# Please Explain?



## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

Kept hearing holes being drilled in a nearby shanty on Nimi this morning. It would be a little while then a hole being drilled then a while and then another hole or two for several times. Kept thinking what are they doing? How much room could there be in there with two guys? Walked over after they left and photo is what was there. Those are 7” holes. Must have been some super special fish down there. 












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## Fish2Win (Jan 21, 2009)

Sorry Tom!! I was crappie spearing


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## cement569 (Jan 21, 2016)

my guess someone got a new auger for christmas


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## cb55 (Jan 4, 2014)

Fish2Win said:


> Sorry Tom!! I was crappie spearing


You can crappie spear there to? Will be out there to night. Did well at the foot.


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## snag (Dec 27, 2005)

After this thaw that will b one big hole this week..


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

Fish2Win said:


> Sorry Tom!! I was crappie spearing



Water was clear enough for it. Also for sight fishing all the way to the bottom. But if you can't successfully sight fish through a 7" hole then you shouldn't be fishing.


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

snag said:


> After this thaw that will b one big hole this week..



Definitely. Officer came around checking licenses but after they left or they likely would have gotten a citation.


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## bobberbucket (Mar 30, 2008)

Clearly they had to cut the holes connected to get the gaff in those pig nimi eyes.!


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

cement569 said:


> my guess someone got a new auger for christmas


that was my guess also. was they using a gas auger or an electric? may have just wanted to see how many holes they could get from a fully charged battery.
sherman


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

they were definitely sight fishing. its easier to see at an angle but you should never connect holes like that.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

I guess they forgot the chain saw


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## Saugeye Tom (Oct 6, 2010)

Trolling is the answer!!


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## jmshar (Jul 9, 2011)

I am pushing 70 years old and have been ice fishing since a kid and never have seen such a thing... What the heck is that and WHY?... What's the reason?.. I sit here just shaking my head... There is NO reason for that.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

I was pounding flathead cats. Any other questions......lol


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

jmshar said:


> I am pushing 70 years old and have been ice fishing since a kid and never have seen such a thing... What the heck is that and WHY?... What's the reason?.. I sit here just shaking my head... There is NO reason for that.



Sadly, I've actually seen worse. Half a dozen square holes 14" to 18" across opened with an axe on North Res. couple of years ago. I had assumed this was to make sight fishing easier for them as hardwaterfan mentioned. The reason is they were only thinking about themselves and didn't even consider or care about the likely consequences of doing something like that. After I saw it I was disappointed that the officer hadn't come out sooner than he did


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## Decoy hound (Apr 3, 2015)

They probably lost a rod or something down the hole and were trying to snag it to get it back. Just my guess, if not maybe they couldn't figure out how to turn the auger off. Lol


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

Exactly what I was thinking decoy. I've seen people drill holes like that to retrieve stuff off the bottom.


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## laynhardwood (Dec 27, 2009)

Decoy hound said:


> They probably lost a rod or something down the hole and were trying to snag it to get it back. Just my guess, if not maybe they couldn't figure out how to turn the auger off. Lol


Good thinking its a definite possibility that's what happened or vehicle keys


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

Yep, hadn't thought about that but it does make sense.
Still wouldn't excuse leaving it unmarked like that.
Friend of a friend knows the guys so eventually may find out the actual story.


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## capt j-rod (Feb 14, 2008)

Simple really... Like the crop circles in Europe, you clearly encountered extraterrestrials.


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

Totally agree Tom. It should have been marked. Mn had a law any hole bigger than 12" needed to be marked with a tree branch, should be the same everywhere. With the warm up that could get very sketchy by tomorrow.


What access point was it at so people can keep an eye out for it tomorrow?


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## mastercatman (Jan 30, 2005)

Amazing how quickly folks jump to conclusions! My buddy didn't have his auger well connected to the drill and it came off. Long story short, the holes were an effort to get over top of the auger with a magnet. Just when we thought we had it, nope just a few more inches.... err try again. So, yes it looked a little crazy, but the auger was retrieved. I purposely left the holes open (with slush piled around)so they'd be more obvious. Not sure what the point of marking them would be considering the state of the ice currently? Last week certainly, but those holes aren't going to skim over till Wednesday. Easy boys!


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

Who jumped to conclusions? We were just making guesses in the situation. The reason for marking spots like this is so people can steer clear of them. They will constantly keep getting bigger and bigger. By tomorrow evening that spot will be sketchy. Walking off in the dark you wouldn't be able to see it. With a stick or marker it makes it visible


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

mastercatman said:


> .... I purposely left the holes open (with slush piled around)so they'd be more obvious. Not sure what the point of marking them would be considering the state of the ice currently? Last week certainly, but those holes aren't going to skim over till Wednesday. Easy boys!



That's not how you mark bad areas. That slush was gone in a couple of hours. You walk the ten yards or so to shore and get some tree branches and try to make some type of a teepee sticking up some to be visible. No they are not going to skim over for a while but when they finally do and then get covered with some snow, someone could very easily innocently walk over that area and fall in. That's the purpose of marking them.


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## bobberbucket (Mar 30, 2008)

A big ole branch would do a fine job and make nice structure.


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## lovin life (Jan 2, 2010)

That's how we always did it in Minnesota.


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

Says the guy that wanted to take a trip to minnesota to fish for panfish. Judging by that comment you've never been there


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## mrfreeze (Jan 13, 2016)

maybe a port-o-shanty


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## c. j. stone (Sep 24, 2006)

nixmkt said:


> No they are not going to skim over for a while but when they finally do and then get covered with some snow, someone could very easily innocently walk over that area and fall in. That's the purpose of marking them.


Or Break a Leg!


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## mastercatman (Jan 30, 2005)

The conclusion was drawn that my buddy and I were idiots, jerks whatever... As far as marking the holes with something..... we're in Ohio! Not the UP, MN, WI, or anywhere else there may be a universally known way to mark a bad spot on the ice. I'd like to see someone build a teepee in yesterday's wind! In fact, I guarantee, if I had built a teepee or put anything else out there it would be 10x more dangerous, because people would be more curious.
Also, every hole drilled yesterday will get bigger and bigger, that's because it's junk. Anyone risking a trip today should be super vigilant anyway. If you're out at night, you should have a flashlight or lantern.


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## mastercatman (Jan 30, 2005)

I'm not going to argue my reasoning any further. Most of the guys posting in this thread, I respect quite a bit and not looking to make enemies here. The fact is, the ice out there by Wednesday will be mostly gone. By the time things safely refreeze, the area will not be a hazard. 
At least I was man enough to admit it was my buddy and I and offered the original requested reasoning. No hard feelings.


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

You'll think completely different if it was you that walked into a big hole in the ice or read here someone fell into that area. 

Yes people will be more curious but they're also aware there's something ahead not blindly walking upon it. 

Fading ice or 12" of ice the holes should have been marked.


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## rmski (Sep 18, 2014)

A lure in every hole would resemble a school of minnows . It's a fish attractant! Hey Jimbo let's try that next time!


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## lmbchckn (Apr 3, 2013)

Curious if the officer would have ticketed him even considering they dropped the auger down the hole? I agree with everyone else, I wouldn't be thrilled to walk anywhere near that.


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## jay2k (Dec 21, 2005)

This is so ridiculous. Haha.


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## ress (Jan 1, 2008)

Agree


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## jmshar (Jul 9, 2011)

rmski said:


> A lure in every hole would resemble a school of minnows . It's a fish attractant! Hey Jimbo let's try that next time!


No, I think the way we fish is working out just fine.. Lol.


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## randymcfishnsfun2 (Dec 24, 2014)

The hole everyone's crying about is about to be 750 acres wide!


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

No1s crying. Common sense would be to mark it anytime wether early ice, mid winter, or late ice, I'm sure there's people out there today. Guarentee they got bigger since the were drilled. He would be cussing like a sailor if he were to step into that hole after it melts today anyone would. To each their own. 

And btw its 742 acres!


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## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

Erieangler51 said:


> No1s crying. Common sense would be to mark it anytime wether early ice, mid winter, or late ice, I'm sure there's people out there today. Guarentee they got bigger since the were drilled. He would be cussing like a sailor if he were to step into that hole after it melts today anyone would. To each their own. And btw its 742 acres!


Anyone out there today, or any day this year so far, better be spudding the ice every few steps and paying damn good attention to every step they take. If they are dumb enough to walk into that mess then they probably deserve to get wet anyway. I agree that marking that area would have been the best thing to do but I believe this guy has been beat up enough about it.


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## jay2k (Dec 21, 2005)

Amen. Dude drilled some holes. Get over it.


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

mastercatman, im glad you guys got your auger back, it sucks losing stuff down the hole.


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## mastercatman (Jan 30, 2005)

Thanks for the support gentlemen! Yeah, we aren't ALL perfect. I'm sure, if anyone reading this thread, in the future encounters this situation, holes will be marked. At this point, lesson learned. We should now consider all ice on any waters in the state, completely unsafe at this time. Let's all get along and pray for another good freeze-up soon! Again, no hard feelings here.


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## vib-E (Jun 21, 2015)

Erieangler51 said:


> No1s crying. Common sense would be to mark it anytime wether early ice, mid winter, or late ice, I'm sure there's people out there today. Guarentee they got bigger since the were drilled. He would be cussing like a sailor if he were to step into that hole after it melts today anyone would. To each their own.
> 
> And btw its 742 acres!


Nope 742 and 5/8


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## Another Fisherman (Feb 3, 2011)

Looks like they might have been trying to get something they dropped down the hole. Maybe a phone


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## BIGEYURK25 (Apr 4, 2013)

Another Fisherman said:


> Looks like they might have been trying to get something they dropped down the hole. Maybe a phone


Did you read any of the comments before you commented?


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## Erieangler51 (Sep 24, 2012)

vib-E said:


> Nope 742 and 5/8


Forgot to add pizza bay in there


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## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

"Looks like they might have been trying to get something they dropped down the hole. Maybe a phone"
no, im 100% sure they were sight fishing.


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## Decoy hound (Apr 3, 2015)

Time to lock this stupid thread!


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## nixmkt (Mar 4, 2008)

Don't believe it was a stupid thread but agree it has run past its course. Kudos to mastercatman for owning up to it and noting lesson learned.


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