The right ice shack can make a cold winter feel like summer!
Winter brings many things like snow storms, icicles, skiing, snowboarding, and best of all, ice fishing. If you’ve never had the chance to snuggle up in an ice shack and go ice fishing, you’re missing out on one of winter’s greatest 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 head out onto 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 out onto the lakes. Once they’ve found the perfect spot, your shack can stay in that spot all season long 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 are going ice fishing, you will 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 shacks are made of lightweight material such as vinyl, canvas, and denier fabric. Its main purpose is to protect the fisherman from the wrath of winter while fishing. Some of the handmade huts are like little houses. You say it! Satellite TV, stoves, lighting, air conditioning and even bunk beds. They can sometimes 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 around 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 focus on ice fishing. It’s really a great way to fish if you don’t have all the gear 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 in 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 are a matter of survival. Interesting fact: In order for 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 shantytown is established, they prepare for the hunt. They use a handmade spear and sealskin boats to hunt the whale, which can be as big as a train engine. 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 move 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 seeing the barrel float on the water. Motor boats are quickly called after harpooning to retrieve the whale. In a way, it’s sad to see, but it’s amazing that the Eskimos go out on icy waters in a sealskin boat and catch a whale with a toothpick. Talk about the ultimate ice fisherman. I just want to point out that nothing goes to waste from the whale. I got a little sidetracked, 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 incredible.
Greetings from ice shacks
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 shack. 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? Of course, there are those beautiful days when you don’t need an ice fishing shelter, but when the weather changes, it’s nice to have somewhere warm (but not a lot of warm people) to go. With the size, which mainly refers to heavy material custom built shacks, portability becomes an issue. You’ll need a way to get your ice fishing house out to the lake and a way to move around it when you’re out on the lake. A 4×4 truck, snowmobile, or 4-wheeler will be needed to move a larger ice shack. If you live on a lake, it’s a no-brainer to have an ice mac daddy shack for a number of reasons. If you don’t, there are plenty of great portable ice shack options. Note: If you are new to ice fishing, it is important to stay close to other large shacks, especially if you are unfamiliar with the lake and decide to build or purchase a large shelter. If 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 shack. The more space, the better. Add two friends, buckets and beer, you could get 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 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 down and setting up your shelter. It sure beats moving a shack of heavy material. There’s even a portable house from Eskimo Ice Shelters that folds up into a sled with storage and unfolds to house a built-in bench for sitting.
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 shacks in the previous section for which there are plenty of ice shack plans available on the internet if that is the direction you want to go. Many of the portable ice shacks on the market today are made from 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 is definitely lighter if you carry it while walking through the snow. It is also usually less expensive. 600D polyester is about twice as durable as 300D, but weighs and costs more. Both will do the job. You’ll 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.