must have's for ice fishing shack

sharpstick · #1 11-10-2011, 10:21 AM

Hey guys, just wondering what you guys would consider as "must have's" in an ice shack. We're building a shack for this years season and don't want to miss any important details. We will have a wood burning stove, 2 bench seats with storage underneath, 5 holes w/ plastic covers, a couple cabinets/shelves. We plan on being able to sleep in this shack so we are going to build it quite comfortable. What would you guys make sure it had?
It's going to be a good sized shack and will look like a mini cabin. Also, what could a guy do to prevent theft/vandelism as I'm sure the nicer you build them, the more idiots they attract. Any info or pictures would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
SS

ORVIS · #2 11-10-2011, 10:29 AM

some isalation is great like tinfoil behind the wood stove and on the roof, make sure you paint the roof black
also padlocks are a must with theifs

sharpstick · #3 11-10-2011, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ORVIS

some isalation is great like tinfoil behind the wood stove and on the roof, make sure you paint the roof black
also padlocks are a must with theifs

Thanks for the response Orivs. Yes we will install sheet metal around the stove on the walls and floor. We plan on insulating it all. Never thought of painting it black though, good idea.
I'm trying to think of a way I can anchor it in the ice so nobody gets the idea of hooking on to it and trying to steal it.
It will be on skids of course and likely puckboard under the skids. We are going to have a removable hitch so we can pull it from either end and it just pins to the skids and has a 2" coupler to hook onto the truck. with everything we plan on doing, we may need a winch truck to move it... LOL

ORVIS · #4 11-10-2011, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharpstick

Thanks for the response Orivs. Yes we will install sheet metal around the stove on the walls and floor. We plan on insulating it all. Never thought of painting it black though, good idea.
I'm trying to think of a way I can anchor it in the ice so nobody gets the idea of hooking on to it and trying to steal it.
It will be on skids of course and likely puckboard under the skids. We are going to have a removable hitch so we can pull it from either end and it just pins to the skids and has a 2" coupler to hook onto the truck. with everything we plan on doing, we may need a winch truck to move it... LOL

thats the part where you got to trust. most people will not steal your ice shack because its pretty easy to see big ice shack going down the highway. either way the best idea is to lock it up tight. Lots of people will go in there to fish and most people wont mind its just that when people start to steal/vandilize your ice shack.
I had my shack out at sylvan last season and some guy just started to harp on my door and i locked it from the inside im guessing he thought it was just the ice build up. so i let him in and he fished there but i came back again and there was a bunch of 2x4s in the ice and it was froze in there good. so i had to move the shack because i cant drill through wood with my auger. last time someone uses my shack without permission

sharpstick · #5 11-10-2011, 11:30 AM

I just don't understand how some people think these days. Why do these people think they are entitled to everyone else's belongings? I know one thing, if I caught someone trying to steal or vandelize my property, I can guarantee it will be their last time doing it... The good news for me is I know people out at the lake that I will have it on and they live there year round so they can keep an eye on things for me but I would assume most of this stuff happens after dark. Oh well, not going to stop me from building my dream ice shack...

Thanks again.

SS

mudbug · #6 11-10-2011, 11:35 AM

Don't forget to provide an adequate air supply for the inside of the ice shack, you don't want to fall asleep and never wake up again

jpietrzak1979 · #7 11-11-2011, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ORVIS

thats the part where you got to trust. most people will not steal your ice shack because its pretty easy to see big ice shack going down the highway. either way the best idea is to lock it up tight. Lots of people will go in there to fish and most people wont mind its just that when people start to steal/vandilize your ice shack.
I had my shack out at sylvan last season and some guy just started to harp on my door and i locked it from the inside im guessing he thought it was just the ice build up. so i let him in and he fished there but i came back again and there was a bunch of 2x4s in the ice and it was froze in there good. so i had to move the shack because i cant drill through wood with my auger. last time someone uses my shack without permission

Your nicer than I, if someone was reefing on my door of my shack they have a fair chance of coming face to face with my ice chisel.... Just saying ice safety can have many meanings and people should think before they act.

Kim473 · #8 11-11-2011, 09:16 AM

You need a small fan to circulate the air as hot air rises. It will be 110 degrees at the roof and only 30 at the floor. Can get one that you put on the heater and runs itself or a 12 volt. A good thing to have to keep your batteries charged is a solar panel. Or even better would be a small generator but I would not want to here the noise.