I know what ice fishing auger is best for me! What auger is best for you?

Like most ice fishermen I started doing most of my hard water fishing near my home with the most basic of equipment. Most of that equipment is still an essential part of my tackle box today.

There is ONE that’s right, ONE piece of equipment that was handed down to me from my father. ONE piece of equipment that I loathe, that single item is the old Manual hand ice fishing auger. The first time I ever drilled an ice fishing hole was with an old hand auger that blades were no longer available for, and to top it off it was not a 4” blade, not a 6” blade but it was an 8” blade.

I will tell you one thing a 14 year old kid, with an 8” hand powered ice fishing auger is a sick sad thing. It was a cruel joke that my dear old dad played on me. I am still sure he was somewhere out there watching me struggle, laughing and thinking to himself about how much more fun he was having watching me than I was on my oh so enjoyable ice fishing trip.

After I managed to get that unit through the ice once, I set up over my hole. I was sitting on an overturned bucked with my bait and tackle scattered all around me. I only lasted about 20 minutes out on the lake because after drilling through over 2 feet of ice with that old ice fishing auger I was soaked with sweat and I am sure I was nearing frostbite over my entire body. I loaded up my equipment and walked back home.


Ever since that first time drilling my own hole, I have had a certain amount of hatred for the hand powered ice fishing auger, yet I have a certain amount of appreciation as well. I never had and probably never will drill another hole with an 8” hand auger again.

I have used a 6” and a 4” hand auger and I have no problem there. I use a 4” hand auger whenever I am fishing for noise sensitive trout. I am however a power auger guy for sure.

Lets discus the differences between manual ice fishing augers and gas powered ice fishing augers.

Manual / Hand Augers

These augers are great at first ice or in noise sensitive environments. They are light weight for easy transport. Clean and environmentally friendly due to the lack of oil, gas and exhaust. Your fishing style will largely determine if a hand auger is right for you. If you are a run and gun type angler drilling many holes a day in many locations, this probably isn’t the right choice for you. If you drill a few holes and set up for the day, this could be a great option. Also many new to ice fishing people purchase a manual auger to avoid the expense of a gas auger. Most will purchase a gas auger at a later date. Hand Augers are available in 4”, 6” and 8” hole sizes. If you are going to fish for pike, musky or walleye through the ice, a 6” hole is a minimum. For trout or pan fish, a 4” hole is almost always fine.


Gas Power Augers

Gas powered ice fishing augers are simply the best option for the serious hard water angler. They are fast and efficient letting you drill many holes with little effort. You can find the fish rather than let the fish find you. Gas augers are awkward to transport on the ice and are fairly heavy as compared to a hand auger. The extra weight is worth the purchase in my opinion. There are many blade choices on augers now days. There are augers with one blade up to four blades. Some are straight others are serrated. Some augers have a point in the center to hold them in place helping you to start the hole without the auger skating on the surface.

Always place a cover over the blades on your auger. Blades are extremely sharp and must remain that way for efficient operation.

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