Comfort is critical when ice fishing. If you get cold or uncomfortable, you will have a miserable day. Choosing a proper seat is critical.
Seats for the ice. You want to be at a 90-degree angle for comfortable fishing. To high and you must bend over more. To low and you need more effort to stand up. To far back or reclining, and you again are slower to get up and grab a rod. You are already wearing several layers of heavy clothes and gear. Little things matter.
Buckets A 5-gallon bucket is a good place to begin. They are just about the right height for most people. They make a 5 gallon or a 6 ½ gallon bucket, which is a tad taller. The lid is critical. Standard bucket lids are hard to get off when the weather is nice. Try using a spin lid bucket lid. They are called Gamma Seals lids. They easily spin off. You can also take a standard lid and cut a half-moon section out. Now you can sit on it or grab stuff from it without having to rip off your fingernails.
Folding chairs Everyone has their own special folding camp chair. Some have a drink and cellphone holder. They are perfect except that they need to be pulled, carried, or dragged onto the ice. If you are willing to do the work fine, but less weight is more when walking on the ice. These chairs may not fit on the sled with all your other gear.
Sleds When you build an Iceman Sled, make the box to the exact height that you want. Now you have a custom seat. I glue a piece of dense, black, plastic foam onto the top of the deck. A hole in the deck allows room for my bucket, which serves as a second seat if needed.
Milk crates Milk crates come in all sizes. Standard sizes are perfect for kids and smaller Icemen. The extended longer crates are taller for us Big Boys. I once had a metal milk crate that allowed me to put a paint can, filled with charcoal briquets in it. I was able to sit on my heat source and keep my hands and butt warm.
Ideally, with a comfortable seat, you can manage 2-4 rods easily. In one lake in Montana, we can use 6 rods. I place my holes in a 180-degree circle and can manage all six without getting out of my seat. Set the seat so your shadow does not cover the hole and spook the fish. Longer rods allow you to stay away from the hole and set the hook faster. Use rod holders to place the rod just where you want them.
Please be seated comfortably!
Montana Grant
