Quinte Fishing

With the proliferation of new ice suits to consider specifically design for ice fishing, making a choice is getting more and more difficult. While I will continue to use my approved floater suit for early and late season, it is pretty restricting.

While I started out wanting the added benefit of a floating suit I was less than impressed with the quality of the Arctic Armour.. so started to look at conventional suits.

However there is a new player to the market that has floation.. NOT DOT Approved [u]NOR[/u] protection against hypothermia, but floatation to help you get back onto ice. Striker has started production of their new ice suit that is a vast improvement to the Arctic Armour (IMHO), offers floatation AND breathability and way more insulation.. to the same levels as the premier brands like Clam and Frabill.

I dislike ordering out of the US because I always seem to get dinged so I called the company President to inquire as to Canadian suppliers and was told that the products were to be distributed by KTL, a fishing supply wholesaler that deals with a bunch of local stores... Stock is just arriving in Canada this week so no one will have stock yet but if you are interested, worth asking at your favourite store.

And no I have nothing to do with the company, just impressed with the product and the service from the President..
here is their website http://www.strikerbrands.com/

I understand that CDN pricing will be the same or close to the US pricing online.

cheers guys!

C5

KTL... is short for KENS TACKLE LIMITED.. they used to be (and probably still are) based in the toronto area, and are a wholesaler that sells direct to retail outlets..if you deal with a retailer in your area he should be able to get you a suit thru them.. i used to do bussiness with them many yrs ago when i owned a sports store..

Ice bibs- my favourite feature

Beverage holder incorporated into thigh pocket

Grillzy

I have the Arctic Armor suit and think it is great (here is a link) https://under-the-open-sky.com/best-ice-fishing-suits/ My only problem is that it doesn't breath all that well. If I were you I would check the "Red Rock" store for their suits. They have some new ones that float and are claimed to have great breathing capabilities. The bibs also zip to the hip, which is another beef I have with the Arctic Armor suit. It never hurts to shop for the latest inovations. You will stay warm and dry in the Arctic Armor but may sweat a bit.

I see that all Striker ice suits are 2 piece. Is one-piece or 2 piece flotation suit better? Logic tells me a 1 piece is safer as they should be more effective at keeping the whole body high in the water column, minimise incoming water and enable you to slide onto safe ice (behind you). This as opposed to having freezing water rush up and under your jacket, soaking your thick sweaters, freezing your nipples, making it all the more difficult to pull yourself out??

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The fishin' nut ><>J

I've had a dunk in a one piece and it fills with water as fast as a two piece. You lay flat in the water, not upright. Your getting wet. The straps on the legs and the velcro closures are to slow down water circulation which is suppose to keep you warmer but it really won't matter if your bobbing around with ice. They're not immersion suits.

If I hadn't been able to grab the boat (luck) the floater suit wouldn't have saved me.

You can't pull yourself into a boat when your filled with water. I used the cavitation plate on the motor as a step to get back in.

The one piece Mustang is a pain when you need to take a leak. You basically have to pull it off your shoulders and down to your waist or run the risk of pissing in your suit.

I think the two piece is a better option. Especially if you ice fish in a heated shack.

I have the striker guardian suit and am quite happy with it overall. I tried the climate suit on and it was just too bulky. I bought this suit as a compromise for late season open water and hardwater and would do it again. Btw fishing world in Hamilton carry striker

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Dan Elliot - A bad day on Quinte is better than a good day at work !!!
http://www.quintefishing.com

I have the Striker Climate, it is a bit bulky but is dam warm and I can take the liner out of both jacket and bib. It does have a few good features and it does float for a few hours but it is not coast guard approved so if your in a boat you still need to have a life jacket that fits over it .

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All fishermen are liers except me and you and I’m not sure about you!!