Ice fishing is a wonderful way to get outside and active during the winter. Some people actually only ice fish, and don’t bother fishing when the ice melts! In order to ice fish obviously you need to put a hole in the ice first and here is how to do it.
Most people use augers which are large corkscrew type devices. There are other options like special ice saws, chisels, and chainsaws, although most people use augers specially designed for the purpose.
There are two types of augers, manual and powered.
Manual ice augers are operated by your strength. This can be tiring or even impossible if the ice is very thick or you move around a lot and hence need to make many holes. They are light and inexpensive, although your arms and shoulders will get tired.
Powered ice augers come in both electric and gas powered varieties. Electric ones are not that common and are usually connected to a vehicle battery, often the one you drove onto the ice.
Gas powered augers are more popular and make cutting through the ice nearly trivial. They are much heavier than manual ones though and that can be an issue if you carry them very far. They can also refuse to start just like a lawnmower, although they are fairly reliable. If you are ice fishing a lot or making lots of holes, you should consider a powered auger.
Ice fishing starts with putting a hole to fish through the ice! There are lots of ways to do that.