How to build a Ice Fishing House in Minnesota

[PocketThunder]

So its that time of year where we get out on the ice and cut some holes to sit and freeze our nuts off in hopes of catching a fish.  Sometime along the road of life people decide to bring our homes out on the lake with us to stay warm.  This made ice fishing much more enjoyable.  I never got into fishing at all but now with the possibility of having my own little man castle to sit in and catch bottle bass, i'm all for it. 

This is an old garden shed in my back yard that i dont need anymore since i built a detached garage for my Charger.  So, since i'm on a budget (need money for my Charger) i'm gonna try and get this thing out on the ice for some fishing for the next two months for as cheap as possible.  I took the shed apart Christmas Eve and as you can see the floor joists were rotted away.

After a trip to Home Depot i picked up some 10' 2x10's for ski's, some 2x6's for new joists and a couple sheets of 3/4 OSB for the floor sheating.  The shed is 8x8 but i'm making it 7x8 so i can haul it on a trailer (that is 7' wide).

The other night my buddy stopped over and we notched out the framing members and built the floor structure.  Tonight i got the sheating nailed down and trimmed up and ready for insulation.  We will insulate the floor with a couple inches of foam to keep the floor insulated from the ice.  We will also insulate the walls and ceiling like you would normally do.

I'll post more pictures as the week goes on.  I should have this on the ice ready for catching Muskies in about a week and a half.  So far i'm into it for $95 in wood and a $100 ventless propane heater to keep us warm.

Paul

[PocketThunder]

Here is my Charger quietly awaiting spring time. 

Here is 13" of snow we had by the afternoon on Christmas Eve with another Foot to come over the next day.  Time to buy a snow blower.

My shop that i built last summer.  Pay no attention to the brand X car on the right.. 

[PocketThunder]

Here is the new floor structure ready for sheating.

Sheating on.

Tipped up againts the wall and ready for insulation.

[69bronzeT5]

We don't use a house when we go ice fishing at the lake by my mom's. We just take the snowmobiles out there, cut the hole in the ice. Set up the little woodstock and fish away Great idea though and good design for the house

[b5blue]

Being from Florida and unable to stand, much less fish on ice, this is something I am clueless about. Should there be a hole in the floor to fish through?  If not how much extra do the Hookers charge to "go offshore"? Down here it depends on how nice the boat is. 

[PocketThunder]

Being from Florida and unable to stand, much less fish on ice, this is something I am clueless about. Should there be a hole in the floor to fish through?  If not how much extra do the Hookers charge to "go offshore"? Down here it depends on how nice the boat is. 

I haven't cut the holes yet in the floor.  I'll get the rest of it built, then set up some chairs inside and get a general feel for where the best spot for the holes should be.  But, i like your idea better.   I should put up a pole right in the middle.          Wait, did i say pole?  I meant fishing pole, but you guys knew that right?   

[b5blue]

Well.....you need a "pole" and a "hole" we will leave it at that.  So when your done "fishing".....and the ice starts to melt...do you drag this home or next year build a new one on top of it? 

[PocketThunder]

Well.....you need a "pole" and a "hole" we will leave it at that.  So when your done "fishing".....and the ice starts to melt...do you drag this home or next year build a new one on top of it? 

All shacks have to be off the ice by March 1st.  I'll drag it onto a trailer and put it back in my yard to use as a shed for the rest of the year.  I suppose i could still "go fishing" when its in my back yard.  After all it will be heated.   

[dodgecharger-fan]

Some shacks I've seen have had the holes along the wall to make for more elbow room and easy access to the door.

Putting one big hole in the middle and sitting around it just makes for something to jump over if you have to get up. Besides that lends itself to everyone fishing in the same hole and that just leads to tangled lines.

Think about the auger size you have for cutting the holes - don't make your floor holes TOO much bigger than that.

Ya'd think I was an expert, but I've never done it before. I learned this stuff from talking to my brother - who does go out every year.

[ITSA426]

Minnesota is a great state with its own quirkiness.  Years ago a friend of mine simply enlarged the rust holes in the floor of his old Imperial and fished from the comfort of his car.  I don't remember if he bored the hole in the ice and drove over it or augured through from the back seat.  He got pulled out of it one time by an eager police officer who thought he was suffering from CO poisoning, sitting in the seat, motionless, concentrating on his rig, with the motor running for heat and the radio on.  Winters seem long here and we need to find something for entertainment. 

[GPULLER]

Putting one big hole in the middle and sitting around it just makes for something to jump over if you have to get up. Besides that lends itself to everyone fishing in the same hole and that just leads to tangled lines.

Yeah, dont want a bunch of guys sticking their poles in the same hole at one time.....

[b5blue]

Ba dump dump! (saw that coming)

[ITSA426]

Aren't snowmobiles just for trolling?

[NHCharger]

You see ice house's all over the place here in NH. For some reason my father and grandpa use to call the bob houses' A lot of these houses are so big that they panelize them. So it only takes two guys about an hour to put them together. Many are furnished with TV's, hot plates, sofa's, etc.
Of course many have the plack on the wall stating "A bad day fishing is still better than a good day with the wife"

[bull]

So do people normally auger the fishing holes out? The one time I went ice fishing I used a chainsaw to cut the hole. It worked pretty good except it sprayed water on my leg.

[PocketThunder]

So do people normally auger the fishing holes out? The one time I went ice fishing I used a chainsaw to cut the hole. It worked pretty good except it sprayed water on my leg.

I've never used a chain saw, we have only used an auger.

Today i got the floor insulated with 2" thick foam.  They were left over pieces from my buddies basement project.  And i scored some free windows off craigslist this morning.  I got 3 walls stood up today but it was about 6ºF out today so i only worked for 2 hours.  I cant wait to have this thing heated and nice and toasty warm inside.

Paul

[General_01]

You were outside working on that? I was only outside long enough to pick up some sheetrock at Menards and then bring it in the house. It was cold outside!! Brrrrr!!!!

The Fish house is looking good. I am working on fininshing off the basement. My father-in-law is helping me out. We wired in some outlets today. Tomorrow we sheetrock and frame up some walls and try to finish sheetrocking Sunday. Sorry to hijack your thread.

[bakerhillpins]

I've never used a chain saw, we have only used an auger.

Nice Hut!  Needs a box on the outside where you put the beer ball.   

Only used a chainsaw to cut through ice when we were doing cold water rescue training with the Fire dept.. Typically we did ours with a hand auger. It was shaped like a spoon with a sharp front on it and had a bend in it like a hand drill. Kept ya warm going through all that ice.

Nothing like these guys though....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x768VAsOQSw

[PocketThunder]

Got the front wall on yesterday and framed up some roof rafters.  Then i got cold and called it a day.  I wont get any work done on it today.  Its a balmy 4ºF out right now and we are having my sons birthday party this afternoon.  Next weekend though i should be able to have it lake ready..   

Paul

[b5blue]

  Almost there!

[Arthu®]

It looks nice and I always admire your skills (wish I had them). But I have one question though if you are not even that big on fishing is this really something that couldn't wait until spring? I mean than you an also fish and also be warm and if you like you could even take the house to the shore and fish from there. I think it would have saved you a lot of time outside in the cold making that thing. Personally not very big on fishing or winter so when I think of the horror of building that outside in 4F I personally would have used a few bad words and abandoned the project. But again I applaud you for your skills it actually looks pretty decent, can't wait for the pictures of it on the ice and the fish (I do love fish).

Arthur

[General_01]

Arthur, you don't go ice fishing to catch fish. You go ice fishing to get out of the house (and away from the wife and kids. SHHHHHHHH! Don't tell anyone!!!!!!)

[PocketThunder]

Arthur, you don't go ice fishing to catch fish. You go ice fishing to get out of the house (and away from the wife and kids. SHHHHHHHH! Don't tell anyone!!!!!!)

     

[General_01]

By the way, it looks good Paul. Keep it up. 

[Arthu®]

Arthur, you don't go ice fishing to catch fish. You go ice fishing to get out of the house (and away from the wife and kids. SHHHHHHHH! Don't tell anyone!!!!!!)

     

Ah that I can understand!

[Charger-Bodie]

.......And pan fish just plain tast better when they are pulled from freezing water.

[ITSA426]

.......And pan fish just plain tast better when they are pulled from freezing water.

So does beer!

[b5blue]

What do you use for bait? (fish sticks?)

[FlatbackFanatic]

Looking good, Paul. This real cold weather keeps up you'll need a longer auger. 

[ITSA426]

What do you use for bait? (fish sticks?)

I think that's what we call the poles used for catching fish as opposed to the other poles Paul was describing earlier.

[tan top]

what do you fish for Pike    bet they don'y fight much in that tempreture ,    i fish for them in the summer  time , give a good fight then  

[PocketThunder]

what do you fish for Pike    bet they don'y fight much in that tempreture ,    i fish for them in the summer  time , give a good fight then  

I only fish for bottle bass.  But there are pan fish, waleye, and muskies in Lake Minnetonka.  So we'll see what we catch.  My friend who lives nearby is the fisherman, he has the spot marked out for our fish house.

Tonight it warmed up to 16ºF so i went outside tonight after putting the kids to bed and i got the windows installed.  Tomorrow night i hope to start insulating the walls and get the propane heater installed.  I want this thing out of my driveway so i can get my daily driver back in the garage during the week.  

Paul

[ITSA426]

Paul, you're not going north for the mighty eel pout.  That seems the only thing I ever got ice fishing, besides a hangover.

[PocketThunder]

Paul, you're not going north for the mighty eel pout.  That seems the only thing I ever got ice fishing, besides a hangover.

Lake Minnetonka is approx. 2.5 miles from my house.  That way if i catch my limit on bottle bass and i had to walk home i could safely do so.  Or i'll keep a set of cross country ski's handy because the old rail road bed bike trail goes right past my house and its a cc ski trail in the winter.  But, if i get to that point i'll probably be safer staying in the fish house for the night instead of trying to sneak into bed after too many wobbly pops.

[moparstuart]

you mean this  

[PocketThunder]

you mean this  

Oh ya!  Where can i get some of those to keep in the shack?  I'll check my local pop shop this weekend.   

[HeavyFuel]

So do people normally auger the fishing holes out? The one time I went ice fishing I used a chainsaw to cut the hole. It worked pretty good except it sprayed water on my leg.

Christ, Bull.  

I'm glad you didn't spray BLOOD on your leg.

[HeavyFuel]

Hook one of these.

[dodgecharger-fan]

Paul, you're not going north for the mighty eel pout.  That seems the only thing I ever got ice fishing, besides a hangover.

Lake Minnetonka is approx. 2.5 miles from my house. 

I spent a week on Lake Minnetonka one day.
*rim shot*

Actually, it was very nice. I just wasn't prepared for it. I was at Digi for a conference years ago and at the end of the day they took us out for a booze cruise around the lake.
I was still dressed in business casual because I didn't get the memo. Sitting in the hot sun after a long day of dehydrating myself with coffee, I was shackered after three sips of beer and staring intently at the horizon. Cooled off a bit below deck (with my eyes still on the horizon), got a little food and water, then hit it hard for the rest of the cruise.

Man, there's a few "shacks" on that lake, eh?

[PocketThunder]

Paul, you're not going north for the mighty eel pout.  That seems the only thing I ever got ice fishing, besides a hangover.

Man, there's a few "shacks" on that lake, eh?

Ya, there sure are a few "shacks" on the lake.  It would be nice to have some shoreline but I wouldn't want their tax bills.    

I spent a couple hours getting the windows trimmed out with 2x4's, I enclosed the soffits with tar paper, and i started insulating the inside.  I'm on 11 hour days at work now for the rest of the month so work on this ice shack willbe limited, i still plan on taking it out to the lake this weekend because i want it out of my driveway!

Paul

[Old Moparz]

Looks cool & sounds like fun, Paul.   


Except for the being outside in zero degrees & fishing part of it. 

[GPULLER]

Looks good...but I think the windows are too big.  Everybodys gonna see the strippers!   

[dodgecharger-fan]

It needs a name.

"PocketThunder's Minnetonka Madhouse"

[PocketThunder]

Not much new work over the weekend.  I got the inside insulated some more and tonight i put my permit on the outside to make it legal, got the heater up and running, and i have the holes cut in the floor to pull the fishies out of.  Looks like i'll finally get it drug out to the lake later this week.  So i missed half the season of ice fishing already but oh well, thats how it goes, kind of like trying to restore a Charger.  Always takes more time and money that you thought...

Paul

[b5blue]

Look's well done! Good Luck "fishing"! 

[PocketThunder]

Ok everybody, she went on the lake tonight!  This weekend when i can get out there in the daylight i'll take pictures of it with my whole family enjoying our little home away from home... 

Paul






(in fact it was soon to be my home when my lovely spouse told me if that #$%^& Damn thing sits in our driveway one more day you're living in it!)

[b5blue]

WHAT! NO PHOTOS OF THE BIG MOVE! 

[rt green]

needs a mailbox

[PocketThunder]

WHAT! NO PHOTOS OF THE BIG MOVE! 

I was going to but i had my carharts on and my snow boots on and the camera was on the kitchen counter at the far end of the kitchen.  I didnt want to take my boots off to go get it.  Or risk walking thru the house with my boots on and getting caught by my spouse. 

I'll get pictures of the return trip for you.   

[b5blue]

OK! 

[tan top]

   nice , let us know what you catch !! pictures ?

[FlatbackFanatic]

Hey Paul, I hate to tell you, but your house has a couple of holes in the floor(you might want to get them fixed so its not too cold).
  It looks great, good job!!!!!!

[General_01]

Ok everybody, she went on the lake tonight!  This weekend when i can get out there in the daylight i'll take pictures of it with my whole family enjoying our little home away from home... 

Paul






(in fact it was soon to be my home when my lovely spouse told me if that #$%^& Damn thing sits in our driveway one more day you're living in it!)[/size]

You tell him Katy.

Looks great. The kids will love it when the fish are biting and be bored to death when they're not.

[PocketThunder]

Ok so we got out on the ice today after it stopped raining for almost two day.  The top of the ice was about 4~6" of slush so our feet were wet by the time we walked out to the shack.  The ice was 18" thick under our fish house.  Here are some pictures of my son and his friend ready to fish.  We stayed out for a couple hours today and only caught some small blue gills.  Better luck next time.  

Paul

[PocketThunder]

One of the only fish our friends caught.
One of my son pulling up his minnow when we left.
One of setting up the tip ups outside the windows.

[FlatbackFanatic]

Looks like you had a real fun day, Paul.

[tan top]

yeah looks like a good day ! might of been only a small fish today , but that the thing about fishing!! you never know what down there  , &  the next time line  goes tight / float goes under !!    could be a fish  of a life time  a monster !!
   

[General_01]

Looks like it was a fun day. 

[ITSA426]

Looks like fun Paul but I gotta tell you after yesterday I'm sick of winter.  Snowshoes are fun and cross country skis are OK but I need to polish up the skill or learn to crash better. 

At six, this morning I had to clean the driveway out to get Linda Sue's car out of the driveway, then the snowplow came back and refilled the driveway entrance in and took the mail box off the post leaving it in the ditch.  The 14 year old missed the school bus after asking twenty times if they would cancel school today, so I had to drive her to school.

Now I have to wade crotch deep into the ditch, and reattach the mail box, and clean out the driveway again.  At least it shouldn't rain again this week and there were no mosquitoes out this morning.  No mosquito could withstand that wind anyway and not many can get through a good parka.

Fish house looks fun though.  Looks like the family enjoys it.  Winter!

[bakerhillpins]

 


Hey Paul, get this thing out on the ice this winter? Any good stories?     

[PocketThunder]

Late October comes and goes and i start seeing my neighbors fish houses dragged out by the end of their driveway so they can easily hook onto them as soon as January 1 hits and its thick enough ice on the lake.  I think to myself, i'll do it tomorrow or next weekend. 
Then November comes and i think, geez i'd better get that fish house out before it snows, then the kids want me to play with them or my spouse needs something done so i dont get to it.  Then we get DUMPED on with snow and now its burried in my backyard and i'm not about to start digging it out.
Last year i ended up using it twice and it was more work than it was worth.  So i didnt think it was a real loss to not get out there this year.  But, i drew up plans for a modular fish house in the future that is 16x16 with plenty of room for everyone plus some more.  I just need to build it and they will come. 
We still got out on the ice though a couple times with this little guy which is just as much fun as fishing.. 

[bakerhillpins]

LOL. That's how it goes sometimes. Good to see that you still got out with the little bugger. 

You will have to keep us appraised of the shanty upgrade.

[BLUE68RT4ME]

So i missed half the season of ice fishing already but oh well, thats how it goes, kind of like trying to restore a Charger.  Always takes more time and money that you thought...

Paul

Don't I know that!!!     Hey Paul!  Just caught your thread.  I returned to MN about a month ago.  I'm working in Elk River at the moment.  I've been so busy I've hardly had time to breath since I got back.  I was out to see my baby two weeks ago and am going out again this weekend.  We are almost done welding her up and some of the bondo work has already begun.  I'm going to try to update my thread with pics after I get back.

Anyway, love the shed.  Makes me wish I was back earlier to help... and partake!  There was a bottle in one of those pics you posted that looks quite similar to the one I gave you in exchange for that radiator mount section.   

I'll have to have you boys over some weekend and see my roommate's collection.  I helped him tear his old garage down to build one big enough to house the Mopar collection.  He's got a '69 #'s matching GTX, a '70 Road Runner, and a '71 Cuda.  Hoping mine will be amongst the collection soon!   

You ever free for a happy hour somewhere between your place and Maple Grove?

[PocketThunder]

You ever free for a happy hour somewhere between your place and Maple Grove?

I'm free any night after 8:00pm and especially on Thursday nights..     I got a buddy in Maple Grove

[General_01]

Not sure if Kurt pm'd you two, but they are having a winter get-together at Sammy's Pizza on the 27th.

"Lee and I have been talking about a mid winter get-together, Its going to be at the Sammys Pizza in Brooklyn Park. Its at Hwy 610 and Zane Ave.N. on the north side of 610. Its on Feb 27th from 1-3p.m. Hope to see you there.   Kurt "


I won't be able to make it. We are having my daughter's birthday party that weekend.

[BLUE68RT4ME]

Not sure if Kurt pm'd you two, but they are having a winter get-together at Sammy's Pizza on the 27th.

"Lee and I have been talking about a mid winter get-together, Its going to be at the Sammys Pizza in Brooklyn Park. Its at Hwy 610 and Zane Ave.N. on the north side of 610. Its on Feb 27th from 1-3p.m. Hope to see you there.   Kurt "


I won't be able to make it. We are having my daughter's birthday party that weekend.

Mario & I might be able to make that.  I'll put it on the calendar.