tips for drilling ice holes

[rfish]

How do you drill a hole straight? I get an angle every time with my strikemaster.

[fishwater]

Is this a lazer auger? If so, do you have a centering tip?

[Surreal Deal]

(Assuming that this is a power auger) If it's an ongoing problem that isn't being helped by practice, I guess I'd try a circular RV bubble level, attached to the top of the auger with a piece of two-sided tape

Ex.,

[zeeLandy]

Maybe a little tipsy huh?

[McGurk]

Start out with the blade farther away from your toes than you'd think it should be. That helped me.

[that_guy]

I find it helps to not look over or around the auger to watch it drill through the ice. A lot of people lean when doing this therefore pushing the auger one way or the other.

I hold the auger in front of me and let it do the work, and wait for it to punch through...the auger does the same thing everytime, why bother watching it?

[fishinfey8]

Ya I would say the biggest thing is to let the auger do its thing. I see a lot of guys putting quite a bit of downward pressure when drilling. You shouldn't need to put much, if any pressure if you have sharp blades and a sharp center point. Auger manufacturers have ingrained into the consumers head that it's a race to drill holes. It's nice to have a faster cutting auger, but there's no need to force the auger down the hole while drilling! In fact, I would argue that putting too much downward pressure slows the process, and is usually the culprit for crooked holes!

[russ]

I think it is a natural tendency to lean forward in an attempt to assist the auger. I see this quite often as other people are drilling holes. Try to make a conscience effort to not lean over the motor so much that the auger starts to unknowingly lean forward. Good luck.

[rfish]

no I dont have a centering tip. I tried a bubble level too but it shook to much.

[Monkster]

I hunt more than fish so excuse my ignorance, but why would it be imperative to have a vertically level hole?

[russ]

If the hole is plumb, fish will not have a tendency to catch the edge of the hole on the way up.

[My_Key]

I'll purposely drill a hole at an angle for friends when we fish together.

[magicstix]

I think That Guy has the answer, people are looking over the top of motor. Hold motor out away from your body a little more. I got a buddy that drills his holes at an angle and I always blamed it on his glasses giving him a poor perception but what That guy mentioned makes more sense to me visualizing his stance. For the longest time its baffled me how he could drill crooked holes, I think we have an answer.

[Surface Tension]

I know this tall guy, he starts out straight but slowly pulls the auger towards him as the auger goes deeper.

He does this every time.

[harvey lee]

If your blades are somewhat dull and you are pushing down on the auger this could be your issue.

Other than that, I do not know. I start the auger up, hit the throttle and it goes down. Straight hole always unless I lean on it by mistake then I can get a bit of a curve.

I guess I have never checked that well to see just how straight my holes were. Didn't think it mattered that much.

[Big-Al]

I am not sure I could angle a hole if I wanted to. My Jiffy grabs and pulls itself through the ice very fast and I never lean a bit on it. That after 10 years and a whole bunch of holes.

[Ed Carlson]

How do you drill a hole straight? I get an angle every time with my strikemaster.

Have a friend watch you drill. Then have him correct you on your stance to get a "straight cut".

Once you get the feel of what straight is, try to remember your stance and body positioning.

My trick is to keep my elbows wide, and my feet stance wide as well, then slowly lower them to my side, and also try to keep my shoulders equal. Once you get the feel of the auger and then allow it to drill as it wish's too.

Harvey hit on an very important point. Sharp blades will cut cleaner and straighter. Have sharp blade/blades and sharp center point, and it should feed and cut as you wish it to.

I intentionally off set the angle on holes in current at times. For to eliminate any tilt on the ducer so it reads properly. Other than that a straight hole in no current tends to eliminate most ducer positioning problems and you will read the bait better.

[The_Seasock]

Make a doctor appointment, you may have some underlying medical condition, can't be to carefull. Guys I know have gone back to using a chizel, lot straiter holes.

[MidCoast]

Can you ruin your blades or auger if you drill at an angle?

[My_Key]

Can you ruin your blades or auger if you drill at an angle?

Does it ruin your drill bits if you don't drill a hole straight up and down in wood? Concrete?

I suppose much like a smaller drill, going halfway one direction then trying to "turn" the bit could do some damage.

[fishwater]

I'd say no. As long as your not putting any undue pressure on the auger it should be OK. If your trying to correct it, pushing or pulling, there's probably a good chance you might mess it up.

I use a 5" lazer hand auger with a drill and slant drill fairly often with it. Haven't noticed any problems with those blades.

[Swimmer]

I too just let the auger do it's work. If the hole is slightly off center, so what? To my knowledge this has never caused me to miss a fish. Usually other factors are involved there.

[jBohmer]

I got an extension last year after a close one on Mille Lacs. Used it a few times and noticed that I liked on all the time. It is 12" with my standard Stingray "8 bit. I am 5'11" (w/boots on ) and I have to pull down a little on as the blades start to cut, I always thought that this helped me cut straighter? I do not know that for sure but I like that I do not have to bend over as much when cutting and with two guys we can smoke through the holes.

[Northlander]

Keep your elbows tucked in by your sides. That has helped me.

[rfish]

I have sharp blades. I almost have to lift a little because it wants to cut to fast , it binds and dont turn freely. Thanks for the replys. I have new things to try now.