Auger or hole size preference...

[pmaloney86]

I have a 6" mora/ fuel that gets most of the use. Eyes, perch, crappie, even large trout come thru easily.  Light and get approx 100 holes on 8" of ice.
I also have a 7"nero/ fuel for when I feel the need for a larger hole.   
Have a 10" Strikemaster with the solo engine its a beast!  Haven used it in 3 years either.

Anymore we all need a plethora of specialized augers!

Glad I'm not alone.
I've got an 8" Ion (2nd year it was issued, prior to reverse)
I've got a clam plate with a 7" mora w the ridgid octane
This year, I've added a 8" Nils to pair with the octane without the clam plate.  (anyone need a clam plate on the cheap?)

Some of my friends and especially my GF think the octane is too aggressive and are scared to use it.  They get to play with the Ion will I blast thru the ice w the octane.

[eriksat1]

I just bought a used 10" strikemaster for $30 couldn't pass it up for that price. I think it will be great also for sight fishing perch in about 8 ft of water. Pull it away for the dinks and try to entice the big ones.

[missoulafish]

30$ ? i feel like the seller might of left a couple bucks on the table but good for you

[fishermantim]

I've got a 6", 8" and a 10" auger.

I will bring both the 6" and 8" because they are easy enough to carry, and with sharp blades, cut very well.
I haven't used the 10" in years, mainly because it's gas powered and weighs a lot in comparison to my other hand augers.

I prefer 6" for panfish, and 8" for everything else.

The smaller the auger diameter, the faster and easier it is to cut ice.
I've used them both on waters where the ice was 1.5 to 2 feet thick. The only problem was the possibility of bottoming out before breaking thru.
Hasn't happened yet, but I've come close a couple of times. (No extensions)

Keep in mind that the larger the hole, the more likely you are to drop something in or step in if it stays open/no refreeze.

[badger132]

One other problem with large holes: Guys seem to drill a lot of them, and leave the slush mountain around it to freeze a foot high. They get buried in the powder, and when you hit them on a snowmobile, it can cause a wreck.

[kasilofchrisn]

One other problem with large holes: Guys seem to drill a lot of them, and leave the slush mountain around it to freeze a foot high. They get buried in the powder, and when you hit them on a snowmobile, it can cause a wreck.

Guess I'm usually too busy dodging or crossing wheeler/truck ruts to notice any10" auger hole slush mountains.lol
Seriously I've never noticed this issue of which you speak at least not that I remember.
They all leave slush mounds and even a 6" couid be just as likely to cause issues as a 10"
Though if they would ban wheelers and trucks once there is snow on the ice both my snowmobiles and whomever is riding them would be much safer and happier.

[Akhardwater]

Nothing worse than a wheeled vehicle tearing up a groomed trail, I have several friends that have gotten hurt hitting those ruts.  I wonder if my Z71 has enough power to turn a 12” bit?  Im curious too if those construction and emergency auger bits could be adapted to fit on my power head.  I wouldn’t want to spend all that money just to find out it doesn’t work.

[Iceassin]

Well...I could go into a plethora of  hazzards on the ice...but no need...we've seem them all. They are there and always will be. I may not be able to fix the problems but I sure as h**l can try to avoid them. Jmo.

[helimpd124]

I have a 6 in pistol bit I use when I bring my kids out and a 8 in lite flight when it's just me.

[badger132]

Guess I'm usually too busy dodging or crossing wheeler/truck ruts to notice any10" auger hole slush mountains.lol
Seriously I've never noticed this issue of which you speak at least not that I remember.
They all leave slush mounds and even a 6" couid be just as likely to cause issues as a 10"
Though if they would ban wheelers and trucks once there is snow on the ice both my snowmobiles and whomever is riding them would be much safer and happier.

Boy I hear that one! We get a lot of slush, and the wheeled vehicles plow ruts up and down. I swear they must do more driving than fishing. When those ruts freeze, the surface is like a cheese grater- at large scale. I made a Smitty to keep it from punching holes in the bottom of my tub sleds. I would hate to lose the tub on a nice flip over trying to pull it across that stuff.

[Laststandard]

I went from an 8" Eskimo bit to a 7" Lazer and don't think I'll be going back.  I can still fit livescope in perspective mode down the 7" hole, and it's surprising how many more holes I get out of each drill battery.

[fishermantim]

For many nicer sized fish, once in a 6" hole, they can't turn if they happen to spit the hook, basically forced to swim up. Also, it is generally easier drilling.   

If you want to see for yourself, head out on, say 12+ inches of ice, and see how it feels cutting with an 8" hand auger after breezing thru with a 6" one. It is good to have a selection, particularly when you know a particular body of water hold big fish.

I used to have a 10" gas auger that I gave away because it was a PIA to haul out in my sled.
I gave it to a small tackle shop owner who repaired (tuned) it and sold it to a local kid as his first auger.

I like the challenge of the hand auger...it forces me to stay somewhat fit in order to cut holes effectively (for a 60+ old guy).

[rivereddy]

down here, 99% of my catch consists of 'gills, 'ears, and crappie. At one time or another I have owned and
used 5, 6, and 8" hand augers.  The only one i have used for the last 10 yrs or so has been the 5".  It takes
less space and cuts easier than even the 6".  In over 50 yeas of ice angling I've only had two fish that
wouldn't fit through the hole I cut or spudded out.  One was a 15# channel cat that hit through a  hole that
we dug out with the spud.  A few extra whacks with the spud and we iced that toad. The other was a snagged
grass carp of biblical size that wouldn't fit in the 6" hole.  We both got tired out playing tug of war so I reached
down the hole with my stats and pulled the jig from its pectoral fin.

BTW the best auger I ever owned was one of those spoon jobs back in the 60s.  It cut like a demon and you
could cut your eye just looking at it.  Best of all the metal shop teacher at the high school where I taught was
a master metalsmith who could sharpen a stone to razor sharpness.

fish on,

rivereddy

[isaaccarlson]

I have an 8" strikemaster and a 6" mora.  I am going to make an adapter on the lathe so I can put my mora on the powerhead.  I'll have to add a couple pieces of steel to reinforce the flighting, but it should work super good.

[badger132]

I have an 8" strikemaster and a 6" mora.  I am going to make an adapter on the lathe so I can put my mora on the powerhead.  I'll have to add a couple pieces of steel to reinforce the flighting, but it should work super good.

If you have a lathe, I would recommend you make an adapter to replace the chuck completely. You end up with a shorter, lighter unit, your nice chuck does not get rusty outdoors, and your auger can't possibly fall off and go to the bottom. If you have the correct tap, it is even simpler to make than cutting a hex for the chuck to grip.

 

[isaaccarlson]

That's a good idea.  Thread the auger right to the spindle!  I like that.
I wonder how well my drill would run an auger. 

[Fishingjg]

So, we have a 10" ION Gen 2, and I believe that we can purchase a smaller sized auger and attach it to the gen 2 power head if we would like.

[icefishman]

Just wanted to post this pic for all the guys and gals out there that don't think you need a hole bigger than 6"!  Some on here have said things like," I never caught a fish that I couldn't get through a 6" hole."  "There is no need to use anything bigger than a 6" auger."  This picture shows why we use 10" augers on the Saginaw Bay!  This guy is currently leading the "Fishing Frenzy" tournament that Frank's Great Outdoors holds every winter.  After looking at this 14lb+ walleye, try and imagine one weighting 2 or 3lbs more!!!  Try getting fish like this through your 6" holes.  You'll be sick to your stomach when you see a fish like this swim off, just because it wouldn't fit!

You seem to know a lot….what size hole did 14lber come through??

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

Lol well, where I am, an 8" hole will fit absolutely every fish I will ever catch except for maybe an incidental catfish or state record bass.  If you need a 10" hole you got better problems than I do.

[Fishingjg]

For many years we had an 8" jiffy, then we got a really good deal on a 10" Gen 2. We would have been happy with an 8 though.

[icedude999]

I just ice fish for panfish so I use 6" hand auger. It doesn't take me long to drill a hole with it and way easier than carrying along a gas auger or electric drill + blade

[tipman14]

8” for fishing everything but pike then I like using 10” hole

[badger132]

It was melting yesterday, and I fished some open 10 inch holes. I was worried my flasher would fall in and be lost. It is not always bigger is better. It was raining, and ice swirling down the holes made them even bigger! I saw some in the middle of big puddles that made a 2 foot diameter whirlpool!

[Ice_Fly_Guy]

But then you cant fit your 25 lb walleye, 20" crappie and 142 lb alligator gar through!

[HWeber]

I'm more worried about the red snapper and grouper not fitting 

[Fishingjg]

With an exception to a flasher, it doesn't matter if you drop something it will go down a 4" hole as easily as it will a 10" hole.

[isaaccarlson]

No kidding.  Whirlpools?  Ice can go south fast.

[wyogator]

I have always used an 8” bit.  I have never caught a fish that won’t fit through an 8” hole.  IMO, 10” is overkill and not safe for kids.  Probably 95% of the fish I have caught would have fit through a 6” hole.  But you just never know.  I’d go with 8”.

[isaaccarlson]

I don't think the intent was to chastise.  I don't see any benefit to a 10" hole either.  My brother fell in a hole when he was very young and it was a very close call.  It happened in the ice house and he was supervised.  Stuff happens.  Kids tip off their seats head first(he did not).  I don't understand the desire for anything bigger than 8", but I don't have a problem with them.

  I drilled a fresh 8" hole next to an older 12" hole today and that big hole looked like a manhole cover.  They'll both be large whirlpools by morning with this warmth and rain.....

Use what you feel comfortable with.  A bigger auger will be heavier, all else equal, and will have to move 60% more ice, so it will cut slower.
A 6" auger will go through ice like a light saber.
An 8" will take a bit longer, but will be faster than a 10", unless that 10" has a peppy motor on it.

One problem with a bigger auger is that it will try to spin you around on slippery ice.

[badger132]

WIth the advent of electric augers, hole size is more important, since the amount of energy in a battery is fixed, plus the torque supplied by a hand drill is also not unlimited. The amount of ice you remove and shave into chips is the volume of the hole, which is depth times area, so it is the square of diameter that matters. As I write this, I remember that I drilled a lot of holes by hand, and then it was a bigger issue still. People hand drilling are even more motivated to fish the smallest holes possible.

Taking a 6 inch hole as a standard, an 8 inch is 178% times the ice, a 10 inch is 278% more, and a 12 inch is 400%, If you are already assuming a gas auger, I suppose it does not matter much, but I sure like my pistol bit 6 inch for hole hopping. I did finally use up a whole battery last time out, but that was moving all day, drilling 6 holes each spot (2 guys, 2 rods +transducer hole for each)

There are still times that I miss my 5 inch Lazer bit- that was 69% of a 6 inch hole, and I never stuck a Cascade trout or perch in it in 12 years of trying. Before that I fished as small as a 4 inch hole when I was hand drilling, so I feel spoiled with all the extra space I have now in a 6 inch. I have extruded a 32 inch laker through that in a pinch.

People get used to having what they have, but I would try very hard not to oversize if I were hand drilling, and even if I had a drill, smaller lets me get a lot more holes per battery, and not stress the drill or my wrists.