Any tricks for keeping holes open in perm shack?

[Trytti]

Just curious if anyone has any tricks for keeping holes open in a permanent shack. It seems like a lot of wear and tear on the auger to have to redrill them every night. I know there are the ones that run of a vexi battery that are supposed to keep them open but kinda spendy when there are 6 holes to keep open. I know I have seen an inflatable tube type deal that you just inflate/deflate but can't remember the name and not sure how they would work.

Just curious if someone might know of any other "tricks"

[WalleyesWest]

How about leaving the heat on?? I normally fish friday, sat, and sunday. and leave the heat on from whenever I get out on friday and shut it off on sunday. Of course I turn it down during the night when I am not there to save on propane. One little electric fan helps too. I use about 3/4 of a 20lB tank for a 6x10 over 3 days. kinda expensive but it saves time not drilling holes plus I dont have to haul the auger. Snowmobile goes a lot faster without the auger and Otter sled behing!!

[Dead-C-Force]

I think someone posted that the Unclaimed Freight place near Milaca may have had the tubes? not sure, might be fun to try one to see how it worked. At the price of propane, I hate to leave my heat on too much if I am not there to enjoy it. The resorts typically bank the heck out of the rentals, and do just leave the heat on. Not sure I agree, but it is just one approach.

Hey, how cold could it get in Winona, Minn. anyway? Jeeze.... (just kiddin!)

If you get to try a "tube" let us know how it worked, post a pic, tell a story.

[Walterwontfalter]

I wonder if a guy could rig up one of the fish aquarium aerators with some tubing so that it draws water out of one hole and slowly drips water into all of the holes...the water circlulating/moving should keep them from freezing.

[HOGEYE]

I don't think it would be any more wear and tear than making swiss cheese of a small lake. In the past it has been common for me to burn through a tank of gas just running and gunning. Of course that was before I had kids.

My buddy uses and electric auger and car battery to re-open his holes with slush buckets and there are no fumes or mess this way.

I wouldn't worry about the wear on the auger. My SM LazerMag 2000 w/ shaver blades opens holes with ease after warmed up.

[wplatehunter]

If you are using the house every night why not just leave the heat on a low setting. That is what we do when we are using the house a lot.

[Casey Sunsdahl]

can always put snow in them, works most of the time.. of course theres the slush scooping every time

[Nutty Fisherman]

I leave the heat on in mine also if I am going to be there a few days in a row. I turn it down to 50 when I leave at night. 20 LB tank lasts about 4 days in my 7X14.

[Trytti]

Thanks for the heads up on the tubes, I'll check into it. I moved the shack this weekend and we finally got some snow and got it "banked" real well and that made a big difference. I don't have a problem leaving the heat over the weekend cuz I am out there pretty much all weekend but I only make it a couple nights during the week and I would rather not have the heat on all week. Just a little spendy. A guy at work had an idea of maybe using the bottom of a bucket and laying right on the hole with like 3 or 4 inches of foam or some type of insulation inside of it.. Figured I might try that in one hole just to see how it works. Just afraid of what happens if the bucket freezes down... then I get to use the spud bar I guess.

Oh by the way, we FINALLY got a year with good ice early way down here in Winona, usually it is mid- late January before we would have a enough to think of driving and putting the perm out. Been out since before New years this year!

Thanks to all the guys who responded. Looks like my LP bill might go up a little! Ha ha!

[RedDB76]

I was thinking about something similar.

I don't have a perm shack, but often times when my friends and I stay in larger sleeper shacks, the holes in the corners freeze up overnight, as a single heater doesn't get heat all the way over there. I thought about bringing along some rock salt and sprinkling a little around the edge of the hole to see if it did anything.

Anybody tried this? Not sure if it would work for only an hour or so, or if the salt might last a little longer.