Ice shanties get fancier for fishermen
Winter isn't too far away, and for some hardy folks, that means ice-fishing season isn't far away either.
The time-honored if frigid tradition still amounts to drilling your basic hole in the ice, dropping in a line and sitting around waiting for a bite.
But what surrounds that hole? Ah, now you're talking potential.
Sure, some folks still pull up a bucket, turn it upside-down and plop their derrieres there. If they're staying overnight, they might put up a tent or ice shanty.
Or they might tow in something fancier, as the Wall Street Journal showcases in this video.
Ice-fishing has boomed in the past decade, the Journal reports, and the shanty business has grown along with it. Relatively lightweight cottages can cost tens of thousands of dollars but offer cushions, warmth, cooking facilities and of course shelter from the elements. Underwater cameras let anglers watch their prey on flat-screen TVs.
Some of them are adaptable for hunting, too, like the $50,000 model from Custom Cottages -- which comes with an ice-fishing hole conveniently placed next to the toilet. (Never a wasted moment!)
