Author Topic: hole size (Read 12775 times)

snipersam · « **on:** Mar 11, 2020, 10:00 PM »

what hole size does everyone prefer for targeting pike? 8, 9, or 10 inch? I currently only have 8 inch augers. I know of some used jiffys with the 9 inch bit.

I have never targeted pike but would like to. I have also never had a problem getting the biggest lake Winnipeg walleye up an 8 inch hole. not sure about a 4 foot pike though. Some guys say you need a 10, while others say a 8 is fine.

I have some round tipups that look like according to the tape measure they would fit right down a 10 inch hole.

meandcuznalfy · « **Reply #1 on:** Mar 11, 2020, 11:26 PM »

8" is fine, especially with the round tipups, they'll barely cover a 10" hole.

Seamonkey84 · « **Reply #2 on:** Mar 11, 2020, 11:50 PM »

Main problem I see with smaller holes is getting the head turned right to go into the hole. Pike are long and skinny, same with trout and perch, so even 7” and smaller are usually fine but can be a pain. I usually fish with a 7” lazer on a clam plate and “older” M18 drill, but I bought a eskimo 8” for when I go after lake trout and pike.

RyanW · « **Reply #3 on:** Mar 12, 2020, 03:26 AM »

8” is fine. You catch a pike to big for an 8” hole, well, I guess call it good day!

esox_xtm · « **Reply #4 on:** Mar 12, 2020, 07:04 AM »

Mostly depends on the size of pike you're on. A four footer while not unheard of is uncommon pretty much everywhere. I've landed hundreds of pike through an 8" hole over the years and only had a handful or so that were challenging (those, save one, were muskies) and one that just wouldn't fit at all. Larger holes are nice if your average size is mid-30" and up and a real plus if you've got over 20" of ice. Downsides to bigger holes are your tipups sliding down or making a hazard to step into later. Not to mention just toting a larger drill...

aquarium234 · « **Reply #5 on:** Mar 12, 2020, 07:44 AM »

used an 8 inch auger for the least 11 years, caughed a 20.25lb pike fit through with room to spare, but I finally changed to a 10inch hole, I catch and release, and my regular 14lb tigers and pike were starting to get scales scrapped on the side of the hole. If you just pike fisihing for eater size or fun, and 8 inch hole is plenty, Have fun. Wood tip ups work better with a 10 inch hole, just for not being able to fall in

PikeKing23 · « **Reply #6 on:** Mar 12, 2020, 12:14 PM »

I use 8" all year for pike, but switch to 10" towards the end of the season.

saxmatt · « **Reply #7 on:** Mar 12, 2020, 10:26 PM »

An 8” hole is fine for most pike but you’ll have trouble turning their head through thick ice once they get over 40”. 8” holes freeze up and shrink on cold days too. A 10” auger makes it much easier to land big fish.

slipperybob · « **Reply #8 on:** Sep 09, 2020, 08:52 PM »

It's amazing what huge fish will fit through an 8 inch hole. At the same time, amazing at what small fish you will lose in that 8 inch hole too.

Baetis62 · « **Reply #9 on:** Sep 09, 2020, 10:08 PM »

I had a Jiffy 30/10 handed down by Dad and after stepping into it a few times during late season slush I sold it for cheap. Went Tanaka/Nils 8, Milwaukee/Nils 6 and Rigid/Nero 7. I am all set. Lighter, safer and happy. Last time I went thru the 10" hole it hurt like a b for days and I was a long ways from getting back to the truck and still had a 3 hour drive back home. Black & blue for a while.

I get why the guys up North might need 10 to step/punch the thickest ice and extend the season but as far as a few big Pike or Lakers that won't fit thru an 8 I'll pass.

ICEHOLE · « **Reply #10 on:** Jan 02, 2021, 12:22 PM »

Quote from: esox_xtm on Mar 12, 2020, 07:04 AM

Mostly depends on the size of pike you're on. A four footer while not unheard of is uncommon pretty much everywhere. I've landed hundreds of pike through an 8" hole over the years and only had a handful or so that were challenging (those, save one, were muskies) and one that just wouldn't fit at all. Larger holes are nice if your average size is mid-30" and up and a real plus if you've got over 20" of ice. Downsides to bigger holes are your tipups sliding down or making a hazard to step into later. Not to mention just toting a larger drill...

can i ask what plan b was for the pike that wouldnt fit?

Knife2sharp · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 10, 2021, 10:46 PM »

10" for me and I use the black foam disks under all my tipups, even my round wooden Beaver Dams, including the large ones that cover a 10" hole. The black disks under those are slightly larger, but the foam seals better on uneven ice. Plus, with a 10" hole, you have a couple extra inches when fishing really cold weather and the holes shrink.

Esox fisherman · « **Reply #12 on:** Oct 05, 2021, 08:45 AM »

8” you should be fine 10” you risk someone stepping in it

jedhead · « **Reply #13 on:** Oct 28, 2021, 06:21 PM »

I'm thinking if you are targeting pike and the body of water can produce big fish, why not go with a 10 " hole. My biggest pike was 43" in early March and fat with eggs,probably around 23-25lbs, barley got it turned and up a 10 "hole. Gotta remember room for your hand and arm as well.

kasilofchrisn · « **Reply #14 on:** Oct 29, 2021, 03:56 PM »

I have lost some nice Pike cuz I couldn't get their head turned up an 8-in hole.
If I could have gotten his head turned I'm sure I could have gotten the rest of him up the hole.
I have seven inch 8-in and 10 inch augers.
And there is a time and place for each of them.
Have I ever stepped in a 10-in hole? Sure but I don't blame the hole size I blame my own stupidity! Primarily because in my case that's what it was.
I was shoveling out an area to put the ice shanty and had filled in the holes with snow and just wasn't paying enough attention.
If you know the hazard is there because you drilled the hole yourself you can't blame the hole for you stepping in it!

Esox fisherman · « **Reply #15 on:** Oct 30, 2021, 06:01 AM »

Quote from: kasilofchrisn on Oct 29, 2021, 03:56 PM

I have lost some nice Pike cuz I couldn't get their head turned up an 8-in hole.
If I could have gotten his head turned I'm sure I could have gotten the rest of him up the hole.
I have seven inch 8-in and 10 inch augers.
And there is a time and place for each of them.
Have I ever stepped in a 10-in hole? Sure but I don't blame the whole size I blame my own stupidity! Primarily because in my case that's what it was.
I was shoveling out an area to put the ice shanty and had filled in the holes with snow and just wasn't paying enough attention.
If you know the hazard is there because you drilled the hole yourself you can't blame the hole for you stepping in it!

Personally I mean like the next day if there’s a layer of snow covering it

river_scum · « **Reply #16 on:** Oct 30, 2021, 07:25 AM »

8"er fine, they are slimy.

it is a valid point about the head though. lots of times a big pike will fight to exhaustion. a lot of times they will come up parallel with the ice. here we can use gaffs to help land fish so that not an issue. at worst you get a cold arm reaching in. definitely not a reason to buy a 10" though. imo

hardwater diehard · « **Reply #17 on:** Oct 30, 2021, 07:46 AM »

Drill a hole at an angle may help folks ..I read this some time back for salmon ..folks would drill two hole ..one straight another at an angle . I am sure it takes some skill set ..so no ice chisel is needed .

hardwater diehard · « **Reply #18 on:** Oct 30, 2021, 08:01 AM »

https://www.in-fisherman.com/editorial/too-large-for-a-10-inch-hole-ice-fishing-hole-size/156876

Hillsfisher · « **Reply #19 on:** Nov 28, 2021, 10:24 PM »

For many years I used a hand auger with a 6 inch blade. Then last year got a 24V Strikemaster electric auger with an 8 inch (love it). Never had a problem with either. Today was fishing and had my 6 inch auger and got a 38" and a 40" inch pike. No problems getting them thru the 6 inch hole. No need for a 10" hole.

whiteymalone · « **Reply #20 on:** Jan 01, 2022, 06:34 AM »

I saw a 41" pulled through a 7" hole that I had drilled with my ancient blue Eskimo branded Mora auger. That pike weighed 19#. He had no trouble at all getting it up that 7" hole.

I pulled another 40 1/8", 17.5# through an 8" hole that I drilled with my Jiffy propane auger. This fish was the very first flag my girlfriend ever had. Talk about a way to start off! She fought it like a champ. It has hooked in the corner of the mouth so it couldn't come up the hole. It would have been the same story even if the hole was 10". I reached down up to my armpit and grabbed it by it's gill plate. After wrestling with it for 30 seconds or so I was able to turn it and get it up the hole.

vtcountrychamp · « **Reply #21 on:** Jan 11, 2022, 12:50 PM »

Early and late season I use an 8" since the hole never freezes up. But mid season, I'll use 10" holes due to the cold. There's days the 10" hole will be an 8" in 2-3 hours and its worse walleye fishing at night in -15 to -20 degrees.

FreshwaterPhil · « **Reply #22 on:** Jan 11, 2022, 01:05 PM »

8 inches fine for most pike, unless you are fishing waters with 20 lb + fish. I'd go with a 9 or 10 for those.

Tip: Polar tip ups are rated for 11 inch holes, but barely hold in a 10 inch hole, so place a stick across the hole to brace it / prevent it from going in.

For reference, this 46 inch musky I caught came through an 8 inch hole without much trouble.

And here is what a 4 lbs pike looks like next to 6 and 10 inch holes.

river_scum · « **Reply #23 on:** Jan 11, 2022, 04:21 PM »

although i said 8" is fine all these fish came up 6" holes. getting head started after long battle is the tuff part. i use 6" on my drill 90% of the time.

if nothing else its a good song. lol

river_scum · « **Reply #24 on:** Jan 12, 2022, 06:31 AM »

Quote from: vtcountrychamp on Jan 11, 2022, 12:50 PM

Early and late season I use an 8" since the hole never freezes up. But mid season, I'll use 10" holes due to the cold. There's days the 10" hole will be an 8" in 2-3 hours and its worse walleye fishing at night in -15 to -20 degrees.

glad thats a problem we dont have around here. lol only fish below 0* a dozen times or so. and that was maybe -10 at worst.

Coosangler · « **Reply #25 on:** Jan 23, 2022, 01:02 PM »

Double drill...

kasilofchrisn · « **Reply #26 on:** Jan 23, 2022, 08:01 PM »

Have you ever been in the situation where you've got a big fish on the line your drag is screaming as the fish is peeling off line and you think to yourself man I wish I had a smaller hole?
Yeah, me neither.
Or you rented a cabin up in the mountains and you've legally left your burbot lines out overnight. When you come back in the morning you can tell you've got a decent fish on one of your lines and as you're digging out the snow from your hole in the below zero temps and you're thinking to yourself boy I'm glad we used the smaller auger?
Yeah that's never happened to me either!
I've been in both of those situations many times and I'm definitely glad I had a big enough hole every time it's happened.
For my overnight burbot sets I always bring the ten inch auger and pack the holes with snow to keep them from freezing as much as possible.

thomasthepikehunter · « **Reply #27 on:** Dec 01, 2022, 10:38 PM »

I've caught pike from about a 5" hole, and as big as a spear hole. It's really not that big of a deal if you ask me. To date the biggest pike I've pulled through the ice was a 40" and very fat. That was likely right up around an 18-20 pound fish. I'll picture that below. I'm a 6'5" guy, big hands, and this fish still has a massive head by comparison. She came up a 7" hole from my Mora auger with no troubles. It turned up the hole easy, came right out. It wouldn't have been too tough to get it through a 6" either, but there may have been a little bit of squish going on.

My opinion is that an 8" hole is the ideal size for pike fishing, and a perfect sweet spot overall. It's more than big enough for even trophy fish. It's not too bad to drill. With a gas auger and good blades a 10" is fine. With chipper blades a 10" can be a workout after a while. With something like a SM lazer or Nils it's not bad. I wouldn't want to hand drill too many 10" holes. You wont get too many 10" holes with an electric drill either. I've never had an issue with an 8". Even with a little ice on the edges, it would have to be really neglected to close up enough to cause an issue. Usually at that point your only real concern is chipping the tip up out of the hole.

For hand augers I really enjoyed 7". It is plenty big for me. Maybe one day I'd find the limits, but I can't imagine how. I bought a Nils this year, but I got it in 6". I'm going to be trying that out, and I'm planning on double drilling my holes for tip ups. Unfortunately they only seem to make this auger in 8" as the standard version. I wanted the folding version.

As has been stated, the big issue is simply getting them into that hole. I never go to a flag without my chisel scoop. It's rare I need it, but when a fish is dead tired and laying flat under the ice, just use that to turn it. It is also in that picture below. I didn't need it for that fish, but it's nice to have. You always need something to bust ice with, even if you run hole covers. Use something like that, and you will never have an issue. I'm not convinced a 10" hole is that much easier than an 8" hole to get them turned.

Kilsdonk · « **Reply #28 on:** Dec 02, 2022, 10:52 AM »

8" Hand auger for early season thin ice and light mobile fishing.
10" Gas Auger for thick ice or bigger fish.

Personally I bring Both, I always have a backup and love winning free beers challenging people to race my hand auger vs there motor auger.
Cheers and good luck out there!

thomasthepikehunter · « **Reply #29 on:** Dec 02, 2022, 07:09 PM »

Well of course we all responded about fitting northerns. This is the northern pike section.

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Author Topic: hole size (Read 12775 times)