Getting Ready for Ice Fishing: Building a Smitty Sled with the Easysled.ca Kit
It’s almost that time of year again! While we're still waiting for the ice to be thick enough for safe fishing here in southern Ontario, I’ve been busy preparing for the season ahead. One of the best ways to make transporting heavy ice fishing shelters and gear a whole lot easier—especially through deep snow—is with a smitty sled. These sleds, which use a frame and downhill skis to lift your gear off the snow, are a game-changer when it comes to hauling your gear to your ice fishing spot.
Why a Smitty Sled?
If you’ve ever struggled to drag a heavy ice fishing shelter, you know how exhausting and frustrating it can be. A smitty sled helps distribute the weight of your gear more evenly, making it far easier to pull, even in snowy conditions. By raising the sled's tub off the snow and using skis to glide, you reduce drag and make transport more efficient—essential when you’re dealing with heavy shelters and equipment.
Building My Smitty Sled: A Mix of DIY and Premade Parts
For my build, I went with a combination of premade parts and a DIY approach. I used a kit from easysled.ca, which includes welded aluminum feet and crossmembers. The frame is sturdy enough to handle the weight of my Eskimo Eskape 2600 flip-over hut and all my gear. To reinforce the frame, I added plywood on top perpendicular and parallel to the aluminum crossmembers, which provides additional support and keeps everything in place.
Securing the flip-over hut tub to the crossmembers was straightforward—I used ratchet straps at the front and back to hold everything tight and prevent shifting when going down hills or over bumps.
Easy Assembly
Putting everything together was a breeze thanks to the easy-to-follow instructions that came with the kit. The only tools I needed were a drill and two drill bits—1/4” for drilling the pilot holes for attaching the aluminum feet to the skis and 1/2” to countersink the heads of the machine screws. The kit is very user-friendly, and assembly took less than a couple of hours.
Skis and Waxing
One of the key elements of a smitty sled is the skis. Keeping them well-waxed will dramatically reduce drag, allowing the sled to glide over the snow more smoothly. Waxing is easy, and you can find good wax kits online for less than $100, which will pay for itself after 2-3 waxes compared to taking them to a ski shop. I highly recommend doing this regularly to keep things moving effortlessly.
Adding a Pull Line
To make hauling the sled easier, I drilled holes in front of the skis and attached pull lines. I prefer using a shoulder/waist harness, which gives me more control and takes some of the strain off my arms and back. It's especially helpful when you’re hauling a loaded sled over longer distances.
Ice Fishing on Lake Simcoe
Once the ice is thick enough for fishing, I’m looking forward to putting the new sled to use on Lake Simcoe. If you're planning to ice fish there this winter, I highly recommend giving Hot Box Huts a call at 226-218-4638. They offer some of the best perch fishing on the lake and provide top-notch hut rentals to make your ice fishing experience both comfortable and enjoyable.
