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What To Look
For In The Best Ice Fishing Shelters
So you want to take up ice fishing but you have no
idea what to look for when it comes to choosing the
perfect ice fishing shelters for you and your friends.
You do not want to buy the cheapest ice fishing shacks
because you are afraid that it will not last through
more than one fishing trip, but at the same time you do
not want to go all out and purchase some highly
expensive ice fishing mansion because you do not really
know if you even like to ice fish. Pitching a tent out
there on the frozen lake bed is out of the question
because the last thing you want to do is crack the ice
and risk falling in – so what is an amateur ice
fisherman to do?
Well, if you are smart about starting out your new sport
than you should highly consider doing a bit of research
online about what shelters are the best for your money.
An important aspect to remember with any shelters is
that they are like miniature houses and you can always
sell it if you discover that ice fishing is not exactly
something you enjoy doing with your spare time. If the
shelter is relatively unused you can probably get most
of your money back too – certainly more than if you were
to purchase a small boat for normal fishing.
Keeping the fact that you can always resell any ice
fishing shelters you happen to purchase in mind, you
should start your search for the perfect shelter with
some of the best available to you. For amateur
fishermen, portable ice shelters are the best way to go.
That way you can more easily select the location of the
shelter that you want and move around should you not
choose a good location the first time. Furthermore, you
can pack the shelter up and take it with you before the
fishing season ends – it can even be collapsed and put
into the back of your car or truck for easy
maneuverability.
Now, if you have been ice fishing once or twice before
and you know that it is a hobby you want to keep up,
then you may want to invest in a full on ice fishing
cabin. These are the kind you have probably seen on
television used by the professionals. Cabin style ice
fishing shelters are great for large groups and those
who want to make a weekend out of ice fishing because
you can even purchase them with optional sleeping areas
for the perfect wintertime wilderness getaway.
Craig Thornburrow is an acknowledged expert in his
field. You can get more free advice on ice fishing and
ice fishing houses at http://www.icefishingzone.com
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Craig_Thornburrow
Hunting and Fishing: I
Gear Up for Ice Fishing
On Saturday at the Arctic Circle® I talked with a
man who had just got back from ice fishing at Gray’s
Landing on Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir. He had four
fish from two to four pounds, rainbows. The wind had
come up blowing him and his son of the lake at 35 miles
per hour. When we left the “cuisine center” of our small
town, he asked my wife and me if we would like some
fish. I like to catch my own fish and my wife doesn’t
like trout so I said, “No.”
A girl in my Sunday School class told me that she had
ice fished at Gray’s Landing. That was several years ago
when we had first come to Idaho. Also, my son lives near
the great lakes and there are always ice houses on the
lake until they sink to the bottom along with their cars
in the spring thaw. (The Coast Guard rescues the
fishermen so that they can spend the summer building new
ice houses.) Anyway, I had the ice fishing thing in my
craw.
The sun was out yesterday to my surprise so I asked my
wife if she would like to take a drive. I didn’t hear an
answer so I looked around the house for her.
I couldn’t find her with her bears and dolls nor in her
office.
There was no light under the bathroom door nor was she
in the master bedroom or in my bathroom.
As usual, I checked the garage.
She wasn’t there either and I decided to call 911.
Then the car horn blasted. I went back into the garage
and there she was in the front seat of the car.
We call that cabin fever up here in Idaho. That’s also
what we called it in Colorado and Iowa when the snow was
over the roofs of some houses and we drove through “snow
tunnels” to get to the grocery store.
Wife: Where we goin’?
Hack Writer: Just for a ride.
When we headed south on Highway 69 toward Nevada she
said, “You’re going fishing, aren’t you! Take me back
home.
Hack Writer: We’re heading back to Arizona.
Wife: I didn’t pack for Arizona. I didn’t pack at all.
Where ARE we going!
Hack Writer: I don’t even have a fishing license yet.
Wife: Since when did that stop you from fishing?
Hack Writer: Not for game fish. Besides, I don’t even
have a fishing pole with me.
Wife: I saw you pack that big Styrofoam® carton from
Omaha Steaks®. You put that short fishing pole that
Barry gave you in there. I saw you.
(I had forgotten about that short fishing pole that my
son had given me. Darn! I should have stopped for a
license.)
Hack Writer: I’m just checking out a fishing spot for
spring.
Near the Nevada border, we turned down to Gray’s
Landing. The road was a washboard but for some reason my
wife didn’t complain except to say, “SLOW DOWN!”
Bumping down to the shore of Salmon Falls Creek
Reservoir (the reservoir that didn’t fill up for 80
years because of the lava rock sucking up the water
faster than the arid Nevada mountains could supply it)
we found a half-dozen cars and about ten people fishing
through the ice. This reservoir is full of fish because
we raise a lot of trout in Idaho and sometimes the
hatcheries have an excess of big trout and they dump
them by the thousands in the nearest lake.
There was a rainbow trout flipping around on the ice. I
heard a voice:
“Don’t walk out here! You’ll fall on your arse!”
I thanked the guy.
“I fell on my arse this morning.”
I thanked him again.
One guy had a camera in the water to look at the fish
swimming around. I wanted to see that but I didn’t have
ice skates or snow cleats. I was unprepared for a
sojourn on the ice.
I got out a pair of binoculars, then a larger pair, but
Big Foot was nowhere to be seen.
I told my wife to jot down a list of things I would need
for ice fishing, which she did. When I got home, I got
on the net and priced out the equipment as follows:
http://www.llbean.com
Polartec Power Dry Zip-T, Midweight, A Moisture-Wicking
First Layer Is the Key to Comfort $40.00
Polartec Power Dry Pants, Midweight, A Moisture-Wicking
First Layer Is the Key to Comfort $34.00
Mountain Guide Parka, Gore-Tex $319.00
Snow-Sport Pants $149.00
Gore-Tex Mountain Guide Gloves $79,00
http://cozywinters.com
STABILicers Sport - Snow and Ice Cleats $34.95
WarmGear Battery Heated Fleece Vest $149.95
WarmGear Battery Heated Stadium Seat Cushion $59.95
http://www.allseasonssports.com/
5-Frabill Arctic Siren Tip-Up Light $13.99
http://www.fishusa.com
Bottom Line Fishin' Buddy 2202 $149.95
StrikeMaster Strike-Lite 4-Cycle Power Auger - $5.95
domestic shipping! Your Price: $499.95
http://www.altapower.tv/
69192 - ProFish 250 - 73" Tall - 2 Man Shelter Our
Price: $479.99
Well, that aught to do it! Let’s add it up.
$2015.60!!!
Well, spring IS just around the corner.
The End
copyright©2007 John Taylor Jones, Ph.D.
John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP
of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western
novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering,
humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry
Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers
of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also
sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself "Taylor
Jones, the hack writer."
More info: http://www.tjbooks.com
Business web site: http://www.tjbooks.com.
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