Ice Shack Rentals

Welcome to Big Fish Encounters Sleeper Shacks!

Offering incredibly comfortable shacks, quality fishing and even a bit of knowledge. Our guests arrive via shuttle in our Ranger from shore to a warm shack with holes ready to fish in the beautiful Hayward and surrounding areas. The propane for heat is supplied each shack includes a generator with gasoline and a restroom with RV Toilet.

We offer multispecies spots to make the most of your trip, during the day you will have a chance at bluegill, crappie, or perch as well as Pike and Bass. When the sun goes down the walleyes typically move in and set lines with a light or alarm to notify you of a bite is the go-to but jigging will also produce! During colder times of the season hole covers are recommended to prevent the hole from freezing in and not fitting that next big fish through.

We strive to provide a comfortable environment during your stay with a focus on your fishing experience. We have a great track record of a comfortable and fishy environment – responsible harvest is key to conserving our smaller lakes. We encourage you to enjoy a meal of your catch while keeping this in mind.

Rental Time: 2 – 4 night stays

Check In: 2:00 p.m.

Check Out: 09:00 a.m.

***If your check in time is later – your check out time remains the same***

ALL SHACKS INCLUDE:

Heat—the propane is provided
Generator— includes gasoline
Restroom—RV Style Toilet with door (RV toilet paper only)
TV/Entertainment—at least one TV per shack with blu-ray player & radio
Hole Covers—All holes include a safety cover to prevent lost items
Big Picture Windows—Enjoy panoramic views; all shacks include a safety exit window
Appliances—Induction Stove Top/Microwave/Skillet/Toaster/Coffee Pot/Crockpot, etc.
Utensils/Paper Products—Additional supply as needed, leave what you have for the next guest
Garbage — all garbage is the responsibility of the renter ($5 fee applies to garbage left upon check-out)
Damage/Cleanliness/Compliance Policy Deposit— $300 damage, cleanliness, and sportsmanship policy deposit collected upon rental and returned upon check out
Pet Policy— although loved, we do not allow your furry friends at this time.
Sportsmanship Policy — In order to continue to offer our shacks to customers, it is important that all individuals practice good sportsmanship behavior while fishing in our shacks up to including awareness of having catch and release methods, harvesting only enough fish to enjoy a few meals, respecting other fisherman on the lake, discarding of fish appropriately, and any other guidelines that are discussed by owner at the time of check-in.

Rental Duration: the duration period will be by hours when selecting – however, each rental will be charged per night based on the check in/check out times above.

Check Availability: Select the Yetti below that you'd like to view options for and select the green shopping cart - this will bring you to a screen that gives you a blue link that says "Check Availability" click on that link to view the calendar. From there, you can check out and reserve your dates!

Add a Snowdog, Camera, Livescope, Flipover Shack, or Auger!

What to Bring:

Fishing Gear: An auger to set outside lines, tip ups, tip downs, jigging poles; each rental shack includes a few Rattle Reels but you must bring your own gear unless arranged
Food & Beverages: Refrigeration available, coolers and water recommended; water for cooking/cleaning
Bait: Suckers and Shiners for Walleye/Pike; Crappie Minnows for Panfish, Grubs or Waxies
Sunglasses & Safety Gear: We recommend a safe approach—spikes, throw rope, cleats(outside)
Blankets and Pillows: bedding is not supplied
Entertainment: DVD Player, may bring movies; Radio, & 2 televisions

****Catch your next trophy by adding 2, 4 or 6 hours of guided fishing to any sleeper rental to up your success rate or learn new techniques! ****

Guide Fishing Trips

Guided fishing for groups up to 6 people; transportation and gear provided including but not limited to rods, reels, tip ups, tip downs, ice shacks, heaters and bait but customers are suggested to bring some bait as well.

What do we catch?

It varies by time of year and the lake, but we enjoy putting you on Crappie, Walleye, Bluegill, Perch, Northern Pike, Largemouth and trophy sized Smallmouth Bass! You are welcome to bring along gear you are comfortable with and encourage everyone to dress for varying conditions Northern Wisconsin often shows. Sunglasses, waterproof boots, safety spikes and cleats if there is limited snow or slushy conditions are a good idea.

21-day Cancellation Policy

A booking can be cancelled if more than 21 days remain before your appointment less the deposit. If less than 21 days remain your deposit can be transferred to an open date (based on availability – may carryover to next season) or used as credit at bigfishencounters.com

***Any cancellations that occurs within 72 hours of check-in date will not be eligible for the refund of their initial deposit and will not be eligible for the options above***

In the event the ice conditions do not allow for booking and availability is limited for re-schedule, you can opt for the two options above or will receive a full refund upon request.

In the event of a shack breakdown or out of service condition the deposit will be applied to a hotel in the area to cover the remainder of the stay and guided fishing offered as an option if conditions provide availability (although this has never happened, we have a plan)

Shack Rental Terms

All individuals renting the shacks will be responsible for having an active WI Fishing License and follow all limits based on the lake you are located on
Family friendly Environments
Hole covers must be kept on at all times when not in direct use for safety and to prevent freezing
No excessive drinking
Quiet time starts at 11 p.m.
RV Toilet provided for elimination (RV toilet paper only, must monitor and notify when toilet is full – urine only outside must be at least 50 ft. away from shack)
Heat should stay on at all times and shack temperature should not drop below 65 degrees; if generator shuts off – contact owner for assistance
Contact owner with any equipment operation questions or concerns prior to doing on your own
All customers shall review and respect the sportsmanship policy for the best interest of all customers experiences

***Agreement of these policies, terms and conditions will be acknowledged at check-in***

If you need assistance reserving your rental, please reach out to us at bigfishencounters@gmail.com or 715-492-1339. We look forward to your stay with us!