Saltwater can cause major headaches with gear and tackle. While far from being saltwater fishing, seems like that could still produce enough saltwater to be more of a pain to have to flush off everything later than benefit to keeping the hole open.

 

Just catch fish and you won't have to worry about it....

But really, I think it might do more harm than good.....

 

Best way to keep holes from freezing is buy a shanty and heater problem solved

 

tho I've never tried it myself I have heard that you can use rv antifreeze in your hole.
sherman

 

Although never ice fished(just got 2 rods and a couple tip ups to try it as warm spell hit),couldn't you just use a stick or something and agitate the water every few minutes? I would think the motion would keep it from skimming over if done periodically.Again,coming from someone who's never done it.

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Take your heel and clear the hole, fastest n easiest way. It has never let me down and requires no extra gear to drag a half mile.

 

Get some ping pong balls and paint em black, throw a few in the hole and the sun will do the rest.

 

mr buddy heater in the shanty will do the trick...or your heel as mentioned lol

 

Normally in the shanty its not a problem its on the days i dont have that with me for some reason that it can be a problem. Last tuesday for example i had my doubts about the ice ( and the fish too actually ) so i didnt want to drag everything out there with me so i just sat on a bucket with my back to the wind. The darn hole was freezing over every couple minutes. Just want to be prepared for that next time

 

Pour some cooking oil in it.

 

doesnt anyone use a scoop?

 

May be more effort than it is worth, but I remembered a coffee can setup that supposedly works. See the following:

http://www.idofishing.com/forum/sho...m/forum/showflat.php/Number/941784/fpart/1/keeping-your-hole-from-freezing-over

 

doesnt anyone use a scoop?

I was wondering the same thing, while reading everyones different methods lol!!

 

doesnt anyone use a scoop?

To obvious my friend..... Come'on now!

 

I've done this before and it helps. After drilling the hole I take and build a mound around the hole with snow and slush to block it from the wind. It really cuts down on the amount it refreezes.


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yeah probably shouldn't put any harsh chemicals in the water on purpose... rv antifreeze? come on and salt? just scoop out the ice man kinds laziness has already created enough environmental hazards.


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I like the old fashion scoop! chemicals? bad idea!!! also I wonder how the fish would act around it? might make a taste they cant stand thus leaving the area near your hole!!

 

doesnt anyone use a scoop?

Yes but you gonna sit there and scoop the hole every 30 seconds or so while trying to fish? Were talking extreme circumstances here , not every trip out. If its really cold and you arent in a shanty you can literally sometimes watch the ice form over the hole just as soon as you finish scooping.


Chemicals arent a good idea but a little salt wont hurt anything. And fish are even usually attracted to it. I was just curious if the slightly higher salinity would keep it from freezing.

 

I understand ! we need to invent a hole heater!!! lol lil rod that floats in the water maybe runs off of a batt and just keeps it warm enough!

 

I would think the rock salt would sink as soon as you had open water. Even if it had time to dissolve it would be diluted to the point of ineffectiveness. And if neither one of these option s occurred, what's stopping it from melting the ice around the hole and underneath you?

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they make these battery operated hole warmers that draw up warmer water from down deeper in the ice hole and it gets circulated near the surface, that is probably the best solution. if its that cold out im not going without my shanty. that's the whole reason I bought a shanty. if its safe enough to walk on then its safe enough for a shanty.

 

I have never ice fishe'd , but I use a air bubbler to keep the ice from forming solid on my fish pond. The bubbles keep the water circulating.

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I have never ice fishe'd , but I use a air bubbler to keep the ice from forming solid on my fish pond. The bubbles keep the water circulating.

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like an areater for a minnow bucket.

 

Take a 5000w generator out with you. Buy one of those elec barrel heaters and put it in your hole. Heck, in no time, if you get cold you can just slid into your own personal hot tub.

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Ya the ones that take the 2 d cells should work fine. I use one of the cheap ac ones for my pond with 2 of the cheap ends.
My fish pond is about 800 gallons and I keep a 2 foot hole in the middle all winter.
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