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Tips For Choosing An Ice Fishing Auger

Let's face it - without an auger, ice fishing would be pretty challenging. An ice pick may work when the ice is less than 4", but in the long run you will need an ice auger. In some cases many holes may need to be drilled just to find the fish. A quality ice auger is a necessity, but which one is the best to choose?

Ice augers can be broken down into two categories - hand and gas operated. Hand augers are the least expensive, and do a great job at cutting through the ice, especially the Strike Master Lazer. For occasional fishermen that don't log a lot of days on the hard stuff, this is probably the best choice. When selecting a hand auger you can save a lot of work and time by using the smallest diameter auger you can. The larger the diameter of the blade, the tougher a task it is to drill as you are moving more ice. If perch, panfish, or small walleye are your target, a six-inch diameter will work just fine. If larger walleye or trout are on the menu, a switch to an eight-inch will be best.

For those that spend a great deal of time on the ice, or fish lakes that are prone to thick ice, a gas-powered auger is the way to go. These augers can cut through the hard surface in seconds, allowing you more time to fish, and less time to rest your weary body. Being to quickly drill many holes also lets you lower your ice transducer into that many more holes in a given amount of time when you're trying to find the fish. The gas powered auger may be pricey, but they're worth it in my opinion. These augers also have good resale value.

Another powered auger is the electric ice auger. Because these rely on a heavy deep cycle battery that will need charging for each outing I just don't see these augers as a practical solution. Also keep in mind that a deep cycle battery looses power the colder it gets.