Never tried hard water fishing before, but am thinking of giving it a try. For some reason my son thinks it should be fun. (I think he's probably watching Ice Road Truckers too much.) Any advice on ice augers would be appreciated. Manual augers as the jury is out on whether this is my type of fishing.
Does any store in the Ottawa region rent them by the way?
Thanks
Ice Augers?
If you're just starting I'd buy a 6" manual. Easier to drill holes with then an 8" and right now there's a lot of ice. I personally like the finbore myself. I've seen them in Canadian Tire and Lebarons......
I don't know of anyone that rents them. I would also consider buying a new one in your shoes. It will cut good right out of the box. If you find a used one things could be bent or the blades dull. Worst case if you don't enjoy it then just sell it.
Also, if you don't already have one, try and find a small plastic sled. I never enjoyed walking and carrying stuff. Pulling it all behind me just made things that much nicer.
Good luck!
I don't know of anyone that rents them. I would also consider buying a new one in your shoes. It will cut good right out of the box. If you find a used one things could be bent or the blades dull. Worst case if you don't enjoy it then just sell it.
Also, if you don't already have one, try and find a small plastic sled. I never enjoyed walking and carrying stuff. Pulling it all behind me just made things that much nicer.
Good luck!
Not sure about auger rentals. I'd have to guess probably not considering how easy it is to screw up the blades if you're not careful with them. Maybe renting a hut where the holes are drilled for you might be a cheaper intro to the sport rather than running out and buying all the gear.
If you are going to buy an auger, I think the Normark brand are probably the easiest to come across in Ottawa. They carry them at CTC, LeBaron, and probably anywhere else that sells ice fishing gear. Definitely go with the curved blade style (Fin-Bore) rather than the flat setups (Swede-Bore). They cut through the ice much easier and are definitely worth the extra $20. A smaller diameter auger makes drilling much easier, so if all you're chasing is pannies then go with a 6" or even smaller.
A wise Conquistador from Quebixco schooled me in the ways of the hand auger back in the day, so I'll pass along what I've learned...
Never bang your blades on the ice, the angle is very important to how well they cut.
After you've broken through the ice, back it out as opposed to pulling it straight up, otherwise you can bend the blades.
As soon as you're done with it, put the cover back on right away and keep the blades out of the snow.
Most importantly... never let anyone else use your auger
If you keep your blades in good shape they should last you a long time and save you a lot of frustration out on the ice.
Good luck
If you are going to buy an auger, I think the Normark brand are probably the easiest to come across in Ottawa. They carry them at CTC, LeBaron, and probably anywhere else that sells ice fishing gear. Definitely go with the curved blade style (Fin-Bore) rather than the flat setups (Swede-Bore). They cut through the ice much easier and are definitely worth the extra $20. A smaller diameter auger makes drilling much easier, so if all you're chasing is pannies then go with a 6" or even smaller.
A wise Conquistador from Quebixco schooled me in the ways of the hand auger back in the day, so I'll pass along what I've learned...
Never bang your blades on the ice, the angle is very important to how well they cut.
After you've broken through the ice, back it out as opposed to pulling it straight up, otherwise you can bend the blades.
As soon as you're done with it, put the cover back on right away and keep the blades out of the snow.
Most importantly... never let anyone else use your auger
If you keep your blades in good shape they should last you a long time and save you a lot of frustration out on the ice.
Good luck
There's some good advice from Bradford2 and XXXL (Great advice from that Quebexican guy too!). In terms of manual augers I too, would recommend the Normark Fin-Bore III. The offset handles let you use both arms which makes it so much easier and less tiring. I own the 6" model and it cuts like a hot knife through warm butter... Worth the extra $20 indeed.
BTW, I've never seen any for rent but you can rent mine for $1000.
BTW, I've never seen any for rent but you can rent mine for $1000.
Diddo that, FIN Bore IIIfiiish wrote:There's some good advice from Bradford2 and XXXL (Great advice from that Quebexican guy too!). In terms of manual augers I too, would recommend the Normark Fin-Bore III. The offset handles let you use both arms which makes it so much easier and less tiring. I own the 6" model and it cuts like a hot knife through warm butter... Worth the extra $20 indeed.
BTW, I've never seen any for rent but you can rent mine for $1000.