Honest Opinion..

[Dakota Iceman]

Success......Thank you all so very much. This was just the kind of info and responses i was looking for. Now....lets see here, i think there is a email this article to a friend link around here somewhere. Guys its all or nothing now!! Im sending the article to the woman in my life...im either getting a gas auger to bring in the new year, or im getting some honey on my stinger tonight when the bell tolls!!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR my fellow fishing friends. Peace, Dakota Iceman.

[Guest]

Did somebody mention they wanted their wife to go out fishin with them?

Start buying batteries, candles, and rounds for the .06, the apocolypse is at hand.

[roadkingclasic56]

Thought I would chime in with a new prospective. You could always buy her the ice auger.(anniversary, happy new year, birthday, tuesday, etc.) Might encourage her to fish a little more. You may end up doubling your fishing trips if both are "Hooked" on ice fishing. You may get the chance, then, to buy her a lot of nice tackle and stuff also. Just a thought.

[Guest]

So far I have not had to drag the power auger out, most ice is less then 1' so why add the weight.

Depending on how many holes you drill on average, and how eager you are to run a hand auger, most ice fisherman can get by with a good hand auger.

Jiffy, Lazier, Eskimo, whatever, most will work well, if you keep from re-opening old holes with them. If you avoid that they tend to stay sharp longer. That is very hard on blades and it is a pain in the *** too! Far easier to just drill a new one.

If you drill lots of holes, and move often, then a power auger is far more efficient.

Eh, that new hand auger will build up them pipes too Eh. You can impress the other half with your new bulging He-IceMan muscles, that may just get ya a cuddle or two too Eh?

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Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson..><sUMo>

Backwater Guiding
"Ed on the RED"
(701)-281-2300

[email protected]

http://ed-carlson.fishingbuddy.com

[bass-o-matic]

I would borrow the power auger from a friend this winter and wait until the end of the season to buy the new one. Gander Mtn. and any of the other stores usually have pretty good deals on the augers at the end of the season when "everything must go." I bought mine at the beginning of last season, and had I waited till Feb/Mar., I found I would have saved between $80-100. That way you'll show your woman you are a bargain hunter and she'll more likely go along with it!!!!

[BLACKJACK]

I'd go for the booty now while its hot and willing! Ten years from now you'll be wondering what happened to the good old days, and you'll have lots of time to fish with your 9 year old auger!!

A hand auger is also a good investment for ice fishing, especially for the early season. I have a 5 inch Strikemaster and I used it on a foot of ice last night. Now I'm going to put the new blades on tonight and I'll probably use it for a couple more weeks before I break out the power auger.

Good luck!

[Guest]

I used a 6" Hand Auger (Lazer) for 6 years year round until I got the great gift of an 8" Lazer Mag last March.

Go explore new lakes everyday with 2' of ice, punch a bunch of holes, and in due time you will have muscles in your ears just like they say.

Now I am incredibly lazy as well as spoiled and got the Gas Auger out when there was 10" of ice.

PCG

[Steve Foss]

Buy used for half the price. I've had my Strikemaster for five years. Bought it used after it was two years old. Paid $150. There are lots of good used augers out there.

Then in a couple years you can tell her you have to UPGRADE!

[upnorth]

I used the hand auger most of last year, we fished late January on URL and was down on my knees to get through the last couple inches of that dang ice, it was around 3' thick!!! I swore I was not going out again until I found a gas auger. Fortunately I found a used on one about a hundred years old for $75 bucks, 8 inch 3 horse runs great(now that I put a new plug in it and sharpened the blades)

Up here where I live and fish the ice is already close to 2 foot thick(with the cold temps that last couple of days it maybe).

A hand auger past 16 to 18 inches of ice is rather prohitive to moving around much on the ice. I used the hand auger the 1s couple of times out, after that the ice was already 14 to 16 inches.

I say keep your eye on the want ads. There is always someone out there wanting to upgrade to the latest and greatest. And if all you want to is punch a couple of holes in the ice and don't care if the guys next to you gets their hole punched 2 seconds faster than you, who cares if some of the paint is chipped off

[oscar]

Blackjack sounds like a wise man, I'd go for the booty. I have both a power auger and an old hand auger that I got at a pawn shop for $5. It might seem stupid, but the hand auger gets more use because it's light and I don't have to worry about things smelling like gas. A little bit of effort can make alot of holes, but it takes alot of effort to get a little bit of booty, for me anyway.

[irvingdog]

You are probably going to want a good high quality 2 blade hand auger in the future anyhow, so, get it now and "compromise" with your gal........
That 6" strikemaster lazer is pretty darn good!

[chunkytrout]

lets see, hand auger - booty - hand auger - booty - ...If gas auger = hand job and no booty, HAND AUGER! Sorry, I know this is a family oriented forum so exuse my vulgar mind.

[Steve Foss]

Trout, shame on you! Fact is, after drilling a hand auger hole through 16 inches of ice, the only thing on my mind is breathing fast enough to stay alive. I'm so out of shape that booty doesn't occur to me after a couple holes.

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 01-01-2003).]

[LuckyFish]

The way I figure it you have the atv already
but need a power auger right? (a little backwards if you ask me). Well you can save money this year by getting an electric auger, and carry a battery on that new atv. Or just find a fishing partner who has a gas auger, and no atv. One hand washes the other so to speak. Just my .02 cents worth.

[Dakota Iceman]

LMAO @CATFISH!!! I can relate....been wanting that gas auger since two years ago when there was 2' of ice plus. For every two holes punched= i hacked up 53 packs of marlboro menthols....nothing quite like it when the "stars" are circling your vision and your contemplating picking up the large piece of your lung frozen to the tundra!!! ...........geez just thinking about it has me rethinking the whole booty=hand auger scenario.....There has to be a way to score the gas auger and get laid too!!:S ....yup, im on a mission...keep the ideas coming gents!!! Dakota Iceman.

[Northlander]

Scatfish is that the " 1 hole wonder " Strikemaster that was such a deal? You press as hard on that thing as I do my hand Auger! Maybe you should stay out of the sand and drill in the ice? Better yet buy a JIFFY! Steve

[Crawlerman]

the one thing I have noticed with my new power auger is they do take some time getting used to. I am sure glad I DIDN'T buy a 3hp auger, as this one makes my arm sore enough carrying it and bucks like a son of a.. I have trouble holding it straight, and with the no snow cover on the ice; I need to take the widest stance possible or I start to go spinning with it! I've had a hard time holding it "correctly" and more often or not it ends up turning itself to an awkward position with my arms looking like I'm doing a sharp left turn on a steering wheel! I'd be going in circles with a 3hp.. and I'm a pretty big guy... Drilling one to two holes with a hand auger even in the dead of winter isn't bad; and if you plan on sticking on one spot for awhile it's more than enough. I've found it's really not worth drilling one hole with the gas and fishing there for three hours by yourself.

[Fish Toys]

Crawlerman
Here is one way to solve your problems of spinning on the ice plus added safety!

http://fishingmn.com/icegrips.html

Good luck.
“FISH”

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http://www.icesaws.com/

[Foster]

If you're interested, I have an 8" jiffy 2hp, I am selling. I am in central South dakota.

[Fishn'Lady]

Generally the hubby is the one to drill the holes. We have a Strikemaster Mag III with the chipper blade. I have drilled holes myself with NO problems at all. If I can do it anyone can. We went out fishing the other day with a buddy and tried his Strikemaster Lazer Mag Ultra....WOW! what a difference. It's like cutting butter with a hot knife. We just might have a Mag III for sale soon. Also referring back to my previous post... you guys are a bunch of nuts.

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Fishn'Lady

[Dakota Iceman]

Foster, do you have a email or phone number i can reach you at? i live 15 minutes from chamberlain and yes im interested in your 2hp 8" jiffy. please advise, Dakota Iceman.

[Dakota Iceman]

To all of my trusted ice fishing buddies out there who have responded to this post. I have a update to pass on....that more than a few of you who have posted replys to this will surely get a kick out of. After sending this link to my woman a few days days ago, she called me today at lunchtime saying she had a 3hp jiffy loaded in the trunk of her car and that she was bringing home for me to inspect tonight. the story on this unit is its 4 years old and been used less than a half dozen times. price is $150.00. I was pumped to check out this unit when i get home tonight. Now i see foster has posted a 2hp 8" that is real close to me. So...let the debate begin. 2hp 8" versus 3hp 10" lets hear the pro's and cons to each. By the way...a big thanks to all of you. The booty has been plentiful since she read your responses and it looks like one way or another i will have a gas auger by tomorrow night!!!! You guys (and gals) ROCK!!!!!!!!

[Guest]

There you have it. The best of both worlds: an auger AND booty. That all worked out to well for you... now you'll get hosed on catching fish.

Nahhhh... just giving you $hit. Good job!

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-FNC

"Hell froze over last week... glad I brought the Vex"

[Iceboy]

Love my 2HP 10" Strikemaster Lazer - the best of both worlds! Light & big holes! Fits right in the bottom of my Fishtrap II perfectly, too!

I was at a fishing show a few years ago and the Strikemaster guy said that he always uses 2 HP 10" Lazers & that the 3 HP was totally unnecessary for the Lazer blades. They just make it because other companies like Jiffy have 3 HP offerings, and there are always people who require the biggest and most powerful, regardless of necessity. Just look at the proliferation of SUV-driving housewifes who never venture past the mall.

Plus, the 3 HP engine has been notorious for unreliability, at least from what I have read here and elsewhere...

Just my two cents -
Iceboy

[Iceboy]

No text - just clearing out a duplicate post.

[This message has been edited by Iceboy (edited 01-02-2003).]