Ice fishing no longer means frozen hands and feet. No more sitting on a bucket or shivering inside a hastily assembled shanty. Take off the outerwear, relax on a couch, cook a meal, watch T. V. It's all possible inside a rental or custom designed store bought ice fishing fish house. Enjoy heat, carpeting, furniture, and kitchen appliances.
All the comforts of home are available including heaters, microwaves, ovens, refrigerators, heated showers. Watch TV or listen to the radio. Some deluxe models include fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, and bay windows. Deluxe shelters often double as hunting cabins.
Traditional shanty style homes are dragged onto the ice using ski-like runners. Pick your spot and that's the place for the remainder of the winter. New deluxe homes are on wheels and can be moved. Larger homes are placed with an hydraulic lift. Openings for angling are in the floor. Check local guides to be sure the ice is solid enough to hold the weight. Large, deluxe ice houses can weigh over 6000 pounds.
It's not a primitive sport anymore. Anglers pick their fishing holes based on information gleaned from lake-mapping apps for smart phones, sonar fish finders, and underwater cameras. While the fish are away, anglers can enjoy TV, snacks, a game of poker with their buddies. Built-in aquariums keep fresh bait at hand, and keep the catch of the day fresh until it's frying time.
Lake side resorts rent ice fishing houses. Rent for a few hours, overnight, for the weekend, for the week. Rent a basic unit, heated but minus the TV and refrigerator. Or rent a deluxe home with all the amenities and sleeping quarters for 10 or 12. Resorts keep a close watch on ice conditions. They plow roadways. Renters can drive to the door of their temporary abode. Many also offer a shuttle service so renters can leave their car on shore.
Last year there were over 5,500 houses on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota. Many popular locations are populated by a mini-city during the season which usually begins in December and ends in March. Many rentals have their own bathrooms. Satellite toilet facilities are stationed on the ice for those in more basic models.
Areas with swift currents can have thinner ice surrounded by thick ice. A visual look can be deceptive. Offshore winds can break up ice leaving fishermen stranded on ice floes. A warming spell can cause weakness in the ice. Conditions can change quickly. Many cars, trucks, SUV's, snowmobiles, and fish houses fall through the ice every year. If you're setting your own house on the ice, consider insurance. Environmental laws require a speedy recovery that may require divers and a helicopter for hauling the lost house out of the water.
Some resorts offer hauling assistance to anglers wanting to place their own home on the ice. Experienced fishermen teach newcomers how to bait and catch fish. Rental homes are usually carpeted, heated, and furnished, with 2-8 holes cut in the floor. Rent a basic unit then head home or to a local motel for the night. Or rent a deluxe shelter with beds, stove, refrigerator, shower, and TV for an overnight or longer stay.
All the comforts of home are available including heaters, microwaves, ovens, refrigerators, heated showers. Watch TV or listen to the radio. Some deluxe models include fireplaces, vaulted ceilings, and bay windows. Deluxe shelters often double as hunting cabins.
Traditional shanty style homes are dragged onto the ice using ski-like runners. Pick your spot and that's the place for the remainder of the winter. New deluxe homes are on wheels and can be moved. Larger homes are placed with an hydraulic lift. Openings for angling are in the floor. Check local guides to be sure the ice is solid enough to hold the weight. Large, deluxe ice houses can weigh over 6000 pounds.
It's not a primitive sport anymore. Anglers pick their fishing holes based on information gleaned from lake-mapping apps for smart phones, sonar fish finders, and underwater cameras. While the fish are away, anglers can enjoy TV, snacks, a game of poker with their buddies. Built-in aquariums keep fresh bait at hand, and keep the catch of the day fresh until it's frying time.
Lake side resorts rent ice fishing houses. Rent for a few hours, overnight, for the weekend, for the week. Rent a basic unit, heated but minus the TV and refrigerator. Or rent a deluxe home with all the amenities and sleeping quarters for 10 or 12. Resorts keep a close watch on ice conditions. They plow roadways. Renters can drive to the door of their temporary abode. Many also offer a shuttle service so renters can leave their car on shore.
Last year there were over 5,500 houses on Mille Lacs Lake in Minnesota. Many popular locations are populated by a mini-city during the season which usually begins in December and ends in March. Many rentals have their own bathrooms. Satellite toilet facilities are stationed on the ice for those in more basic models.
Areas with swift currents can have thinner ice surrounded by thick ice. A visual look can be deceptive. Offshore winds can break up ice leaving fishermen stranded on ice floes. A warming spell can cause weakness in the ice. Conditions can change quickly. Many cars, trucks, SUV's, snowmobiles, and fish houses fall through the ice every year. If you're setting your own house on the ice, consider insurance. Environmental laws require a speedy recovery that may require divers and a helicopter for hauling the lost house out of the water.
Some resorts offer hauling assistance to anglers wanting to place their own home on the ice. Experienced fishermen teach newcomers how to bait and catch fish. Rental homes are usually carpeted, heated, and furnished, with 2-8 holes cut in the floor. Rent a basic unit then head home or to a local motel for the night. Or rent a deluxe shelter with beds, stove, refrigerator, shower, and TV for an overnight or longer stay.
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