Auger hole size for panfish

[pvoll332]

I've heard that using a smaller hole size such as 6" rather than 8" for panfish is better. What are your opinions or thoughts on this?

[TrentPlymouth]

What?! A hole is a hole...

[Dragonsm]

I know with an 8" hole, I have been able to catch everything that I need.....though with panfish....I don't think it matters the size of the hole....they will find a way to get tangled up in the vex/marcum/camera....ice well, second line, and anything else they can get their "fins" on!

[eurolarva]

I used a 6 inch mora for 5 years till I got a gas auger. The 6 inch is the way to go if you are hand drilling. Biggest problem is that occasional fish you accidently catch that is too big to get back down the hole. Caught a huge bass last weekend and had troubles getting it back in the hole. With ice the way it is I have been using the mora and staying as light weight as possible to cover more area.

[Schloogs]

I'm with Trent, a hole is a hole. It may be that some people prefer the smaller auger due to portability.

[pvoll332]

Their thinking was dealing with the amount of light going down the hole.

[ssendek]

I agree a hole is a hole. Personally I use a 4.5 inch hand auger and a 6 inch power auger. I have never caught a fish I couldn't get up or back down the 4.5 inch hole. I've caught dinks all the way up to a 18 inch large mouth, through that little hole.

[looneyducer]

I haven't noticed any trouble hooking Crappies through a 10" hole, though I have heard of some people fishing through slush to keep the light down even with small holes.

[Lunder99]

I too have caught plenty of panfish through a 10" hole. One thing I will tell you about a 10" hole is that a size 10.5 boot fits down it quite nicely, trust me on this one.

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Id say 8" auger is standard. You'd be very hard pressed to catch any fish that wont fit though a hole that size. Larger holes are easier to get fish into especially larger fish. The down side is panfish can manuever better in them which means its easier for that slab that gets off at the hole to turn around and leave you heartbroken.

People run small hand augers because there is less resistance when cutting holes. This results in faster cuts and leaves you less winded after turning the ice into swiss cheese. This size handles panfish fine but getting a big 'eye, pike or bass can be tricky.

I prefer the 8" myself.

[Sandmannd]

6" if you're using a hand auger, 8" if using a power. Those are plenty big. You can go smaller for pananies. I've never had a problem with too much light or anything.

[CNY Tim]

I run a 6" all around, power and hand auger. Learned my lesson quick with a 5" when I had some nice crappies get lodged in the bottom of the 5" hole.

[Deitz Dittrich]

When fishing shallow water there are times when you have to deal with light down the hole.. when fishing outside in shallow water I do intensionally leave slush in my hole. When fishing in a house, that becomes a moot point.

I use an 8" But if I had to hand drill I would go 6".. it also depends on the size of your ducer as well.. The LX-5 ducer is quite large.. but well worth it!

[metrojoe]

Personally I think 10" holes are over kill. The only time I'd see needing a hole that size is if the ice were very thick(extension thick). For panfish a 5" or 6" hole is plenty. Like posted above, if your using a hand auger, the smaller the better, but an 8" power auger works great in most situations.