Your Best Friend

Never have power augers been so reliable and so efficient. The In-Fisherman staff puts them all through the paces each season, from the StrikeMasters we’ve used to shoot Ice Fishing Guide TV, to the stock of various Jiffy models the editorial team uses to shoot so much field photography. We also use Eskimos and we’ve had a pet Nils Master here that has hundreds of hours on it. Plus, we helped HT Enterprises field test their new lineup of Velocity Edge augers.

As is the case with sonar options, staff members could argue for hours about the various merits of augers from different companies. Overall, bottom line—you can’t buy a bad auger these days. But you can buy something that fits your style and the way you fish. So we’re noting select options from each company—including what’s new—and then leaving it to you to do the rest of the comparative shopping. As we said, today you really can’t go wrong—and if something does, each company has people ready to get you back into the field pronto.

As you’ll see in this gear gallery, there’s no shortage of auger options for you to consider. Good luck and choose well—if you’re like us, you’re going to spend a lot of quality time with one of your new best friends.

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Eskimo

Eskimo augers are tough to beat for cutting power, speed, and durability. Their workhorse engine is the Shark 71cc auger with a 10-inch Quantum blade, billed as the most powerful auger in the ice industry. Three other auger options fill out the Eskimo line, including the Shark Z51, one of their top sellers. New for 2012 is an aluminum handle bar on each Shark. The bar has rubber-coated grips set at 45 degrees, allowing ideal wrist motion when drilling. The throttle also is canted at 45 degrees for comfort and efficiency, allowing the auger to be pulled from the hole without accidentally revving the engine—geteskimo.com