Here's a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to make a dual purpose ice scoop.
Many ice scoops on the market have too wide of a diameter to fit inside a 6" hole, but I've found the Lakco scoops work well for that task. They are inexpensive, around three dollars a piece, and can be found at most sporting good stores and bait shops. The downside to the scoop is that it doesn't have any measurements on it, so i made a quick improvement to allow for that.
I had some adhesive rulers from the Iowa DNR on hand and they worked perfectly for this task. Simply cut them to length, around 11", and width. Carefully apply the ruler onto the back side of the scoop as demonstrated below.
These measuring scoops work great for measuring ice thickness as the hooked end firmly holds onto the bottom of the ice. They also work great for measuring panfish as they are a mini "bump board" with the curved end.
I've been using this scoop for a few years now and am happy to report that so long as you get a good seal between the ruler and the scoop, the ruler will stay on and not peel off.
So if you fish out of a 6" hole and are looking for a scoop with measurements, give it a try.
Fits inside a Genz box allowing for a more mobile system
So earlier this winter I was fishing for panfish; which is usually what I target through the ice as they are plentiful and pretty cooperative. It was a typical outing targeting bluegills and crappies that were relating to wood, in 20-30 feet of water, and I was catching some fish in the process. I had been fishing for maybe ten to fifteen minutes and catching and marking the fish during that entire time. I had just set the hook into a smaller 7-8" crappie and was reeling the fish up when I saw a strong return on my flasher briskly ascend towards my fish but then disappear about half way up the water column.
Now I have seen air bubbles numerous times on my flasher and while this return was somewhat similar in appearance, air bubbles generally don't leave the screen nor ascend so quickly. So after landing the fish, removing the hook, and sending it back down the hole, I commenced fishing again. After about four to five minutes of not marking anything on my flasher I began to wonder what had all transpired and why the lack of fish present. So I dropped my Vexilar underwater camera down the hole and began to pan around when I quickly found the source of my unexplained mark on the flasher and disappearance of all the fish.
The videos below explain the reason for the lack of fish as well as the strong return on my flasher.
After watching the muskie on the camera and recording the videos on my phone, I tied on my largest Rapala Rippin Rap and Clackin Rap and attempted to try and catch the muskie. I knew that landing the fish would be a challenge as I had on thin line and was fishing near structure. Despite my best efforts, the fish had no interest in the 3-4" lures I was presenting and was more interested in the 7-10" panfish I had been catching. After a couple of minutes, the muskie left my screen on the flasher and I didn't see it again when I dropped my underwater camera down for a second time.
So as we all know, big fish eat little fish and muskies are no exception to that rule. I knew the lake I was fishing a some muskies in it but it was never a species I had targeted nor had seen others catch while ice fishing. The large mark ascending on my flasher was this muskie trying to eat the crappie I was reeling it; but for whatever reason half way up, it broke off from it's pursuit of the crappie. I have caught pike before; which had a panfish in it's mouth that I was reeling up, so I knew it wasn't uncommon for muskies to do the same.
Next time I will be more prepared and have some 5/0 hooks in my tackle box and drop a smaller panfish, on a set rod, down the hole in hopes of catching this fish again.
