Do you need an ice fishing shanty where you
fish?
When buying or building
an ice fishing shanty this winter, your number one priorities should
be keeping warm with the right shelter and the proper outdoor
clothing. However, your preeminent concern, before you even start to
daydream about your ice fishing shanty and before you go shopping for
well insulated outdoor clothing, should be safety. Make sure that the
lake you’re on has a sufficient cover of ice. Unless it’s your first
season in a new area, you probably already know this, but every year
some intrepid souls go out too early and risk injury or death.
Inside an ice fishing
shanty, most anglers huddle in their outdoor clothing and install
handlines and tip-ups (a device that sprouts a red flag when a fish
bites). Be sure to dress warmly, because this is a very sedentary
sport; you will spend a lot of time sitting around waiting for your
fish to bite. Another important reminder: alcohol makes frostbite a
real danger. Drink responsibly.
Ice fishing shanty or just
warm outdoor clothing?
Many anglers find that
they do not need or desire an ice fishing shanty. These fishermen
think that warm, outdoor clothing will suffice to keep them safe from
the elements. They may be right at times, depending on where they
live. However, these structures serve as more than shelter; they also
serve as overhead protection from the sun’s glare as well as lateral
protection from the glare off the ice. On a sunny day, even if it’s
below freezing, sun burn is a real risk.
A good ice fishing shanty makes it easier for you to
catch fish for two reasons. First, it allows you to bear the elements
long enough to actually get some strikes. Second, it makes it easier
for the fish to see the bait since it is in shadow. Outdoor clothing,
no matter how high quality, cannot perform these tasks.
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