How to Build a Spearing Shanty

Ice fishing shanties appear like small cities during the winter months when anglers take to the lakes to fish through the ice. A spearing shanty or darkhouse as they are also called, is a specialized ice shanty designed for spearing fish rather than using a line and rod. The spearing shanty should be as dark as possible inside and is placed over relatively shallow water allowing the light to come up through the hole in the ice. Building a spearing shanty differs only slightly from a standard ice fishing shanty and is a fairly simple project.

Things You'll Need

  • 7 sheets 4-inch by 8-inch by 3/8-inch plywood
  • 1 sheet of 4-inch by 8-inch by 3/4-inch plywood, treated
  • 4 - 2-inch by 4-inch by 8-foot boards
  • 4 - 2-inch by 2-inch by 8-foot boards
  • 8 - 2-inch by 2-inch by 6-foot boards
  • Saw
  • 1 box 3-inch wood screws
  • Cordless screw gun
  • 1 set of 3-inch hinges
  • Canvas or corrugated aluminum sheeting
  • Black paint
  • 2 hook and eye latches
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut 4 inches off two of the 2-inch by 4-inch by 8-foot boards. Cut another 2-inch by 4-inch by 8-foot board into two pieces 44 inches long each. Finally cut one in half for two pieces 48 inches long. Build a box frame with the two longer boards as side rails, placed between the two 48-inch pieces for ends.Stand all the boards on a 2-inch side so they are on edge. Screw together by placing two screws through the 48-inch end boards into the ends of the longer side boards at each corner.

    • 2

      Place the 44-inch boards across the center span, 24 inches in from each end. Orient these the same as the others standing on a 2-inch side so the top and bottom of the pieces are all level. Screw them in place by putting two screws through the outer side boards into the ends.

    • 3

      Screw a 2-inch by 2-inch by 6-foot board into each corner so that it stands upright as a corner wall post. Make the bottom even with the bottom of the other boards.

    • 4

      Cut 2 pieces of 2-inch by 2-inch by 8-foot board down to 44 inches and screw between the front and back end upright posts at the very top. Make the edges of the cross pieces level with the tops of the posts. Cut 4 inches off the end of each of tow of the remaining 22-inch by 2-inch by 8-foot boards and screw them between the posts on the sides in the same way as the end cross pieces.

    • 5

      Cut a 4-inch square out of each corner of the sheet of 3/4-inch plywood. Lay it in place on the floor frame, with the notches making space for the upright wall posts. Screw in place by setting four to six screws across the plywood at each end and across the center supports, and a screw every 6 inches down the outside edges into the 2-inch by 4-inch frame.

    • 6

      Cut 6 1/2 inches off of four of the 2-inch by 2-inch by 6-foot boards and set them between the floor and the top side frame rails 24 inches from each end, and screw in place. These are the side wall supports.

    • 7

      Cut the last 2-inch by 2-inch by 8-foot board into two 44-inch pieces, and place them in the top or ceiling of the frame. Screw them between the two sides as cross supports, 24 inches in from each end. The frame is now complete.

    • 8

      Cut 2 feet off the ends of four of the plywood sheets. Set these in place as the side walls and screw to the frame. Cut one more for the back end and screw in place on the frame. Before you attach the front end with the door, screw the top sheet of plywood in place over the frame for the roof.

    • 9

      Mark off a rectangle that will be your door in the last sheet of plywood. Make the door 24 inches across by 5 feet high. This requires ducking in for larger people but reduces the light allowed inside. Attach the hinges to one side. At a later time if you decide to make the shanty more deluxe you can add trim to the door. Attach the hook and eye latches to the door, one on the inside, one on the outside.

    • 10

      Screw the door panel in place on the front of the shanty. Inside, on the back section of the floor, mark out a 40-inch by 20-inch rectangle within the last section of the floor between the 2-inch by 4-inch supports. Cut this out as your spearing hole. You can keep the cut out and add hinges if you like to close the hole off.

    • 11

      Cover the outside of the shanty in canvas or corrugated aluminum if you desire for better weatherproofing. Paint the interior black to allow for better vision when fishing.