It’s so damned slippery inside my new Yukon!!!

Was fishing the other day in my new Fish Trap- Yukon, great piece of gear! Only trouble I had was staying up on my feet after the heater had been burning for several hours. The ice surface had melted then re-froze into a very flat, slick surface, I almost couldn’t stand up.
What do the rest of you guys do to make it safe to move about inside a shack without a floor like the Yukon? I thought about a carpet runner, or a couple pieces of metal mesh or…..?
Any suggestions before I break my neck???

Thanks,
Don

I wear one Ice cleat…under $5.00 at Fleet Farm…

I think there’s a post about cleats a few pages back in this forum…

PS What are you doing walking around?…your to be catching fish!

We put the heater in a milk crate then once set up put the heater on top of the milk crate it still melts the ice but it takes much longer for the ice to melt,them if want a fast move put the heater in the milk crate and it will protect gear from a hot heater.

Grab a 3′ x 3′ perforated rubber mat, used in dairy barns, from Fleet Farm. Cut it in half and place that at your feet and your partners feet. It’ll prevent you from falling in the hole and catches a lot of the other stuff that likes to go down…… Kurt

I had the same problem last year with my Otter Resort. At my size and age, I could just see myself falling backwards into the house and bending the heck out of the aluminum poles! (Or equipment and humans!) I went out and got a 1/2″ sheet of treated plywood, (I would have gone to 3/8″, but Home Depot didn’t have any.) I cut 3 large holes for fishing and 1 small hole for the Vexilar. I first shovel a clear spot on the ice, mark the 4 holes to be drilled with the plywood, remove the plywood and then drill the holes. I then shovel off the ice chips and slush, and lay down the plywood, and continue to set up the house. After a short time, the wood is completely dry, (except for when you get it wet from catching all those fish!) I have used it twice this year, and have had no problem with the wood freezing to the ice. In fact, I was suprised that even the hole that I have the Vexilar in, didn’t freeze up. I thought that with the small hole in the plywood, that I would have to chip out the transducer. Now this isn’t the best option, if you are constantly moving, or early ice when you can’t drive your truck to the spot, since the wood is kind of heavy and bulky, and if you don’t have a long box, the 4 X 8 sheet will not fit well.

I have a 1/2 inch piece of plywood that’s about a foot wide and about 4 feet long. I put it right in the bottom of the shack when I pack up. It also helps get your feet off the ice so they don’t get cold as easy. You would think that the plywood would be slippery on the ice but I haven’t had any problems.

a friend of mine slipped and fell this weekend due to the same situation. sounds like you are using a heater/cooker type of heater that is set up down on the ice. set it on a 5gal bucket or something that hight. i don’t shovel the area out, just stomp it down a little with my boots. i do shovel the slush from cutting the holes. my otter is set up with a custom bench seat and your feet are inside the tub when fishing. you have alot more room to fish and your feet stay warmer not being on the ice. just be careful out there, it’s all fun and games until someone looses an eye………tom f