Is a 6 inch hole big enough?

I fish pan fish 98% of the time I take 1 trip a year to Mille Lacs lake for walleyes. I have a 6 inch is this hole size big enough? I use a K Drill. What I found on the big lake is if I do 2 holes together I never catch a big fish LOL. I have heard some people pulling 34 inch pike through a 6 inch hole any truth to this? Have any of you ever got a fish you could not get up a 6 inch hole. I met Dave Genz one time he said if I needed bigger than 6 inches to call him any truth to his words.

He’s right! 6 inch holes may seem small, but they are safer, and more efficient. No need for a bigger hole. It’s just a trend thing. I pulled a 34 inch pike around 11 pounds through a six inch. Last year in the metro area

Lost 3 trophy crappie from getting stuck in 8″ holes last season… Don’t think I’ll be using less than an 8″ anytime soon.

fished lake trout and walleyes for years here in Canada with hand augers before power augers came to be the norm . We always used 6 inch augers and never had an issue. We caught many big fish back then !

the circumference of a 6″ hole is over 18″. a trophy fish might give you an issue.

I use a 6″ bit 75+% of the time now. I have lost a couple fish, but there is no guarantee I wouldn’t have lost it if I had a 8″ bit…For the most part, only time I used the 8″ bit is in my wheelhouse so it gives a little more room to work and allows the edges to freeze up a little more.

Used 10, used 8 for years and now strictly 6inch holes. I run and gun, easier to punch and it works. I haven’t had an issue with getting larger fish through them. I chase panfish strictly and get the occasional walleye and etc. Main reason why I prefer the 6inch is panfish seem to turn around in anything larger. Set the hook and get em to the hole even if they come unbuttoned I wait and they all float to the top to retrieve. I’m content with the 6.

Unless your purposely targeting trophy fish a 6 inch hole is plenty especially if you only target panfish. With over 18 inches in diameter when’s the last time you pulled a fish larger than 18 inches in diameter through the ice.

I fish for panfish with my rods and set tip-ups for pike. I’ve always used an 8” auger for both. I don’t like holes smaller than 8” for tip-ups. A few seasons ago I caught my first 40” pike and it still had to squeeze through the hole. The hole had a few sharp edges and it scraped against the side of the pike and damaged its side a bit (removed a patch of scales and that area started to bleed a little bit but it was ultimately ok and released healthy). It was a fatty for sure. It never would have fit through a 6” hole especially with the few jagged spots along the edge. As far as panfish go, I just like the larger holes. I’ve never lost a fish because the hole was too big.

Also, if you’re on a small lake, don’t underestimate the size of the fish it can produce. That pike I caught came out of a 27 acre lake with a max depth of 9 feet. It’s full of 14” hammer handles. The day after I caught my 40” my nephew caught a 37” pike. I’ve fished that lake my whole life and actually 95% of my biggest fish have came from it (11” gill, 15” crappie, 40” pike, 22” largemouth, 13” perch). I’ve appreciated an 8” whole every time.

So, I stick with an 8” Lazer especially since I got a Milwaukee M18 Fuel a few months back, hand drilling should no longer be a concern.

For the most part, a 6″ hole is fine for panfish. But for any other species, the benefits of a 8″ hole outweigh the downsides, like more time or battery spent drilling, falling into the hole, etc. I like how fish don’t get tangled around the puck nearly as often with a 8″ hole as with a 6″ hole.

6 inch hole is 18.85″ in circumference. A 28″ walleye of about 18″ girth is almost a 12 pound fish. A 36″ northern 18″ around is a 13 pound fish. 6 inch hole is fine for all walleye and pike except the trophies.

The other consideration when using electric is amp hours and how much ice volume you have to drill through. A 6″ hole 32″ tall is about 900 cubic inches, while a 8″ hole 32″ tall is about 1,600 cubic inches. Add the extra torque push-back on the outer inches of the blade for an 8″, and you’re talking about twice the juice, or half the holes, in a perfect world (it’s not!).

6″ is a sweet spot for lots of fish and lots of holes.