It seems there has been a significant increase in the number of permanent fish houses the last few years. Even a few more manufacturers have gotten back into the game to compete for the expanding market.
There are definitely more high-end “camper” units making it on the ice. The units are able to be used as fish houses in the winter, and camper trailers, or “toy hauler” units in the summer. This makes the significant investment for these rigs much more easily justified. These rigs also trailer down the road so well that long trips to prime fishing locations is worry free, and more families are using ice fishing trips as winter vacation experiences.
This new generation of ice fishing rig hits it’s prime time after most lakes start getting over 15 inches of ice, as they, along with the rigs it takes to pull them, require a solid foundation to travel and sit on the ice.
With the increase in the number of these units all around the state, there has not really been an increase in the number of experienced ice anglers purchasing these permanent fish houses. If you are new to the ice fishing game and have one of these rigs, or are thinking of purchasing one, take the time to read, learn, study about ice fishing and ice safety. It is also a good idea to seek help from an experience ice angler to help your learning curve. There is more to using these houses than just driving on the lake, setting it down, and fishing.
Before heading out with the camper-type units, make sure your destination has the ice thickness you need. It is wise to also check on ability to travel to get to fishing spots. This year hasn’t been much of a problem due to the lack of snow cover on the lakes. These rigs will usually need to be pulled out on plowed roads, or have plowed roads to access them for removal. It is a good idea to plow out an area before setting one of these houses. Plow out enough area for parking in the area next to the house, too. Not everyone has a plow truck so you can check with others on the ice that have plowed out to get a contact. Some larger outfitters on lakes like Mille Lacs, Leech, Winni, Red, and Lake of the Woods provide this with an access fee of a few extra bucks. Some have brought their snow blowers to make their space off the plowed road. Shovels work, but man are they a lot of work!
ADVERTISEMENT
Many newcomers have made lake enemies by setting up on plowed roads. Most of the time it is not because they are jerks, most of the time it is just because they didn’t know any better.
Get out and check ice depths before setting the house. Setting the house so it sits on the break and has different ice depths from one end of the house can pay off when it comes time to catch fish. Face the door to the south or east if possible. Most of our wind comes from the north, northwest, or west. Having the wind rip the door out of your hands if facing the wrong direction will let you know why this is important. If that doesn’t, others going in or out and letting the wind blow the outside air into the house will be a good reminder. Block the house up and don’t set it directly on the ice. Use wood (and not treated wood) instead of bricks or blocks. If you stop to think about this for a minute, or you have had to chisel or hammer anything of the ice before, this will make sense to you.
Bank the house with snow, not slush. Remind guests that you don’t even let your dog pee on the snowbank around the house. They can take a short walk and draw pictures in the snow if they would like. For women, five gallon pails or the portable camping toilets work great. Many of the new higher end “camper” type houses already account for this need.
Make sure your hitch and light plugs don’t get frozen into the snow banked around the house or the slush that can occur next to the house. If flooding or slushing do occur, bank the house up more to keep it from freezing in (or move it).
The more you get out, the more you will learn from the mistakes you will make and from other ideas you gather from those that have put their time in on the lakes in the winter.
(Laabs runs Brad Laabs’ Guide Service in Detroit Lakes.)
