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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Northern Pike => Topic started by: BlueDuck on Dec 25, 2010, 09:06 AM

Title: 8" hole
Post by: BlueDuck on Dec 25, 2010, 09:06 AM

How big of a pike can you get through an 8" hole?   Thats what I got.  I have never caught one that wouldn't fit, but its sure gets to looking smaller when they are thrashing around.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: Swift on Dec 25, 2010, 09:49 AM

A little over a 25" girth on the fish. Circumference = (pi) 3.1415 X (diameter) 8" or 25.13". 25" girth is a good sized Pike, usually well into the 40"+

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: PIKE FISHERMAN on Dec 25, 2010, 07:06 PM

An 8" home should be fine for 99% of the fish you catch. I've seen videos of 20 lb like coming through 6" holes, had to squeeze em through, but they fit. I like the 10" for a little more convience. The bigger fish come up a little easier.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: harrops26 on Dec 27, 2010, 05:45 PM

I pulled a 20 lbs 38" pike through a 6" hole. I squeeze it through but I got him through and now he sits on my wall watching TV and entertaining guest.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: esox1 on Dec 28, 2010, 12:26 PM

this one came through a 8" hole :tipup: :)
(http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss91/huntinpike/2-22-10-4.jpg)

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: flik n dip on Dec 28, 2010, 02:18 PM

my 13lber fit. after a little lipping action with the mini gaff

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: tipup_time on Dec 30, 2010, 09:54 PM

depends on the ice thickness. my 20 lb would barely come up on a 10 inch hole in 30 inches of ice.. would not have wanted to try an 8 inch.. but a 10 pounder came through an 8 pretty easy in 6 inches of ice..once you go 10, you dont ever want to go back to 8 ;)

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: riske on Dec 31, 2010, 10:07 AM

You can squeeze any fish in Idaho through a 8 inch hole.  What getts tricky is when the ice gets really thick.  Its like tring to thread a needle with a big fish that is hooked in the side of the mouth.  Kinnda like pulling a fish through a big tube.
Also you want to size your hole to your tipups. Or Vice VS. too big of hole the tipups get sloppy and if they are small enough they can slip into the hole.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: oldman50 on Dec 31, 2010, 06:32 PM

A friend of mine pulled a 16 lb pike through a 6" hole last yr. I posted a pic of it and it's probably back in posts from last Feb 2010. Called fat pike through a 6" hole. There were many witnesses and it came up through like a slippery lizard. I myself drill an 8" and have pulled many pike through around 10 to 15lbs. Gotta play them right and be carefull of that death spin they do at the hole.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: tipup_time on Dec 31, 2010, 08:21 PM

how thick was the ice?

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: oldman50 on Jan 02, 2011, 03:08 PM

I believe that it was about 12" thick about then. I really had my doubts about the whole thing when his head got to the hole and he started to spin. He pulled him through by the leader. This year he's got a brand new 8"

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: Martian on Jan 21, 2011, 12:30 PM

 I had a 5in. lazer hand auger, and landed a 35in. pike that was 16 1/2 @ girth

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: chadroc on Jan 27, 2011, 07:34 PM

20" girth in an 8" hole:

(http://i928.photobucket.com/albums/ad123/chadroc/012_12-1-1.jpg)

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: vicegripkiller on Feb 02, 2011, 04:42 PM

8 inch hole is plenty

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: mattg on Feb 02, 2011, 07:14 PM

I was with a friend who got a 23lb through an 8" when the ice was over 3ft thick. I personally have caught 40"+ pike through 8" holes as well.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: spoxick on Mar 06, 2011, 11:20 PM

8 in hole

(http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee228/spoxick/n624485500_2017126_5367.jpg)



also you could fit one with a girth bigger then 25 " beacuse pike are squishieeeeeeee ;D

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: jeffro9023 on Jan 11, 2012, 08:33 AM

I caught a 36" pike jigging for perch on a swedish pimple tipped with a minnow head and I had a 5" hole hole size wasn't even an issue

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: Bareback Jack on Jan 11, 2012, 10:12 AM

I had a 10" strikemaster,went back to a 8" Jiffy,now I split the diff and have a 9" auger on the Jiffy.Works great.Must say never had any problems with the 8 or 10 inch holes.
BBJ

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: northernnyice on Jan 11, 2012, 06:30 PM

Yeah if you have a nice clean 8" hole.. I'm fishing and it's -18 degrees and it's 230pm how bad have my holes frozen in by now?? 6.75" hole? 7"?

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: MRC2572 on Jan 14, 2012, 10:54 AM

I have never had a problem getting pike through an 8" hole. Closest i came was 22lbs. went back and forth a few times but it managed to slide right through.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: farmboy on Jan 14, 2012, 03:03 PM

You can fit a very large pike through an 8 inch hole. The biggest advantage to a 10 inch hole for me is getting a big pike's head started up the hole which is where big fish are lost a lot of times.
I have caught pike up to 45 inches through an 8 inch hole. It's a little bit tighter fit but can easily be done.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: gooseblaster49707 on Jan 14, 2012, 09:34 PM

have been using an 8'' auger since 1972. never a problem.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: kyle31490 on Jan 17, 2012, 10:03 AM

Getting the head up into the hole is the hardest part with an 8 inch hole.

Just yesterday my friend and I each got a large pike and brought them through an 8 inch hole.  One was 40 inches, 22 pounds, with a 21 inch girth.  And the other was 44 inches, 26 pounds, with a 23 inch girth.  Fish squish!

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: laclabiche walleye hunter on Jan 17, 2012, 10:08 AM

I have caught a 26lb pound pike through a 8 inch hole and had no problems i no alot of guys useing a 6 inch hole. I have a 10 inch auger and a 8 the only time i use my 10 inch is in the shack the rest of the time i use my 8. I think most of the fish we fish for will fit through the 8 inch hole.

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: ochocenko on Jan 19, 2012, 11:34 AM

8" is fine - just that you have a harder time getting the head started. I've brought a 47" pig thru an 8" that got stuck in the hole when we released her. Tire the fish out, bring it to the hole, see where the hooks are, get the nose started in the hole and reach down and grab her (that is if your arm is long enough!) An 8" hole has a circumference of 25.13" ish. No, a fish isn't perfectly round, but as kyle31490 says, the fish will squish!

Title: Re: 8" hole
Post by: Mainehazmt on Jan 19, 2012, 11:35 AM

get a 10 or 12" makes life easier!