Fishing is the oldest means of livelihood. It started as early as the hunting and gathering stage which was the first stage in the evolution of society. Primitive people hunted for animals in the mountains and fished in the rivers, lakes, and seas.
In fact, there are many benefits to eating fish. Like:
- Fishing is the most convenient and cheapest source of protein. In modern times especially among Asian countries, it is considered a staple food. In countries like Japan sushi (raw tuna) is considered a delicacy
- Ambergris found in the intestinal wall of Sperm whales was heavily used as a source for perfume, wax and candle making. It was heavily hunted during the 1800s and was considered as a floating gold.
- Some doctors and scientists consider the blue marlin, tuna, salmon and much richer in Omega 3. It is believed that Omega 3 is good cholesterol and helps reduce vascular diseases
Interesting, isn’t it? What’s even more interesting is that you can catch your own fish if your patient enough to learn the techniques. This way, you are 100% sure that you are getting all the raw nutrients that come from the sea (or river). Typically, you can do this activity using two particular methods: Traditional and Modern.
Traditional VS Modern Methods
Traditional Methods are crude and employed (mostly) by primitive people is through the use of crude nets and some line and hooks. In the Eskimo region usually, they bore holes into the ice-covered lakes and drop hooks (check out this video).
On the other hand, modern fishing employs modern equipment to locate schools onboard ocean-going ships reaching areas like the Pacific Oceans, Antarctic, Atlantic Ocean, and others. Some ships are so modern that canning factories are on board the ships, immediately canning their fresh catch thereby maintaining the quality of its freshness.
However, innovative approaches are not without issues
Two Major Problems To Modern Fishing
- OVERFISHING To The Point Of Near Extinction To Some Species
From the early part of the 18th century, due to the high value for ambergris sperm whales were hunted down to near extinction. The timely passing of regulations and through the vigilance of various NGOs the population of the sperm whales started growing back.
Due to the advancement in technology, more and more inland fishing grounds started to sprout. Pens and cages were constructed along the marshlands, inlets, rivers, and lakes. In a short period, there was abundant harvest thereby relieving overfishing.
- Plastic Wastes
Plastic wastes another major problem since it gravely affects Marine life. To look for proof one only needs to google it. Mt. Fuji and Mount Everest already lost its pristine condition due to plastic waste.
Then again, not everyone wants to do this for a living. Some simply want to take it up as a hobby. In this case, we regard the activity as “recreational.”
What Is Recreational Fishing?
This is done for the enjoyment of fishing. There are some contests held and prices to be won based on the size and length of the catch reeled in.
You can now see especially during Saturdays and Sundays or holidays, people lounging in chairs holding a bottle of beer with an icebox beside him and an umbrella on top of his head to ward off the heat of the sun. His other hand will be holding on to a fishing pole waiting for the prey to bite. It is stress-relieving.
Now, on to the main entrée of this article – a certain type of fishing we believe you’d be interested in.
What is Auger fishing?
Auger fishing is basically ice fishing. Auger is the name of the device. It is a drilling device or drill bit including a rotating helical screw blade called flighting to act as a screw conveyor to remove the drilled out material. Due to the innovation of hand ice augers, digging a hole becomes faster and more convenient/
The following are examples of top spots for ice fishing:
- US – Devils Lake, North Dakota, Lake of the Woods Minnesota, Kathleen Lake, Yukon, Lake Champlain, Vermont, Antero Reservoir, Colorado, Fort Peek Lake, Montana
- Alaska –Birch Lake, Alaska
- Sweden – Little River
- Japan – Hokkaido, Sapporo, Lake Yamanaka
Now that you’ve got the places down, all that’s left to do is choose the right auger to use for the activity. There are many kinds and brands (plus there’s the issue of design) but typically, you would want to look for the qualities below:
Tips For Choosing The Right Auger
- Budget – It should not be too expensive to compromise the total cost of the trip. It should not also be overly cheap because you might end up with very inferior quality.
- Height and Weight – Height should be chest level to avoid back injuries. It should also be light so as not to compromise long-distance trekking
- Hole Diameter – This is important to determine the size or quality of the fish you are going after
- Thickness of the Ice – If the blade is not sufficient to break the ice then you will not be able to get to the top of the water level.
Following this, we came up with our own top five:
1. Eskimo HDO6
Height: adjustable heights can be extended
Weight: 7 pounds
Hole Diameter: 6 inches
2. Strike Master Lazer
Height: 48 to 57 inches (adjustable)
Weight: 5.5 pounds
Hole Diameter: 4, 5, 6 and 8 inches
3. Strike Master Mora Hand
Height: 48 to 57 (adjustable)
Weight: 6 pounds
Hole Diameter: 6, 7, 8 inch
Material: Twin stainless blades
4. Eskimo Silver Tip
Height: 49 to 58
Weight: 8 pounds
Hole Diameter: 6, 8 inches
Material: High Carbon stainless steel
5. HT Polar Hand
Height: -N/A Online-
Weight: 9 pounds
Hole Diameter: 6 inches
Material: Stainless steel blade
In terms of height, an Eskimo Silver Tip is better for taller people because the height measures from 49 to 58 and can be adjusted. In terms of hole diameter, the best choice would be a Strike Master Lazer since the hole diameter can be adjusted from 4 inches to 8 inches giving you a better choice of what type of prey to go after. As to weight, the Strike Master Lazer is the lightest weighing in at 5.5 pounds. Of course, there are other factors to be considered such as materials used and others. So the choice will largely depend on you since you alone know what would be the best auger tool suited for your need.