Ice fishing holes

[Hazelnut]

I was really excited to use the new tip-up with a created ice fishing hole. I'm in the Airfield on Interloper at day 76. Dashed out of the cave I was staying in to cut the hole and lost 10% condition on the axe and 10% on myself due to cold. Wow, expensive. In the morning it had frozen over, which is fair enough but it cost another 10% on the axe and 6% due to cold.. even with a warming tea inside me - all for one 2.6kg fish. I expected to re-cut it wouldn't take very long. Anyway I set the trap again, slept for a couple more hours and the hole was frozen again with no fish caught this time. I left it there and moved on.

Can't see me using this much given how much condition it takes on the axe and how long it takes. I can't afford to use a coal each time or lose the condition to the cold. I assume the axe is the quickest tool? Unfortunately the time is too long to be worth it unless I am in a fishing hut nearby with a fire so I can fish while I fish.

Anyone else tried them on loper? Maybe I just need to go back to warmer areas..?

[lancslady]

I always use the crowbar to break the hole. As there are lots of crowbars in the game now I leave one in the fishing huts I regularly use. I only ever put fishing holes behind fishing huts and use the fire to keep warm whilst maintaining them. So whilst I'm fishing in the hut I manage several fishing holes at the same time. The fact that the fishing holes refreeze and take so long to break open make them not viable for putting out on the open ice on Loper. The airfield is a very cold region so it's even worse there.

[Claybot]

I'm on Stalker
I've used them on Monolith lake in HRV, using the crowbar to make the hole. I had three of them set up worked like a charm.
With the new workbench in HRV you can make that area a very nice place to live.

[Hazelnut]

Yeah, I stopped taking the crowbar with me to save weight, but will need to remember it. I'm still bothered by the fact that re-clearing the hole takes so long I lose 10% cond (6% if I chug a tea) - understand that cutting a brand new hole would be a time consuming task, but after 10 hours would it really take as long? To be fair I've never cut any ice holes in real life... lol

I do wish the Airfield had more than 2 workbenches in such a huge region. I should have made more than one tip up, I just wanted to see how it worked first. Then it feels like making a coal fire and cutting a 2-3 holes and using that many tip ups might be worth it. Wonder how many you need before the farm penalty kicks in?

Having fun playing with the new mechanics.. like I am a clueless noob again. :-D

[AcmeAdict]

Don’t forget the matches you have to burn to light the fires to keep you warm while you break the ice as, most of the time, it will not be a sunny day. Tip ups were a great idea but way too expensive. I don’t use them at all.

[Hazelnut]

I think they're viable if you use them very close to a fishing hut. I was surprised how close I could cut another hole, within range of the stove inside the hut. Worked really well, and using the prybar was much cheaper than the axe, not losing anywhere near as much condition. I was thinking of these more like fishing snares, but really this is simply a way to catch more fish while fishing.

Did around 8 hours fishing, caught 2 small fish at tipup (1 I chopped into bait), 2 medium (1 each hole), and 1 almost 5kg monster myself. I didn't need the food really, and doubt I'll fish again until I'm back in CH and have recipes that need fish.

[Lenny Rat]

Originally posted by Claybot:

I'm on Stalker
I've used them on Monolith lake in HRV, using the crowbar to make the hole. I had three of them set up worked like a charm.
With the new workbench in HRV you can make that area a very nice place to live.

There is a workbench in HRV?!?

[Lenny Rat]

Grrr...clearly there are some benefits that I'd like to sample...but Ima gonna wait