Ice Anchor Kit for Portables

[loebs93]

Just thinking about getting the anchor system for my portable. Anybody ever use them or hear anything about them?

[cjac]

I can think of one time chasing my portable across Mille Lacs on a windy day. Other than that it seems like another thing to set up that takes time away from fishing. My luck, I'd trip over the line!

If you're on Devil's Lake in N Dak, sure, but if there's any snow cover, it doesn't seem necessary.

[Hammer-Smites]

I just bought one last week. Last spring I was up on Upper Red in late March. All the snow had melted and there was water on the ice. The winds picked up to about 40mph and even while sitting down, I blew a few feet across the lake a couple of times. I tried everything (banking slush, weighting down the edges of my shack, etc). If I even lifted off my seat, I was trolling across the lake.

The fish were biting and we didn't want to leave.

Anyhow, I thought these would be the answer and I bought some - I figured they must help some. I wouldn't mind hearing some feedback too.

[hanson]

cjac-

I'll name you 2 other lakes- Upper Red & Lake of the Woods. The winds will blow your house away and blow your vehicle off the road too.

What I've done in the past is augered a hole halfway through the ice and left my auger in, tied a rope to it, and then tied it too my house. Problem solved with the wind.

I don't like to leave my auger sitting in a halfway augered hole but it will work in a pinch.

[cjac]

Good point, situation/lake/weather specific they have their merits. Early/late season when there is no snow cover, could be handy. Also depends on the portable that you have and the succeptability of it to "catch" a good wind. Day to day, probably not necessary....but maybe draw a comparison to a drift sock, nice to have in the bag on certain occasions! Never enough toys I guess...

I just want to get out...period!

[hanson]

cjac-

Of course minimal snow cover really makes this a problem. I've been in my one man house on bare ice and have been blown 2-3 feet away from my hole while sitting in the house. I'm not quite sure why high winds correspond with no snow cover but it seams to happen.

Ice anchors, auger, 2x4 in a half augered hole- anything will help hold your house down when it is windy.

And if you sit in one spot long enough, the wind will change directions and you will need to move your anchor point or auger new holes.

[cjac]

Maybe we need to eat more cheeseburgers to weigh us down!!

So do you like them? Almost sounds like pitching a tent and anchoring each corner.... I'm looking at upgrading from the Clam 5600 to a flip over to cut down set up/tear down time. Having to set it up, mark holes, drill, then positioning the house takes too long in my opinion. 5600 has a defined plastic edge to bank against, a flip over does not, looking at the Calm Voyaguer, any advice?

Thanks, cjac

[hanson]

I'm going to put 2 eyebolts through the 'back' of the sled of my flip over house so I can tie a rope too. They'll be pretty much to 'tie down each corner' like you mentioned.

I don't think it matters if it is a suitcase style house or a flip over house, if it is windy it will blow away on you!

I don't ever want to chase after my house AGAIN so I'll anchor it down on windy days. Yes, I have been there, down that the hard way. I just take extra precautions now. They may be unnecesary at times but better than running across the lake after your house.

[cjac]

Two thoughts:

1: I need to fish Red and LOTW more! I do them the lazy way, thru a resort's houses, gotta get there on my own and be mobile. I wonder is the 15 inch slab run will continue on Red.....

2: You just cemented my reason for buying a 4 wheeler, I need the 600 lbs to serve as an anchor! Liking the Yammy 450 Kodiak..... couple eye-bolts and a rope and I'm all set.

[Hammer-Smites]

If it's super windy, spend the extra 5 or 10 minutes anchoring your shack down. Believe me, the 10 bucks you spend will be well worth it. Whether you use a store bought system, or tie a rope off on your half drilled in auger, those extra couple of minutes will far outweigh the b.s. you go through getting blown half across the lake.

The only draw back to drilling a hole halfway in is that you are creating a hole that someone could bust an ankle in later on. If you do use this method, please drill the hole all the way out before you leave so it can freeze shut.

[loebs93]

I like the four-wheeler idea from cjac...it only makes sense.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Its really too bad that duct tape doesnt stick to ice. There would be another great use of the product!

[Duffer]

[loebs93]

I wonder what would work better; the kind where you use a partially drilled hole from your auger (like pictured above) or the idea where you hand drill a type of bolt through the ice (like the one from clam).

Ease of setup is the key here. They are both the same concept it just comes down to how much you want to pay for them.

[Dave]

I think I'll try some of my screw in tree steps that I use for hunting and see how those work. No wrench needed.

[BradB]

To my mind, there is no better ice anchor for portable fish houses than the ice screws made for ice climbers. They are made by companies like Black Diamond, Smiley, and Charlet and run $40 to $60 a pop.

Although expensive, they are a pleasure to operate. Simply place the sharp threaded end on the ice, and crank the handle down and in minutes you can be virtually glued to the ice. These things are extremely strong, and I don't think there is a wind possible that can pull them out. They are hollow in the middle, so the ice that you are drilling into comes up through the screw in a cylinder. This allows them to go into the ice much easier than a solid screw.

I got 2 from my brother who is a professional mountain guide and drilled two holes in the bottom of my Otter that fit them. I can install them in 5 minutes and I have no worries whatsoever about blowing away. I'm pretty sure that I could even use them to get my truck unstuck, by attaching a tow strap and a come-along to them. They are that strong.

Plus they are just a darn cool gadget. It's kind of fun just to screw them in.

[CornPirateKiller]

Another cheap anchor that I have seen is simple to make and use.

Get a piece of 2 x 4 about 15" long. Tie a rope around it in the middle. Drill a hole completely through the ice beside your shack. Push the 2 x 4 down the hole under the ice so that it spans the bottom of the hole. Tie the other end of the rope to your shack. When you're ready to leave, push the 2 x 4 to the side to expose the end and pull the rope... it'll pop right up the hole.

[troutstix]

I have some of the strikemaster ice loks (pictured above), and used them last year- early ice. They worked great. The only drawback is drilling the half hole all the way through when you are done. Doesn't take long, but if you move often, it can be a bit of a pain. The other nice thing is they double as safety picks.

[mamohr686]

Here is a super cheap alternative that works better than the strikemaster ice anchors.

Just cut a length of conduit about 12" long. Pass one rope through it and I knot it at the end and then just above the pipe. This keeps the rope from sliding off. (This is the retrieval line)

Then tie another rope to the center of the conduit. This is the line that I tie to the shanty. Drill a hole on the upwind side of the shanty. Then drop the pipe through the hole and pull it up tight against the ice and tie off the rope to your shanty. You're ready to fish ! When done, just take hold of the retrieval line and untie the anchor line and let the pipe fall away. Then you can pull the pipe up through the hole and you're ready to go. Good luck out there.

For a picture see:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49642

[Yellow Dog]

Did the last few year's with my otter lodge...a suggestion from one of you guys...take a few 2x4 or 2x6 about 18" long, drill holes in the halfway through the ice - usually on the corners, stick the board in, push shack against boards and it holds well. Most of all, it's quick and portable.