Noisy Ice Augers vs Electric ION and Spooked Fish

[Kim473]

Can get a 10" Eskimo on sale right now for $360.00. Can almost buy two for the price of the Ion. 1 gallon of gas lasts me all season and I drill a few hundred holes a year. 1 tank in the auger lasts me 2 - 3 trips.
The Ion is just not worth it. If your battery needs replaceing, = $ 150.00 or more. JMO.

My Eskimo always starts 1 - 2 pulls no matter what. Just don't pull the cord out like your trying to start a 10hp snowblower. Little tugs is all it takes. Going on 5 seasons now I think.

[cube]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

I'm not a fish, but I have known a few...
I think that the actual auger blades chewing through the ice would be spookier to fish than the sound of the engine up above the ice.

X3

Dave Genz put an under water microphone down a hole to test this a couple of years ago now. He found that only the sound of the cutting blades could be heard under the water.

I tend to get into an area and drill a number of holes that way no more drilling disturbance while I'm fishing.

Only big advantage to electric augers is drilling inside ice chantey's.

[Mangosteen]

Anyone try that KDrill system ?

[Mangosteen]

https://www.facebook.com/35640157232...3139736977330/

I wonder how many inches of ice it would be good for using that Milwaukee Fuel drill.

I guess one would have to buy a voltage converter to charge it from your truck.

[BlackHeart]

http://www.lewiswinch.com/multidrill...0%20Ice%20read

Matched to a 71cc Husqvarna.
[Insert Tim Allen Binford Grunt]

[Gbuss]

I own man power auger. It drills all the holes I need. By the end of the season you can get 30 to 40 holes a day. It doesn't break down it will start in -40 and it keeps me warm when I start to get cold. I also paid under 100$ for it. It is a hand auger and she drills 8" holes all day long.


Gordon

[EZM]

I have a couple augers .... a Z71 with a 10" flight that cuts a hole an inch a second and has more power than a kia. It will pull a small man down a hole or power a merry go round with no problems. Only issue is it does drip fuel if the power head isn't upright or tank is overfilled - kind of a pain sometimes.

I also have a Eskimo HC propane 10" and it starts with one easy pull every time and zero gas/fuel spills. It has the exact same flight/auger as the Z71. It doesn't cut as fast, but it can still get through 18" of ice in under 30 seconds and is allot lighter.

It's not hard to take an extra 1lb propane cylinder into the cab of the truck or into the tent should the weather drop below -30. Since I don't often go out after minus 30 anyways - I have zero concerns.

I have had it out in minus 26 with the wind (maybe minus 30-35) and after a 6-7 hours out there, she started on the first pull.

I have nothing against electric augers (ion) but everytime I see one at the lake or at the store the flight seems wobbly and ricketty. I also don't like the idea of running out of juice on the ice.

[Mangosteen]

Originally Posted by Gbuss

I own man power auger. It drills all the holes I need. By the end of the season you can get 30 to 40 holes a day. It doesn't break down it will start in -40 and it keeps me warm when I start to get cold. I also paid under 100$ for it. It is a hand auger and she drills 8" holes all day long.


Gordon

Yep my machine is the same. Just feed it well and it drills all day. One of these days I will get me something better as I get older however. 57 now.

Maybe a Propane one I am thinking. Just have not spent many winters in Canada.

[57charlie]

I think the sound of an ice auger is music. I don't think fish get spooked by gas powered augers going through the ice. I've pulled my share of perch, pickerel within minutes of drilling a new hole. As a matter of fact just yesterday I pulled 2 perch out within 3 minutes of drilling a fresh hole.

[Deep]

Noisy ice auger----the idea of it distracting fish? Unless you leave it running while you fish? Main reason I enjoy fishing is the solitude.

[dodger]

Originally Posted by BuckCuller

A lot of times when the bite starts to taper off and gets slow I'll drill a new hole or two and get some action shortly after. Maybe it's in my head but it seems to work for me.

Been there done that for Pike. ^^^

Dodger.

[Sundancefisher]

Originally Posted by Mangosteen

Just wondering if the gas powered ice augers spook the fish like trout in contrast to those ION ones?

Is there an advantage of the ION electric ones!

I do not think it would make too much difference for Perch but how about trout or whitefish? Just wondering as I am in the looking for a powered ice auger.

Never noticed a difference in normal snow covered ice conditions. Still I normally drill a series of holes in an L shape. 6-12 holes depending upon structure and species I am targeting. I drill more when chasing perch, pike, walleye and whitefish. Fewer chasing trout.