Ice Fishing

2011 - Volume #35, Issue #1, Page #31

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Ice Fishing "Tank House"

Floyd Martin made an inexpensive fish house out of a 1,550-gal. poly tank. It's big enough for two people to fish comfortably. It bolts permanently onto a 2-wheeled trailer for easy transport and setup.
  "I used it last winter and got a lot of nice comments on it," says Martin. "I bought the tank for $450. It was bought new, so it never had any chemicals in it.
  "What makes this fish house unique is that the trailer tilts up or down together with the house, so I never have to load or unload anything."
  The house has 2 windows, an LP heater, and a pair of 12-volt interior lights that hook up to a vehicle battery. An LP tank that supplies the heater mounts outside the tank.
  He used a circular saw to cut a door into one side and to cut the windows. The floor is 3/8-in. thick plywood covered with carpet. There are 3 ice fishing holes in the floor, each equipped with a latch-type wooden door. Two padded, swivel-type boat seats are attached to a home-built metal frame that bolts onto the tank.
  He used angle iron to build the trailer frame and 2 by 3 tubing to build the tongue. The axle and wheels were bought new.
  A hand-operated winch mounts on a 3-ft. high metal arm at one end of the tongue, and the middle part of the tongue pivots on a bolt. Cable on the winch is connected to the top of the tank.
  To set up the house, Martin removes the bolt and then slowly releases the cable on the winch, which allows the tank and trailer to slowly tip 90 degrees backward onto the ice. Then he unhooks the tongue from the vehicle. To haul the house off the lake, he hooks the tongue back up to the vehicle. Then he reinserts the bolt and cranks the winch to bring the tank forward and back down onto the tongue.
  "I spent only about $1,000 to build it. I use my Chevy Suburban to take it out to the lake, but I could also use an ATV," notes Martin.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Floyd Martin, 1955 130th St., Kalona, Iowa 52247 (ph 319 656-3411).

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Ice Fishing Tank House FARM HOME recreation Floyd Martin made an inexpensive fish house out of a 1 550-gal poly tank It s big enough for two people to fish comfortably It bolts permanently onto a 2-wheeled trailer for easy transport and setup I used it last winter and got a lot of nice comments on it says Martin I bought the tank for $450 It was bought new so it never had any chemicals in it What makes this fish house unique is that the trailer tilts up or down together with the house so I never have to load or unload anything The house has 2 windows an LP heater and a pair of 12-volt interior lights that hook up to a vehicle battery An LP tank that supplies the heater mounts outside the tank He used a circular saw to cut a door into one side and to cut the windows The floor is 3/8-in thick plywood covered with carpet There are 3 ice fishing holes in the floor each equipped with a latch-type wooden door Two padded swivel-type boat seats are attached to a home-built metal frame that bolts onto the tank He used angle iron to build the trailer frame and 2 by 3 tubing to build the tongue The axle and wheels were bought new A hand-operated winch mounts on a 3-ft high metal arm at one end of the tongue and the middle part of the tongue pivots on a bolt Cable on the winch is connected to the top of the tank To set up the house Martin removes the bolt and then slowly releases the cable on the winch which allows the tank and trailer to slowly tip 90 degrees backward onto the ice Then he unhooks the tongue from the vehicle To haul the house off the lake he hooks the tongue back up to the vehicle Then he reinserts the bolt and cranks the winch to bring the tank forward and back down onto the tongue I spent only about $1 000 to build it I use my Chevy Suburban to take it out to the lake but I could also use an ATV notes Martin Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Floyd Martin 1955 130th St Kalona Iowa 52247 ph 319 656-3411

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