There’s been a bone of contension over the past few years, with the introduction if the electric ice auger into the ice fishing mainstream. We’ve seen a lot of products hit the market, some hits and some misses. I first started using a hand auger powered by a cordless drill, now, I have a plethora of options on the market, most of which are making the demise of the gas auger closer to a reality.
My first foray into electric augers was attaching a cordless drill directly to my hand auger flight. Which quickly turned into a poor decision with the thick ice we see on Lake Winnipeg, I burnt out my drill the first trip out. But choose the right drill, and connect it to a Clam drill plate designed with industrial ball bearings that absorb the load from the auger so the drill is only used to spin the auger and not support the torque and it might be the perfect choice for you.
My next electric ice auger experience was with the first generation Ion. I got my first chance to use it right around Christmas time on Lake Dauphin, it worked great for drilling inside a friends permanent shack, with no fumes and its ability to re-drill holes but it lacked the speed to take on its gas counterparts.
By the time we launched Icebound Excursions, we knew that an electric auger was the way we wanted to go. Our SnoBear paired with an electric auger allows us the ability to drill our holes from inside, making set-up easier, and warmer. Electric Ice augers are inherently forgiving in nature as the auger only spins when you have your finger on the trigger, and is ready to go as soon as you slide the battery in. One feature I like is that when the auger binds in the hole the power cuts out instead of transferring all that momentum to your wrists. With some of our customers being new to ice fishing an electric ice auger was the safest auger we could choose, and the obvious choice. We choose the Ion X, the best on the market at the time, it cut holes reliably all season long (up to 3.5′ of ice) and with the exception of the blades icing up on colder days didn’t give us any grief. We weren’t as quick as our gas counterparts, but with us fishing some areas day after day after day, its ability to re-drill holes was a huge asset.
We started the 2018/2019 season with the Ion X, and quickly realized that the bite had changed, we found ourselves never fishing the same area more than a few days and never fishing the same holes more than once. This meant we were drilling many more holes per day, and speed was becoming a factor. After experimenting with different flights, we had to make a decision, do we switch augers? I borrowed a friends Strikemaster Lithium 40V and the difference was clear, we cut our set-up time down and got more holes per charge. We ran that auger the rest of the season and it performed right through to the end. (Just make sure you have a spare set of blades or two with you).
We’re entering the 2019/2020 ice season and it’s become clear that electric ice augers are here to stay, and they’re ready to challenge gas augers. New this year we have the Ion G2 which is touted as faster, lighter version of its predecessor, Strikemaster hasn’t changed their auger, but they’ve come out with a lighter flight and Clam is now entering the game with it’s 120V 8″ Auger Kit that stands toe to toe on specs with anything on the market. With 240 Watts Clam’s electric ice auger chews through up to 1800 inches of ice per charge with a planetary gear system that delivers up to 325rpm. All backed by the longest warranty on the market (5 years). I can’t wait to get my hands on one and put it to the test on one of the most notorious lakes in the country.
The pace of change in the ice fishing world has been immense, development in ice augers are no exception. Whether you’re currently using a hand auger, gas auger or have already made the switch to electric chances are there is a better version hitting the market this year. I still drill the first hole of the season using my trusty hand auger (superstition), but with the lightweight of electric ice augers, the long lasting batteries or speed the newest generation delivers, there is no reason to use anything else this ice season.
Defending Champ
Strikemaster Lithium 40V
$749.99CDN
Power: 200 Watts
Battery: 40V 5AH
Inches of ice: 1600"
Weight: 24lbs
Warranty: 2 years
Powerhouse
Clam 120V Auger
$799.99CDN
Power: 240 Watts
Battery: 120V 2AH
Inches of ice: 1800"
Weight: 25lbs
Warranty: 5 years (1year Battery)
Comeback King
Ion G2
$999.99CDN
Power: 240 Watts
Battery: 40V 6AH
Inches of ice: 2000"
Weight: 17lbs
Warranty: 3 years3