The Size of Your Hole.

[Rich]

Do you find that the size of the hole you drill while ice fishing can effect the fishing?

 

Obviously punching a hole in the blanket of snow cover above the fish allows a certain amount of light in, and may seem unnatural to the fish. For some reason I always catch more fish when I use a 6" hole rather than an 8" hole. Maybe its just a confidence thing?

[canadian_copper]

no effect!!!its just like blow up !! holes in the ice when it melts ect!!

we use what we call manholes sometimes!!! just like a man hole on the road!!! that big!!!! makes it much easier to find and land a monster bow!!

bad part is when it snows and covers over lol

we mark them but someone always steps in one very yr lol

[charlied]

if your worried about the snow.....just shovel it off around the hole....if you get cold then shovel a large area around the hole....LOL

[BLACKFISH88]

I've seen guys with monster holes around here on the BOQ actually I think someone drowned in one a couple years back four or five guys would fish the same hole. So I really don't think fishies necks bend that way either rich....LOL So prolly just coinky dink.

[joonmoon]

Depends on what species I'm targeting. I used to have an 8" auger but after Feb it's more difficult so I switched to a 6" and find its much better for me for the entire season, since I usually target panfish anyway. I don't think the amount of light shining thru the hole really affects it but when I'm using a large bait for pike I like to clear away the snow so that fish can see the minnow. Deadstickin or live either way for Pike thats what works for me anyway.

[Bernie]

For Walleye fishing on Nipissing a 6" is enough although on cold windy days its easier to keep the hole open with 8"

[raysfish2005]

I find the only thing it affects is falling into the hole, When you get guys drilling 10 inch holes all over the ice and you just happen to step into one the next day .......................whammo one leg down the hole and one wet foot!!

 

Thats why i use an 8 inch, besides when i have to go pee i like to feel the sides

[joonmoon]

Been there done that........fallin in the hole that is...lol.

[misfish]

Been there done that........fallin in the hole that is...lol.

 

Idiot,s never mark their holes.Those are the ones I cant stand.

[Zib]

Rich,

 

When I fished without a shanty I found that I also caught more fish with a 6" versus 8". When I fished in a shanty I found no difference. The problem I have with the 6" holes is when using my tip-ups and a largemouth comes along & takes my 8" chub & it gets difficult to get the bass through the hole.

[Mike Pike]

The size of the hole doesn't affect the fishing but it DOES affect me! Later in the season when the ice gets nice and thick, I leave the 8-inch auger at home and go out with my 6-inch. It's a little easier to to get holes drilled with it so I'm more likely to move around from spot to spot when things slow down.

 

So, I guess the size of the hold DOES affect my fishing!

[fishdawg]

4 1/2" for perch / pannies rock!

[Headhunter]

I use a four inch auger when I'm perch fishin on Cooks. They bore through ice easily, no matter what the thickness and is plenty of hole for perch. I don't think the size of the hole really matters to the fish.

HH

[wolfville]

Murphy's law, you always hook into the biggest fish when you have the smallest hole...too small to pull the fish out.

[jason27fish]

i like smaller holes becasue they are easier to drill

[Bob]

Had a friend many moons ago who used to go scuba diving through the ice frequently, brrr. What he told me is that when you're down there looking up, the amount of light coming through is amazing. You can see the shadows of all the people walking around on the ice but hardly notice the holes. When he told me this was in February with a fair amount of snow cover. I wasn't about to go down there to find out. The only thing that ever determined the size of hole I used was the prospective size of the fish I might catch from that particular lake. In most of the lakes around here, I wouldn't fish with less than an 8" hole.

[fishindevil]

that would depend if it was an outside hole or what ??????hhmmmm if im outside smaller the better if im inside the hut where its nice and dark i can go with a bigger hole or a square depends on if its a bright day or not outside holes on a bright day will cast shadows on angles down the hole i have seen this when there is clear ice with no snow the light was 20 feet past the hole when it hit bottom...it was weird to see that standing on crystal clear ice looking down at the light reflecting off the bottom..

[mtpockets2]

I agree, that the species your fishing for may change the hole size. I use a 6 inch hole because I can drill 3 holes in my trap pro, and still have room( 2 rods, 1 vex ).