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i just keep skimming the holes.as it gets colder, i'll chamfer the edges of the hole with a little hatchet, to increase the diameter.when it's so cold i can no longer keep up with the holes freezing over, i pack up and go to the bar.i just heard of the can of charcoal. i'll try that next year.
most people carry heaters correct? why not carry a small soup pan, boil the water on your heater and dump it in the hole (without your line in it). can take the lake water out of the lake, warm it up, and put it right back in.....no environmental issues.....and only 1 small peice of equipment to take with. I take that a a small 1 sandwich frying pan (nothing better than a warm sandwich if its bitter cold)...weight is about 3 lbs for both.
only one problem it may sound crazy, but warm water will actually freeze faster than cold. ever have a pip freeze in your house?? odds are it was the warm one and not the cold. just something to think about
this was mentioned on a previous post but...get a ping pong ball and paint it black....and throw it in your hole...it will be heated by the sund and will float around and keep the hole ice free....again this was in a previous post just thought i would mention it to you guys
I saw a nifty rig for keeping the holes open in a Reeds catalogue. It was by strikemaster and it was called the heat pump. It runs on a 12volt power source and is suppose to keep the hole open with warm moving water. Depending how you set it, it also enlarges the bottom of the ice hole for easier landing of fish.I don't have one myself, but, it did sound interesting. Do any of you have it?WW
I've never done this but I don't see why it wouldn't work......buy cheap foam plates, spray paint them black, cut the necessary holes and slots for the lines and you're set. The tip-up will hold them in place, they're cheap, light, waterproof easy to stack and did I mention cheap?