# an alternative for an auger?



## willyb021 (Jun 1, 2009)

me and my buddy are gonna "try" to do some icefishing this weekend at piedmont. why i say try is because neither of us own an auger or have access to one. so we were thinkin gof other ways to get a hole in the ice. has anyone ever tried cutting a hole with a blowtorch, or think it would work?


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## stex1220 (Mar 23, 2009)

Hell yes! Drag your tanks out there and cut away Im just joking mabey you can bring a spud and bust threw old holes.


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## BrianSipe17 (Aug 5, 2006)

If you have a spud bar, you can spud a hole. I've done it... not saying it's fun, but it can be done.


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## ParmaBass (Apr 11, 2004)

Chisel, spud bar or just ask to borrow someone's auger, but if you've never used one you better ask them to drill the hole for you. If you don't know how to drill a hole, you'd mess up the blades real quick. 

A blowtorch, hmmmm... not sure about that one. 8-10" of ice might take a while to blow torch through.


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## Dfrenzy (Dec 18, 2008)

Most ice fisherman are he most friendly people in the world. Go to an area where theres a lot of guys and just ask if you can borrow an auger to drill a hole or too im sure someone will let you. If not offer them a buck a hole and make em happy. I would lend my auger to a fellow fisherman if they asked.


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## blk93wing (Jan 22, 2011)

I was just on Cabela's website and didn't see any augers, so check some local bait/tackle shops and you maybe able to find a hand auger at a good price. I bought one a couple weeks ago, a Mora 8" for $54. Fisherie.com lists a few from $40 and up with $7 shipping.


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## fish master (Dec 24, 2005)

cl has tone of adds fer augers, i dont think the torch will work as soon as u melt thru the last layer of ice the hole i start to fill up with water...this time of year there should be plenty of holes already cut out just need to reopen them with a hammer or spud bar..


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## Lundy (Apr 5, 2004)

You could fish through the hole where your buddy fell through the ice.

Seriously, a spud bar works best for manual hole chopping if you don't have a auger. My first time ice fishing back in the 60's the holes were chopped in with a hatchet pretty easily, except you get wet doing it that way.

Chain saws work very well also, JUST DON"T CUT BIG HOLES


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## markfish (Nov 22, 2007)

hell just break out the old mans chain saw and cut out the holes or you could cut a long opening about 100 foot long and five in,wide then you can troll all day


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## Eliminator (Aug 26, 2006)

We used the ol mans post hole digger when we were kids, you have to hang on to handles on that last chop, don't ask me how I know.


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## CRAPPIE LOVER (Feb 11, 2007)

If I were you I would go out to where there are guy's fishing ..Go up to them and be friendly ..Explain to them your problem and ask them to either drill a few holes for you or (show you how to drill and borrow there's)..As the guy's have said you could mess up there blades..Most ice fishermen will understand and give you a hand...If you do then offer them a five dollar bill,,Chances are they will just take a Thank You...I did that one time when I forgot my auger at home..And after drilling four holes for me ..all they said was enjoy yourself...JIM...CL....:F


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

I used a chainsaw before but its difficult and it sprays water all over. The torch wont work however. A spud bar can usually be bought in places like tractor supply , etc. I heard of somebody making a spud bar out of a length of heavy thick walled pipe , flattening it somehow at one end and grinding a chisel edge on it......not the real deal but if its long enough and heavy enough it should work.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Heck, just bring a hatchet and you should be able to re-open an already drilled hole if your going where others are fishing.

If using an alternate method- 
*Please don't make holes too big.* 
I remember somebody went through the ice a few years back at Wallace 'cause somebody cut a 3ft square hole the day before.
It froze over and got covered in snow.


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## AtticaFish (Nov 23, 2008)

I have punched holes using a form-pin. It does wear you out, but cutting holes with a hand auger gets me huffing and puffing as well!!! 


Sorry to go a little off your original topic...... but i saw a few people mention that you can screw up auger blades if not done right. I guess i thought there was only one way to use an auger - turn the handle and push down like he!! on the top. What is the 'wrong way' to do it that can ruin blades???


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## wave warrior (Oct 2, 2005)

AtticaFish said:


> I have punched holes using a form-pin. It does wear you out, but cutting holes with a hand auger gets me huffing and puffing as well!!!
> 
> 
> Sorry to go a little off your original topic...... but i saw a few people mention that you can screw up auger blades if not done right. I guess i thought there was only one way to use an auger - turn the handle and push down like he!! on the top. What is the 'wrong way' to do it that can ruin blades???


the blades are very sharp but fragile!! new guys sometimes thing you must wack the auger on the ice to get it started, bad idea and the blades will be instantly shot!! pm me and we will show ya how to best fish piedmont thru the ice!!! its a slow bite right now but will be better every day, show up at daylight and plan to put in alot of time jiggin blades for success, the eyes dont come easy but ive also had limits or close to them in short order when they turn on...again feel free to pm me for some more help/info


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

If a hand auger gets you huffing quickly, your blades are already dull
in my opinion.
Like wave warrior said, don't bang them. I accidentally drilled through some ice when checking it and hit the lake bottom - definitely took a little edge off the blade.


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## fish master (Dec 24, 2005)

get some new bladez for your auger,you can get an adaptor for a drill thats what im doin next year..


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## yonderfishin (Apr 9, 2006)

Generally , as long as the auger blades are sharp , all you have to do is crank it around with a little pressure and the blades do all the work. If you are forcing them down you are doing it wrong.. Its normal for them to "walk" a little before they get a good start , dont slam them down . Just like a power tool , dont jam them , let the tool do the work for you.

As was brought up , a hatchet will do good to open up existing but frozen over holes and may be the way to go if you can find where somebody else was fishing.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

A little story -
Many years ago, when I first wanted to start ice fishing, I made my own auger. Bent some steel rod for the handle/crank, and welded on some alloy steel for a blade. Dang thing musta weighed 25#!
It took me about *ten minutes* to drill a hole thru @8" of ice.
An older fella must have felt sorry for me, he let me use his auger.
It popped a hole in 30 seconds.

That old home made auger is still out on the bottom of Shadow Lake - I threw it through the hole I drilled right after I used a real auger. . . . .


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## OPTIMUSPRIME (Aug 21, 2010)

One other thing for ur blades is to not drill old holes the ice that forms in has been compressed by the ice around it and will dull the blades quickly


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## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

You can cut through re-frozen holes easily with a Nils. The blades are different than a Mora.


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## blk93wing (Jan 22, 2011)

That 3 ft hole cut in the ice at Wallace was probably cut by metroparks to put the stocked fish into the lake


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## Muskarp (Feb 5, 2007)

creekcrawler said:


> I accidentally drilled through some ice when checking it and hit the lake bottom - definitely took a little edge off the blade.


That's definetly the fastest way to dull your blades. I did the same thing on Lake Onalaska.....right into a sandbar. Sand is apparently not the best thing for sharp blades. Trip over! It wouldn't even start a hole with me laying on it walking in circles.


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## Jigging Jim (Apr 3, 2010)

Just ask another Fisherman who has an auger if they would be so kind as to drill some holes for you - and offer him (or her) $1.00 a hole. If that person wants to drill you 5 or 10 holes, that money will be well spent. Who knows, you may make a new friend from the experience.


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