Keeping ice hole from freezing

[blasted_saber]

I walk out from my cottage and when I leave after fishing for the day, I place a square of thick pink styrofoam board/insulation over my holes.
Then I place a big mound of slushy snow on top to keep them down (but I leave the edges uncovered/exposed or it could freeze right in).
When I come back the next day, I give the board a kick or I use my shovel as a spatula. 9/10 times, the mound of frozen snow slides right off.
The holes are like I just drilled them.
The best part is, if for some reason I can't come back, or I can't get them out (hasn't happened yet) the board(s) will simply float in (to somebodys dock) to be thrown out in the spring.

I'm on a pretty quiet part of the lake and I've been doing this for 8 years without a problem (other than one snapping in half when I've tried to remove it).

So my suggestion is to use a piece of styrofoam over the hole.

The best part is that you can litter and let your neighbours pick it up?

Pick your crap up!

[Angler]

I know the original question had to with tip up spools freezing but I was wondering if anyone uses those vibrating pucks that float in your hole? Do they spoke the fish? I hate having to run out of my hut every 10 min to break open my dead stick holes on those super cold days. Seems like they would be perfect for fishing deep water (Walleye or Lakers). May not be the best move for fishing Brook Trout in shallow water?

I've heard of guys using the Lucky Duck H20 Quiver Magnet in their holes? Anyone use these?

[muskokaguy]

The best part is that you can litter and let your neighbours pick it up?

Pick your crap up!

I was waiting for that.
And I'm ROFLMAO.

As I said, IF FOR SOME REASON...and HASN'T HAPPENED YET.

But let's address your issues.

1) I could have written the "take only photographs, leave only footprints" quote/poster. I have NEVER littered in my life. I'm the guy who brings a garbage bag into Algonquin Park and hauls out others trash.

2) I'm part of our lake association and everybody knows me. To the point that my boards have my name on them so they can let me know if they found one at our next annual lake regatta/picnic.
But like I said, it HASN"T happened yet.

3) I am one of the founders of an organization that protects Canada's lakes and waterways.
Since you are SO concerned, I expect you to PM me your name and email so I can send you some volunteer information.
Should I put you down for 50 hours of your donated time or 100+?
Let me know.

[smitty55]

I know this has been brought up in the past, but I am tired of replacing my tip up spools that I smash when trying to get them out of a frozen hole. What is the best way to keep your hole from freezing. I usually place a set outside the hut but when its below -20 it freezes quickly. Plastic spools are not that durable and I have broken them chipping the ice away.

Windshield washer fluid carefully poured in the hole so it "floats" on the top works pretty good. It might slush up but doesn't freeze.

And please don't anyone give me the pollution line. That's kinda lame to me compared to what outboards exude. Tks

Cheers

[Fishy Wishy]

Just pee in the hole on occasion.

[impact]

Actually, non toxic plumbing anti freeze would be a better choice however I believe it would rather quickly mix with the lake water and not float on top rendering it useless. But, that is just my untried opinion.

The acute oral toxicity of propylene glycol is very low, and large quantities are required to cause perceptible health damage in humans; propylene glycol is metabolized in the human body into pyruvic acid (a normal part of the glucose-metabolism process, readily converted to energy), acetic acid (handled by ethanol-metabolism), lactic acid (a normal acid generally abundant during digestion),[11] and propionaldehyde (a potentially hazardous substance).[12][13][14] Serious toxicity generally occurs only at plasma concentrations over 1 g/L, which requires extremely high intake over a relatively short period of time.[15] It would be nearly impossible to reach toxic levels by consuming foods or supplements, which contain at most 1 g/kg of PG. Cases of propylene glycol poisoning are usually related to either inappropriate intravenous administration or accidental ingestion of large quantities by children.[16] The potential for long-term oral toxicity is also low. In one study, rats were provided with feed containing as much as 5% PG in feed over a period of 104 weeks and they showed no apparent ill effects.[17] Because of its low chronic oral toxicity, propylene glycol was classified by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration as "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) for use as a direct food additive.

[blasted_saber]

Thats called baiting.

Good for you you all you do.

I was waiting for that.
And I'm ROFLMAO.

As I said, IF FOR SOME REASON...and HASN'T HAPPENED YET.

But let's address your issues.

1) I could have written the "take only photographs, leave only footprints" quote/poster. I have NEVER littered in my life. I'm the guy who brings a garbage bag into Algonquin Park and hauls out others trash.

2) I'm part of our lake association and everybody knows me. To the point that my boards have my name on them so they can let me know if they found one at our next annual lake regatta/picnic.
But like I said, it HASN"T happened yet.

3) I am one of the founders of an organization that protects Canada's lakes and waterways.
Since you are SO concerned, I expect you to PM me your name and email so I can send you some volunteer information.
Should I put you down for 50 hours of your donated time or 100+?
Let me know.

[muskokaguy]

Thats called baiting.

Good for you you all you do.

Does that mean 50 hours?

[Pat32rf]

As long as you use styrofoam and not "beadboard" I don't really care...It's the bait tubs, pop cans and old fishing line that bug me...

[Habs]

Just to get back to the original point, "gentlemen", you're having problems with a set tip up spool freezing in the ice? Can't you just put the spool lower down in the water so it won't freeze? How often do you check it? I keep mine way below the surface and haven't had this problem..... ice needs to be broken sure but I haven't had a spool get frozen in the hole yet.....