Ice FishingTips from Dave Genz

Number 1:

“Because you drill holes at every spot, you need an easy way to get the job done.  I like to think that every hole is like casting in the summer time. With StrikeMaster’s Lazer Augers, as long as you keep the blades sharp and free of ice, it no problem, drill as many holes as you need.”

Number 2:

“It’s all about the balance between the rod, the line and the lure.  The lure needs to be heavy enough to take the kinks out of the line.  The rod must be sensitive enough to feel the weight of your lure, if you don’t feel the lure, it may be resting on the bottom, caught on a weed or you may have a bite.  The rod also needs to be stiff enough to allow you to be crisp with your jigging movements, when you want to be.”

Number 3:

“It’s common to catch the biggest fish right away, on the first drop down a new hole. During the daytime, after you caught a few fish in the same hole, the chances are the action will slow down and you need to move. Instead of moving and drilling new holes, some people hang in there, thinking another good fish will come.  Mobility is the key to catching more fish and large “first drop” fish on the ice during the middle of day.”

Number 4:

Drilling holes through the ice can be a very simple process. Buying a gas, electric or hand model depends on how thick the ice gets in your area.  If the ice seldom gets thicker than a foot where you fish, a Lazer hand auger from StrikeMaster will handle anything you need to do.  I personally own a 6" hand auger and have never needed one larger.

 It's hard to beat a gas auger when you are drilling a lot of holes in thicker ice.  I have used the Strilke-Lite 4-stroke auger from StrikeMaster.  This 8" auger at only 20 pounds is the lightest, gas auger I’ve ever used.  The twin blades are strong and dependable, and with no fuel to mix, it uses unleaded gas, there is no more oil on my HardWater Ware.

I like to compare drilling holes in the lake in the winter to making casts in a lake in the summer, the larger the area you cover the better chance of finding the right spot.  A good auger takes the work out of the process and give you more time catching fish.