Northwest Fishing Reports

I'm looking into buying a new ice auger; http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... ISO-8859-1

Except I'll get mine from Ebay which is little cheaper. Any tips on which size to get. Ice fishing for trout, panfish, etc.

I have an 8" which does great but I find myself using my friends 6" because it gets through the ice faster with less work.

Make sure you buy a new one and not a used one.
I have seen to many guys try and knock the bottom of the hole out with the auger.
This will dull and bend the blades. Nothing worse than an auger that dosent cut.
I have a six inch.

Yes, I'm getting a new one. Any tips on how to sharpen them, I seen these sharpeners on ebay and other stores are they any good; http://cgi.ebay.com/ACCUSHARP-AUGER-SHA ... 3ef21da91e ?

[quote="Kfedka"]Yes, I'm getting a new one. Any tips on how to sharpen them, I seen these sharpeners on ebay and other stores are they any good]

I wouldn't waste my money or time on trying to sharpen the blades. I have a friend that fought with his auger every time we went out last year and the auger always won. He used a stone and tried to sharpen (Clean Up) his auger blades and could never get the auger to cut right again. I felt sorry for him and purchased new blades for him just prior to our last time hitting the ice last year and he thanks me every time we talk. I think I paid eight or ten dollars for the new blades. I've been using the same blades that came with my auger three years ago without ever trying to sharpen them and they still cut like new. Just make sure that you always cover the blades with the protective cover that comes with the auger after each use and I'm sure you'll get at least a few good years out of the blades. I do have an extra set of blades just in case. Nothing ruins a trip out on the ice quicker than having a non-functioning auger.

I have a little Eskimo hand auger and I love it... Mine is an eight inch and I some times wish I had a power 10"... I would go with an eight if you are hunting bigger trout the extra room is nice#-o I talked to a friend who ice fishes all the time and he said that auger blades are sharpened with burrs that help cot the ice and a stone is the worst thing to do to blades. He gets three seasons per set of blades and all he does is take care of them and keep them covered....

i've used 6" and 8" augers. i found that i prefer the 8". never would have pulled some of the bigger trout through the 6" that i caught last winter. plus i find that i can get more action out of my offerings from finicky panfish by slowly moveing from one side of the( 8")hole to the other. than i would from a 6".

Sorry to bring this thread back around...just my two cents...

it all depends on how many holes you need., not the tork but the battery.... if you have an x marks the spot it would be enough for a couple holes. but keep the handle in truck at least.

to be honest you could prabably get away with out an auger at all, most guys I have found have always been generous enough to say here try mine.

it might be alright for a 4 inch auger. but man I cant pull a 12 inch crappie up a 4 inch hole. those holes are perfect for perch or 8 inch gills, any thing else its a bust, I am uncomfortable with a 6 inch hole, I will settle for an 8 inch hole but much rather have an 11-12 inch hole...

If you have a strike master hand lazer auger it might work, but take the handle just in case. you can throw the drill and adapter and a couple tools in the bucket to run an experiment. You have to have a good auger to begin with.

Anyone know if there is safe ice (3 inches) on the north end of Hayden Lake?
There was only one inch of ice for 30 feet out from shore and 3 inches thereafter on Killarney last Thursday. Very touchy. Zero pike

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