Auger Prblem

[Moose3888]

I just got back from green turtle. First time ever ice fishing. Went pretty late so i didnt actually get to fish. I have a hand auger to it took me forever to drill the hole. How long should it take? The ice was actually about 4 inches thick. Is the ice going to melt away because of the rain and 40 degree temp or will it still be good for the weekend?





Moose

[JigAwhopper]

Hey Moose,   it should not take you more than  4 seconds to go through 4" of ice,,,,even with a hand auger.  I have a four inch model that works well.   You need to get brand new blades for it and you''ll be just fine.  If you have one that is painted blue,  you can pick up a set of new blades at Sport's Authority.   They're much cheaper than the local bait stores.   I've seen two kids once using some old auger with dull blades,  looked like they were trying to start fire working that one hole for 10 minutes.   If you don't have time or money to get a new set of blades,  you can resharpen them yourself if you know what you're doing.   I would get one extra season out of mine this way. J

[Moose3888]

The blades actually feel pretty sharp. I may be doing something wrong in the technique, or maybe its because it is a 7in auger. I think the model is a mora swedish auger or something like that.

[LoneWolf]

I had a 7" mora years back. You need to put downward pressure on the handle while turning. It still shouldn't take more than 10-15 seconds to go thru 4". If it does I would get new blades and have those sharpened to keep as back-ups. 

[iceman_4432]

It should not take you long at all to get thru 4 inches of ice with a hand auger. 

Try pushing down on the handle hard while turning it ... the blades should shave the ice.  Also try rocking the blade from sise to side to see if it starts to cut the ice. 

If not .... get new blades ... easy to change and not that expensive.

[Moose3888]

Thanks guys
I was pushing pretty hard but the blades were just sliding on the ice. I guess I need new blades. How do you think the ice will be after the rain and warm weather?



Moose

[4inch_ok]

You need new blades. They may feel sharp, but like people said you should buzz right through 4". I don't even bring out my power auger (It is old and weighs a ton) until there is more than a foot of ice.

[MikeThePike]

I have an 8" Mora and I cut through 4" in a matter of seconds. I picked up a sharpener at Cabelas for under $10 and use it after every few holes. Keeps the blades pretty sharp.

Its getting to be time for me to start taking out my new ice auger here in PA....6-7"

[Pomoxis]

Do I dare say, you need to spin it in the right direction? I think all augers operate with clockwise rotation, looking down. Am I right?

I have one of those old "spoon type" Moras. I have only been using it for three years, but it started out sharp and stayed that way until recently. (I have done several 18" holes with it.) It didn't dull much over that time until this year. Why? Test drilling in shallow water!
For anyone with any auger: Be extra careful not to hit the bottom of the lake, no matter what you think is there. Of course it is very important to test drill when you are not sure how much ice. But never let your blade hit anything other than ice, even for a second! If you learn that the hard way, it could ruin your trip, and every trip until you are sharp again. It took me about two minutes to do 4" of ice after it got dull. Luckily, it was just a scouting trip. If you have a spiral auger with replaceable blades, it would be a great idea to carry an extra set in case you dull them by accident at the beginning of a trip, after you already travelled to get there.
My Mora spoon is sharp again and I got some bass & perch to prove it. The spoon may not work as well as a modern spiral, but it is lighter and easier to carry on those 1 mile hike-ins, like I did yesterday. I think I will post this as a new topic for those who do not know.

[Moose3888]

No, lol. I was definitly spinning it the right way. It just wasnt shaving the ice. Where can i get new blades? They didnt have them at sports authority.



Moose

[LoneWolf]

You can try fish307 .  http://www.fish307.com/fish/augerb.htm