Fishing on the snow

[1900_LE]

When you're fishing out of a portable, and there's as much snow on the ice as what you have there, do you shovel the snow out of the way and set the shack on the ice or set the portable on top of the snow? I'm refering to a flip over shack.

[riverrat56]

I leave it sit on top of the snow, when you shovel you basically create a giant bowl that fills up with water.

[Esox_Magnum]

On top, gets to wet if you dig a hole.

[1900_LE]

Ok, but if you're on top of the snow doesn't your heater end up digging or melting a hole in the snow? And with 12" of snow, isnt that 12" of hole before you get to the water? I guess I don't get it. Don't mean to sound like a moron, but I need to know since I haven't ice fished in 20 years.

[merkman]

They say a picture is worth 1000 words.

Here is a picture from our fishing trip today.

That is an ankle deep moat around the fish house.

Without the snow we would have been swimming.

[Bottle Fish]

merkman did you have the heater on a little too high?

[schaapj]

Deffinately on top of the snow, I made the mistake of digging a hole once after a fresh 8" of snow and ended up taking a bath. For the heater I have a Mr. Heater and use a small cutout of plywood to keep it from melting down if I plan on being there for more than a couple of hours.

[shizzy]

I dig down only if its old snow and not a fresh load. Never had any issues with water.

[g_anoka]

That almost looks like what I was in today. I shoveled down to the ice, drilled my holes then set up the flip over. In hindsight, I am not sure that was a bright idea. Basically had 3-4" of water, 10-12" of ice, then 34' of water. I hate to think what would have happened if it was colder out. The good news, fresh fish for dinner tomorrow night.

[MaskedMallard]

When you're fishing out of a portable, and there's as much snow on the ice as what you have there, do you shovel the snow out of the way and set the shack on the ice or set the portable on top of the snow? I'm refering to a flip over shack.

Ice is elastic. With all that weight of fresh new snow, if you shovel down to the ice & drill a hole, you'll creat yourself a minny swimming pool.

[Burnham]

in response to the fact that you said that there is 12 inches of snow before water, i will dig around the hole maybe 6 inches away from it with the scoop so that i dont have to fish thru the snow, and worry about that slush. there is just a little pool around the hole, and i am still on top of the snow. best of both worlds haha

[bikeoutback]

Last year late season when we would dig down to the ice but we didn't have water coming through the hole like right now so it was dry. Then just under or in front of the heater we would drill a hole but not punch it through, say 10" if there was 12" of ice. That extra hole helped alot with heater melt as it would just run into that hole. Last Saturday we put the houses up on snow... boy it was a mess out there.