Enjoying a Custom Ice Fishing House

For dedicated ice fishing enthusiasts, a custom ice fishing house is almost a requirement.  While beginners, or folks who just "dabble" in ice fishing may be content to stand or sit out on the ice, serious ice fishermen need a comfortable "home base" out on the lake.

Although ice fishing is a wonderfully relaxing pastime, it can also get a bit boring and uncomfortable out on a frozen lake, patiently waiting for the fish to bite.  The weather can also be pretty disagreeable sometimes.  Most ice fishermen have felt the icy sting of a northern wind cutting across the frozen lake -- it's not always a picnic!

But staying comfortable and warm in an ice fishing house can make even those rough weather days enjoyable for serious fishermen.  Ice fishing houses are generally semi-permanent shelters to be used over the course of the entire winter season.  Commonly, they are permanently mounted on trailer frames, to make transporting the fishing houses as simple as hitching the trailer up to a truck.

Other types of ice fishing houses can be permanently mounted on skids, or a sled-like base that allows them to be towed out onto the lake.  Both types of shelters serve the same purpose: keep the fishermen comfortable and warm while fishing.  But ice fishing houses can also be customized to include a wide variety of more “exotic" comforts.  In fact they can be as "bare-bones" or as elaborate as you like.

Some of the more common features of permanent ice fishing houses include padded seats or couches; kitchenette-style cooking areas that include a stove, table and battery or generator operated lights; overnight sleeping cots or bunk beds; and propane or wood-burning heaters.

When designing your own custom ice fishing house, one of the most important considerations will be weight.  While it is perfectly acceptable to make your home on the ice as elaborate as you would like, keeping the overall weight down is important to reduce the risk of cracking the ice beneath you.

It is also important to consistently monitor the condition of the ice when using an ice fishing house.  Keep on the lookout for signs of cracks or splintery "spider web" designs in the ice.  Also, as spring approaches, it is critical to tow the ice fishing house off the lake before you begin to see the first signs that the ice is thawing.  Otherwise, you can easily wind up with a submerged house that will be expensive, or in some cases impossible, to retrieve.

As far as other safety tips when using a custom ice fishing house, the most important are to use common sense and keep your ears open at all-times.  Cracking or shifting ice makes a very specific sound.  Obviously, if you should hear any cracking sounds, or a deep rumbling that sounds like shifting ice below, the basic rule of thumb is: get off the ice first and ask questions later.

Safety is always the first concern when ice fishing, and for that reason you should always use the buddy system when you decide to do some angling on a frozen lake.  Never go out in an ice fishing house alone, no matter how safe and secure the ice has proven to be in the past.