How to stop spider holes!

[JMZ]

At a local fishing tournament, I learned something from a few young fishemen. When they were done fishing , they pushed the slush back into there holes. What a great idea to stop spider holes at the end of the season.

[hardwater diehard]

MMMMM I may have learned something today ...with my local areas warm up this week I will but it to use .

[onestring]

Lol

[bowmandan]

Our slush freezes to the ice while we fish

[Icemole]

 If you get snow overnight it may not refreeze = twisted ankle or wet foot(esp. kids)

[MT_mulies]

I don't do that mainly because my 4 year old daughter did it one day and I was fine with it while she was doing it. And she had got a little bored so it was something for her to do. Anyway while I was packing up to go she stepped in one with only one leg and went in to her hip. It was an 8 inch hole. It was a 15 degree day and we only had about a ten min walk but she was freezing cold. So I leave holes open for future fisherman so they don't step in them. I would be pretty ticket if I was walking across a lake and stepped in one of those and had to go home to change boots. My $.02

[Spider1]

it won't stop spider holes. If it's warm enough for spider holes to form from drilled holes, it's warm enough to melt the slush out of holes. Spider holes are made when the ice melts or it rains and the warmer runoff goes down a hole and makes it bigger.

[missoulafish]

⬆️

[JMZ]

it won't stop spider holes. If it's warm enough for spider holes to form from drilled holes, it's warm enough to melt the slush out of holes. Spider holes are made when the ice melts or it rains and the warmer runoff goes down a hole and makes it bigger.

Hopefully the slush freezes at night and forms ice before the rain. I'm trying 

[ActiveTrapChecker]

If you get snow overnight it may not refreeze = twisted ankle or wet foot(esp. kids)

that's my fear. the snow hiding a 10" hole as i walk in the dark the following morning

[panfishman13]

i tend to knock down my fishing area pretty flat, scattering slush away from the hole. plus, i would never backfill a hole anyway for fear of someone coming behind me and getting wet or even breaking an ankle. spider holes are pretty easy to see anyways, and only happen when there's water on top of the ice, which doesn't happen too terribly often around here except late late season

[KinnickResident]

At a local fishing tournament, I learned something from a few young fishemen. When they were done fishing , they pushed the slush back into there holes. What a great idea to stop spider holes at the end of the season.

Won't stop a thing. It's a false sense of security.

Doing that is like putting sawdust and glue in a hole you just drilled. Might look nice but it isn't strengthening anything up.

If it's warm enough that solid ice will crack it's warm enough that frozen slush in a hole will give out.

[Mr.Seaguar]

Won't stop a thing. It's a false sense of security.

Doing that is like putting sawdust and glue in a hole you just drilled. Might look nice but it isn't strengthening anything up.

If it's warm enough that solid ice will crack it's warm enough that frozen slush in a hole will give out.

Terrible analogy, sawdust and glue are much stronger than the original wood.

[DR.SPECKLER]

nothing will stop mother nature from doing what she wants..

[rdhammah]

filling in vs not filling in the holes both have their own merits. at this time where there is no let up on the above freezing temps, it is not going to make a difference. I have filled in the holes, only to watch the slush melt. As for stepping into the holes, just got to teach the kids not to step on anything that looks like an old hole. And the same goes for adults. I fill in the holes when I know that they will freeze over so others won't know where I have fished. they will look like any other old holes. also trying to keep the ice smooth, if I step wrong, i'll twist my ankle. those mounds are a killer for me.

[Captn66]

i found an old 10" hole one day about 5 years ago.  It had snowed a good bit over night and i didn't have a clue that it was there.  Wet up to my waist on one leg.  Luckily i only had about a five minute walk back to the cabin i was renting for the week

[RuttNutt]

that's my fear. the snow hiding a 10" hole as i walk in the dark the following morning

That's the nice thing about wearing a size 13.................... ........   

[Philip]

That's the nice thing about wearing a size 13.................... ........   

I've seen a size 13 go thigh deep in an 8", maybe if youre wearing ski boots you'd be safe 

[DR.SPECKLER]

I've seen a size 13 go thigh deep in an 8", maybe if youre wearing ski boots you'd be safe 

I have too.my bro in law managed do it up to his peanuts.lol boot tip then leg slid right in.lol

[JMZ]

Another suggestion: Re-drill old holes instead of new ones. I think perch and crappie move chasing baitfish, so the hole may be productive another day. I also think bluegill stay in their pod area, so maybe you need a new hole because the old hole is fished out. I'm just throwing out some ideas for keeping our small lakes in NEPA fishable.

[onestring]

En less you have chipper blades do not redrill holescbad for auger

[Spider1]

jmz, you redrill a lot of old holes? I've tried, doesn't work too well with a shaver blade.

[perchnut]

Ive re drilled old holes, and not had a problem....dont do it often so maybe my sample size isnt quite what it should be, but isnt ice ice? Dont mean to hijack.....last weekend the water was running in my hole so hard it was foamed up like crazy...had to skim the foam off!!  kinda cool....but i knew what that meant....im home cleaning garage this weekend.   

[JohnnyO19]

If you get snow overnight it may not refreeze = twisted ankle or wet foot(esp. kids)

^^^^^^ This, kids seem to always find & step in these

[RuttNutt]

I've seen a size 13 go thigh deep in an 8", maybe if youre wearing ski boots you'd be safe 

I use 13" high 1800 gram Lacrosse Pac Boots. Very stiff like ski boots(not like traditional pack boots like Sorels). I don't think you could push them down an 8" hole if you tried!   

[RuttNutt]

I have too.my bro in law managed do it up to his peanuts.lol boot tip then leg slid right in.lol

That must be one SKINNY dude! 

[DR.SPECKLER]

That must be one SKINNY dude! 

no about 285 and 6 ft 2.wearing muck sports in size 13.dont know how he managed it but its a true story.

[RuttNutt]

no about 285 and 6 ft 2.wearing muck sports in size 13.dont know how he managed it but its a true story.

I’d like to have seen that! 

[JMZ]

Not that you "can't" learn from the young, but I think in this instance, you'd be better off listening to those who have fished longer!

Maybe some old farts could learn from young kids and not throw cigarette butts on the ice. i'm tired of picking them up so fish don't eat them and die.

[onestring]

Maybe some old farts could learn from young kids and not throw cigarette butts on the ice. i'm tired of picking them up so fish don't eat them and die.

I agree I'm a smoker and take a ash tray with me and a sandwich bag for when im done for the day on the other hand I've been steelhead fishing and ran out of sucker spawns and used cig filters and continued to catch fish also caught carp with a cig but as a pick up