DIY Portable Ice Shanty
Don't be left out in the cold during your next ice fishing trip. Prepare ahead with a Do-it-Yourself ice shanty. An Ice shanty will greatly improve your comfort. Since most ice fishing is done is sub-zero weather conditions, taking a bit of chill off is paramount.
Supplies
- Two 4 x 8 feet sheet of plywood
- Eight wood or aluminum poles
- Hand auger
- Twine
- Tarp material
- Tape measure
- Saw
- Determine the size you want your shanty. It should be large enough to sit comfortably inside and stow your gear while fishing. Most importantly, you must have enough room with the hole from which you will fish. Although it doesn't take much room to put a line and bait in, it takes a much bigger hole to remove the fish.
- Select a sturdy wooden base for your ice shanty. Pieces of a quarter inch 4 x 8 sheets of plywood work well for this project. Depending on desired size, one or two may be needed.
- Measure and cut out the hole, which is used as your fishing access point.
- Purchase eight poles at least eight feet long. They can be wood or aluminum, and will serve as the side supports for your ice shanty "walls."
- Buy a hand auger or drill with a large bit. This will be needed in order to drill the appropriate holes in the ice to insert your poles for the construction of your ice shanty. It will also be used to drill your fishing hole in the ice.
- Purchase tent material or a tarp to be used as sides. The material needs to be waterproof, but not necessarily heavy.
- Construct your ice shanty.
- Use your auger to drill holes at the four corners for your base. Be careful not to make the holes too large so that they fall through.
- Insert four of your poles into the ice. They will be in standing position when inserted.
- Lash four more poles around the top of these in a box-like configuration with pieces of twine rope.
- Place your tarp material over the structure and secure it with pieces of rope to the bottom of each corner pole.
- Don't forget to cut small windows in the tarp for ventilation. This is important if you plan to use a heater.