# 10" or 8"



## KCRuger (Oct 18, 2010)

I bought a new auger but have not pulled it out of the box. I went Propane 10". I am having second thoughts on the size. Any disadvantage to a 10"?


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Wife went up to her knee in a 8" hole covered by fresh snow .I have a 10" gas auger and occasionally i see guys that take very small kids on the ice on sunny days .Makes me nervous now .Wish i would have gone with 8".


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## KCRuger (Oct 18, 2010)

That is the exact reason I am questioning going with the 10".


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

KCRuger said:


> That is the exact reason I am questioning going with the 10".


That and the round polar tip ups i use are 10 " and i had to put a foam gasket around them to keep them on top of the hole .


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## eyeball (Dec 23, 2011)

KCRuger said:


> I bought a new auger but have not pulled it out of the box. I went Propane 10". I am having second thoughts on the size. Any disadvantage to a 10"?


Its heavy. Other than that I love mine.


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## coyoteobsessed (Dec 20, 2011)

More stuff falls into it. Tip ups you have to modify or use the old wood ones.As far as kids falling into one, they will fall in an 8 or 10 inch. Seen my daughter do both when not paying attention to what she was doing and was checking to see if froze or not by stepping on them.

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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

If you get a melting day or 2 that 10 inch hole opens up to 12 or 14 and then covered with snow bad things can happen. My one nephew fell into one in Feb that had that happen and he went in clear up to his arms. Scared him so bad he will not go on the ice now even thou he is in his 30's


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## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Unless fishing BIG fish , a smaller hole cuts easier and faster ,in theory.
I ran big ones...Were I to do it all over ,except for big pike or similar I'd go smaller.


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## KCRuger (Oct 18, 2010)

Thanks guys I think I will exchange it for an 8". The more I think about it the less I think it is necessary to run a 10. The 8" has always served my needs in the past I will stick with it. 

Thanks!!!


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## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

i vote for a 6".
but what are you fishing for?


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

I have a 6 and an 8. I have an Ice Gator and I had an adapter made so that the strike master augers screw into it. I only use the 8 when I am sight fishing smelt


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## KCRuger (Oct 18, 2010)

I fish for everything I can. Not much I wont try when it comes to Hunting and Fishing. I would have to say Eyes, Perch, Gills and Pike are the top of the list. I would love to get into some Lake Trout though.


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## wolf76 (Apr 1, 2015)

I use 10 for pike and eyes. The extra diameter is great when ice is thick. You could use food dye to mark the holes. 

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## woodie slayer (Feb 25, 2006)

wolf76 said:


> I use 10 for pike and eyes. The extra diameter is great when ice is thick. You could use food dye to mark the holes.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


stick a pine bow in the hole when u leave


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## Jim_MI (Jul 9, 2012)

For any given thickness of ice, boring an 8" hole requires removal of 36% less ice than a 10" hole requires. That means significantly less time, effort and energy for the 8". 

I personally use a 6" and in the past 8 yrs have only had 1 monster pike that required an emergency "Cesarean section" for delivery (second hole). Most of the time I wonder why I am not using a 4" hole, which requires removal of 56% less ice than a 6" hole.

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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

I've been running 10" augers for 30 years and I'd never go down to an inferior 6"-8" hole!!! No way I'm losing a fish of a lifetime because of a little hole. Plus, you can see much easier in a 10" hole. I'm on my third year with my Strikemaster Lithium Lazer 10" and love it, no way I'd ever go back to gas. 

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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

10" hole is nice... though I can't ant say I have been able to blame losing any fish on the difference between 8 and 10" hole. For all around ice fishing I'd not go less than 8 though.


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## Duck-Hunter (Mar 31, 2005)

Only thing I could see using a 10” auger is strictly for fishing walleye. 8” will even do the trick


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## GSPHunter (Apr 1, 2003)

As said above it is going to take more effort to drill a hole with the larger auger, but its a power auger so really doesnt matter to me much. I like a larger hole for running electronics and cameras while fishing less tangling issues. That being said, i am happy with my manual 7" blue Mora for most all my fishing needs. The 8" power auger stays at home unless the ice gets over 12".


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## Martian (Apr 28, 2011)

a couple years back , I got my best pike on a tip up 35 in. long 15 in. around the belly, and came put of a 6 in . hole. short of sturgeon, we do not have fish that require a hole that big


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## blgoose44 (Oct 10, 2008)

I use a 4" lazer most the year
Put it on a 20 Dewalt Hammerdrill and i get a ton of holes all day
6, 8, and 10 inch stay jome most times

...I would say ive lost more walley turning sideways in my 10 inch holes than i have 4 inch holes


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## hawgeye (Mar 3, 2011)

blgoose44 said:


> I use a 4" lazer most the year
> Put it on a 20 Dewalt Hammerdrill and i get a ton of holes all day
> 6, 8, and 10 inch stay jome most times
> 
> ...I would say ive lost more walley turning sideways in my 10 inch holes than i have 4 inch holes


Those little guys that can turn in a 10" hole deserve to be free!!! 

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## Prouder02 (Sep 10, 2014)

Get an 8, 10 is overkill and creates tripping hazards for others on public waters. Unless your strictly fishing monster lakers or fishing private waters, go with an 8 inch.


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## whitetail&walleye (Dec 13, 2017)

I'll never go back to a 8 inch hole. when the ice is 2 foot on Saginaw bay I love the ease of turning the head towards the hole and pulling straight up. 

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## Trophy Specialist (Nov 30, 2001)

What about a 9 inch auger. That's what I have.


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## Gillgitter (Nov 5, 2003)

I've seen some pretty big fish pulled from a 6 inch hole.


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## Bay BornNRaised (Oct 23, 2017)

I've also seen a mouse squeeze threw a dime size hole...... Just sayin. Its a personal preference, other than panfishing I'm drilling a 10" hole.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

If ya cant reach the bottom, may as well scrape the sides.


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## jimbo (Dec 29, 2007)

I carried a 5" hand auger for gills for 30 yrs. it's nice when a big gill comes off the hook at the top of the hole, but cant turn around & swim away


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

I have.use 6" hand auger for gills, perch, crappie and early, thinner ice eyes, break out the 8" power for pike and walters.


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## christophermpollard (Mar 9, 2009)

I like my 10" propane. Cuts quick and it's very fuel efficient. One thing I like about the 10" is I fish with a flasher for gills and most times I dont need to pull my transducer out of the hole; most times the fish does not tangle in it. 
I also will cut large "spearing" holes when I fish with my wife, she likes to watch, and the 10" in makes a nicer sized hole over the 8". Just my opinion.

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