Ice fishing apparatus with heating chamber

Claim 1

An ice fishing hole heating device for dispensing and retrieving fishing line and for signalling the presence of a fish on the line comprising: a housing having two opposed end walls, two side walls, a partially open bottom portion, and a hinged top wall, said hinged top wall being swingable between open and closed positions, and having an exposed outer surface and an interior surface; a pop-up flag bar attached to said exposed outer surface of said top wall and so constructed and arranged as to move from a generally horizontal restrained position to a normally upright signalling position upon release from said restrained position; a reel for holding fishing line mounted to said interior surface of said top wall of said housing, said reel being mounted to said top wall so as to be suspended over said partially open bottom portion when said hinged top wall is in said closed position, said reel being so mounted as to allow free rotation for said dispensing and retrieving of fishing line; a trip rod extending through an opening in said top wall in such manner as to be free to rotate within said opening, said trip rod having a detent arm for restraining said pop-up flag bar in said generally horizontal restrained position, and said trip rod having a portion thereof disposed within said housing and positioned so as to be actuated by said reel when said reel rotates so as to thereby rotate said trip rod and said detent arm and release said pop-up flag bar for movement to said normally upright signalling position; and heat generating means supported inside said housing.