Keeping holes open at night?

[fishstalker]

Does anyone have any good ways to keep their trap holes open at night when your fishing walleye? On Lake Champlain we can use 15 traps and it becomes a pain to chisel through 15+ holes just to check your bait. Don't get me wrong i love to go out and freeze my A$$ off but there has gotta be a better way to do this. I have heard of the black foam covers, but common sense tells me that it would only work with the sun being out, or a bright a$$ full moon!! The only idea that has made the best sense to me has been the bait aerator with a bunch of rubber tubing and T's! Any ideas out there would be great guys. Thanks!

~FISHSTALKER

[1TIGGER]

Not sure if it works but I hear that hot hands , hand warmers in a ziplock bag works .
Sounds like a possibility and it would only take a couple of bucks to find out !

[tracker 1]

Not sure if it works but I hear that hot hands , hand warmers in a ziplock bag works .
Sounds like a possibility and it would only take a couple of bucks to find out !

 Why dont you try and put a hand warmer in plus use the foam to cover it, it would probably keep the heat in the hole.

[fishstalker]

ya! I never thought about that 1. sounds like im gonna have to try it out. thanks guys!

[1TIGGER]

Let us know how it works for ya !
Good Luck !

[mjbmxz]

I think those hand warmers need air to work.  I've used em for an hour, put em in a zip lock to stop them, then take em out, they're cold, but warm back up for the next 2-3 hrs.  So I don't think that'll work.  If they have a trick to make it work, I'm so using that idea.

[flintlokusa]

Try the old coffee can with copper tubing and some charcoal . take a coffee can, hole in the side with the tubing coming out , then have  the tubing curled inside the can, like a coil, and coming out the top. Put the lower end of the tube in the hole, and throw some charcoal in the can and let it heat up. It will draw the cold water out of the hole and spit warm water out the top tube, aimed back at the hole . I have  never tried it, but the old timers say it works

[fishstalker]

Try the old coffee can with copper tubing and some charcoal . take a coffee can, hole in the side with the tubing coming out , then have  the tubing curled inside the can, like a coil, and coming out the top. Put the lower end of the tube in the hole, and throw some charcoal in the can and let it heat up. It will draw the cold water out of the hole and spit warm water out the top tube, aimed back at the hole . I have  never tried it, but the old timers say it works

That would be allot of copper tubing, cans and charcoal! but if it works im up for trying anything!

[flintlokusa]

I would make 1 and give it a try. they said you only needed a couple bricks of charcoal in each can .

[1TIGGER]

I think those hand warmers need air to work.  I've used em for an hour, put em in a zip lock to stop them, then take em out, they're cold, but warm back up for the next 2-3 hrs.  So I don't think that'll work.  If they have a trick to make it work, I'm so using that idea.

The guy that told me about it said to leave the top open but to lean the top of the bag against the tip up or set the top edge of the bag under the tip up  on the edge of the ice  just to keep it from getting wet , that way it still gets air .

Again not sure it works but for a couple of bucks it's certainly worth a shot .

[tracker 1]

I would make 1 and give it a try. they said you only needed a couple bricks of charcoal in each can .

 What about putting  water in the can and then setting the can on top of your heater that way the heater heats up the water in the can , the water then drips down the tubing into the hole thus keeping the hole clear.
  This is how you solve problems by just throwing something on the wall and see what sticks.

[fishstalker]

The hand warmer with the foam cover and the charcoal idea sounds pretty good. Im gonna have to give them a try after x-mas since all im probably gonna get is a bag of coal!   

[fishstalker]

What about putting  water in the can and then setting the can on top of your heater that way the heater heats up the water in the can , the water then drips down the tubing into the hole thus keeping the hole clear.
  This is how you solve problems by just throwing something on the wall and see what sticks.

Unless i have a heater at every tip up, i don't think that would work out. it might be a good idea for in the shack though?

[flintlokusa]

Another method with the coffee cans, is with out the tubing . Drill a shallow hole next to your hole, and chisel a small groove to your hole. Put the coffee can with charcoal in the shallow hole as it melts the ice, the shallow hole will fill up and the warm water will run down the small groove to your hole. Eliminates all the tubing

[tracker 1]

All right here is the answer. Cut the top off of a plastic bucket about 3-4 " high, that will sit over the hole, then put the foam over the top of the bucket and attach the hand warmer to the foam. The bucket will keep the foam and the hand warmer out of the water there by eliminating the plastic bag. I have no idea if it will work but its probably worth experimenting with.

[1TIGGER]

I think it would need to be directly in the water , if it just hung from the bucket I dont think it wouldnt generate enough heat

[fishstalker]

that could be another good idea worth trying! 

allot of crap to carry out on the ice with you though....

[fishstalker]

The best idea would have to be the hand warmer in an open plastic bag. I think it should generate just enough heat to keep the hole open wouldn't ya think?  + a hole cover to help insulate it and keep snow out! hopefully someone can try it out since i wont be able to untill January!

[spearchucker]

Someone has some gadget that is supposed to keep the hole open. It's a battery operated pump that circulates warm water into the hole. I can't remember who makes it though. I thought it was Strikemaster, but there is nothing on their website. The unit is bright green and made out of plastic. Maybe someone else will know who makes it. I know I have seen them at most outdoors stores.

[fishstalker]

Well if you can find a picture and a price it would be great! thanks

[spearchucker]

Well if you can find a picture and a price it would be great! thanks

 Here is an article:

http://www.fishingbuddy.com/news/news.php?nid=1549157

[pikeking]

Put a 5gal. bucket in the hole just make sure to mark it so no one hits it walking or riding a machine. The next day just give the bucket a wack and you are back to fishing.

[pike4some]

For my tip ups I use a square of carpet 14x14 squares for the 8 in. hole . It seems as long as you keep the air out of the holes they don't freeze up. We used them in 20 below a couple of years back and didn't seem to have much issues as I recall.Just put a little snow around the edjes to keep the snow and wind out.