Keeping Ice holes open

[Guest]

Anybody know where you can get those inflatable bags that keep your ice holes open when your house is not heated?? Or does anybody have any other ideas for keeping the holes open without spending a fortune. Thanks and C,P & R.

[MnSportsman]

This is a post from last year, but the place & Tel. # that Dave provided may still be worth trying.

quote:

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Dave

Angler-Advanced

Level

Posts: 635

Registered: Jan

2000

posted 01-08-2001 12:12 PM

Grabs,

I saw them at Vados Bait Shop in Spring Lake Park a couple years back.

Just called there....they have 'em. I think it was $10.99

612-784-6728

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There are a few older topics covering "keeping iceholes open", here are a couple.

http://fishingminnesota.com/ubb/Forum30/HTML/000172.html

http://fishingminnesota.com/ubb/Forum30/HTML/000677.html

(more can be found using this Forums"SEARCH"
at the top of the page/under the name of the page. I used the search words "holes"& "open")

Good luck, Hope that helped out.

[Guest]

I've heard that car tire innertubes will do the same thing as the manufactured ones your talking about. Don't cut the tube, just insert the deflated tube into the hole(not the round-way,but folded the long-way so the opposing inside surfaces of the tube touch each other) and inflate with a (bike)tire pump. Haven't seen it work personally but it sounds feasible. You might be able to find some used tubes at a local garage cheap too.

One more idea: A guy my dad knows welded bottoms on a piece of 8" iron pipe which he inserts into the hole when he leaves for the night. When he returns, he heats the inside of the pipe with a propane torch to loosen the pipe and open the hole up.

good luck

mike

[Guest]

MnSportsman, Thanks for the quick reply. I will give them a call. Vados seems to come up once in awhile in these posts. They seem to have alot of stuff there. Must be quite a place.
Thanks again.
C, P & R.

[mrmillelacs]

try this: buy a stove pipe about 3 feet long the same size as your holes and solder a cover on one end. when you leave your house push the pipe down your hole cover side down and bungy cord in place. when you return, light a piece of paper and throw down the hole and the heat from the fire will release the pipe and it will shoot up and you will have an ice free hole. Be careful though, the pipe will shoot up with tremendous force so look out

[Guest]

jacobm, thanks. I like the idea of the car innertubes. Seems like that might work also. Have a great day!
C, P & R.

[Guest]

Thanks Mrmilleacs another great idea! I have one question though. If you heat the pipe with paper and NOT ANYTHING ELSE. Does the pipe come up with force from the round piece of ice pushing up?? Just wondering. Thanks for the advice. Have a great day!

[Guest]

Mrmilleacs, I had a serious brain malfunction when replying to ya. I see what your talking about. The force of the water under the pipe pushes it up. I think that is a great idea. Have you used this idea yourself?? Do you have any problems with the water leaking into the pipe?
I think this is one of the greatest ideas I have seen yet.
Sorry about the brain thing. It's a wonder I can find my house on some mornings!! Hee Hee.

[mrmillelacs]

yes i have used this myself and it does work-i have not had any problems with the leaking, although i didnt do the soldering myself so im not sure whether you would have to solder or braize the galvanized metal, but they really do work. the burning paper smokes up the fishhouse a little so i keep the door open while i do this but it doesnt take much paper- i learned the hard way about the force of the tubes coming up -the first time i tried this it broke the glass on my humphrey gas light when it broke loose -haha learn the hard way -thats my policy

[Guest]

Maybe I'm wrong, but, it seems to me that with all the messing around with these different ways to keep ice holes open, wouldn't it be just as quick to auger the **** things out again? To me, it just seems like it's not that big of a deal to auger every time you go, rather than spend money and time messin' around. Just a thought.

Set the Hook!!

Lundman

[Guest]

You know you may be right. But, if there is a way to make things a lot quicker, lets hear about it. I am all for augering my holes every time but when you do this 3 or 4 times a week you begin to think that somebody out there must have better or quicker way. Believe me, I cannot afford a power auger right. Cutting the holes cleaning them and hauling the slush out that gets old. I am just looking for a better way to get it done. Have a great day.

[Dave]

Another advantage to using an inflatable tube to "reopen" your hole, in your permanent house, is that you can attach a bait bucket/tank to the bottom of some of these inflatable tubes. Keeping your bait fresh for when you return.

[Guest]

Hey just move to Pennsylvania. The weather out here stinks unless you like open water fishing. Sorry, just mad about the weather.
If you have ice enjoy!