How to keep holes from freezing over...
A few thoughts:
1) If there is ample snow on the lake, then after you set your line, simply fill the hole with snow and mound it up a foot or more all the way around. The snow insulates well and in the morning just clear the snow pile and pull up your line. Works great. Also lets me get a little more elevation on my cusk sticks (orange with reflectors) to make them easier for snomos to see. Haven't lost one yet.
2) Much more challenging if there is no snow cover to work with. Ice chips provide no insulation value to speak of so mounding that up alone just creates a hard ice dome in no time. But, I saw elsewhere online (Iceshanty.com perhaps) a clever idea using squares of plywood with a small hole drilled in the center and a slit cut to it. After you set the line, you slide the line to the center of the board and set the board flat on the ice over the hole. Even 1/2-3/4" of plywood will provide enough insulation to keep the hole from freezing over (or that's the theory anyway) if it's flush with the ice surface. I think they were cut 2'X2'. I'm thinking about making some of these, but with a piece of rigid foam insulation glued on top for good measure. Only worry is that in windy conditions they might just fly away. Would probably use the ice chips to "glue" the edges down so that wouldn't happen. Also think I'll add some handles on the top.
Just need some ice now.... Gonna be a little late this year, it seems.
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