All About Spearhouse Fishing

If you live where it get’s cold enough for lakes to freeze, you have probably heard people talking about darkhouse or spearhouse fishing. You may think to yourself, “What’s that?”. Well, we are here to help! Let’s bring you up-to-speed on spearhouse fishing.

What is a spearhouse?

To begin, a spearhouse is a shelter like a normal ice fishing skid house, but meant for spearfishing. A spearhouse has a large rectangular hole in it, allowing for a much larger hole to be cut in the ice.  The other distinctive feature is that the inside of the spearhouse will be black to increase darkness.  This increases visibility into the water and conceals your movement better. This is why spearhouses are often referred to as a darkhouse.

Are there different types of spearhouses?

Yes, there are multiple different types of spearhouses. There are both soft sided and hard sided spearhouses.  The ideal spearhouse is on a skid house frame, like our Stryker Skid House. If you are thinking about getting into darkhouse ice fishing or you have been spearing for years, there are many advantages to owning a purpose-built spearhouse.

How do you spearhouse fish?

It’s quite a bit different than traditional ice fishing.  When spearhouse fishing you cut a large hole through the ice. Then, you place your spearhouse over the hole.  The other big difference is the use of a decoy.  You put your decoy in the water, jig it a bit and wait for predator fish to swim under your hole.  The wait is worth it when you spear your first pike or walleye. Check out this list of must-have ice spearing equipment!

What species do you spearfish for?

There are many common species to target when spearhouse fishing. These include northern pike, sturgeon, catfish, trout, walleye, carp, and suckers. Be sure to check the DNR website for the rules and regulations for your area.

Why spearfish in a spearhouse?

Spearfishing has been around for a long time – even longer than ice fishing has! It is likely your ancestors used to use spearfishing as a method to catch fish. Check out the history of spearhouse fishing! Spearfishing is still used as a method to catch fish today. Spearfisherman clean and consume the fish they spear, since catch and release is not an option when spearfishing. Sometimes called a spear shack, Ambush’s spear house is completely blacked out on all walls. This allows the light from under the water to shine through the spearing hole in the floor of the darkhouse, helping you see the fish you are spearing!

Check out the Ambush Skid House Spearhouse! Find a dealer near you for more information.