When it’s cold out, fish inside

After a couple of weeks in Florida, all this cold weather over the past week since I returned home has been kind of rough of me!
As someone who loves to go fishing, anywhere, anytime, even I’ll admit that the thought of heading out in windy, minus-25 degree weather is not that appealing.
Fortunately for ice anglers, we can fish out of a variety of shelters to protect us from the elements on winter’s worst days.
There are three general types of shelters we can use. Firstly, there are permanent-style fish houses that are put out and left on the ice. These are the kind that are built with solid, wood walls and are not really that portable.
The other two types are portable in nature. Pop-up shelters are lightweight tents that easily can be carried to the fishing location and popped up for the day. Then there are the flip-over type shelters that are tents built onto a sled which can be pulled behind an ATV or snowmobile.
The beauty of a permanent shack is that you usually just need to turn on the heat, pop open your old holes, and you’re fishing. There is sometimes a need to keep a road plowed to your spot but after that, the work is minimal.
Most permanent shelters are heated with a woodstove but some of the new models, especially those that are built onto a trailer, come with propane heaters and may even include a TV, stove, and other amenities.
If you have the means, these things are pretty sweet. I had one of these shelters for a few years and it was a lot of fun. We used to spend the night in it out on the lake and I used it for guiding, but since I started fishing down in the U.S. in the winter, I wasn’t using it enough so I sold it.
Pop-up shelters are light in weight and the tents usually are packed into a bag that can be easily carried. If you want something that you can pack into a small spot like the trunk of a car and then be able to carry it around, this is the way to go.
Pop-ups also are the way to go for hosting a group of people because some of them are designed to hold six-eight anglers comfortably.
Flip-over shelters are the ones I’ve used the most and are great because they are built onto a sled that you pull behind your machine. I can load the sled up with whatever gear I want to bring and I’m all set up for the day–and can go wherever I want.
I have a Frabill Citadel shelter, which is a fishing machine with plenty of room to get in and out through the side doors, as well as move around inside. They are a little more expensive than the pop-up models but they are more durable and built slightly better.
If you pick up one of these models, make sure you get the teflon runners for the bottom of the sled, which make it slide more easily and prevent you from putting holes in the sled on long trips.
If you like to make back-country trips, these shelters are the way to go!
Finally, the best way to heat these portable-style shelters are with propane heaters, which are fairly reliable, safe, and easy to use.
Stay warm out there!