The idea for the HOT-BOX™ began six years ago, inspired by the DIY "Mille Lacs Box" I first saw in the 90s. While effective at keeping holes open, these bulky wooden boxes were impractical—prone to rotting, freezing to the ice, and relying on inconsistent heat sources like candles or sterno. My dad, Tom Bricko, a design engineer with eight world patents, and I set out to solve these problems.
Our early prototypes used wood and propane lanterns, but the wood was heavy, flammable, and stuck to the ice. The biggest flaw was using tip-ups, which caused resistance changes that led to missed fish. Replacing the tip-up with a rattle reel system solved this issue, as it offered minimal, consistent resistance.
Through extensive testing, we refined the box with durable aluminum and a thermo-plastic base that stays pliable in extreme cold. Hinged corners allow the box to fold flat and fit into a five-gallon bucket, making it portable and efficient. The HOT-BOX™ is the result of years of innovation, built to keep holes open in extreme cold and improve catch rates for ice fishermen.
Flat out the HOT-BOX will increase your catch rate. Simply based on probability the HOT-BOX will allow you to expand your coverage area presenting your bait to more fish which equals more bites. All across the ice belt, groups of ice fishermen huddle in ice houses that are on average 6.5 x 12 or less. The common story is “we got a few late most after we shut everything down and went to bed, the rattle wheels started going off”. Coincidence? Definitely not! In the meantime our group produced another 50 fish per day. Throughout the development of the HOT-BOX I now have a full understanding of how fish push away from noise and pressure and not just in shallow water. We see this when we fish in 30+ feet.
