Share your portable fish house improvements

[Minnetonka]

I have a Polar Sport portable pull-over type house. I would like to hear from everyone who has added "improvements" to the store bought versions. All otter type sleds are basically the same, so I hope to hear from people what have added such things as rod holders, tackle holders, (rain-gutter) wind hold down equipment. etc. I also would like to hear about ways to pack your gear in the sleds. I have see five-gallon buckets, square buckets, action-packer containers. Please share your thoughts on this issue. If you could post digital photos I think that would be great.

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[Guest]

I built my own bench system out of wood. I made it so it can be taken out and places in the sled for easier storage and mobility. Also added carpet to the top of the bench for comfort. I added carpet to the inside of the sled for insulation. I built some rod holders that are removable. I also added a PVC tube filled with sand and anchored it to the front bar of the flip over to hold it down against wind and to elliminate light. I was going to rig up a lighting system but I'm going to buy a new Fish Trap next year and I'll wait till then.

Good Fishin, Matt.

[Guest]

Just a great thought but I built a wooden rod box that is 14" w 30"L and 3" thick
this allows me to put in 3 rods, tackle box, small radio, gaff, pliers, forseps,rod holders and other misc stuff without fear of breakin my rods even if the auger or heater ends up on top of them. I lined the box with eggcarton like foam!! Plus i drilled 1/8" holes down the rail of my otter every 8-10" and bent stainless rod in a curlycue on one end for the rod but and bent it at a 90 to insert in the holes in what ever position needed to accomidate your set up that day!!

Good fishin!!

[LuckyFish]

Minnetonka what do you use for seating in your Polar. I have a Polar Sport also and since it didn't come with seating I use a folding camp stool with a padded back, it is comfortable enough and stores nicely. I was thinking of putting a permenant seat in though, hoped I might get some ideas here.

[Guest]

I have a Fish Trap Pro and I attached a hook to the top back support to hang my jacket on. It keeps it out of the tuab and keeps it dry.

[Minnetonka]

Luckyfish:

I had a "keeper" seat from before I bought the Polar Sport. The seat is a little higher then most and has a padded back. I am 6'3 so it helps to sit up a little higher. The back of the charir has a built in rod-rack and a tackle storage compartment under the seat. also a can holder on the side. The Keep sits well on the bottom of the tub and when I pull it, I lay it down on the back with the top towards the front of the sled. I sit my Mr. Heater with the 11 pound cylinder on the back rest while it is down. By the way, an 11 pound cylinder fits just right in a plastic milk crate. I keep the heater in the milk crate and keep a few other loose items in the sides of the milk crate.

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[setterguy]

About the only improvement I have made is with the lighting. I got a couple of those tap lights at a discount store, put some velcro on the back and on the top of the house and no more need for a lantern. It really lights the place up without being in the way.

[irvingdog]

I fished with a co-worker today that has the nicest "tricked-out" pull over house you've ever seen. A really well made custom canvas top with a brilliant "C" shaped door offset to one side, and the inside is set up better than any bass boat I've ever seen. Flat tackle box wells, a bait well, windows everywhere, rod lockers, really comfortable boat seat, etc, etc......... All made from light weight material. It is not much heavier than my guide. The only thing I'd have done differently would be to have a window put into the ceiling, with a closure flap for blacking out the house if I wanted to. I guess if you sit in one of those little houses for too long when the fish are not biting, your mind can run wild.

Now for my own personal million dollar idea, (which I give away for free to all of my Galyans customers for free): Use a 5X7 poly emergency blanket, and feed it up over the pipes inside the roof of your ice house, foil side down and plastic side up. (the kind that are foil on both sides doesn't work as well) If you use a pull over house, just re-inforce (with heavy duct tape) the areas where the velcro wraps around the pipes, and cut the blanket with a soldering iron. (do this outside!!!) Once it is installed in a pull over house, you can just leave it in place.
This blanket will bounce back down your heat and light like you can't believe!!! It should cut your propane consumption in half. It also helps to keep the roof from freezing up or sweating. This will extend the length of your house because it will be drier each time you store it.
This blanket works best in the clams, but I'm sure it works great in other types of houses as well.
try it, you'll thank me later...........

[jigglestick]

i have a 6x8 wood floor suit case style portable, that i have just installed that bubble wrap, foil on both sides, to the inside of the canvas. i used contact cement to make it stick. what a difference. fuel consumption down light reflects in every direction no matter where you have your light. and you could almost heat it with a lantern. no frost build up either. same idea as the other with the space blanket idea i guess. good fishing.

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keep a firm grip on your jigglestick!......jigglestick

[metro 1]

jigglestick
I'm wondering what you have as for bubble wrap? what it is and where you get some. I have the 6x8 suit case one also,I have used moving blankets on really cold days.Metro

[This message has been edited by metro 1 (edited 01-19-2003).]

[Deitz Dittrich]

I took PVC pipe and cut them to slightly longer than the poles with the reels on them... I then cut a L shape into them on one side.. now when I place them in the tubes the reels will lock the poles in place.. when I need to change lure or what not I always have a spare pole rigged and ready to go...I mounted the PVC right under my seat.

[chucker]

You can get the Foil bubble wrap insulation at Menards or Fleet Farm. I works great and it's very durable.

[jigglestick]

metro, i think it's called reflectix??? wait i still have a role in the closet..... yep that's it. i got it at home depot. it comes in 48" rolls and 24" rolls. just figure your square footage that will be required, then figure out what you need to buy. they also have foil tape to cover the seams with to look nice and neat when your done. it is a little more bulky to fold, and you may have to relocate your closures, what ever kind you have, to make it snap shut. a little heavier, but not bad, and worth it. bubble wrap with foil on both sides. that's all you need to know, and they'll find it for you. oh and i would suggest not putting to large a piece on at a time as it sticks on contact and they can be hard to handle by your self. the glue really stinks also. ventilate well.any more questions just ask. good luck

[Finlander]

For large flip over houses, cut a piece of carpet the size of the area inside the flipped over area on the ice and cut two holes in the carpet to fish through.
This will prevent you from slipping on the wet ice inside these houses after the house has been heated for a while.
Attatch broom handle holders on the edge of the sled to hold your fishing rods temporarily. I use the U shaped holders.
Insert strap decoy weights to the bottom flaps of the fish house. This keeps the flaps on the ice and prevents drafts from coming in so easily.
Carry extra rope for windy days to tie your house to. Tie it to your auger or anything heavy to prevent your house from sailing away! Also carry garbage bags to put your litter in.
Good Luck!!

[kb1965]

Finlander, I tryed the carpet, it ended up freezing onto the ice. Fun job there to get it up. Now I use a wood floor with 4 holes in it. Made it out of 1/4" plywood and have it spliced to hinge in 2 areas. Folded up it fits on top of the seats I made for it and everything else is tucked underneath. Keeps the snow out while pulling with a snowmobile or wheeler.

[DaveHastingsMi]

Shanty anchor
Hello fellow icefishermen.

A couple of years ago I got back into icefishing and bought a shanty and all of the goodies to go with it. While fishing on a particularly windy day I disovered just exactly why you should anchor your shanty ! I decided that I didn't want to go through that again. Here's what I came up with. It's quick, cheap, and easy to make.

Cut a length of conduit about a foot long. I use two lengths of rope. One gets fed through the conduit lengthwise and knotted at the end and then again just above the pipe. (this keeps the pipe from sliding off of the rope) This is the retrieval rope. (I also flatten the pipe a bit on each end to make it less likely to slide off)
Then I just wind the other piece several times around the center of the pipe and tie it off. This is the anchor line. (You can decide how long your ropes need to be depending on ice thickness)

I decide where my shanty is going to be set up then I drill a hole at the corner on the upwind side. Then set up the shanty and drop the pipe trough the hole and pull it up tight against the underside of the ice. Tie it off to the shanty and you're ready to fish. When it's time to go you'll probably have to break away any ice that has formed over the hole but it shouldn't be too bad. Then just take hold of the retrieval rope and untie the shanty. You can let the anchor rope go and the pipe will fall away from the hole and you can pull it up with the retrieval rope.
Like I said, it's quick, cheap, and EASY to do and it hasn't failed me yet.
Dave

[Stiff]

I have a friend with an otter who made a two piece floor that he puts on the ice where his feet go and it helps a lot with the heat.

I also have an otter (cabin). I built a nice little box out of 1/4" plywood with a kind of rack right square in the middle. The rack holds six Beaver Dam tip ups, five rods fit around the edges, and two trays of tackle fit on one end. It's exactly the right height to lay a lazer auger on top of it level and have the gas tank on the top (no leakage). It actually allows me to take way too much tackle out on the lake, so I'm thinking of making a smaller version. I know it's a little hard to envision by my description. I can scan a photo if anyone wants to see it ??
Stiff

[Minnetonka]

Stiff:

I would like to see a photo of your set-up. It sounds great. I am interested in how other people pack thier sleds. I have a pick-up and have to un-load just about all to pick it up and shove it in the truck. I have been to some lakes where I have to unload the truck, load the sled, pull it to a drop over rocks, un-load the sled, carry down the hill, load the sled again. I am trying to cut down on the hassel of loose items being loaded and unloaded again.

PS: I picked up a pair of USL self-tapping ice anchors over lunch today. You can get them at the USL-Clam manufacturing site in Plymouth for $11 a pair. I plan on using them off to each side of the sled and then attach them via bungee cord.

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[Guest]

I have a buddy that has been dabbling with some welding. I gave him my Otter sled and he designed and built a seat for it. It is made of tube steel and has a boat type seat on it. I sat for 12 hours on the ice the other day and did not feel it on my backside. Not uncomfortable like a bucket or some of the cheap seats that are made for the otters. They look real nice too. Will post pics of seat if anyone is interested?!?!

[rod bender]

Critter, let's see em!!!!

[Guest]

Hey Rod Bender- e-mail me and I will send pics! [email protected]
Anyone else interested?!?!?

[Minnetonka]

Critter:
I would like to see the pics as well.

[email protected]

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[bturck]

I have a voyegeur and use rubber welcome matts on the ice. No freeze down, and they store flat in the bottom of my sled. I put one in front of each seat and tuck it just under the sled, two down the center leading to the door. Works great and can be washed off if you spill coffee, booze etc all over them. Bill

[Guest]

Minnetonka, those self tapping ice screws and bungies are what I had off to the side of my purple Otter when we were with SportFishin' the other day. They work great and if you can attach them to the pivot point where your pipes come together you can use the bungees to keep your top down if you don't have a cover. Gander on 101 & 7 have cool rod holders ($7) that fasten to your pipe framing like C clamps. There is a pivot wheel that can be locked in whatever position you need. I thought of making something like this but for $7 I don't think I'd save much dough. I also bolted a plank across my Magnum sled and drilled a hole so I can use my boat seat. Also picked up a plastic arrow quiver for $19 at Capra's that I use to carry 5 rods and reels and all my tackle and tools.

[Minnetonka]

whalermadness:

Thanks for letting me steal your idea. I think you came up with a good one. I will be using your technique this weekend. I have a Polar Sport pull over and need to replace a support rod. I went to their web site this morning and found out that they have several custom made seats as well as rod holders. I e-mailed them to check on pricing. I will also take a look at the rod holder that you mentioned at Gander. I cant remember which guy you were, but I sure enjoyed meeting all of you guys.

Good luck out there.

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