hole size

[Rebelss]

Anyone still do the angle drilled hole into the main one that was popular years ago, to slide them right out?

[thomasthepikehunter]

That's not a bad idea. I've often double drilled side by side, but only straight up and down. It never occurred to me to drill one angled.

[Rebelss]

There was some discussion on it a few years back...I just don't know how you'd do it, be harder than heck drilling at an angle. I have seen a few vids and pics of that where it intersects the main hole, but can't find 'em anymore.

https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=372824.0

[esox_xtm]

I've seen a number of pretty good fish come through 8 inch holes. A couple were so big some of the eggs got squeezed out on the way through. Not good. Really difficult to get back down too.

10 inch hole look a lot better once you get over 18" or so of ice. Much easier to get 'em in the hole.

[thomasthepikehunter]

I've seen a number of pretty good fish come through 8 inch holes. A couple were so big some of the eggs got squeezed out on the way through. Not good. Really difficult to get back down too.

10 inch hole look a lot better once you get over 18" or so of ice. Much easier to get 'em in the hole.

Good lord! An 8" hole has a girth of over 25". I don't think you would have any trouble with squeeze unless that fish has a girth at least 27". If a pike was hard to get down an 8" hole it was a state record contender in any state.

[kasilofchrisn]

I know it's been said before in this thread but it's not just about the girth of the fish.
It's about getting a big Pike's head started up the hole when the hook is in the corner of its mouth and the ice is deep.
I had a big one on once and was struggling to get it up an 8" hole when it finally dug one of the other hooks in my airplane jig into the ice at the edge of the hole and shook off.
My buddy was 100 yards away and I was yelling at him to you grab the gaff but he wasn't quick enough.
In my mind I keep thinking if I had brought my 10-inch auger I might not have had that issue.
But of course who knows I may still have lost the fish.
Another one of the big issues is that a lot of people can only afford one auger.
And if you occasionally fish places that hold really big Pike or lake trout you may want a 10 inch auger for those times.
The hole may be a bit big for other species but if you can only afford one well......
 Then again maybe some people just aren't man enough to run a 10-in auger or smart enough to avoid stepping in someone else's old holes on the ice.

[esox_xtm]

Seen three fish challenge an 8/7.5 inch hole. The first was a late season Southern WI pike that actually got stuck in the hole. The angler put his gloved hand in it's mouth and had to pull pretty hard to get it through. Lots of eggs squeezed out that were visible on the lake bed.

The other two were incidental muskies caught while pike fishing. One just slid firmly through an 8.25 inch hole contacting the sides all around. When we tried to put her back down we need two extra sets of hands as the belly bulged when you tipped it head first to get it in the hole. We were able to get her back down pretty comfortably.  Two years ago had another 'ski inhale a HyperGlide in 18 feet of water with about 6 - 7 inches of ice. Couldn't even get her head in the hole far enough to grab her. Insanely huge fish, easily low 50 inches. We monkeyed around for a bit, one guy went to fetch a spud to try to open up the hole. She wanted no part of waiting, thrashed about an broke me off. Would have had to been a release anyway but a photo op would have been great.

So to your point Thomas, probably 95% or more of the fish most folks catch would do an 8" hole. Dream destinations like Canada (some places) and Alaska a 10"er would be requisite. Not just for the size of fish but the ice depth as well.

Conversely, if you biff on the fish of a lifetime because your hole "could" have been bigger, well... It'll be the one you dream about.

[PikeKing23]

This pike barely fit through an 8" hole. Had to squish her back down.  Not a record by any means (36"), just full of eggs.  That's all it takes.

[thomasthepikehunter]

This pike barely fit through an 8" hole. Had to squish her back down.  Not a record by any means (36"), just full of eggs.  That's all it takes.

Not a chance. That pike I pictured earlier is way bigger than that, fatter too. It had gap all around in a 7" hole. Maybe with a 46" pike you might be coming close to filling up an 8" hole.

There's no harm in simply wanting a 10" auger. When it comes to pike there is no such thing as too big, only too much work to drill to be worth it. If we were drilling butter, I'd be trying to make myself a 12" auger. As said, it sure would suck to actually get a record book contender pike only to find it a tight squeeze in an 8" hole. That is a valid argument.

[Drifter_016]

I'm lucky that I live where 50" pike are a definite possibility.
I almost always get at least one over 40" every trip.

Have had more than a few that I've had a very difficult time turning them up a 10" hole due to being hooked in the hinge of the jaw.
The bills on these pike are pretty darn long.

[esox_xtm]

A 45" x 25" pike would weigh about 20#. Not outside the bounds of my imagination...

[PikeKing23]

Ok guy

[Hatandboots]

The amount of debating about hole size when you could all just drill two holes overlapping haha

Double holes helps get them turned up into the holes and the big ones just fit easier through them.

[FreshwaterPhil]

The amount of debating about hole size when you could all just drill two holes overlapping haha

Double holes helps get them turned up into the holes and the big ones just fit easier through them.

Easier said than done with shaver blades, especially in thick ice