Frozen Down

[fly fisher]

The recent heavy/wet snow apparently flooded the area under my 8' x 8' fish house. I had it blocked up but only with 2 x 2's. Now it is completely frozen in, including the 2 x 4 floor joists. When I pound on the floor, it sounds/feels like solid ice. It is not a wheel house. Any ideas for getting it free?

[woodman]

Well that stinks, since the floor joists are frozen in the only thing to do is wait for a thaw like in a month. You can try fans pointing down the holes with the heat cranked up to start the thawing process. This is exactly why I put mine up on a min of 4 x 4 and more if needed. I had to move mine on Sunday due to the same problem. The water was comming up the holes and almost froze my wheel house to the ice. I had 2 inches to spare. Good luck and don't destroy it by trying to pull it out. Chip the corners and get a jack under it and put some pressure to each corner. IT will eventually pop loose!

[JacobMHD]

I read last week that someone had the same problem. The best idea I saw was to bank up the house really well and crank up the heat. It will take some time and probably a fan or two but after a couple of hours and some chipping with a good ice chisel you should be able to get it free. I would let the heat do the work while you are fishing and then start chipping at it. I don't think there is an easy way to get it done.

[motley man]

Crank the heat up, extra portable heater and heater in house. Fish outside and let house heat up all day.

[gwiff100]

i tell you what i had the exact! same problem earlier this year....i was so worried i was screwd i didn't know what i was gonna do... Litterally took us maybe an hour though to pop the old girl loose. Here is what we did...

1) Case of beer.

2) Get a sun flower heater or two in there and open all the holes up.

C) chip all around the exterior a good 2 in below the runners on your house.

4) chip the holes in your house down and as far out as you can. (we were able to get daylight in under my holes.....

D) start prying inch by inch...eventually she will pop loose...

Good luck i know its a [PoorWordUsage] feeling but it'll pop loose i just know it.

[McGurk]

1) Case of beer.

2) Get a sun flower heater or two in there and open all the holes up.

C) chip all around the exterior a good 2 in below the runners on your house.

4) chip the holes in your house down and as far out as you can. (we were able to get daylight in under my holes.....

D) start prying inch by inch...eventually she will pop loose...

Love your list order!

Original poster: Do you have skids under your floor? If not, Heat is going to be your only shot as jacking it will just wreck your house. If you have skids, make sure you are jacking/prying under them and not just the corners of your floor. Good Luck.

[LipRipper!!]

Fly,

I had the same problem some years back with my big house.

I Cranked up the heat and chisled all four corners enough to get a floor jack under my frame. I kept working each corner till it broke free. Just got to take it easy so nothing breaks.

I have also heard of guys putting some salt around the outside frame to help loosen things up, don't know if the salt is bad for the lake or not!!

Good luck!!

[Hawg]

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[Norm1980]

Once you get the house nice and warm inside, get a couple small fans like the ones you would use to cool a computer and point them down a couple of the holes. Should help getting warm air under the house.

[herefish101]

get a couple turkey cookers and boil as much water as they will hold. crank the heat in the house and open all holes wait a couple of hours, then pour all the boiling waterdown the holes, start jacking slowly apply light preasure, keep dumping the boiling water and adding preasure, eventually it'll just pop right up, just dont force it or you'll break it to pieces. good luck.

[theicehooker]

I say you MUST MUST bank the house and crank the heat to the point where you cant even be in there and point fans down on the floor. I would say it would break loose fairly easy this coming week in the warmer weather and no wind if you chisel around the outside. Good luck and fish more often so you know what up with your rig!!!!!!!

[Brad B]

this is why portables are nice you never have to worry about this happening.

[paceman]

I arrived at my wheel house last night after not being there for about 10 days. Even though my house was blocked up about 8 inches it was frozen in pretty good. Ice too the botton of the floor, covering the frame. It was sickening sight. I went to work. I simply chiseled a hole down below the frame,(Steel Frame) got out the handyman jack and slowly applied pressure. It popped out surprisingly easy. What really surprised me was that water started flowing out pretty good. Lots of slush under the house. Had the house out and moved in about 45 minutes. What a releif!!!

[no bait nate]

once again, thank you handyman.... can't beat them for ice shack removal in my opinion

[Gordie]

Yep did my house yesturday chiseled and handy man jack,no heat chiseled down both sides of house

One side click click pop the other side click click and one wack with the chisel and pop and now its in a differnt spot.

[TyGuy02]

i got lucky with my wheelhouse, the last time I went out (seems like forever now) I was going to move it, but I couldn't do it that night so I jacked up the house and just had it on the wheels ready to go. got out there and the entire lake was flooded except for the area around my house since I shoveled off a large area around it.

I haven't been out there with the pickup in the last two weeks because it's still flooded but went out with the snowmobile to check on it.

Does anyone have any ideas how to get out there with the pickup? I've made it about 2/3 of the way across the lake, but only in other people trails. I've been thinking of getting a large pole and a winch to pull me out when I get stuck and I can at least blaze a trail to my house. When I drove out on tuesday I was still noticing that I would break through the flooded layer walking.

Do i have to just drive, get stuck, get out and keep going in order to get my way out there?

[broken_line]

get your self a auger, few come-alongs, 6x6 post 4.5 feet long, lots of tow straps. when you get stuck, drill a hole pop the 6x6 in wrap the rope around the 6x6 hook to come along then to vehicle. start winching! just keep on keeping on! keep your speed up and when you feel about to get stuck let up before the tires spin then hit the brakes as its starts to slide back down in the rut. whip it in reverse quick and give er heck!!

[Acemac]

what lake is this? all the lakes I have been on are easy driving.

[BucksnDucks]

You would be surprised what kind of benefits you will have by asking another buddy with a 4x4 to come with:)

[iafish4fun]

You would be surprised what kind of benefits you will have by asking another buddy with a 4x4 to come with:)

Especially if you make it out there and they can fish awhile before you head back.

[Zoob]

Saw a guy take a truck/plow to his frozen-in permanent today. Cracked the rails right off the bottom. He did get it moved, though - just wonder how sound the bottom of that shack is now. :-/

[L_Cappo]

well 1st thing i would do is chisel along the sides then take a chainsaw cut right under the skids.then take the jack start jacking and keep pluggin away.if its realy bad take your shotgun with slugs and fire 2 shots through your floor front and back.that should do the trick.had the same thing happen a few yrs back but i had 2 inches of water on the floor of the house shot gun truck worked prety well.

[fishdog]

softner salt works quick.

[Zoob]

softner salt works quick.

Here we go again.

[TyGuy02]

I'm getting out today though! it's been almost 4 weeks since I've used the house! I'm starting to get REALLY REALLY frustrated with the whole deal! I've found my solution though...

I wanted to do this this fall, but now I will. This coming summer I'm going to build a fishhouse that I can put together on the ice. Pull the parts out with the skids, throw it together, then when it comes time to leave a person doesn't have to worry about getting a pickup out to pull it off. Also won't have to worry about pulling it out with a pickup in the early season. It just seems more...logical to me I guess