Drop down placement tips?

[Kylersk]

Hopefully, by the end of the month, I'll be able to place my Perm (drop down) house. Looking for any advice people can give, this is my first year with a drop down. Not looking for 'Hot spot' info, just generic info on placing a house.

Thanks in advance.

[Blaze]

Kylersk - I'm interested in seeing what feedback you get, too, as this is my first year with a perm as well.

For walleyes, my train of thought goes like this: with the perm, I plan on setting it on top of structure (ie, point, sunken island, etc.) where I expect the walleyes to come up and feed at night since I plan to fish out of my Fishtrap during the day and use my perm as a home-base at night. I may also look for a place that holds perch during the day in case I have the kids there with me too. If you're planning on using the perm more as a day spot, you may want to focus on deeper water at the base of a drop off where the fish travel regularly.

For crappies, things are a bit different: find the deep honey hole on the lake where you know the suspended crappies are holding. Park your perm there or off to the side if there are a bunch of other houses - I'd try to split off from the pack a bit and target active, roaming fish. I would then use my portable for sunnies during the day and maybe a tipup for 'eyes if there's structure nearby too.

Just my $.02 worth...

[BIG DS]

Blaze has the right idea. If you have no idea where the structure is, grab a lake map and start there. As the maps are only kind of close you will need to drill a few holes. If you have the time, chase 'em around starting about 1 1/2 hours before sundown. That way you should be able to follow them to the flats where they will spend most of the night feeding. If you do not plan on spending your nights on the lake, you will have to start in the morning and find their daytime hide-outs. If the lake you fish does not have much for deep water structure, look for them to be suspended over and around the deep holes. Your best fishing will probalby be in the evenings just before the sun goes down and a couple hours there after.

[Kylersk]

Thanks for the feedback.

I guess what I was looking for was.. Do I need to block the house? Is there a direction I want the house to sit? How about banking? And that kind of info.

[LaZyDayZ]

I never block mine but I am never in the same spot more than a few days.

Put the door out of the wind. I usually have the door to the South.

If I am settled in for the night I will bank, If I am unsure if I am staying in that spot I dont.

[KOTTKE]

If you plan on keeping your new house for a while I would plan on blocking everytime. Earlier in the year we usually gat a warm day or two with a light wind, and that usually means troulbe for big houses. If you can't get to it in a day or two you may have a big problem. I've had a wheel house for 8 yrs, and it still look new. I fish/stay in my house about 35-40 days a year and travel all over with it. Also make sure you keep your axels well greased. As for banking the house, it sure saves on the propane bill. This banking provides a lot of insulation for your flooring and also hlps keep your holes ice free. Good luck, and please wait for good ice!!!!

[huntingislife]

By blocking do you mean putting some 2x4's under where your frame touches the ice?

[waterwolff]

I generally keep the back end of the house into the wind since my door is on one side wall and my furnace vent is on the opposing side wall. My house frame has 2x2 standoff's welded at three points along the frame bottom so as a general rule I don't additionally block the house. As far as banking goes I have 12" PVC drop tubes I slip through my fishouse holes down to the ice much like catch covers only they didn't cost me anything to make and they work reasonable well enough that the house is draft free on the windiest of day's. My floor is insulated so it stays warm enough that I'm comfortable in slippers

[LMITOUT]

Good post. I'm a newbie at the drop-down thing myself and will hopefully be making the maiden voyage soon too!

It's the little tips and tricks that people suggest that can make a big difference in making it a lot more fun.

[ice_it_06]

Kylersk:

First thing I do is find the edge of structure away from others as much as possible. Pick a direction you would like to move on that structure and pull your house in that direction so your truck occupies another 20 feet in that direction for you to move along the structure.

Some people think its cool to set up ten feet off your hitch side.

Hopefully your door will be opposite wind side and windows directed towards the days light.

If a drop tongue is in use and I know I'll be going home with the house I never un hook or drop the house other then right on top of my hole drillings. I drop to 10" of the ice and drill my holes and leave the shavings untouched. I then drop the house right on the drilled holes and its weight creates a great compression seal. House frame is still on the ground and no banking or draft issues are ever encountered. I go in and use the back side of a large skimmer and create a nice smooth bowl inside the hole by pushing the shavings with slight pressure. I grab my slush inhaler and drop it down the hole to remove any shavings and I'm good to go.

I dont think I have found the need to bank my house but maybe a half dozen times a year and I'm out daily, sometimes twice a day.(insulated floor is the key)

Good majority of the time I'll leave the house 6" off the ice and move up to five six times in a few hours fishing out of bucket sleeves inside the house until I find a place worth dropping the house. Drop tongues are Gods wonder to winter trolling. (lol)

[ice bandit]

i agree with kottke ive had my perm for 6 years and have blocked it every yearif there is a lack of snow for banking the house i use 2x4s that run the length of the house on each side and 2x2s on the v front and back its alot easier to crank the house up and pull it ahead and go back and chisel out some relatively inexpensive 2bys then try to chisel the house out keep in mind i only move mine about 3-4 times a year also try to face the door to the south as the wind in the winter likes to come from the north northwest

[hawkeye43]

I too use the shaving to bank each hole and set the house right down on the ice. I have not blocked up a house in 20 years, and then that was because there was 4" of water on the house after we drilled the holes. That sucks to chop the wood blocks out, but then there are people that just leave them.

[nytelyter]

i always point my door to the south as most of the times the winds are from the north or west. ... paul

[KOTTKE]

yes 2 x 4's the full length of the house, this also cuts down on the wind when there is little snow to block with

[End of the Line]

I never block my house unless its gonna sit for more then the weekend. Bank it, that's it. I also like to drill my holes with the house up, then drive forward and clean off the entire area under the house. I like it so there is less chance of slush freeezing to the house. Then come back over the holes again and set it down. You dont need 2x4's or skirting if your house sits right on the ice like I think yours does from the pics I seen.