staying overnight on the ice

[crappiekiller75]

I was thinking of staying on the ice overnight in the next few weeks (after crappies move in for night time fishing). I would go out at noon or so and fish till Dark then switch gears and do some night fishing.I want to set up an outfitters tent or something close to stay in. Has anybody done this and was it worth it or a waist of time. (would stay at Renshaw Bay).

[mongosmash]

sounds awesome to me but i don't think i could do that. i also don't think that an outfitters tent could handle that much wind if it were to arise. i would think that you would want some thing smaller, easier to heat and not as big and hard to set up. those outfitters tents are not very easy to keep warm. a buddy and i went to Maine a number of years ago in late October. i brought a 20# propane bottle and we still froze every morning. we would wake up to 35 degrees.  just to much space to heat up. but if you do it good luck and have fun.

[JJK]

I sleep in the back of my Grand Cherokee all the time but I agree a tent my not keep you warm if its cold and windy

[BIGCREW]

an outfitters tent is not the tent for staying on the ice,it will not hold up to gusty winds.however if you have never done any winter camping,camping on the ice is not the place to start.unless you can get to you vehicle fairly easy.there are tents made for extreme conditions,north face makes the best and eureka isnt to bad either,I found that the fishin aint what you think it may be at nite on the ice but you will have the place to yourself.  good luck

[bigredonice]

we used to do it all the time for the whitney pt crappie derby.  I just cleared out the stuff in the fish trap sled, and curled up in there for a few hours in a sleeping bag.   One year I brought my big hunting blind, and had plenty of room to sleep in.  I did shovel all the snow off the ice on the inside, bury the outside edges in snow so that it couldn't blow away, and had a piece of cardboard to lay the sleeping bag on.

[GotEmHooked]

we used to do it all the time for the whitney pt crappie derby.  I just cleared out the stuff in the fish trap sled, and curled up in there for a few hours in a sleeping bag.   One year I brought my big hunting blind, and had plenty of room to sleep in.  I did shovel all the snow off the ice on the inside, bury the outside edges in snow so that it couldn't blow away, and had a piece of cardboard to lay the sleeping bag on.

                    Dont go to sleep

[Swift]

                   Dont go to sleep

If it's close to where you stay why sleep out there. Go out around dusk, set up, bring food and a grill, it's a blast. Done it countless times. If you're sleeping, you're not fishing, why bother

[Fish_Tko]

We put up an outfitters tent two years ago on the ice, it was a 16  x 20' with a wood stove. Had Tiki torches outside and the whole 9. It was a blast, we drilled holes right beside our cots and crappie fished all night long.

[Drifter_016]

an outfitters tent is not the tent for staying on the ice,it will not hold up to gusty winds.however if you have never done any winter camping,camping on the ice is not the place to start.unless you can get to you vehicle fairly easy.there are tents made for extreme conditions,north face makes the best and eureka isnt to bad either,I found that the fishin aint what you think it may be at nite on the ice but you will have the place to yourself.  good luck

Did it once..............



Won't do it again.  
It was so noisy due to all the cracking and pinging I got zero sleep.
If you want to camp set your tent up on land!!!!  

[Fish_Tko]

If you type in the "search area"   camping on the ice  by Fish_tko. you can see a pic i posted. i can't access my photobucket right now.

[Gillgrabber]

When my Son was in High School he and a couple friends built a small igloo on he lake just to see if they could do it.  It came out pretty nice.  They spent the night in it just to say they did it and said it was a lot warmer than expected. 

[crappiekiller75]

awesome replies !! Looks like u either love it or hate it.Im gonna try it with a couple buddies in a week or so i'll let you know how we make out!

[MACHINIST]

Oh I cant wait go out get some good grub,get nice and toasty and have a heck of a time.

[Northern Manitoban]

an outfitters tent setup right with a good woodstove will keep you warm and dry and the wind does not go through them, we use these up north this is what they are made for, we did an overnight in a dome tent heater inside temps -23 overnite was a blast and will do it again

[crappiekiller75]

yeah i thought an outfitters tent would be perfect. they are some heavy duty monsters.

[needice]

I do it every year for a couple trips.I love it and usually catch most of the walleyes I have caught doing it.Get some frabill tip-up lights,they are way cool when they trip in the night!!We will usually cat nap in shifts so no tip-ups will be missed.I picked up a cot at walmart the other day for a trip coming soon to "the dead sea" .Give it a try for sure.You cannot usually have a more quiet and peacefull time on the ice for sure. 8).I recommend a battery lantern led for the top of the shanty/tent etc. as it is bright yet not to bright and is fabric friendly and safe inside(fumes).Have fun!!

[slipperybob]

I've done the fish all night and sleep all day deal out on the ice...

sleeping bags and cot.

[beeverfishing]

Get some frabill tip-up lights,they are way cool when they trip in the night!!

I have those too.. wouldn't go out at night without them..
I have spent the night on the ice, and enjoyed it, Hoping to do it again this year.   

 

[J_Edwards]

0 degree bag, 4 season sleeping pad and a cot.  I would boil water and put it in water bottles and toss them in the sleeping bag before getting in.. make sure to take them out before going to sleep but it will help heating it up so you don't have to get into a cold bag.

[Flypopper]

Maybe keep a bottle  of port nearby,      you know just in case.

[MILLERMANKT]

I seem to be missing something, if your going to stay out and fish all nite, why do you need a cot,sleeping bag,etc. Sounds to me that your just camping on the ice . If your going to fish, throw on some coffee, grab a beer,whatever. Why bring sleeping gear, go home and sleep.

[S and K fishing]

I have stayed out plenty of times in my clam 5600 stayed warm, and comfortable.

[fishhead4268]

I do several night fishing trips on Renshaw and Black Lake every year and they are great, Im with flypopper on this though, why set up a tent and sleep??  I get on the ice around 2 or 3 in the afternoon and fish till midnight.  When I get out I drill 20 holes in varies depthes and bring some driveway markers(doller store) and mark every 3rd hole in your line so you know your direction and can see them with a mag lite or flash light.  I set up my FishTrap and rite outside I drill a hole and put my colmen lantern next to the hole with one of those aluminum trays fitted on top to reflect the light down thru the hole and the ice.  Have your glow jigs ready and your headlamp and find them slabs...  I have never set up tip-ups as I am jigin but it would be really kool to fish with those lighted flags for eyes!!  Maybe they do this on Onieda sometimes.  Have fun, be careful and catch fish..

[slipperybob]

I seem to be missing something, if your going to stay out and fish all nite, why do you need a cot,sleeping bag,etc. Sounds to me that your just camping on the ice . If your going to fish, throw on some coffee, grab a beer,whatever. Why bring sleeping gear, go home and sleep.

better than sleeping on the steering wheel and doing lane changing with your eyes closed. 

[crappiekiller75]

I seem to be missing something, if your going to stay out and fish all nite, why do you need a cot,sleeping bag,etc. Sounds to me that your just camping on the ice . If your going to fish, throw on some coffee, grab a beer,whatever. Why bring sleeping gear, go home and sleep.

my thing is i WANT to do the camping thing..stay on the ice for 24-36 hrs.

[mongosmash]

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?id=0005869&navCount=1&parentId=cat550002&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=netcon&parentType=index&indexId=cat550002&rid=

this is the tent i was thinking of. at 10 d i don't think there's away to keep it warm. theirs to much room, no floor and their to heavy to pack with out a couple guys to help put it up. this is kind of like the tent a friend and i went to main with. i also think that 35 mph winds would also have their way with it. the walls are not attached to the roof theirs no way to keep the wind out. so at night with the wind their would be no heat. watch the show M.A.S.H., THEY FREEZE IN THE WINTER WITH THE WIND i know it's just a show but that's what happens. not saying that one of the north face style tents wouldn't work. just not an outfitters tent. i camp out twice a year in the winter with the boyscout and those are the st lye of tents we use. they're great for that. they shed snow, wind, and rain. if that's they way your going to do it then go and git it done. just don't think an outfitter is they way to go. my2ct

[DEADONDYLAN]

I'm looking to do the same thing but I want a (old) clam 6800 trap link to attach to my voyager for a base camp then roam around with the scouts during the day. The idea being I could travel to faraway fishing spots I.E. houghton mi. ely mn. etc. have a place to stay and not spend the extra dough on hotel rooms.

[crazy man]

Winter camping is not for everyone.  I am equipped for winter camping a did a fair bit in the day.  I have a negative  40 degree gore/tex down sleeping bag mummy style and an expedition thickness therm o rest sleeping pad.  A four season backpacking tent is standard.    If you want more room bigger tent than that then you need a big stove and plenty of fuel.  It doesn't make sense to try to heat a tent for very long or even overnight, too much fuel. 

The outfitter style canvas tent is roomy for longer stays but way too heavy for one or two nights, imo.  A cot can be a lot colder than the snow unless you use a thick pad. Sometimes you just get too sleepy to fish.  Set some tip ups and crawl into a down bag.  If you are tired you will sleep.   

I still have all the gear but I tend to prefer a bed these days.  I like to stay out overnight but been thinkin some about a wheel house these days. 

crazy man

[elcapitanmas]

We've overnighted every weekend so far this season, after the 4th weekend, you know EXACTLY what you need to bring, I sleep right in my clam 2000 with a camping chair that lays back, heater at the feet, arctic warrior with bells right next to me, and blinkie blinks on all my tipups, its a very peaceful way to fish. 

If my spots were closer I'd drive home, and back out for the morning bite, but it makes no sense.

[fish_finder]

I think if i were to do it I would do it in my portable,, i can get it unbareably hot in there with the heater, lantern or stove, leave the vent open and a window open a crack for ventilation and you would be good to go