Archive for the ‘Ice Fishing Mobility’ Category

Ice Fishing Sled

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

An ice fishing sled is practically a necessity if you are a serious ice angler. Ice fishing is a great pass time, but lugging your fishing gear and other supplies out onto the ice can be a real hassle, not to mention very time consuming. 

Besides, who wants to waste an hour or more of fishing time making multiple trips back and forth to the shore when you could be enjoying catching some fish?

A much easier way to transport your fishing gear, bait, drills, cooler and other supplies is to simply load up an ice fishing sled that you can easily tow out onto the frozen lake, without making multiple trips back to the shore.

The best sleds are made of a rugged polyurethane construction and have durable molded runners to add both strength and stability.  The sleek flat-bottomed design skates effortlessly along the ice, making it simple to relocate your ice fishing gear quickly.

One big benefit of using an ice sled is that it allows you to relocate from one position on the ice to another quickly.  After all, many times it will be necessary to try several different spots before you find where the fish are biting.  And if you have to carry all of your equipment to every new spot, it becomes a serious pain in the neck, and cuts into your fishing time.

The best ice fishing sleds will be large enough to hold all of your gear with room left over for extra clothing, snacks, thermoses, and other conveniences.  These days, the average size is approximately 30 inches in width by 60 or 70 inches in length.  It is also practical to purchase a sled that is at least 12 inches deep, as this will ensure that you can safely stow your gear so that nothing falls out when you’re relocating on the ice.

In the old days, people often made their own sleds, or even borrowed a child’s snow sled to transport items out on a frozen lake.  Obviously, this was not a satisfactory solution.  Children’s sleds tend to be too small to carry enough fishing gear, bait, tackle and accessories for an afternoon’s ice fishing.

Wooden sleds also create greater resistance on the ice, making them harder to pull, and their flat surface meant that the fishermen would often have to tie down his gear to the top of the sled.  But with a modern polyurethane ice fishing sled, the sleek design and dense, but light-weight material make it nearly effortless to move your gear around on the ice.

Polyurethane also has several other great advantages.  For example, it will not rot or rust, as a traditional wood and steel sled would.  Polyurethane is also incredibly rugged, and can withstand quite a beating without cracking or breaking.  Combined with their ultra light weight, these properties make polyurethane sleds ideal to simply throw in the back of your truck and go.

Probably the best place to buy a quality sled is online.  Sporting goods stores and other specialty shops offer a wide range of sleds in different sizes.  You can even find smaller polyurethane sleds that will easily fit in the trunk of a standard car.

So the next time you head out to do some ice fishing, go in style.  Use a light-weight polyurethane ice fishing sled to transport all your gear safely and efficiently over the ice.

Ice Fishing Trailer

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

With the winter soon approaching, you and your friends may be considering a weekend trip to a remote area where you can enjoy the sport of ice fishing. If so, and you have a fish house at the ready, you will need an ice fishing trailer to haul it to the specified location.

Upon researching the many online sites that carry ice fishing trailers, one site displayed all the right requirements for anyone interested in purchasing a trailer of this type.

Roadkingoutdoors.com is the site, and they offer the road king trailer which, by all accounts, is the best on the market. The road king trailer is a drop down trailer which is rugged enough to carry any load. This trailer can be quickly put down on the ice in “less than 2 minutes and back up in less than 3,” according to the roadkingoutdoors site.

They utilize steel tubing for ease of travel as well as durability. Their trailer incorporates torsion axle and hydraulic lift, as well as a jack stand. Priced at a minimum of $1749 for a 6’6’ x 10’ load and a maximum of $2149 for an 8’ x 16’ load, these prices are quite affordable compared to others.

The standard features include: 3″x 3″ square-tube drop tongue system and there is no need to unhook vehicle from fish house. Retractable wheel system with leaf suspension and dual direction cranks for 6′ 6″ wide trailers. Also included is a push button hydraulic lift for 8′ wide trailers, tandem axle, where noted above, for durability and ease of travel for 8′ wide trailers, torsion suspension for 8′ wide trailers, a jack stand for 8′ wide trailers, and new 14″ tires, rims and spindles rated to carry up to 3,500 pounds.

Also included are heavy duty steel fenders, heavy duty winches and cables, a 2″x3″ rectangular-tube frame with cross braces every 24 inches for long term structural support, and safety chains, 2″ coupler and propane rack included. All frames primed and painted. In addition, they offer many options as well.

If you are preparing for an ice fishing trip, now is the time to check out this ice fishing trailer. Their online site also offers fish houses as well. You know, ice fishing is not only a wonderful sport, but an enjoyable one as well. Safety is the key concern, especially when out on the ice. This particular ice fishing trailer offers this and much more.

 

Ice Fishing Mobility

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Believe it or not ice fishing mobility is essential. It’s really only a problem when the weather is grotty, as when it’s nice weather – you don’t need a shelter.When the weather is bad, you will definately need an ice fishing shelter. Ice fishing shelters are easy to pickup, and a lot of people make their own.

The homemade ones are usually made out of blue tarps and plywood. They weigh in at around 100lbs and they make an unusual crackle in the wind. If you’re not a one time wonder (meaning you’ll go ice fishing more than once) – you definately do not want to build your own ice fishing shelter.

There are several portable ice fishing shelters on the market for a reasonable price. Now I’ll say it again, mobility is key when ice fishing! Portable ice fishing shelters keep you warm, and they keep up your mobility very well!

Once you have your ice fishing shelter, here’s the cycle you should be following:

1. Driving
2. Drill holes (you should have a gas powered auger to speed you up)
3. Fish!

If there’s no fish, you need to move! This is why mobility is so important when ice fishing. Imagine having to pull your 150lb ice fishing shelter out of your truck every time you move. Then having to go through the hassle of setting it up, etc.

Seriously, if you love your ice fishing and you use your homemade ice fishing shelter, stop! Start using a portable option, and immediately notice the different – you’ll enjoy it so much more and you’ll save so much time!