Do Augers scare fish?

[deadsmelthead]

I can't recall how many times I've drilled a hole, droped a jig down to see what the bottom was like and caught a fish, or set a tip up and not get 5 steps from it and it gets tripped.... so I don't think they spook fish all that much

[Water Wolf]

I have been watching with the underwater camera on how fish react to the auger noise, and like others have said it really depends what feeding mood they are in, but for the most part it seems that perch and burbot don't pay that much attention to the noise, walleye usually spook but return later while pike sometimes actually go and check out the source of sound. 

A few times I had pike looking at my lure when one of my partners would fire up the auger, the fish would turn from the lure and move towards the drilling. I think they feel the vibrations and check it out for a potential meal.

In my opinion I feel cars, trucks, snowmobiles, ATVs and foot traffic spook a lot more fish than the ice augers do.

WW

[gaudetskie]

Even if the response to this post was an overwhelming yes. I'm still not hand drilling through 2 feet+ of ice.
Nick.

[P.I.K.E.]

Been many times where I've drilled a hole and looked down there to see a few perch right on the bottom Other times I'll be watching fish on the aqua vu and my buddy will start drilling and they all scatter.

[MoreTroutPls]

I use a manual auger and have had fish set off my flags immediately after I've set the trap.  They have to have been there watching the drilling, scooping and bait setting and not spooked.  Its happened enough times that after I set a tip up, I watch it for a minute before I head for my next hole.  Even then I'll turn and watch it as I walk away. 

I've also seen days when walking within a few feet of a tip up will produce a flag.  I suspect the fish scatter from the area being walked over and discover and eat the bait at the nearby tip up.

[kasilofchrisn]

Even if the response to this post was an overwhelming yes. I'm still not hand drilling through 2 feet+ of ice.
Nick.

I gotta agree with this for sure.
We all know that any Auger has the potential to spook some fish. I think at most it has a minimal effect on most species under normal conditions.
Power augers either gas, propane, or electric allow a person to be more mobile and that will certainly put more fish on the ice.
If I still had to hand drill I would most certainly only fish 10-20% as much as I do. Once our ice gets over a foot I would be done for most of the winter.

[Mainehazmt]

RF energy from a battery operated auger may bring the fish in outta curiosity or stimulation

gee not even a smart *** answer!

[Nor Easter]

Cause everyone took you for serious!

I was gonna say it only works with tinfoil hats...

[Iceassin]

I suspect that fish spook for a variety of reasons...walking,drilling,chiseling,ice making,quads/sleds...even 'ol toothy swimming by.They are in that area for a reason;food and cover. So unless they are totally driven out by a tsunami, they'll be back in no time.



"Be baywee, baywee quiet...it's fishing season"

[gaudetskie]

Cause everyone took you for serious!

I was gonna say it only works with tinfoil hats...

I figured the tin-foil was implied
Nick.

[jeffro9023]

i icefish in western new york and it cracks me up when i see guys use power augers...on average our ice only gets about 10" and i can get to my spot drill about 5-10 holes before the guy that lugs his power auger out and yanks the rope eleventy brillion times stops to take a break yank it another 30 times let it warm up and drill one hole...oh yeah... nah drill away noise causes zero damage to fishing...pssst their fish they aint that smart

[lives2fish]

I would have to say it depends...
We max out at 20" of ice, 
When I fish for salmon, I know they spook from the noise on the ice. Fact, most time during the week, I can ice one or two a day. On the weekend with all the noise and comotion, they will shut down across the entire lake.
Trout...depends on the thermal cline...they tend to be a little deeper.
bass, perch, pickeral, not at all. They tend to be deeper and they dont seem to mind the noise quite as much.

[Tainterslayer]

I will just say yes, because it's an excuse for not bringing home any fish.

[ice dawg]

i icefish in western new york and it cracks me up when i see guys use power augers...on average our ice only gets about 10" and i can get to my spot drill about 5-10 holes before the guy that lugs his power auger out and yanks the rope eleventy brillion times stops to take a break yank it another 30 times let it warm up and drill one hole...oh yeah... nah drill away noise causes zero damage to fishing...pssst their fish they aint that smart

Maybe I need to move out east since I'm drilling 30+ inches a lot of the time. By the end of the season my power auger has an extension on it. I can remember the good ol days of using a hand auger and being on my knees by the time I got through the ice. I can see your point about 10" of ice though. 

[coreyl302]

IMO it must make some crazy noise and so a little scaring but ive had flags go up mid second hole drill. Nothing but gas for me  8)

[jpicks]

If the action is really slow around the tipups for a while, we'll drill a few holes or ride the sled around a little bit to cause some commotion.  It's resulted in quite a few flags.

[codie003]

On a trip to Winnie in NH last year we drilled a hole with our Jiffy gas auger through about 20 inches of ice. As we were pulling up the auger there were several large yellow perch coming up the hole right to the surface.  They didn't stay there long but we drill a second hole within a foot of the first right away and we both started jigging up 12 to 14 inch perch immediately.  Must have caught a dozen before things slowed down.  Proceeded to drill several more hole in the area and once  again we start catching more fish.  It turn out we had a great time for about an hour, iced about 40 fish between us.  Never seen anything like it.


 

[fishinwithbrittanies]

I think it has no effect.  Maybe in 10 fow or less even then I doubt it

[Mt.Bucket]

I will say no...

[A- bomb]

the fish just think its a boat... a gill told me that!
i dont think it scares 'em much but it does reposition some in shallow water. after about 5 min they just move back in.
its really not that quiet under the ice. popping, banging, grinding on rocks  and what ever else. just a noise ...

[Stutz]

I'll just go with some times. We don't get very thick ice here the most of the time but after drilling 20 to 30 holes with a hand auger a day then trying a gas auger i don't care how thick the ice is im going with the gas. But if i had to pull i 20 times to start it i may change my mind.