Portable Ice Huts

LMckeown · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2005 6:52 pm

Anyone have a preference on portable ice fishing huts? Clam,Frabill,Otter,etc. Thinking about buying one and was wondering which one was better?

URBS · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2005 8:20 pm

I own both a clam and the fish trap voyager which are made by the same company. Both are excellent products. My suggestion is no matter what brand you buy, a flip over model is the way to go. They offer much more mobility when hunting walleye on the ice. You don't have to tear the whole unit down to move. [http://www.the-clam.com/home.htmlurl]. Hope this helps.

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BATMAN · **Posted:** Tue Jan 11, 2005 10:14 pm

I use a Fish Trap Pro which is a great one man shelter.
It fits in my SUV and I don't need to put down any of
the seats. It is easy for one person to pull. It sets up
in 2 minutes max. When you need to move you simply
pull it to the next spot. When you get cold you flip the
tent over you. I have a small propane heater I use when
it gets really cold. Quinte Outdoor sports in Bellville can
get any of the Fish Trap or Clam products.

It you have a full size pickup and plan to fish with someone,
I would recommend one of the larger 2 or 3 man Fish Traps.

I feel the Fish Trap Pro was well worth the money. One day
I pulled it a 1/4 mile though 8" of slush to fish 6 hours and not
catch a fish. When I got back to my truck I was pooped for sure.
It would have been fine except I was also pulling the weight of
a power auger, minnow bucket, depth finder and battery etc, etc.

I would also look the frabill products. This company make quality products. Canadian Tire may have a Flip over version of this similar
to the Fish Traps at a lower cost.

Good Luck with your decision,
BATMAN

vtfirechief · **Posted:** Wed Jan 12, 2005 6:59 am

I first bought the Frabill flip over version,but the sled is less than ideal.This thing pulls great on bare ice but in the snow it really is not the best(look at the bottom and you will see why. This year I switched to the fish trap pro,pulls like a dream even in wet heavy snow.Its much larger and the seat that COMES with it is nice and comfy!!!The canvas quality is much better.Go with the fish trap!!!!

LMckeown · **Posted:** Wed Jan 12, 2005 8:18 am

Thanks guys for the info, I'm using a homemade one now, the one with the plywood ends and tarp over it, works great but it can be hard to pull if the snow is deep and not enough ice to use the ATV. I thought maybe the portable ones might be easyier.

cottager · **Posted:** Wed Jan 12, 2005 11:00 pm

I have the homemade one and put downhill skiis on it that I bought from Sally Ann. I also put a center 2x4 and ski in the middle to distribute the wait. Up until this year, (new ATV) I pulled it all over the place on Simcoe and BOQ by attaching a cable to the sled and used a waste belt from a safety harness to pull it. What a breeze to pull because the was on my hips and not in my hands. This works for all ice huts. I also bought the new less expensive hut from Walmart called OZARK Trails $129. I saw a few locals using it here and they loved it. It's not bad if you haven't got the big bucks or you may not go out to often. Only drawback is it doesn't come on a nifty sled with seats so buy a cheap sled and hook it up with all your fixins. My homemade pulled so well that I could afford to pull my two tired kids on it while I walked along in the snow. Three skiis also took the weight better then two skiis.

Len · **Posted:** Thu Jan 13, 2005 7:46 am

I have to add my 2 cents on this one. I have had a Frabill one man flip over for 10 years. It is made well and has held up excellent. The only flaw is pulling it in snow. It will kick your butt quick! It gets a "10" for durability and fuction but a "1" for easy to pull in deep snow. Also, unless they improved the seat, I have found myself falling backwards because the seat slides out of its place. I did some modifying on the bottom of the seat and solved that problem. At any rate these one person huts are great to have so make a choice and enjoy!

LMckeown · **Posted:** Thu Jan 13, 2005 9:48 am

Thanks for the replies guys, like that idea about the skis cottager, maybe I'll try that on my homemade hut, right now I'm leaning towards a Frabill Venture 2 man.

Superdad · **Posted:** Thu Jan 13, 2005 10:36 pm

If you're looking for any DEALS, you should take a drive to Watertown, NY.

Gander Mountain and Dick's Sports have their portable ice huts on sale, from 149.99 and a way up . Depends on the size .

I don't know what the costs of these portables are in Canada, but I would bet they are a lot less in the US. Pay the difference on the dollar and pay the GST & PST at the border, it should still be less expensive.

I was there this afternoon and only spent a few dollars.

For your info.

LMckeown · **Posted:** Fri Jan 14, 2005 8:32 am

Thanks superdad for the info, I'm afraid if we went over there it would cost much more because I would see other goodies that I would " have" to have:-), I think I like this retirement thing superdad!!!

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