It looks like the groundhog’s prediction was right. An early, warmer Spring is in our future. This means the end of ice fishing and melted, slushy, unsafe ice. If you placed a semi-permanent shanty on the ice, it’s time to consider removing it.
If you take the shanty off now, you may still be able to use a wheeler. Areas around the shanty tend to melt faster since heat from the sun is absorbed by the shanty itself. The unit will begin to sink and get stuck in the ice. At the very least, move your shanty closer to shore or the boat ramp. Monitor the weather and recover the shanty safely.
Ice melts faster than it grows. After a warm day, the ice can lose over 2 inches of safe thickness. It takes extended cold weather, well below freezing, to grow new ice. As the ice melts, it becomes slushy or rotten. The cloudy, soft ice can give away without notice.
Canyon Ferry is home to many solid shanties. Many are near the northern end of the lake around the Silos. Removing these shanties also means crossing a pressure ridge and traveling over thin ice near the shores.
Leaving the shanty on the ice is not legal. I have heard of guys burning their shanties, rather than removing them. With the price of wood and materials that could be an expensive loss. It would be better to be responsible and remove the shanty earlier than later. Store your Shanty in the back yard as your Man Shed.
Icemen are generally the best anglers. They tend to be friendly, honest, and responsible. They are also capable of fishing with their Shanties Off!
The early Spring also means more comfortable temperatures that do not require them to shelter in a shanty.
Save your Shanties now!
Montana Grant
