Ice augers: what is it, how to choose and use?

When the next season of winter underwater fishing is just around the corner, hundreds and even thousands of anglers prepare a tool necessary for ice fishing - an ice screw. Although, I must say, this is how the most experienced fishermen prepare, and beginners are only thinking about how to choose the right tool.

Ice augers are quite handy tools that allow you to quickly and effortlessly drill holes in ice. The main structural elements of the mechanism are a cutting knife, as well as a brace and augers.

The main advantage of the unit over the chisel is that the chuck is capable of drilling no more than 25-35 cm, while an ice screw allows you to make a hole up to 1 meter deep in just 3-4 minutes. It is noteworthy that the holes obtained in this way have an even cylindrical shape, and the noise during drilling is much lower than when cutting a hole with an ice pick, and as all fishermen know, loud sounds scare the fish away.

Perhaps the units have only one drawback - if you catch a large fish, then it simply will not crawl through the hole, so you either have to pick up an ice pick or drill a second, combined hole nearby - and that other option is not entirely convenient. However, the need for them appears extremely rarely.

At first glance, it may seem that there is no difference between different models of ice augers, but nevertheless these devices have quite a lot of differences depending on their design features.

The blades are the main component of the machine. Any fisherman strives to clarify in advance what is the structure and thickness of the ice in the reservoir where he plans to fish. Information about the ice cover is collected: it is dense or thin, dry or wet, viscous or hard. Depending on the answers to these questions, different types of knives are attached to the drill.

They are of several types:

• straight;
• two-stage;
• three-stage;
• hemispherical;
• toothed.

This is not a complete list, as engineers work tirelessly to improve the modifications. Thanks to this, new models and varieties of ice augers appear every season.

Most often, straight knives are used, they are quite effective in drilling an ice crust of any size and condition. Although, for example, drilling wet ice will be much easier than dry ice.

With the onset of the spring heat, when the ice becomes more viscous, the use of knives will no longer be as effective. Fishermen will need to make a lot of effort to make one or two holes, but when hunting for perch and roach, they often have to drill several dozen holes there. In this case, it is better to use serrated knives. They have a much smaller area of ​​contact between the edge and the viscous ice layer, and therefore the work is much faster and easier.

Two- or three-stage knives are used for working with very dry ice. The working edges of such knives are located at several levels, so they do not cut so much as they brighten up thick ice.

Spherical knives are considered versatile because they can drill any type of ice cover.But they have a rather serious drawback - they are very difficult to sharpen by hand.

The main function of the ice screw auger is to remove crumbling ice crust while drilling a hole. The size of the hole that the fisherman will make depends on the size of the device. Typically, the screws are welded to the auger shaft using spot welding along the entire junction line with the machine body.

Depending on the parameters of the auger and knives, the size of the drilled hole also varies. Both Russian and foreign manufacturers produce models with hole parameters from 9 to 25 cm.

Keep in mind that small holes are much easier to drill than large holes, but large fish will not fit. Therefore, when buying an ice screw, these factors should be taken into account and make a choice based on your needs and capabilities.

Most often, winter fishing enthusiasts purchase installations that allow them to drill holes of 11 and 13 cm in size. - even small and medium pike weighing up to 1.5-2 kg can crawl through them. But anglers who specialize in large river fish should opt for models with diameters of 15 cm or more.

In order to make a hole, it is necessary to rotate the handle counterclockwise, if we are talking about domestic models, and according to the arrow, if about imported ones. For a young user, this fact does not have any fundamental significance, but experienced fishermen switch quite hard from one model to another - this is not surprising, the habit is a stubborn thing.

Until recently, modern Russian-made ice augers were equipped with a plastic handle., which often cracked in extreme cold. That is why experienced fishermen immediately wrapped it with adhesive plaster or electrical tape. In this way, they protected the material and protected the device from damage. However, progress is not worth it - the latest models are equipped with warmer rubber handles, which are not afraid of either mechanical damage or low temperatures.

It should be noted that the length of any device is 1.5 meters or more. In order for the tool to be conveniently moved to the fishing place or transported in transport, it is equipped with special devices, with which you can shorten the installation for a while. That is, they are equipped with mechanisms that allow you to simply fold it in half.

In modern stores you can find ice augers of various modifications and manufacturers.

In most cases, ice augers for ice fishing operate on two-stroke gasoline-type engines, the power of which reaches 3 liters. with. A mixture of gasoline and engine oil in a ratio of 40: 1 is used as fuel. Typically, such motors are adapted to any temperature conditions and are easy to start even in the most severe cold. The mass of such a unit reaches 10 kg.

Such a mechanism is much more profitable than a manual one, since during the time the latter drills 1 hole, a motor-drill makes 5-6 holes with a diameter of up to 20 cm.However, experienced fishermen advise purchasing a device that is equipped with an additional handle for manual drilling. It can be used in a situation when the tank has run out of fuel, or the device refuses to start for some reason.

However, these motor-drills also have their drawbacks, and the main one is weight - the mass of such a device is at least 8-10 kg. In addition, the motor-drill makes a lot of noise during operation and this often scares the fish away. The use of gasoline drills requires additional fuel costs, and this makes fishing a rather expensive pleasure.

The motor-drill is optimal in cases where it is necessary to make a significant number of holes with a size of 15 mm or more, and if you are making a hole with a size of 25 cm, then you cannot do it alone - you will definitely need a partner.

Compared to gasoline, electric ice augers have quite a few advantages: they are cheaper, weigh much less, and at the same time operate almost silently.

Usually, an electric cable is included with such a tool, which is responsible for recharging the device from any motorized equipment or even from a cigarette lighter in the car. Most of the electric drills allow replacing one standard auger with another of a different diameter.

Electric ice augers do not emit exhaust gases, do not need fuel and are ready to use absolutely at any time - you just need to press the start button and the job is done.

In models of previous years, batteries were often installed, which ceased to work in extreme cold, but modern modifications are devoid of this drawback. They work even at extreme sub-zero temperatures.

An annular ice auger, like a screw, has a rod, but its cutting unit is made in the form of a cylinder, which is equipped with sharp cutting teeth in the front part. It is they who are responsible for cutting out the ice along the perimeter, while the middle part remains intact. Thus, with the help of the ring, a cylindrical core is formed, which at the very end of the work is simply pushed down with a heavy stick and goes under the ice.

I rarely use this type of drill in practice, so there are quite a few ring models on the market.

Battery models are convenient in that they are not tied to an electric power supply and do not need fuel. Usually the kit includes two batteries with a capacity of 2500 mAh. This capacity is enough for about 12 holes, if you use a 16 cm auger and with an ice layer of 50 cm thick.When using 10 cm augers with the same battery and with the same ice layer, you can make 2 or even 3 times as many holes.

The best option is nickel-ion batteries, but their cost is quite high. Nickel hydride batteries are the best choice if you want to save money.

Of course, many winter fishing enthusiasts have opted for a handheld device for years. Such ice screws are several times cheaper, in addition, they are more compact and more ergonomic than their counterparts. Hand drills are either one-handed or two-handed. In the first case, the handle is placed on a single axis with the auger, so rotation is transmitted only through the action of the right hand, which fixes the lower handle. But in two-handed modifications, the handles are located on both sides of the axis. Here, rotation occurs as a result of the movement of both hands - in this case, the process is greatly simplified and requires much less effort.

Typically, the upper handle is at shoulder height and the lower handle is at the diaphragm. Some models are equipped with a telescopic extension mounted in the axle. Due to such a device, it is possible to correctly select the size of the installation for the depth of the ice and the dimensions of the angler himself.

In recent years, many titanium ice drills have appeared on the market, which are 2-3 times more compact than their steel counterparts. They are easy to transport, but it is more difficult to build a hole with such a device.

Ice augers are produced by a variety of manufacturers, the most popular are the products of the following brands.

• "Barnaul Tonar" - the absolute leader in the rating, a universal ice screw that can be used in all weather conditions.Folding model, manual control, equipped with a telescopic bar and two rubberized handles. Due to the increased number of turns of the auger, less effort is needed when drilling, so the hole is freed from ice faster.

• "Volzhanka Nero" (Nero) Is another hand-held model with a center drill, the main advantages of which are ergonomics, mobility, affordable price and high productivity. Thanks to the optimally selected ratio of sharpening angles, such a drill well drills both loose and dry ice. Inside each handle there are polypropylene inserts, which greatly facilitate rotation.

• Mora Ice Expert-Pro - a manual ice screw made by a Swedish company with augers from 11 to 21 cm. Such devices are distinguished by rather sharp knives, which are made of materials that are resistant to corrosion. This ice screw is optimal if you need to drill through a thick layer of ice, as long as it can be lengthened with a screwdriver.

• UR-Rapala - Finnish-made model, produced in several diameters from 10 to 20.5 cm. The knives of the device are attached to composite heads of replaceable type, the weight of the ice screw is only 2 kg. However, the cost of the tool is quite high, much higher than that of domestic counterparts.

The main task of an ice screw is to drill a hole in the hole so that you can fish through it. And in order for this to become possible, you must first of all choose the correct diameter of the mechanism. Keep in mind that the narrower it is, the easier it is to drill the hole, however, as mentioned above, not every fish can squeeze through such a hole.

The most popular are models of ice augers with sizes from 11 to 25 cm, this is the best option for amateur fishing., while models 15-25 cm in size are used to hunt for large inhabitants of the river, and if your goal is ordinary perches or roach, then you can limit yourself to boers of 11 and 13 cm.

If we are talking about sports fishing, then models of 9-11 cm are most often required here, because it is not the taste of the fish that matters, but the number of individuals caught per unit of time.

When fishing with a jig, you will have to constantly move on the ice. In this case, it is better to stick with small diameter models and drill a lot of holes, and if you have a stationary fishing rod, then it is better to choose a drill with a large tip.

If fishing is not your main hobby and you only go for fish a couple of times a season, then you should not choose an expensive drill., it is more profitable to give preference to inexpensive manual models of domestic production.

If on fishing you move mainly on foot, then it is quite difficult to carry a drill on your hands, so you should think about purchasing a motorized dog or some other snowmobile.

By the way, fishermen often go ice hunting in a large company, so they often buy one expensive drill in a club.

The speed of drilling holes in the ice largely depends on the angle of inclination and the degree of sharpening of all knives. Replacing the knives will change the performance of the drill. The degree of sharpening plays a primary role, since it is rather problematic to make a hole with blunt devices, and sometimes it is not at all possible. Of course, you can buy new knives all the time, but it is better to approach the matter from the standpoint of economy and try to sharpen the blades yourself.

This requires special abrasive materials such as sandpaper. In this case, the shape of the abrasive paper does not matter, it is important that the surfaces are flat. It is optimal to use an abrasive with a fine or medium grain size, but it is better to refuse the use of a roughing material, since you can quickly damage a delicate surface.

The skin is attached to a workbench or table, after which sharpening immediately begins. First you need to fix the non-working coating, that is, remove burrs and all kinds of defects. As a rule, it only makes sense for this to make a series of rotational movements in any direction.

This is followed by the stage of direct sharpening. In this case, the knife is held at an angle so that the edge is kept parallel to the rough abrasive. If distortions appear, the knives will be sharpened unevenly, and this will not give the desired efficiency when drilling.

From time to time, you should visually check the quality of sharpening. To do this, make a circular motion in the opposite direction. Defects such as a skewed chamfer of the working surface, as well as a chamfer with flaws, various burrs and minor imperfections on the edge are considered unacceptable.

Test: Take a blade in one hand and a newspaper in the other. If the knife is well and correctly sharpened, then it will freely cut the paper across without tearing it at the same time. If this test passes, then you can attach the knives back to the ice augers.

Sharpening spherical knives is much more problematic, usually specialized devices are used for this, although many craftsmen try to do this with a file.

It should be remembered that severe frosts always interfere with the operation of equipment, and ice screws, unfortunately, are no exception. That is why, when going on a winter fishing trip, it is worth grabbing a kit for an emergency repair of the device: bolts, a screwdriver and a wrench. The tools will help you fix and adjust the drill in case of problems caused by adverse weather conditions.

While drilling a hole, ice should be immediately removed in the direction from which the wind is blowing. If you choose a different direction, the line will cling to the "snowdrift" and you will have to spend a lot of time releasing it. By the way, it will be possible to lay a fishing rod on such a slide in the future.

You should not rush when drilling a hole - this will not lead to an acceleration of the process, but your strength will exhaust you pretty much. If you are working with a steel unit, there is no need to put pressure on it. When the knives are well sharpened, the device works quite efficiently without additional effort.

If you have a manual ice screw, you should pause from time to time, during which you need to pull out the auger and discard any ice crumbs that make it difficult to fully rotate. But in the case of using a gasoline or electric unit, the hole should be drilled in one go.

At the very end of the work, when the ice crust has already been broken, it is necessary to adjust the rpm in order to get rid of the sharp edges. Otherwise, when pulled out, the fish can break off, and together with the bait, if the line is accidentally cut off against the sharp protrusions of hard ice.

You do not need to scoop out all the ice from the hole - it protects the water from the penetration of sunlight. If you neglect this advice, then you can simply scare away all the river inhabitants, and the fishing will be empty.

If you fish with several rods, then you should make holes at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other, otherwise the lines under water may get confused.

A few words about how to extend the lifespan of borax. The most common reasons for their failure and they are the most primitive.

• Most often, knives deteriorate when a hole is made near highways or near high river sandy banks. During the period of freezing of rivers, sand is applied with the wind, which at first glance is invisible. It is enough to drill only 3-4 holes in such ice and the knives will certainly become dull.
• The second reason has to do with the human factor.Some ice fishing enthusiasts freeze bottles and cans from drinks, as well as table leftovers, in ice. On contact with such objects, the drill elements can immediately fail. To avoid an unpleasant situation, you should not drill old holes - it is better to spend time and drill a new one, but on the other hand, minimize the risk of tool breakage.
• Another reason is work in an unknown terrain. If you are not sure that there are no pieces of metal pipes, concrete layers and other remnants of human activities under the ice, you should not risk it, find a proven place.

In order for your ice fishing device to serve you faithfully for many years, you must adhere to the basic rules for care and storage.

• The joints of the folding ice ax should be lubricated from time to time.
• Do not put a wet drill directly into the snow, otherwise ice will immediately form on the auger, which will damage the parts. It is optimal to leave it in an upright position, slightly screwing it into snow or ice to a depth of about 10 cm.
• Ice frozen on knives cannot be knocked down, it will be correct to melt it. To do this, the ice screw is brought into the heat or simply lowered into the hole, after which the ice can be gently peeled off or scraped off.

• At the end of fishing and returning home, you should wipe dry all parts of the ice screw, otherwise rust will quickly appear on the metal. Before leaving for summer storage, you should additionally lubricate the drill with machine oil.
• The ice screw is stored in special covers, tubes or a case with a mount, which is inserted into the holder on a snowmobile.

For information on how to choose the diameter and type of ice screw, see the next video.