In order to fish under the ice, you must first somehow deliver gear under this ice. In the old days, for this purpose, they did ice hole, i.e. "pro"-"ruble" ice, in other words - they chopped ice.

And although this method sometimes remains relevant to this day, in the modern world for winter ice fishing they mainly use holes- holes in the ice made with a rotating tool.

Word "hole" means - dimple, hollow, hole. I found that in some regions the word "lumka" was also used for this, since this word probably came from German - luhme (hole).

In English, holes in the ice are called - hole, in French - trou .

Ice in English ice, in French - glace .

Respectively, How to make holes in ice in French: "comment faire un trou dans glace", in English: "how to make a hole in the ice".

Well, now let's look at what tools are used to make holes in the ice for modern winter fishing.

1. Ax

This tool can be useful in two main cases - for first ice and for opening old holes. Ax in English - ax, less often hatchet, in French - la hache .

When the ice is still thin, it can be quickly broken through with an axe. At the height of the winter season, fishermen are constantly making holes in popular fishing areas, so instead of drilling new ones, you can simply open the old hole with an ax.

An ax can still come in handy if you fish with brimbali - local vents. Sometimes, in severe frosts, the stand freezes strongly to the ice, and an ax can help in its quick removal from the ice.

2. Pick

A pick, like an ax, can help out at the beginning and at the end of the winter season. On thin ice, the ice pick is an indispensable tool. With its help, the strength of the ice is probed. He hit two or three times in front of him, if the ice held out, then you can go. If the ice has broken, then there is a dangerous place ahead.

The ice pick can also be successfully used not only for gouging new holes, but also for opening old ones.

Pishne in English - ice fishing numbers, in French - ciseau a glace orciseau a pêche sur glace .

For punching holes and for walking on first ice, long ice picks are used so that you can work with it while standing. There are also mini-picks, small in length, or special handles on scoops, they are convenient to open not very frozen holes.

3. Manual ice drill

Word "Boer" means "drilling device", i.e. drill means "drill". This word is borrowed from the old German bohr (drill) or dutch boor or Swedish borr .

In English, an ice drill is most often called ice auger, and manual, respectively - hand or manual ice auger. Word auger means auger, twist drill. Also sometimes called an ice drill drill(drill, drill, drill).

In French, an ice drill is most often called tarière a glace, manual respectively - tarière a glace manuelle. Word tariere means - drill, drill. Also sometimes an ice drill in French is called perceuse a glace(ice drill).

In this case, the rotation of the tool is carried out with the help of hands, which is why it is called "manual". At the same time, there are two main types of ice screw handles that work differently.

In Russia and neighboring countries, an ice screw with two rotating handles is most often used (in the picture on the left), but in Canada you can most often buy an ice screw with a fungus on top (in the picture on the right). The first ice screw is rotated with two hands, and the second ice screw must be held by the fungus from above with one hand, creating an axis for drilling, and rotated with the other hand.

For those who are used to the first option, it is very inconvenient to switch to local ice screws with fungus. I had no experience in drilling with a two-handed ice drill, so I mastered the "Canadian" drilling model without any problems. Therefore, when buying an ice screw in local stores, keep this feature in mind.

By the way, the direction of movement of the ice drill during drilling is clockwise, while for domestic ones, on the contrary, it is against.

The price of such ice screws in local stores is around 100 Canadian dollars. I noticed that the smaller the diameter of the drill, the cheaper it is.

When choosing a hand drill, it must be taken into account that the larger its diameter, the more effort is needed to drill holes. From personal experience, I was convinced of the correctness of this statement. My first local drill was 8 inches, i.e. 20 cm. To drill 10 holes (limit on vents), you had to sweat a lot. Therefore, I switched to the smallest size available in local stores - 5 inches, i.e. 12.5 cm. It has become much easier to drill with such a drill, and besides, the diameter of the hole is well suited for installing domestic vents.

Standard sizes in stores = 5, 6, 8 inches. But I also saw a very "small" one - 4.5 inches.

By the way, knives on most local drills flat with arcuate cutting edge. Replacement blades are also sold, which would not hurt to always have a reserve for fishing. With special skills, such knives can be sharpened, but the main thing is to know that only the upper surface can be sharpened. The surface that is placed on the ice cannot be sharpened, since you can very easily change the angle and the ice screw will slide on the ice, and not drill into the ice.

Interchangeable knives in English are called replacement ice auger blades, in French - lames de remplacement de tarière a glace.

And one more thing about the ice screws that you can buy here. In stores, Swedish ice screws are called swede bore, and Finnish - Finbore. The Swedish ones just have a handle with a fungus, while the Finnish ones are two-handed.

Besides Finbore belong to the professional series, as they have the so-called " spherical knives". Such knives can drill any ice - both wet and dry with the same success, moreover, somewhat faster than an ice drill with straight knives. But such a drill costs 25 percent more.

4. Motodrill

Motor drills use a gasoline engine, which greatly facilitates the drilling of holes. If the ice is thick, then you can easily make a hundred holes during the day and not sweat at the same time.

One of the downsides is the noise emitted by the motor. But this worries the neighboring fishermen more than the fish, especially if you fish at a depth.

In local Canadian stores, drills are sold in large diameters - 8 and 10 inches, i.e. 20 and 25 cm. These hole diameters are well suited for catching trophy fish. When fishing on local vents (brimbals), the large diameter of the holes is not a hindrance. They freeze more slowly than small holes. But domestic vents are not suitable for them - the diameter of the base of the vent is less than or equal to the diameter of the hole.

The main disadvantages are the weight and price of the ice screw. A motor drill costs around 500-700 Canadian dollars, plus you must definitely buy a sled for it, since you can’t carry a motor drill far on your hands.

5. Electric drill

An electric drill is an ice drill with an electric motor. Such an ice drill is several kilograms lighter than a motor drill, but the main thing is that it is much quieter and does not smell of exhaust gases.

Recently, electric drills of different companies have appeared, but the price for them is in the region of the cost of a gasoline powered drill, i.e. 500-700 Canadian dollars.

Such a tool greatly facilitates fishing. Modern batteries hold a charge very well, and provided that one charge is enough for 50-80 holes of meter ice, then with such an ice drill you can quickly make holes for a whole company of fishermen without any problems.

In such models, I also liked the reverse function - this is the ability to drive sludge from a hole under the ice. There is no need to scoop out the remaining ice from the hole.

6. Screwdriver with a special nozzle

The most interesting device for drilling holes for me turned out to be a high-quality screwdriver, which can be connected to the auger of a hand-held ice drill with a special adapter.

The adapter itself costs 10-15 Canadian dollars, and is suitable for the augers of most models of ice screws that can be bought at local stores.

Adapter for ice drill in English - electric ice drill adapter, French - adaptateur a tarière pour perceuse.

But for drilling holes, you need a high-quality screwdriver, preferably with two batteries in the set. But even the best screwdriver will be much cheaper than a motor drill or an electric drill. And if the farm already has a suitable device, then the transition from a hand drill to an electric drill will be very simple.

For this option, you will need a screwdriver with the following specifications: at least 18 volts (the more, the more powerful), torque of at least 80 N / m, battery capacity of at least 3 A / h, LITHIUM-ION battery.

The experience of other fishermen shows that with the help of a screwdriver it is possible to effectively drill holes in both dry and wet ice, while it is sometimes difficult to drill holes in wet ice with a hand-held ice drill in March.

The main thing in this option is to monitor the charging of the batteries and not to freeze the batteries in the open air. I made holes - hide the batteries in heat.

Of course, for most fishermen this is rather exotic, but this method of drilling holes continues to develop. Under a hundred holes, one battery is certainly not enough, but with a small auger diameter, this is a very affordable improvement in a hand drill.

In this option, the main disadvantage is that you need to be attentive to the process of drilling and pulling the auger out of the hole. The auger can wedged, so it is better to drill the hole in one go. When the hole is drilled, then you need to pull out the auger by holding on to it, and not by the screwdriver. There is always the possibility that the adapter may fall out of the screwdriver, causing the auger to sink into the hole. Therefore, it is necessary to use either a special disk-nozzle for the auger with a larger diameter than the hole, or use adapters with special side handles. This prevents the auger from falling into the hole.

In general, an interesting way, but requiring accuracy and care in the process of drilling a hole.

7. Saws

Saws are usually used to make rectangular holes. To do this, use hand or chainsaws. Most often this is done in pourvoirs to put houses on these holes. In the usual amateur winter fishing, I have not seen them here.

Some general rules for using ice screws:

1. Be sure to close the knives with special caps when transporting the ice drill. Usually they already come with an ice screw. The knives are sharp enough to get hurt very easily.

2. To avoid injury from the blades of the ice drill after drilling holes - do not lay it on the ice. It is better to drill a little into the ice so that it stands, and does not lie with open knives.

3. Never ream old holes. Firstly, the ice freezes unevenly, the drill wedges when drilling. This is how I just broke my first drill - I broke off the knives from the auger. It is better to drill a new hole nearby than to break the drill or the handle to it. Secondly, some bad fishermen have a habit of throwing garbage and leftover food into the hole, and not taking it with them. Therefore, there is a risk of running into an "unclean" hole.

4. When transporting the electric drill, you must be careful not to accidentally press the start buttons. To avoid this, it is better to disconnect the power supply of the drill during its transportation.

5. No matter how sophisticated a motor or electric drill is, if you do not take care of the knives, motor or batteries, then the effectiveness of such a tool drops sharply.

Summary: There are many ways to make a hole in the ice. Choose the method that suits your fishing conditions, the fish you are catching, affordability, and tool storage space.

Hole drilling secrets With the advent of permanent frosts, water bodies take on the ice outfit of the coming winter. Anglers have long been in full "combat" readiness and determination to try out winter gear on the first ice, feel the first bite and catch the first prey of ice fishing. Success in winter fishing largely depends on the choice of fishing site and it is worth knowing where to drill holes in general. And only a fisherman with significant practical experience knows this. In order to drill the first hole, the angler needs to carefully consider his actions, try to correctly assess the reservoir, the nature and topography of its bottom. If the angler presumably knows what kind of fish he is hunting, then it will not be difficult for him to determine the approximate location of a particular fish, especially since its habits are well studied. Having decided on the place of fishing, you should not drill adjacent holes closer than 2 meters from each other. If fishing takes place in shallow water, then a hole made nearby can “light up” the place. Fish can be frightened even by seemingly harmless actions. This is especially true for the beginner fisherman. Fragments of ice that have not been removed do not seem to be an important circumstance, however, having frozen to the surface near the hole, they are able to scare the fish, creating a crunch under the angler's feet. This is especially feared by cautious fish, such as bream. With a gust of wind, the fishing line can get tangled among the unremoved fragments, and as a result of unsuccessful unraveling, a deplorable result can follow - a break in the fishing line. Hence the conclusion follows: it is necessary to ensure the convenience of working with gear, pay attention to the extraction of prey. For the last requirement, the good old ice pick comes in, which will solve the problem by hacking the bottom of the ice edge with it. Large prey will pass into the enlarged hole without any problems. With violent resistance, the predator is able to grind the fishing line on the lower sharp edge of the hole. This is due to the circular movements of the pecked fish around the hole. To avoid such cases, it is recommended to cut the hole with a cone. It is better to prepare holes in advance, cutting them at the required distance (5 m), and in order - from shallow to depth. It is advisable to sprinkle the holes with snow, which allows them not to freeze for a long time and calm the fish frightened in this place. In addition to the ice screw, it is recommended to have a pick with you, which saves the strength of the fisherman in the first ice and in the spring. At this time, the pick is more convenient to use and more practical. In addition, when catching small fish or live bait fish, the hole should correspond to the prey being played, and the pick in this case is the best option. For the extraction of bloodworms, large holes are needed and, again, in this case, one cannot do without a pick. Also, in the presence of a large thickness of ice, after drilling the main hole, with the help of an ice pick, a certain withdrawal is made, which allows you to take the fish along the groove onto the ice, avoiding the loss of prey. What to do with snow and ice when drilling a hole? First of all, you should determine the direction of the wind, clear the place of the proposed hole. It is advisable to remove the snow on the leeward side and make some kind of wind protection. Leave a part near the hole, for its possible shading. The hole, from crumbs of ice and snow, is best cleaned with a special spoon. Good luck fishing and great weather!

In winter fishing, the most time-consuming operation is cutting holes. In the first ice, when the ice is not yet thick, there is no need for either a heavy ice-pick or special efforts: you can get by with a light ax and a light shabalka. Another thing is the middle or end of winter, when the ice reaches a thickness of about a meter. In this case, you should use an ice drill or drill. .

CUTTING HOLES IN ICE:

Beforehand, the surface of the ice should be cleared of loose snow, raking it into a pile on the leeward side so that it does not interfere with the installation of the box. First, you should prepare 4-5 holes, and then gradually increase their number if there is no bite. Holes are located approximately at a distance of 1-2 m from one another.

The diameter of the hole should depend on how big the fish are going to be caught. For its average size, the diameter of the holes should be 110-120 mm, for bream and large specimens of any other fish - 130-150 mm. If possible, the shape of the hole should be given a cylindrical, with a clean, without protrusions, surface.

An ice drill, a drill of any type, automatically provides during drilling both the cylindrical shape of the holes and their smooth inner surface. If you use a pick with a spatula, you should cut off the ice first around the circumference of the hole, and then in the middle, adhering to this rule until the end of cutting each hole. Thanks to this, the hole is correct.

When cutting holes, you need to fasten the ice pick to your hand with a cord, otherwise it will go into the water through the cut ice. The cutting of the hole at the end should be done evenly, otherwise the water that has entered it prematurely will make it difficult to work. After cutting the hole, the broken ice is thrown as far as possible so that the fishing line does not cling to it.

Light tackle does not pass into a poorly cleaned hole. Therefore, the water in the hole has to be repeatedly shaken with a spatula to the full depth and to remove broken ice. A spoon of shabalka should pass freely through the entire hole. The location of the cut holes should be remembered, using as a guide a pick stuck in the ice near the front hole.

It is useful to mark each hole, leaving some objects near it - stick pegs, twigs into the ice. Knowing the total number of holes, the angler can quickly find them using these notes. Immediately after making each hole, it should be "feeded" by lowering a portion of bait into the water to the bottom. The first portion of bait should be slightly larger than the subsequent ones. In addition, the hole should be shaded by snow or broken ice. Such shading is absolutely necessary on a bright sunny day with a shallow fishing depth.

On the March ice you need to go no later than five in the morning. The fact is that the fish "consider" the morning meal the most important in the daily diet. At this time, the angler should be in place with his "delicacy".

On spring ice, especially on cloudy days, it is worth settling in places where the snow has already melted. In clear weather, the fish are afraid of snowless places, and then it is better to sit on the shady shore. In these cases, you need to leave the sludge in the hole, as too bright light scares the fish. After preparing 5-6 holes, you can start their trial training. It should be borne in mind that the fish come to bait after some time, and therefore you should start from the first hole, "fed" before the others.

If two or four rods are caught at the same time, they are placed in the holes at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other on the same line at right angles to the current.

SOME SIMPLE RULES TO MAKE YOUR ICE BOARD SERVE YOU A LITTLE LONGER:

Ice screw maintenance:
1) After fishing, always wipe the ice screw blades dry with a rag. Regardless of what material they are made of. It would be nice to lubricate the knives with a thin layer of machine oil from time to time
2) Do not hit with knives on any surface (even on ice), do not knock frozen ice off the knives
3) Do not remove ice from the knives with the help of fire, because of this, the hardening of the metal of the knives can be lowered and they will no longer keep sharpening
4) If you have a folding drill - lubricate the junction of the knees to prevent the situation of jamming of this mechanism.

HAT FOR WINTER FISHING:

The work of the ice pick is largely determined by the tip, which directly cuts the ice. It has a working part 20-30 cm long and a non-working part, which does not require careful processing and hardening and is connected to a “glass” in the form of a cone or cylinder, where a wooden (birch) handle is attached, or, as this part is called in other parts, - lever.

The ratio of the length of the tip and the handle can be different, but the total length of the pick should be taken carefully. I choose like this. When the tip of the pick touches the ground, the knob on the handle should reach my shoulders.

Often anglers use short ice picks, and, in my opinion, in vain. In this case, when chiseling holes, it is not possible to keep the back straight, so the angler quickly gets tired.

Of course, if there are only a few holes to be punched through thin ice, then the length of the tool may not be so important. For example, my acquaintance in general uses a pick that looks like a big awl - its length is 54 cm. He cuts holes, holding the pick with only one hand. In the other - a fishing rod with a lure, which he lowers into a punched hole without clearing it of crumbling. But this is a special case.

Another important indicator is the thickness of the handle at the place where the arm is wrapped around. Based on my experience, I argue that it should be such that the hand completely clasps the handle, and the fingers close on it. In general, the handle should not be made thicker than 40 mm, and only at the bottom it should expand in order to be tightly driven inside the “glass”.

It is necessary to take into account one more subtlety. In winter, our usual temperature is -15-25 degrees, so, of course, you have to wear gloves to hammer. Usually we put warm cloth mittens on our hands, over which we pull one more - simple thin "tops". So, it is necessary to try on the thickness of the handle in mittens.

At the upper end of the handle, a knob is required - a thickening 6 centimeters long and about 5 cm in diameter.

The shape of the "glass" is not of fundamental importance. There is only one important nuance - the wooden handle often gets wet while fishing, and at home it dries out and begins to hang out in a metal "glass". To avoid such a nuisance, I thaw the ice pick at home, in warmth, and after the water flows from it and the stalk dries, I store it on the balcony. Sometimes manufacturers do not make holes in the lower part of the glass, water accumulates there, therefore, in the heat, the handle does not dry out for a long time and rots.

Now about the weight of the ice pick. Judging by the special literature, it should be in the range from 2 to 4.5 kg. I agree with this. Light ice picks are used on thin ice (up to 15 cm), heavy ones on thick ice, so experienced anglers usually have two ice picks of different weights in stock.

For a light (2-2.5 kg) pick, the handle may be slightly shorter than for a heavy (3.5-4.5 kg). I don’t use tools heavier than 4 kg, but if you need such a pick, please note that it is designed for chiselling ice 60-70 cm thick, and therefore a long handle is desirable.

point

And yet the most important detail of the ice pick is the working part of the tip, the point.

In the fishing literature, many different forms of the tip are described: “pike”, “saber”, “chisel”, “spade”, “petal” - this is not a complete list.

I divide all pawns into two classes. The first is wedge-shaped, when the edges converge at the very point; the second is chisel-shaped, when one or more faces lie in planes parallel to the axis of the handle.

This division into classes is important. When working with wedge-shaped pawns, the hole always turns out to be tapering downwards. Chisel-shaped ones manage to make a hole with vertical walls and expand it at the bottom easier. For amateur anglers, this is important, because it can turn out that the hole at the top is one and a half times wider than at the bottom.

The first class includes "pikes", the second - "chisel", the correct "shovel" and pawns of the "harpoon" type.

In our area, pike-shaped picks predominate. This is not accidental, it's just that our winters are cold, the ice is dry, and the "peak" pricks well. The “chisel” is mainly used by fishermen who fish with traps, they need wide holes with even ice walls, and the tip of this configuration perfectly breaks off large pieces of ice from the edges. The “shovel” is rarely used by anglers; it can be attributed to special ice picks.

"Peaks" are of two types: four- and three-sided. "Tetrahedrons" in cross section are a square. These are the same tools that Sabaneev described. They are the most common and simple. Their tips break less often than others.

"Four-sided" can be improved by making grooves on the edges. So they break ice better and get stuck in it less. But the holes with such a pawn are uneven, with torn edges, tapering to the bottom. Trying to make the walls vertical requires extra effort. The pawn has to be held at an angle when hitting, and this is very tiring.

"Trihedral" is much more difficult to manufacture, and therefore are less common and more expensive. Their cross section is an equilateral triangle. The tips of the “trihedrons” are weak, so the sharpening, for example, of factory ice picks, leaves much to be desired. The sharper the tip, the better it goes into the ice, but in the "trihedral" it is obviously more brittle. The way out is the use of high-quality metal, which, alas, is a rarity.

Regardless of the shape of the pick-"peak" should have an angle of edges near the very tip of 11-15 degrees. Less is better. Then it penetrates the ice well and breaks off large pieces. In practice, this angle is often larger, and the ice pick does not so much prick as it crushes the ice. In addition to the magnitude of the angle, the quality of processing of the working part of the tip is important. For ease and efficiency of work, all edges must be even and smooth, and the edges must be strictly straight, without nicks. Oddly enough, manufacturers often neglect this. Even picks come across, in which the tip after a crease is sharpened crookedly, roundly, that is, “littered”. In this case, during chiselling, the “resistance” of ice increases many times over.

It is necessary to sharpen the broken tip by removing the metal evenly from the edges of the working area and at the same time without changing the angles. This is a time-consuming operation and often unjustified, since the tip is likely to break again.

"Trihedral" pricks ice better than "four-sided". The hole comes out neater.

At the "triangular" sometimes choose large grooves on the faces. Such a pawn is called a "spear". This is also a rare design.

"Chisel" is a fairly simple pick. All edges are flat. There are no grooves. Its thickness is from 5 mm to 1 cm, sometimes a little more, the width is about 5 cm. The sharpening angle of the tip is from 11 to 17 degrees. A sharper one goes into the ice better, but gets stuck in it more and can break off. The requirements for metal quality are high. Most of the tools I've seen of this design have broken ends.

The chisel-shaped pick also has an advantage - the hole comes out neat, with fairly even vertical edges.

Rare species

There are unique ice picks that very rarely fall into the hands of an angler. First of all, I will talk about the tool, the working part of which is a trapezoid in cross section. The base of such a pick is two times shorter than the sides, and the narrow edge is on the same axis as the handle. The working tip is similar to the sting of a fish hook with a notch or a harpoon. You can talk about the name of this pick, as well as other rare instruments, for a long time, it's easier to guess. One calls her "Astrakhan", the other - "Vaskin". I call her "harpoon".

By its design, this pick is unique; it can be attributed to the class of chisels. With it, as well as with a "spear" and a "chisel", it is good to chop dry ice. Properly made, with the right angles, it goes into it much easier than the "four-sided".

Another rare pick is of the pike type, it looks more like a medieval spear. So it is often called - "spear". In fact, this is a “trihedral”, in which the faces are not flat, but concave, semicircular. The manufacture of such a tool requires skill. The point, as a rule, is carefully processed, has a neat, well-fitted handle-handle. Yes, and the “spear” looks original.

I have such a pick. She is very old. It was made not in Tobolsk, but, as I was told, in the Urals. Good quality.

And finally, there is another type of ice pick that can be found in our area - this is a "shovel". Its working part resembles a chisel 1-1.5 cm thick and 3-5 cm wide. The sharpening angle is not more than 17 degrees, like that of a “chisel”. Sharpening - chisel.

A good paddle enters the ice vertically. It is certainly difficult to hammer dry winter ice with it, since it pricks to a shallow depth. But the hole is obtained with smooth edges. In the spring, on loose, wet ice, the “shovel” is simply the best.

In the literature there is a description of a "shovel" with a semicircular tip, but I personally did not come across such.

Let me summarize all of the above. Of the considered designs, in my subjective opinion, a 4+ rating on a 5-point system can be put on the “harpoon” and “spear”. A solid “four” is awarded to a “trihedral” and a “chisel” (of course, correctly made, and not with a point angle, like a cleaver). "Chetyrekhgranke" - "troika". When there is nothing else at hand, you can peck with it. “Shovel” is a specific pick, in the radical winter it will yield to the rest, but on spring loose ice it will be out of competition.

It makes no sense to talk about winter fishing if there is no such tool as an ice screw. Some anglers punch holes in the usual. But if the ice is thick, then doing it without a special tool is quite difficult, and it will take a lot of time. The ice drill allows you to quickly make holes in the ice, regardless of its thickness. Each fisherman is very careful about his tool, which saves precious time for him.

The choice of such a tool is a responsible matter. A lot depends on its functionality, including the mood for the fishing process itself. An unreliable tool can fail at the most inopportune moment. In specialized stores you can find both domestic and imported models of ice screws. The angler can enjoy even a cheap model, as it simplifies the whole process of fishing. The only question is how many holes it will last.

Each fisherman has his own ice drill, which means that none of them runs around the pond and does not try to borrow this tool even for a short time. As a rule, it is constantly involved, because you have to constantly drill holes in search of fish. Breaks through at least 10 holes at the beginning of fishing. If you're lucky to find a fish stop, you can get rid of these holes. Otherwise, you will have to break through the same amount.

Climbers were the first to use a similar tool called an ice pick. They drilled holes in the thickness of the ice for reliable fastening of climbing equipment. For drilling ice in reservoirs, it began to be used in the 30-40s of the last century. At first, it was called a rotator, based on the principle of its work.

Winter fishing is practiced in those countries where water bodies freeze in winter and it is not so easy to get fish out of the water. Therefore, old models are constantly being finalized and new ones are being produced, only in countries such as Finland, Sweden and Russia. It is the models of ice drills of these countries that are presented on the domestic market. Models differ in quality and cost.

Material

A good ice drill model costs a lot of money. Therefore, many winter fishing enthusiasts are trying to purchase a tool that would serve for many years. Ice screws are made either from ordinary metal or from titanium.

As far as we know, titanium is a fairly light material, but much more expensive than ordinary metal. An ice drill made of titanium is convenient in that it is lighter, which means that less effort and energy will be spent on its use. At the same time, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to pay 5-6 thousand rubles for it. Unfortunately, not everyone can buy such a tool.

Knives

The most important part in an ice drill is the knives. The better the steel from which the knives are made, the knives are more reliable and sharper. The ice drill consists of an auger, at the end of which knives are installed. The diameter of the screw may be different, depending on the design features of the device. Depending on the diameter of the auger, a hole of the appropriate size is drilled.

Ice drills can drill holes with a diameter of 90 to 200 mm, depending on the size of the fish that is found in this reservoir. The optimal hole diameter is 100-120mm. In reservoirs where large fish are found, it is advisable to drill holes with a diameter of 200 mm.

Pen

There are several designs of the handle, where one or two hands are involved. Older models are designed to use one hand, while newer models use two hands. Naturally, drilling a hole with two hands is much easier and faster. Despite this, you have to learn a little to work synchronously with both hands.

Such ice screws can easily cope with a meter of ice. For thicker ice, special extensions are provided.

Ice screws made in St. Petersburg

According to a long tradition they are called Leningrad. Are issued for drilling of holes, with a diameter from 100 to 180 mm. Knives are made of high-quality steel, besides, they can be replaced at any time with new ones.

Ice drills come with knives that can drill through wet ice.

The set may include one or two handles.

Barnaul ice screws

These are the most popular structures among winter fishing enthusiasts. In addition to being high quality, they are also not expensive. Therefore, any angler can purchase such a tool. In addition, you can always find spare parts for them.

Barnaul began production of a new model called "Tornado". This ice screw is able to compete with another ice screw called "Nero".

Ice screws "Nero"

In the city of Rostov, Yaroslavl region, they mastered the production of a new Nero ice drill, which is very popular among anglers.

According to its characteristics, this ice screw is not inferior to the best Swedish models.

Due to the appearance of an impact-resistant wing nut, the model has become more durable. Any commercially available knives can be mounted on this ice screw. The product set includes spherical knives, as well as covers for the auger and for knives.

The price is not high, which makes it affordable for a wide range of anglers.

Other domestic manufacturers

In the city of Pushkin, titanium ice screws are produced.

In the city of Ivanovo, ice drills for winter fishing are also produced. Unfortunately, the quality of this ice auger wants to be better, although it is a cheap construction. Naturally, there should be products on the market that could satisfy different segments of the population. If the ice drill is used infrequently, then you can purchase a cheap model.

Swedish ice screws

"Nora" are reliable and high-quality ice screws. Russian engineers have created a similar model. Are issued with the screw, with a diameter from 110 to 200 millimeters. The handle height can be adjusted in the device. The blades are made in such a way that the ice ax drills wet ice without problems.

Unfortunately, you will have to get used to it, as it rotates in the opposite direction. This is a reliable fishing tool with high-quality welding and high-quality paintwork. In this regard, it is easily cleared of snow. In the event of failure of the knives, it is difficult to replace or sharpen them yourself. Due to the fact that the knives are made of very high quality steel, they quickly become blunt when in contact with sand, which is abundant in reservoirs.

Finnish ice axes

They are also worthy assistants for anglers. Their advantage is that instead of knives, you can replace the entire head. In addition to advantages, they also have a number of disadvantages. Their main disadvantage is the difficulty of replacing knives. In addition, spare parts are not cheap. Are issued with the sizes of screws from 90 to 180 mm.

Ice screw maintenance

Regardless of how much the tool costs, it needs care. Care comes down to regular sharpening of knives. After each fishing it needs to be cleaned and lubricated. After the end of the winter season, put in storage. Before this, it is good to clean and lubricate, otherwise it will rust over the summer.

Knives are afraid of blows, so you should use the ice screw carefully and try not to hit it on the ice. If after sharpening the knives cut paper, then the ice will be drilled accurately.

Moto ice drills

Technology does not stand still, but is constantly being modernized and developed. Motorized ice screws are replacing hand-held ice screws. And this is not surprising, since a person does everything to mechanize manual labor. Every year they become more powerful and, at the same time, lighter and more convenient to use.

Petrol ice screws

Such ice screws operate on a mixture of gasoline and oil, in a ratio of 4: 0.1. Their sizes of knives completely coincide with the sizes of knives of manual ice screws. In the event of a breakdown, the entire auger can be replaced.

Since most ice fishing enthusiasts have vehicles, it is not a problem to take a gasoline ice drill with you.

Unfortunately, not every angler will be able to purchase it, since you will have to pay 18-20 thousand rubles only for the motor. For an auger - 5-8 thousand rubles, as well as for spare knives from 12 to 15 thousand rubles.

Ice drill models

With the advent of solid ice on the reservoirs, some people begin to show more interest in catching fish, since fishing from the ice is much more interesting.

However, the angler must understand that good catches in winter in most cases depend on whether the place for fishing is chosen correctly. Where holes should be drilled is known only to experienced anglers, and beginners are often unable to find a catchy place in a winter pond without prompting.

We decided to help with this and tell you where and how to drill holes, so as not to be left without the coveted catch.

First of all, you need to think it over and make sure that the ice on the reservoir is already strong enough and you can safely step on it without the risk of being in ice water. If a newly minted winter angler knows at least a little about the reservoir and what fish live in it, then it will be much easier to decide on a fishing spot.

If you need to drill holes in shallow water, then you need to do this at a distance of more than 2 meters so that they do not light up.

In winter, the fish are quite shy, so you need to be as careful as possible. Be sure to remove away all the ice crumbs that formed after drilling the holes. After all, creaking underfoot, they (ice crumbs) can scare away prey. For example, fish such as bream are generally extremely shy, and such crunches will only spoil the whole fishing.

Without an experienced mentor, it is quite difficult for beginner anglers to learn the tricks of winter fishing.

In addition, ice chips next to the holes will periodically interfere with the process of unraveling the fishing line. This is especially fraught with windy weather, when the fishing line is at risk of breaking, catching on a sharp piece of ice.

Also, the angler must provide the place of fishing in advance with all the appropriate conditions for the trouble-free extraction of the trophy and convenient work with gear. Experienced anglers often use a pick for this purpose. Large fish will easily pass through such a hole. Also, so that predatory fish cannot scroll the line or cut it off, experienced anglers advise drilling holes in the form of a cone.

It is best to drill several holes at once at a distance of about 5 meters from each other. Also, the holes should be located, starting from a small depth, and ending with a large one. So that in severe frost the holes are not so quickly covered with an ice crust, they need to be sprinkled with snow.

It is most convenient to make holes with the help of an ice pick or an ice screw. Holes for catching fish in size should correspond to the size of the intended trophies.