Any homemade wind anchor ideas?

[iland99]

I just drill a hole halfway thru the ice and drop an anchor in it, then tie the anchor to the portable. Not the fanciest method but it works fine for me.

[Chewy]

I use 12" landscape spikes(nails). You can puchase them from any Home Depot for about 40 cents each. You can use a claw hammer to drive the nails into the ice (I used this system this weekend in 6"-8 inches of ice on a high mountain lake here in Colorado (very windy, gusts up to 50 MPH). The ice will fracture a little but they will grab. Tie ropes from your shack to the spikes. Use the claw to remove the spikes. Works well. Or you can buy an anchor system that drills screws into the ice or Frabill makes an ice anchor that spans holes from 6" to 10" and you use an ajustable flat metal bar to span the hole you anchor in. I think Frabils set-up was $20 a little pricey. I set the back of my shack to the wind and use three ropes. One attached to the back and one on each side of my shack.

[LuckyFish]

The beauty of Mike's idea is it is so compact, and easy. It doesn't take up hardly any room in the tub of my portable. Drilling an extra hole is no problem since you have the auger running already anyway.
The conduit and rope weighs only ounces.

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Good Luck & Good Fishing. Lucky

[Boz]

The barn nail spikes work pretty well, until big gust of wind gives you a jerk. I had two spikes come flying through the wall of my fishing tent. So now you have two holes in the tent, and a tumble ahead.

Now I use two 10" pieces of angle iron, sharpened at one end. Pound em in and they don['t flinch. Give em a rap on the side and they come right out. I just dread the day thay a big gust jerks those two angle iron anchors out, I better duck.

[Dynasty]

Does anyone have any idea where I could pick up some of these ice anchors by Frabil or another company? I just got a new clam and never realized how little wind it takes to send those things flying across ice with no snow cover.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Buy a couple of removable deer stand climbing steps! They crank right into the ice and are easy to remove when you leave.
Put an eyebolt in each end of your portable and tie a rope to it and then to the climbing steps.
Works great for me when needed.
Cliff

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Cliff's Guide Service
CliffsGuideService-LakeVermilion.com
Lake Vermilion
Phone: (218) 753-2005