Paint on the inside??

[Laska]

What is you guys preference to painting the inside of your shacks? Hvae you guys noticed a jumpy fish for a reflective non painted inside or no difference or whats you guys' view on it, Im deciding whetherto paint the inside Black or not and just leave it looking brand spankin new 2x2 and insulation....

[Early Riser]

Laska

Inside my 4X5 perm I have unpainted 2X2, a couple small screened vent holes, pink insulation sheets and shiny metal from floor to ceiling for the stove. With the door closed, or even cracked it is plenty dark enough to see down the hole.

I have learned that as long as it is dark enough to see down the hole there is not going to be a problem.

Fish come in regularly when I crack the door to look out or get something outside.

On the other hand, some days the fish are skittish no matter what you do, or how dark your house is.

The main thing is keeping your movements slow and fluid, while making no noise of anything bumping or shuffling on the floor. If the fish is coming head on this is especially true.

If you like the look unpainted - don't worry about it impacting your fishing.

[Spike76]

Maybe it doesn't matter, maybe it does. You might not ever know, if you don't paint it you will always wonder how many more fish would be coming in with it painted. But for you Laska, it might not matter because you use such nice decoys.

[MJ1657]

I think painting it helps hide your movement.

[Early Riser]

Spike,

Before building my perm, I used to wonder if black or not mattered in terms of number or size of fish seen. However, I have kept a detailed journal of every outing since I started spearing. I have averages computed for number of fish seen per hour between different lakes and houses. The findings indicate that there is absolutely no statistical difference in numbers or size fish seen per hour in my pitch black canvas houses versus my perm, which is not blackened in the least.

Factors such as barometer pressure, wind direction, and time of day are much bigger factors from lake to lake. Some lakes are really pretty good given particular conditions, while another one just a skip away will be off given the exact same conditions.

[Early Riser]

MJ1657,

You might be right about that when the fish is coming head on and high.

According to statistics on fish speared per hour, I have not noticed any difference between the black and unpainted houses. This would assume not making noise on the floor and suddent movements toward the hole regardless of the house lighting. Again there are those days when they are just more tentative and seem to shy away from the hole regardless of what you do.

[bassNspear]

I dont believe that painting the inside would help. If it is sealed tight, and you have no light coming in for reflection, its dark to them under the ice, and they are not going to see you.

[smurfy]

i'd paint it. if not only to protect the wood a bit more! and to me the darker the house the better.

from the original nord lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MJ1657]

I would agree with you early riser. It's not a big deal but I think there are times where it may give you a little edge.

I've had a couple times where my door is wide open I'm moving around just getting set up and a pike smacks my decoy. That is the fun part aboutspearring to me. How unpredictable they can be

[Laska]

Thats what I was referring too was practically the movement aspect of it... Much like a deer blind in a way... darker the better with dark backround covers your movement better.

[Gordie]

I have speared with unpainted and no insulation to insulation not painted to fully blacked out and I have also speared a pike or two with door wide open.

Its not the light that bothers them as much, its the movement that they see.

A pike eyes are on top of its head so naturally its easier for them to see above them. They notice movement and the darker it is the less movement they see.

[smurfy]

I have speared with unpainted and no insulation to insulation not painted to fully blacked out and I have also speared a pike or two with door wide open.

Its not the light that bothers them as much, its the movement that they see.

A pike eyes are on top of its head so naturally its easier for them to see above them. They notice movement and the darker it is the less movement they see.

spoken like a true "former" nord lord!!!!!!!

[BOUNCED]

Light or movement isn't much of an issue, sound is your enemy. I can have my arm over the hole jigging non-stop (which I tend to do) and movement up above doesn't seem to bother them much. Tap your foot even slightly on the floor once and see how fast they leave.

[merkman]

Tap your foot even slightly on the floor once and see how fast they leave.

That is why I recommend carpet and flip flops...

[Gordie]

That is why I recommend carpet and flip flops...

Pike can smell you know.

[Spike76]

Early Riser, last year I only saw two fish one morning so I moved my house ten feet over and started seeing at least two an hour. Same house, all interior painted black. Location is very important on any lake but I would bet that the painted black permanent house has more fish through the hole,with everything equal, then the portable.My reasoning is that the portable is noisier with the wind blowing. All of my spear houses are painted black, around the hole and all the interior. Hopefully it will get cold soon, so we can check out these theories in the spear house.

[Early Riser]

Spike76,

All these theories are fun to test for sure. I hear it is supposed to freeze again next week, which is good because I want to go up to our cabin the first Saturday of December to test some more of our theories in the dark house!

About moving the house after a slow morning....there are always a lot of variables at play and we can't control them all to know for sure, but I wonder when that happens to me if it was more timing than anything else. It reminds me of a few years ago when I decided to walk to one of my stands to hunt for an afternoon. It was 50, sunny and calm. I was thinking about relaxing out there and at least watching birds and the other wildlife around the beaver pond. When I got to my stand my brother in law was sitting there. I told him he could stay and I would go somewhere else. He said he was ready to leave after sitting there all morning without seeing anything. I had not sat there more than 10 minutes before I shot one of my biggest bucks so far. What did Shakespeare say? "ripeness is all."

About the noise that Spearhead and all of us have been talking about, it is a huge controllable factor in our success when we can keep it to a minimum. That also goes for walking or driving around the house when there is relatively thin ice and little snow.

In terms of which house has more sightings, my statistics on the calculation for fish seen per hour have been consistent regardless of the house. I typically get out at least 25 times a season, and spear at least 14 different lakes on an average year, with more new lakes added every year. The average of fish seen per hour is typically close to 1 over a season. That includes days where you see only a few or none, and days you see several or more an hour.

[Laska]

Going to paint the ceiling and the walls surrounding the spear hole, should be enough to conceal movement. Shelving and such goes in tomorrow then paint. Carpet is a must.

Im still thinking up a way for ski's, I dont want to tip the shack on its side, since it is 7ft long... Any ideas?? For side mounted ski's?