# Spud Bar / Ice Chisel



## pymybob (May 28, 2004)

Anyone know where I can find either a spud bar or ice chisel in North East Ohio. For me, it seems to be a hard item to find. Any and all help appreciated. Thanks!


----------



## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

Bob, I use a regular spud bar from the hardware store for spudding holes and such. As for stores south of you in Hartville they have them at the hartville hardware, old true value. Unless you are looking for something else.

Scott


----------



## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

Okay I am looking at trying some ice fishing this year for the first time so I am clueless here. What do you use the spud bar for? Do you use it to test the ice as you are moving about?


----------



## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

The spud bar is used to chip a hole in the ice. Makes for a ragged hole and is a lot more work than an ice auger. Also is quite heavy. The bar, carried in a horizontal position can also be considered a safety device as it will prevent you from completely falling through the hole you create when walking on too thin or rotten ice. The bar will allow you to "heave" yourself up and back on to the adjacent ice.


----------



## lv2fish (Jun 23, 2005)

Buy a hand auger and save yourself and your back a lot of work. Makes me nervous wacking a hole in 3-4 inch ice with a spud bar anyway, plus its real noisy. My opinion however.

BKR - I see you are out of Mt. Vernon, I am in Utica. If you want to hook up, I will start going pretty regular on every weekend after the 1st of the year as long as the ice holds out and I usually will stick to a lot of ponds in the licking/delaware/knox county areas. Once it really gets solid i will head to the larger bodies of water. Just a thought, I have all the gear you would ever need.


----------



## Papascott (Apr 22, 2004)

I carry one on erie to check the ice around cracks and to check the thickness as I go you know if it goes through in just a couple hits its too thin for a quad. I also know guys that will drill 2 holes next to each other ant then use a spud to make an oval shape, not really legal on inland lakes. I am pretty sure that bob was not intending to spud his ice holes although I know one Guide that could spud a hole faster than I could auger one but if anyone knows Tim Calvert they would understand. The guy was running charters on hardwater for 20 custumers a day and spuding all the holes, he was a lean mean spuding machine, now that he has that jiffy he is kinda soft

Scott

Scott


----------



## Whaler (Nov 16, 2004)

I bought a spud bar a couple years ago at Gander mountain to check ice thickness as I walk out. Once the ice is good and thick I leave it at home.


----------



## sowbelly101 (Apr 5, 2004)

I use my spud more as a safety device for checking the ice before setting up camp. Since early ice forms at different rates its always a good idea to check thickness as you go. For example, I was on a pond yesterday and the ice was around 4" thick, there were some areas that looked iffy so I approached them with caution and when I threw the spud down it went right through the ice. I think most people use them as a way to check the ice as they venture out and not as a way for chipping holes open. I know you can call cabelas in dundee and they will ship you one, saw a barrel full of them last week and I think they were 18.00. Most of the ones you can buy are made out of re-rod for the handle and shaft, and the chisel is made out of 1/2" steel. My dad had a couple of them made out of 3/4" round stock, it is a little heavier then the ones you can buy, but it is alot more solid. If you know someone that can weld they are fairly simple to make. 

Sowbelly


----------



## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

lv2fish said:


> BKR - I see you are out of Mt. Vernon, I am in Utica. If you want to hook up, I will start going pretty regular on every weekend after the 1st of the year as long as the ice holds out and I usually will stick to a lot of ponds in the licking/delaware/knox county areas. Once it really gets solid i will head to the larger bodies of water. Just a thought, I have all the gear you would ever need.


 I may take you up on that. I wanted to try a couple of local ponds as well and like you said perhaps some larger lakes as well.


----------



## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

I guess I was right in my assumption of the use. The one time I went ice fishing years ago we actually used a spud bar to make our holes. The ice was about 12-15" thick so I was not nervous about beating on the ice around me. However, I don't think I would be that trusting to beat a big hole in the ice with only 4" thickness.


----------



## pymybob (May 28, 2004)

Thanks guys.

Yea, I'm going to use it to test "questionable" ice early in the season. I think bassmastermjb is going to hook me up. That guy has EVERYTHING!


----------



## bill_gfish (Apr 5, 2004)

I made one at work today, and left it there?, I am gonna use it to check before proceeding to flall through. lol Early ice scares the crap out of me, even more so with the snow we got.


----------

