Ice Shanty – Get the most out of ice fishing with an Ice Shanty
The right ice shack can make a cold winter feel like summer!
Winter brings many things like blizzards, icicles, skiing, snowboarding, and best of all, ice fishing. If you’ve never had a chance to curl up in an ice hut and go ice fishing, you’re missing out on one of the best winter sports. Yes, ice fishing is a sport…with beer! There are annual festivals around the world for ice fishing. There’s even a contest for the best, Crib’s Style Ice Shanty. Well, maybe not Cribs, but people do amazing things in their shacks. In the northern states of the US, there are thousands of people who can’t wait for the ice to form so they can get out on the frozen lakes and start their ice fishing season. As soon as there’s enough ice, it’s time to hook up your fishing shack to the back of your trucks and move onto the lakes. Once they’ve found the perfect spot, their shack can stay in that spot for the entire season if the fishing is good, fingers crossed! For some people, every free minute they have is spent fishing during ice fishing season. It is a way of life and something special for us who have the privilege of knowing it. One thing is for sure, if you’re going ice fishing, you’ll need a place to warm up. The way we do it is by using an ice shack.
What is an ice shack?
An ice shack is a portable ice fishing shelter that can be made of a heavy material such as wood or metal. Other shanties are made of lightweight material such as vinyl, canvas, and denier fabric. Its main objective is to protect the fisherman from the wrath of winter while fishing. Some of the handmade huts are like small houses. You say it! Satellite TV, stoves, lighting, air conditioning and even bunk beds. Sometimes they can look more like a mobile home than a “shack.” Whatever your style, there is one for you. In the United States, ice fishing is more of a social event than in other countries of the world. In places like Wisconsin and Minnesota, there are hotels, B&Bs, and resorts that have ice houses. They will do all the work while you concentrate on ice fishing. It’s really a great way to fish if you don’t have all the equipment you need. They will transport you in the morning and bring you back at sunset. You can fish to your heart’s content. However, you don’t need a fancy hotel or resort to join the fun on the lake. As long as you have your license, gear, and a place to warm up, you’re ready to rock! In Alaska, ice fishing and whaling for the Eskimos is a matter of survival. Interesting fact: In order for the Eskimos to hunt whales in Alaska, they must use hunting methods that date back 600 years. The Eskimos begin by setting up a base camp on the ice. Once their ice shanty town is established, they prepare for the hunt. They use a handmade spear and boats made of sealskin to hunt the whale, which can be the size of a train locomotive. They aim their boat directly at the center of the whale’s head because the whale’s head is so big that it can’t see the boat coming. Once they are over the whale’s head, they have to stab it in the spine and quickly get out of the way. There is a rope attached to the spear at one end and a barrel at the other so they can track their game by watching the barrel float on the water. Motor boats are quickly called in after harpooning to retrieve the whale. In a way, it’s sad to see, but it’s amazing that the Eskimos would go out on icy waters in a sealskin boat and catch a whale with a stick. Talk about the ultimate ice angler. I just want to point out that nothing goes to waste from the whale. I strayed a bit, but it’s an interesting way of life. The fact that an ice shack allows them to survive in the arctic, and as a result, in the winter, makes it amazing.
greetings from ice shanties
Choosing the right ice shack is not as easy as it seems. As mobile ice fishing has become more popular, ice shacks now come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and materials. Size, portability, and material are very important considerations when choosing your ice shanty. The size of the ice shack may be the most important aspect to consider. If you like to fish with friends, which most of us do, the question is; How many of my friends can I bring? Sure, there are those beautiful days when you don’t need a shelter for ice fishing, but when the weather turns, it’s nice to have somewhere warm (but not a lot of warm people) to go. With size mostly referring to custom-built shacks of heavy material, portability becomes an issue. You will need a way to get your ice fishing house onto the lake and a way to move around it when you are on the lake. A 4×4 truck, snowmobile or 4 wheeler will be needed to move a larger ice hut. If you live on a lake, it’s a no-brainer to have a mac daddy ice shack for a number of reasons. If you don’t, there are plenty of options for large portable ice shacks. Note: If you are new to ice fishing, it is important to stay close to where other large shacks are, especially if you are unfamiliar with the lake and decide to build or purchase a large shelter. Whether you’re an angler on the go or just looking for some quiet time to yourself, a one or two person fishing center may be the answer. However, you will want to think about how much fishing gear you can store and use in your ice cabin. The more space, the better. Add two friends, buckets and beer, it could become very cozy in a shack too small for your needs. You can probably feel my bias here, I think a three or four person ice shack is a good starting point for ice fishermen. It’s nice to be able to move around with the fish and try different lakes. A portable ice shack is just that, portable. You can move it from place to place, lake to lake, as often as you like and only spend a few minutes tearing it down and setting up your shelter. It sure beats moving a shack of heavy stuff. There’s even a portable house from Eskimo Ice Shelters that folds into a sled with storage and unfolds to house a built-in bench to sit on.
What kind of material for an ice shack
If you are an avid fisherman, you will need a winter cabin that is warm and comfortable. There is no point in freezing to death while enjoying your favorite hobby. We have already covered homemade ice fishing houses in the previous section for which there are plenty of ice shanty plans available on the internet if that is the direction you want to go. Many of the portable ice shanties on the market today are made of 300D or 600D polyester. Three hundred denier polyester is a lightweight material while 600 denier polyester is a strong material. 300D polyester is slightly thinner than 600D. It’s definitely lighter if you’re wearing it while walking through the snow. It is also usually less expensive. 600D polyester is about twice as durable as 300D, but it weighs and costs more. Both will do the job. You will also see vinyl and canvas used to make a portable ice shack. We hope that understanding the purpose and applications of the ice hut will help you decide which shelter is best for you.
