How to get the ice block out of the hole!

[walleyewiz0212]

Just wondering how other people get their ice block out of their hole. I am kinda new to spearing and am having trouble getting the ice out. Any help would be great. Thanks

[mnmuzzleloader]

I have a pair of ice tongs, but we have made huge hooks out of rebar, heat it up put a bend to look like a huge fish hook, put a handle on it and they worked fairly well. but a nice ice tong is the way to go.

[Pooh]

ice thongs are the only way to go in my opinion. wont cut a hole anymore without em

[bassNspear]

there is nothing better then a set of ice thongs. It makes it so easy

[walleyewiz0212]

Thanks for the help. That sounds like the way to go then. Rite now i'm just cutting the block into 4 different peices and that takes so much time. I recently just purchased an ice saw and that beats the old way of the chisel! Thanks again for the help.

[DinnerPail]

Push the block under the ice. Easier than wrestling with it to get it out of the hole. Mark you hoe when your done.

[only ice]

I agree with Dinner, push it away under the ice. Have you ever hit one with a sled? Then when your done mark your hole!!

[bassNspear]

Push the ice back in when done, and mark it.

[Hammer Handle]

Push the blcok in the hole?

That can hurt your chances for seeing fish in spearing...I would not recommend it.

Break the block up on the ice and use it to bank up your house.

[B@ssDoctor]

there is nothing better then a set of ice thongs. It makes it so easy

I did a search for ice thongs on got a bunch of women in bikini's standing in the snow. Your right, there is nothing better than that!

[SM1]

"Ice thongs"--that’s funny!

Another, maybe not so obvious way, is push the piece of ice down and get it to float vertically instead of the original horizontal position. Then pull it out with the tongs.

This works well earlier in the season when the ice thickness does not exceed the width of your spear hole.

[Notcho]

I drill a hole in the middle of the block then use my chisel to "lever" it out.

[croixflats]

Those Ice thong's how do they work? And how many thongs does it take? I bet you the ice melts while using them, so you don't have to worry about a big block out in the open.

Let me guess you sit on the ice and its like a tongue to a flag pole.

[Central Bassman]

The one on the right is an older set of Ice Thongs.

[bassNspear]

thats a perfect photo central!

I dont leave home without them!

[Fish&Fowl]

Push the blcok in the hole?

That can hurt your chances for seeing fish in spearing...I would not recommend it.

Break the block up on the ice and use it to bank up your house.

Certainly not. Anybody ever fish Red Lake? The ice ridges don't just go above the ice, but below as well. This creates structure in a featureless area and draws fish.

I figure the same would work in the spear house (we don't have any shortage of natural structure near our house). We pushed our blocks right under the ice (13" at the time) and we have had an incredible year so far, with one 20-pounder and a number of 15+ pound fish passed up, along with seeing over a dozen fish in a few hours of sitting on numerous occasions.

[GoneFish'n71]

Had an old guy tell me yesterday just to push it under the ice and the water will melt it in a couple of hours. Anybody know if this is for real?

[Spearing Machine]

Two words....ICE TONGS!

[Central Bassman]

Had an old guy tell me yesterday just to push it under the ice and the water will melt it in a couple of hours. Anybody know if this is for real?

I don't think it will "melt" the ice.

[bassNspear]

why would the ice melt, becuase the water is a bit warmer then the ice. Not sure about that!

[Fish Toys]

I think it would melt but not totally.

So the only way we are going to solve this is have BnS cut his spearing hole and push the block under the ice just far enough so he can check it every day by looking under the ice at the block. Well maybe every two days so BnS doesn’t get a head cold from putting his head under water every day.

Should we have a vote on this or any volunteers to do it?

[merkman]

It will melt the ice.... But to figgure out the rate at which it would melt.... well.... you will have to find someone geekier than me.

[samtroy]

yes they will melt. I always push it under and have not had a problem with seeing fish. Early this year before the snow i pushed about a 6" slab 3' x 3' under and watched where it went about a hour later it was almost all gone.

[Hammer Handle]

It will melt, but very slowly.

Our "neighbor" pushed his block under the ice. 1 month later, it came back in the hole while he was fishing...and was still pretty large.

He did catch fish, but we were 20 feet from him and caught three to his every one (northerns). Also, ours were always bigger.

[BOUNCED]

It will melt, but very slowly.

Our "neighbor" pushed his block under the ice. 1 month later, it came back in the hole while he was fishing...and was still pretty large.

That's the problem, if you have a perm shack eventually it will find it's way back in your hole long before it melts. I don't thinks it's any more unnatural then a giant hole in the ice.

How can the water melt a block that fast but not the bottom of the ice?