Angled Ice Hole Myth

[Boglake]

I've heard suggestions of drilling an angled ice hole for landing fish a few times over the years.  I've always thought this was a myth, for a few reasons: 1. have you tried drilling an angled ice hole?  It's not an easy task, and not what the drills are designed for.  2. 3' of ice is tough to get through vertically, if you angle, now you're going through more than 3', multiple extensions at an angle sounds like a blast  .  3. Big fish / long fights tend to make your line cut into the ice edge in a vertical hole, I would think that effect would be much worse in an angled hole, making it nearly impossible to land a decent fish.

An angled ice hole sounds like a silly theory by people who haven't tried it, but please feel free to tell me if I'm wrong!

[Anomaly]

I have heard about this thing as well. For all the reasons you mention, it doesn’t seem realistic to me at all.

[Ruddy]

Good way to hurt your back

[moosehunter]

when I use a spud bar , I make my holes square.lol

[Anomaly]

when I use a spud bar , I make my holes square.lol

When I was a kid spudding holes, they always came out smaller at the bottom until gramps told me to angle them to be bigger at the bottom. I think it was just to get me to focus on a symmetrical hole.

[woodchip]

Ive done it for years. Once you get started tip a little .and it works those big fighting fish don,t get hung up on the edges and slide up some easy , 8" holes work fine for those big ones Kids and old people don't fall tru and hurt their legs. Those big Pike slide up tru some easy and cant turn as in a 10"hole.

[eiderz]

One thing you can do to increase the effective diameter of any hole is to spud out the bottom 2-3" of ice all around. It removes the sharp edges, if any, to reduce line fray and helps turn a fish's head into the hole. An 8" hole can easily be 12" at the bottom. Then just squeeze that big fat old stinklog the rest of the way up like Santa in the chimney.

[woodchip]

I  still  do that when i have a chisel around

[Unclegillhunter]

Get yourself a bevel bandit!
Keep it safe! JDL

[stripernut]

Often after cutting a hole, I make a cone on the bottom, with a spud and then cut a "ramp" to help land a big fish. It only takes a min. and can make a real difference when landing a trophy. I do sometimes cut a hole at an angle (start hole tilt auger) for a "sight hole" when jigging in shallow water so I can watch my jig and not have to lean over the hole I am fishing.

[GasBlaster]

http://www.bevelbandit.com/2019/07/25/what-does-the-bevel-bandit-do/

[missoulafish]

STRIPERNUT nailed it. Both of those things are highly beneficial:)

[hardwater diehard]

Although i dont drill an angked hole on purspose ..unitentionally many a time

[Seamonkey84]

http://www.bevelbandit.com/2019/07/25/what-does-the-bevel-bandit-do/

That’s About perfect, how would that work on a drill lol. Though it costs more than the hand augers I run with my drill.

[jacksmelt71]

i just use good floro. leader material and play the fish from the opposite direction the fish is fighting from. haven't got broke of at the hole since i was a teenager. take your time and don't rush them. at our temps up here its too damned cold to spend the time messing with the bottom of the holes.

[nbourque]

i just use good floro. leader material and play the fish from the opposite direction the fish is fighting from. haven't got broke of at the hole since i was a teenager. take your time and don't rush them. at our temps up here its too damned cold to spend the time messing with the bottom of the holes.

Finally a man with some sense. Use a 10” hole and be done with it.

[413iceman]

Agreed it takes enough time drilling and maintaining  multiple holes and moving around.

[Seamonkey84]

Agreed it takes enough time drilling and maintaining  multiple holes and moving around.

Yep, I also use mostly floro. Now if they beveler thing was just built into an auger head, like just flip a lever to get it to open and close, then awesome. But having to use two different tools is too much. Then again, if you’re wanting to flare out holes like that looking for the trophies, then run and gun is prob not their approach.

[woodchip]

Sea Gar Gatsu

[jacksmelt71]

seagar is good stuff! much more abrasion resistant than mono. if you play a large fish enough , he will be easy to line up in the hole and land. i know by the feel if a fish its worth being played before trying to land it. patience will let you land the big one. at 49 I've learned that lesson a long time ago.

[Seamonkey84]

I like seaguar line, I’ve mostly used red label

[woodchip]

If I fish with others and they do not use sea gar  I can double their catch.

[Anomaly]

If I fish with others and they do not use sea gar  I can double their catch.

In my teens I figured out every time I dropped a line size, I doubled my catch. I fished with 2# for YP commercially in NY. tied a tiny piece of thin rubber bad into the knots....Sometime 3 1# yp at a time! A big walleye would take the whole rig though.... Was fun! . I just use 4# now for almost everything under ice. Don’t have the patience anymore. I can ice  nearly anything on 4# Seaquar. Use #6 Tatsu on traps and open water.