in an auger.
Location
Time of year and location play a role in the amount of ice you’re going to need to drill through. For example, some lakes and rivers in southern Ontario may never see more than 10-inches of ice, while in parts of northern Ontario it’s common for the ice to reach 3-feet thick.
Early in the season, where safe ice is available, an ice chisel (spud) may be all you need when ice isn’t thick enough to require an auger. While it’s possible to spud through any amount of ice, realistically, after 10-iches or so, an auger becomes a more practical tool.
With augers, factors such as blade size and hand power versus gas or electric power need to be considered.
Hand augers are lightweight (8 to 10 pounds) and therefore easier to transport. This makes them an attractive choice for those travelling on foot.
When it comes to drilling through the ice with a hand auger, smaller blade sizes make it easier to operate. As blade size and ice thickness increase, hand augers become more cumbersome to operate, especially when drilling a lot of holes in a day. If the area you fish gets more than 12 to 18 inches of ice, consider a power auger.
Power up
The main advantage of power augers is the ability to drill many holes in a little amount of time, regardless of ice thickness and blade size.
On the downside, power augers carry a higher cost and they are heavy to lug around, especially when travelling on foot and pulling a sleigh. Carrying power augers while drilling holes is a workout as well, especially in deep snow.
Until recently, gasoline augers were the only choice in the power auger market. While gas power is still popular, both propane and electric power augers are now available.
Propane and electric augers are quieter and have lower emissions compared to gas, making them a better choice for use inside ice shacks. Propane and electric augers are also lighter (5 to 10 pounds) compared to traditional gas powered augers.
A drawback to electric power is a limited number of holes before the battery runs out. The number of holes depends on ice thickness, but users can expect to drill up to 40 holes through 2-feet of ice on a single charge.
Size matters
Blade size is another important consideration when choosing an auger. Sizes are measured in inches and represent the diameter of the hole they cut. Standard sizes are 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10 inches.
The right size of blade largely depends on the species you’re fishing for. Panfish can easily be brought up through 4- or 6-inch holes, while larger species like walleye, pike and lake trout, require 8- to 10-inch holes.
From my own experiences, I recommend always going with a larger size blade, especially when buying a power auger.
When ice fishing, most fish are lost at the bottom of the hole and larger holes make landing fish easier. The difference between 8 inches and 10 inches might not seem like much, but when you’re trying to steer the head of a big pike or lake trout through the hole, you’ll be glad for the extra space.
Even big walleye, like those that are common on The Bay of Quinte, are much easier to land with a 10-inch hole, compared to an 8-inch one.
Weighing the options
There are many different factors to consider when choosing the right auger for your ice fishing needs. Deciding what’s best comes down to a combination of size, weight, power options, and cost.
For the hardcore ice anglers (or those that soon plan to be) having 2 augers is likely the best answer. A hand auger for early in the season when ice is thinner and when travelling on foot, and a power auger for deeper into the winter months when ice is thick and the only way to get around is by snowmobile.
Don’t forget: The propane augers are much easier to start in the cold too. Huge bonus.
And you won’t be spilling gas all over the place trying to refill it in the cold.
You pointed out that propane augers are lighter than gas powered… not so. The four-stroke compact augers (like Strikemaster with a Honda engine) are not heavy at all. They’re comparable in weight now, while propane augers were heavier before, as far as I’ve read.
I invested this year in the Costco Tempest at $379. Turns out it is a Rapala model, mid range at 43 cc, 8″ blade, and glow in the dark green! The thing holes like hot knife through butter. Drilling 5-6 20-24″ holes on lake simcoe and georgian bay in under 10 minutes. It’s not the lightest model but having a sled makes the walk easy. Shipped to your door, connect the shaft to the motor, fresh 50:1 and you’re halfway to catching a fish. I don’t miss the 25 minute workout per hole with the hand auger. Save your money this summer, buy a powered auger and enjoy! Best fishing invest I have made in years.