Spuds on Iiiiiiiceeeeee

[CoyoteSpinner]

(read like "Pigs in Space")

So - of all the gadgets and gizmos weighing down my sleigh - a spud bar has not become one of the bling.

What kind of spud bar does ya'll use? I'm very welcome to home made ideas, would like to keep the weight down.

Haven't really seen folks using them, but maybe just missed it.

[Fishrmn]

I've got two. Gave one away a few years ago or I would have had three. Both of mine were made by Eskimo. The first one is no longer available. It is basically their redneck chisel CH7 Economy model. Except mine is a two piece unit. The two pieces can be screwed together in either end. In other words, the handle part is hollow and will fit over the solid end and the solid end is long enough to contact the threads that are in the handle. You unscrew it, turn the handle around and screw the solid end back into the threads. Not fancy. The chisel is just a flat blade. I keep thinking I'll get around to grinding it into a 'Mil Lacs' style head.

The second one is the newer CH12 Redneck chisel. It is two pieces too, but it uses a clevis pin to join the two ends. It has a very aggressive chisel point that is kinda like a double 'Mil Lacs' design.
http://www.geteskimo.com/foundations/sto...ck_Chisels

I keep the cheap one in the truck for reconnaissance missions. If I'm driving around and see a promising looking piece of ice, I can check it for thickness in a couple of seconds without using an idiot auger, a.k.a. rock. And I don't risk dulling the blades of a real auger in shallow water. It's a lot easier to drag around and I don't have to leave an expensive auger sitting in the back of my truck to donate to the sticky fingered masses.

On early ice, when I'm actually heading out to fish, I carry the newer chisel. If I can punch through the ice in one hit, it's too thin to be standing on. If I punch it down and it doesn't go through, I keep on walking. Punch once and it goes through, it's time to back track.

They also work well to taper the bottom of your hole. At Fish Lake, I like to drill a hole with my auger, and then taper the bottom of the hole like a funnel. It's easier to get a fish up into the hole if the bottom of the hole is tapered.

Watched a guy using a homemade job at Fish Lake many years ago. Most impressive example of getting through the ice that I've ever seen. He cut a hole through 24 inches of ice almost as quickly as I could drill with my gas auger. And his hole was over a foot in diameter, while I was stuck using a 10 inch hole.
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[BearLakeFishGuy]

My favorite one is a car axle. The one end was hammered flat and sharpened. The other end I drilled a hole through so I could add a rope. The axle is SOLID and heavy, but it can do some serious chopping compared to the flimsy spuds they sell at the store.
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[GottaBite]

My grandpa, over 40 yrs ago use to make spud bars from 1"X4"X1/4" flat iron sharpened to a "special" angle, and welded to a 2"piece of steel pipe with a hole in the other end for a piece of rope (or like grandpa used...leather thong-don't know how many failed! Spud bar be sinking!) cheap, darn good at busting holes(don't know why I don't have one, now that I'm thunking!)and fairly light weight....sorta....but...


did I mention it bust holes easy!?
Like the guy mentioned earlier...thick ice was no problem...sorta...ya just wanna remember to drop your "clod" back down the hole when done...those things will KILL an ATV or snowmobile! And one other note of caution...the first hole "thru" will almost make ya lose your tool! Hence the "strap" that almost will break your arm going thru that first hole! Fairly warned
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[LurkinLizard]

[quote CoyoteSpinner](read like "Pigs in Space")

So - of all the gadgets and gizmos weighing down my sleigh - a spud bar has not become one of the bling.

What kind of spud bar does ya'll use? I'm very welcome to home made ideas, would like to keep the weight down.

Haven't really seen folks using them, but maybe just missed it.[/quote]

Just bought myself a big heavy root chopper [:p] It's about 5' long. I'll let you know how it works. Will have to drill it and put a cord through, so I don't lose it tomorrow.
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[fuzzyfisher]

i got a spud or ice bar made by Eskimo it has a pin in the center so it comes apart and fits in the sled good.. early ice i never go out with out it... i dont even get the auger out tell the ice is 6 to 8 inchs..
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[drowning_flys]

[quote LurkinLizard][quote CoyoteSpinner](read like "Pigs in Space")

So - of all the gadgets and gizmos weighing down my sleigh - a spud bar has not become one of the bling.

What kind of spud bar does ya'll use? I'm very welcome to home made ideas, would like to keep the weight down.

Haven't really seen folks using them, but maybe just missed it.[/quote]

Just bought myself a big heavy root chopper [:p] It's about 5' long. I'll let you know how it works. Will have to drill it and put a cord through, so I don't lose it tomorrow.[/quote]

Just put a rope wrap around it gives you something to hold on to and if it slips you have a great chance of catching it




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[toadly]

I use a Foos Ball Table arm. Its a peice of steel 5/8''
in dia. and about 4 feet in length. Come with a grip already glued to one end. Still needed a lanyard added.
Its not as heavy as the Store bought spuds but will poke thru 1.5 inches of ice with a good thump.
Went to the D.I and saw a table for $10.00. yelds 8 of them. Great deal !
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