Why do people use 8+ inch holes

I swear some of those holes people punch on those lakes...I'm shocked kids haven't drowned or there a thread about "lost my vexilar" down the hole.

I love my 10" for thick ice and game fish. it is way easier to get fish turned up the hole. I will never give it up but i just bought a 8" lite flite for when i am panfishing or ice is thinner.

8” holes are great you can get most anything through them I personally don’t have one for my drill set up or I’d use it.i have a 7” that I can’t use cos I’m missing a bolt for hook up so I’m relegated to a 6” which is great for pan fishing,I really like the 7” for an all around hole though too,as far as kids I bring my boys from time to time I don’t get a lot of fishing done with them usually spend more time watching them and trying to get them on fish.You can step in any of them and turn and ankle if your not looking kinda like the saying “keep your head on a swivel “when the Kids are with most of us aren’t fishing that much anyway,

I believe people use 8 and 10 inch holes is because they can.If they are not breaking any laws,get over it.

Huh? That 100% looks like a hole.

Sometimes holes can’t be seen.  Pic from today, 8” hole underneath that. Couldn’t tell what was a hole underneath and what was just a slush spot.  

Lmao. No we shouldn't ban anything. The point is, everyone is responsible for their own kids safety, since life is full of hazards, and we can't possibly ban things until there are no hazzards, the options are 1 watch your kids better and not make excuses, or 2 keep them at home until the risk is reduced. At no point did I say "kids should be banned from the ice". A bit of reading comprehension goes a long way...

1 you should be watching them, they are kids, and using the excuse of "I turned my head and my kid fell in a hole" is something only an idiot would say. They are your kids, it's your job to watch them, do a bad job and that's on you. 2 if your kid can fall completely in a legal sized hole, they have no business on the ice, especially if you can't be bothered to watch them. They can stay at home until big enough/old enough that the consequences of a mistake isnt fatal. I didn't take my small kids on the ice, same as I didn't take them on the river during the spring melt for the walleye run. Too risky for someone so small and  ill equipped for the conditions.  There is your "blah blah blah"

I really didn't think a bunch of grown men would get so offended or I wouldn't have asked.   I'm assuming everyone posting doesn't own one big crescent wrench.    

Greatly increases my ability to land a Great Lakes Steelhead or Brown trout that sometimes can push 20 lbs. They are aggressive fighting fish.

I would bet that there are far more injuries from people stepping in unfinished holes. They form a bucket hidden in the snow that can be treacherous.

By the way, I own 2-8”, 2-10” and if I could find a 12” I would get it for certain situations.

“Do your own research.”

That‘s not how it works. You put it out there that people have died from stepping in holes and then we’re asked to back it up and this is your response? A response like that reeks of you being full of crap. If you make a claim like you did then you better be able to support it.

I looked into the possibility of someone dying from stepping in a hole...specifically a pretty comprehensive site covering the physics of ice formation. It also has a tally of every known “falling through ice” fatality known in the United States plus a few in Canada. Not one in 10 years was attributed to stepping in a 10 inch hole....but using your premise of banning something related to deaths associated with breaking through ice it is very clear that all snowmobile and ATV use on frozen bodies of water should be banned. They are far, far more dangerous than stepping in a 10 inch hole.

So what is it? Do you actually have some sort of article citing the cause of death as stepping in a hole made by a 10 inch auger or were you just making that up?  I’ll hang up and listen. 

I did some research, couldn't find a single case of anyone dying from stepping in an ice hole. It's ok to think people shouldn't use a 10" hole, but to claim they kill people makes it sound like you should be working for CNN. 

Wisconsin allows ice fishing in a hole up to 12" across, so those of you from this great state hating on 10" holes better be drafting a citizen resolution for the spring Conservation Congress meetings to ban anything bigger than 8", or 6" if you're only fishing panfish.

Well, a manhole cover is 22in across.  A 10in hole is still. A 10in hole. As far as kids on the ice goes, if you care about your kids, you won't let them into the ice until they are big enough to safely be on the ice. 

I agree with cold front on this one...

Bout 30 years ago a guy spud a hole that was the size of a sewer cover on the kettle at nagawika (sp).  He filled it in with slush,  I went in to my waist one leg.  I was messed up for a long time.  Thankfully I had a snowmobile out there cause I could barely stand up muchless walk.  Has nothing to do with this thread except for the fact of covering up holes.  slush in holes it takes a lot longer to freeze up tight.  

Anyone talking stupid about kids stepping in holes obviously don't have kids.  I don't think I need to elaborate much on the fact that you can tell kids something 25 times and they'll still forget.

I don't even think this thread applies to lakes where there are people all spread out looking for walleye's such as Winnebago.  Or a lake where people are fishing tip up's for Pike...but the guys that come out in to a group,  let's say madison,  monona bay,  there is always a large crowd.  Does it makes sense to run a 8 inch auger for 7 inch bluegills?  

I get using fish appropriate holes, but augers are expensive and having multiple isn't a luxury most can afford.  Saying that, buying a 10" auger if you fish panfish is a bit much.  Like using your $70,000 bass boat to chase bluegills.  If you are a hardcore tip up guy, fishing big fish water, you may be justified using that.  You do see most panfish guys fishing 6" holes now with their drill rigs.  People that cover up their holes though are scum of the earth.