Contents
With the advent of cold weather, anglers begin to dismantle winter tackle: rods are taken out of the bins, balancer hooks are sharpened, fishing line on reels is changed. If it is best to go out on the first ice with a pawn – a proven tool for safe movement on a thin mirror, then with an increase in hard water, you have to switch to a drill. How to choose a good tool that will work for years? This question will be answered by experts who have held many models in their hands.
If the ice is 10 cm, you need a drill or a pick is enough
The purpose of the ice drill is to quickly drill holes in a large number of them. The drill is used to search for white fish or predators. When the ice thickness exceeds 10 cm, the ice pick becomes ineffective, not to mention hand axes, which are also in demand on the first ice.
The ice pick has its own advantages, for example, the ability to widen the hole when hooking a large fish or tapping the ice in front of you, which allows you not to fall into the ravine. However, it is better to drill hard ice with a thickness of 10 cm or more with a specialized drill, manual or electric.
Advantages of an ice drill for winter fishing:
- fast movement in the water area;
- drilling in thick ice;
- freeing the hole from the sludge without the help of a slotted spoon;
- drilling many holes in one go.
In the dead of winter, when the ice mirror reaches half a meter in thickness, it is impossible to do without a drill. During this period, some anglers switch to an electric ice drill, which simplifies the task of drilling. But they should also be careful, check the charge in time, use safe drilling techniques, and check the sharpening of knives.
press.mail.ru
When drilling with any drill, in no case should the lock on the auger be lowered into the hole. Otherwise, ice crystals form a tenacious bond with the cooled metal and it will be impossible to unscrew the structure. If this still happened, you can try to heat the lock with improvised means. In no case should you beat off the ice, there is a risk of damaging the enamel coating that protects the drill from corrosion.
Many novice ice fishing enthusiasts are wondering: “How is an ice ax different from an ice screw?” In the first case, the device is made in the form of a hatchet, it has an elongated handle and a sharp metal beak. On the reverse side there is a hammer or a small hatchet, the handle is usually rubberized.
The ice drill is a completely different device. It has a tall design that allows you to drill through thick ice. A long auger, platform knives and a curved handle – it’s all about the drill. An ice ax breaks ice while a drill drills.
Ice Fishing Bit Selection Criteria
Many anglers at the beginning of winter practice do without their own tools, arguing that the drill can be taken from a friend. However, this approach turns into constant waiting and inconvenience, especially when searching for fishing. You can’t go anywhere without your own ice drill, and it’s unethical to look for no-man’s holes, because their owner can always return to his place.
The first thing you should pay attention to is your own budget. It is from this indicator that one should build on, looking for the best option. Cheap ice screws for ice fishing should not be skeptical. Often, homemade products made of thin and light metal are considered the best ice screws.
The weight of the structure plays an important role, since the drill has to be carried with you. With a heavy structure, it is more difficult to drill holes, you have to put more effort.
The main criteria for choosing an ice screw:
- material and its weight;
- price products;
- knife diameter;
- platform availability;
- type of cutting part;
- screw length;
- type of castle;
- folded dimensions.
Not every drill can be used for different types of fishing. The narrowest models with a diameter of 80-100 mm are suitable for perch fishing, less often for roach. It is easier to drill a hole with a narrow drill, so it is also used in search fishing, which is the fishing of a striped robber.
Larger fish require a wide hole, which can be provided by a drill with a blade diameter of 120-150 mm. Such ice drills are used for fishing bream, as well as pike and pike perch on vents. For trophy fishing, they take the widest models, with a diameter of 180-200 mm.
Knives are of several types:
- spherical;
- semicircular;
- toothed;
- stepped;
- universal.
Each type of cutting surface has its own advantages. Some models are good on wet ice, others are good on dry ice. It is important to remember that any knives quickly lose their sharpness when drilling abrasive. The sandy banks of rivers are often swollen by strong winds, grains of sand fall on the surface of the ice, freeze, and so on in a circle. Therefore, drilling ice near beaches or sandy cliffs should be done with care.
mastergrad.com
Not all knives can be resharpened, especially those that have a diamond coating. Soft metal quickly dulls, therefore, products with a mechanical type of sharpening made of dense iron are considered the best.
Modern drills are made using special technologies; they may not have a platform to which the cutting part is attached. Such models are equipped in most cases with spherical knives.
Some models allow the use of an additional auger, due to the huge thickness of the ice.
Recently, titanium ice screws (from the premium segment) and stainless steel products (homemade) have gained immense popularity. A homemade brace for winter fishing made of stainless steel is rarely light in weight. A thin auger easily enters the ice, so the efficiency of such drills is very high.
Classification and varieties of drills
You can categorize all ice screws by their size, price, diameter of knives and auger, materials used in the manufacture. But when everything becomes clear with the parameters, the criterion for the type of drive comes to the fore.
Ice screws are:
- hand held;
- gasoline;
- electric.
Anglers distinguish between two-handed models, where the handles are spaced on both sides of the structure and single-handed. This is a classic option that works solely on the physical strength of the winter angler and his drilling skills.
Gasoline products are a drill, to the top of which an engine is attached. There are handles on both sides for comfort. Such devices are too noisy for delicate winter fishing, they are used extremely rarely.
rybalkavreke.ru
An electric motor complete with a drill is the golden mean for those who like to actively search for fish in winter. Such models have an acceptable noise level and do all the work for the angler.
See also: Ice drill for winter fishing: appointment and selection of the best model
Classification according to the working part of the rotator:
- auger;
- cylindrical.
In the first version, there is a metal tape around the auger, and knives are located below. The auger ice screw is a standard that is present on the market in greater numbers. Cylindrical drills have long gone out of fashion. Instead of a tape, the design resembles a rectangle with a round cutting part at the bottom. Also, the forgotten species include a “spoon” with a spatula instead of perpendicular knives.
The top of the best devices include telescopic products that fold in half. Also on the market you can find collapsible models and even solid ones.
Rating of the best manual drills
In the hands of winter anglers, you can find many models: from Soviet drills to modern products of international production. It is difficult to choose the best model, since each brace is designed for certain conditions of use. However, the ratio of price to quality gives a good touch.
Toner Barnaul
The most popular drill of Barnaul production has earned its place in the ranking of the best manual models. A two-handed auger drill with a platform and straight blades is an excellent choice for both beginners in winter fishing and experienced ice fishing enthusiasts. Light and compact, fast and inexpensive – all this is about Tonar, which has long been considered an exemplary device among inexpensive models.
Tonar can hardly be called a budget one, because there are many cheaper copies on the market, but it pays for its price from the first turn of the handle. The line includes models of different diameters, so it is very easy to choose a bobbin for catching perch or bream.
iDabur Standard
One of the best offers on the market from domestic manufacturers. The Standard model from the Russian brand is successfully exported to European countries, which indicates the quality of the product.
The drill is equipped with forged knives that hold the initial degree of sharpening for a long time. All drills are made on modern equipment used by the company. The advantage of this product is the density of steel and the integrity of the screw structure.
Heinola Easy Run
The name of the drill from the Finnish brand speaks for itself. This model is preferred by experienced anglers and is literally idolized for the ease of drilling that spherical knives provide.
The cutting surface does not dull for several seasons, it is designed to work on wet or dry ice of different density and thickness. A child will cope with this ice screw, as it is lightweight and bites into the hard surface of the ice mirror instantly. Of course, the Finnish drill has a higher price than our counterparts, but you have to pay for quality.
The best ice drills
Drilling by hand is not for every angler. Many winter sports enthusiasts just want to enjoy the bites without the physical effort of drilling through thick ice. The best solution would be to buy an electric brace.
Mora Ice StrikeMaster 40V Lithium
Mora’s electric ice screw is known for its quality features. The device is equipped with a powerful auger, sharp knives that do not require additional sharpening, a 40V battery and a 5Ah motor.
With this drill, drilling holes turns into an entertaining game, because the electric motor does the job instantly. No effort is required for drilling, it is only necessary to hold the drill perpendicular to the frozen surface of the reservoir and not let it go in working condition. Simple operation allows both beginners and older fishermen to use the electric drill.
See Kaira P-81072
A very inexpensive cordless auger-type ice drill with serrated blades installed. The device perfectly copes with wet ice, biting into it from the first seconds. At the top of the auger is an adapter for mounting an electric screwdriver as a drill drive.
A protective enamel is distributed over the entire structure in an even layer, preventing the appearance of corrosion on the metal. This option is a great alternative to a gasoline ice drill.
Mora ICE-MM0021
Another product from Mora, a leading manufacturer of ice fishing bits. This model is the embodiment of many years of engineering development. The solid belt auger ensures a smooth entry into the ice, and the razor-sharp spherical blades do not dull even after two seasons of use.
This drill is designed for operation together with an electric screwdriver. It provides the speed of drilling of holes and long work on one charge.
Having analyzed the selection criteria, the main features and varieties of models, you can determine the best option for winter fishing. How to choose between manual and electric drill? On sea fishing, where the main activity is search, it is better to trust the proven electric option. On stationary exits, a manual device is sufficient.