Flip over fish houses

[openorice]

What is the best flip over fish available these days? I have an 8 year old Fish Trap Voyager and I'm looking at upgrading. I've looked at the Frabil house but I'm not to crazy about the skirt around the sled.

[Bottle Fish]

Get a thermal Canvas Craft. I don't own one yet but it will be my next house I get.

[Esox_Magnum]

1000 different answers, best to get out and sit in as many brands as you can then decide. I currently own a 5-6 year old Eskimo and like it but since they went to red I won't buy another, my next one will be a Frabill Predator unless something better pops up on the scene before I need to replace mine.

[Surface Tension]

I'm particle to Otters because of the tub design and its toughness.

The shelter and pole system are a plus as well.

[muc33]

To me it really depends on what type of use. Are you going to be pulling it, what size do you need, and how much use is it going to see. Those help in deciding.

Ultimately, the toughest on the market is Otter. Most dependable sleds, most durable and all around good. If size is a feature, and small is what you are looking for, Clam Pro's are my pic. Other than that, it's all Otter. They are really worth their weight in gold.

[creepworm]

That skirt on the Frabills is awesome. It keeps a lot of the wind and cold air outside of the fish house. It is two pieces velcroed together so when you are transporting it, it is very easy to fold it in with the rest of the canvas. I bought one 3 years ago and my friends say they are going to switch to Frabill when they buy a new one.

[Northlander]

I have owned many brands of ice houses and I was seeing quality go up and up a few (4-5) years back. Now it seems the quality of some brands is getting less and less. Many of the new seating arrangements just are lacking in my opinion.

A long time ago I wanted a house that was dependable and well built. I decided Otter was the brand for me. I have owned Otters from 1-3 man flip overs and they all have been what I wanted. BULLETPROOF! The tubs are the most durable on the market, canvas at 900 denier is the best out there and with all the extra goodies from rod holders to the "Dont leave home with out it" Sportsmans Caddy Otter has you covered.

Tougher, Stronger, Smarter says it all. Otter for me.

Check their line up out at www.otter.com

[Ed Carlson]

The Frabill front draft blouse skirt system on the Predator and the Predator R2 Tech is well designed for the task. Once fitted I just fold down the shack and flip the blouse up over the seats in place. It then serves as an extra front storm seal. By adjusting the tension on the draft blouse bungee, you fit the tension to the sled to eliminate any drafts. Many do not realize it is adjustable, and neglect to do it after the installation. The system works and I have no concerns with it.

As for sled toughness, the Frabill Roto Molded sleds used in that line are every bit as tough or tougher than any sled on the market today. Since there introduction there has been a 0 defect retail return rate on the sleds, not even 1.

I have no concern on the sled, and no concerns on any other component in the system.

There is a very good reason the Frabill Predator is the best selling portable 2 years running now. Past customer referrals after use sells them as does first hand use in the field from friends of Frabill shack owners.

From first hand experience, the Frabill Predator and Frabill Predator R2 Tech is the most likely ice shack that a walk in customer will walk straight over too, and point and say "I want that shack"....with no encouragement on the sales staff's part at all. The quality sells it, all by itself.

You might also wish to check out the New Frabill R2-Tec Thermal Guardian 2 man unit. The Frabill R2-Tec Thermal Guardian is overlooked and overshadowed by it's Big Bro the Predator R2 Tech, but it has a lot of value in a slightly lighter, slightly smaller, and much more reasonably priced R2 Tech package. It's fully R2 Tech thermal, and a beauty of a shack. I consider it a steal and one to watch. Seen the best deals on them at GM, Thorn Bro's, & MFF, big C has them way overpriced.

[mww24]

i have a 3 year old clam guide that i love. it works great for what i do. Mine has the old padded grey boat seats. clams new seats in their cheaper models seem under padded and small for me. just my opinion. Frabills upper models look sweet in the stores but i have no real world experience with any models except my older guide. I just got a thermal pop up from clam that i like. If i were in the market for a new flip over frabill would probably get my money.

[hamms-scooter]

I really like the frabill houses and will be my next house for sure. I saw a nice feature on the new eskimo houses where they have zipper doors on the side also to exit from instead of the front all the time where your gear is. thought it was a great idea and have to say great house all around. I currently run a fish trap Guide and Scout.

[fishersofmen]

Can't wait to get a Predator. Hoping I will be able to find one on clearance somewhere.

[swmndeerhunter]

I picked up a predator last year and not sure you can really top it. I just wish I would have spend the extra and got the R2 Tec one. Going to be installing some Reflectix this week to make up for it. However with all this snow I'm glad I picked one up last year. Go with a Frabill Predator and you won't be sorry.

[crappiegetter]

I currently own a clam x2 and think it's awesome. Started to look at new clam houses and think they have just gone the cheap route to make money, they're just not built with any quality. So I looked into frabill, eskimo, and otter. I think my next house will be frabill unless clam picks up the slack and produces a quality ice house again when I'm ready for a new one.

[fishing tech]

I have a FT Scout, FT Guide, and FT Voyagor. The Voyagor is about 10 years old and no issues. I can load any one of them into my truck by myself, which is good considering I have bck problems. Weight and size may be an issue depending on your vehicle.

[BassFisherman]

Own the Frabil Trecker DLX and love it. The only thing i wish i had would be the bigger sled, other than that, Frabil all the way.

[Zenit]

Although I have been disappointed in some of Clam Corp's recent offerings, which don't seem to be made as well as their earlier Fish Traps and/or the competition, I am very happy with my Thermal X, which just seems to be built better than (for example) the base Yukon (which used to be Clam's best seller, and for good reason back a few years ago.) I was very close to buying the Frabill R2 Tech Predator, as the other flip over I own and use quite a is a Frabill Commando I bought last year (when I'm just flying solo) which I really like a lot; bottom line, it came down to Thorne Bros. giving me a super deal on the X and that the Predator was about 2 inches too long for me to fit in my Explorer.

I still have an old Otter that I break out once a year, when "the fellas" get together for our annual ice fishing sabbatical at the end of January and we need every shelter we can find. That thing still does the job after all these years, and those Otter sleds are legendary for a reason. I thought about selling it, but it is still in great shape, and usually comes in handy a couple times a year as a "loaner" to someone who wants to take their kid out or something like that. I looked at a Magnum Lodge, and I would have been happy with that as well, but again, slightly too long.

One of my friends just sold his 5 or so year old Yukon and ordered the Canvas Craft with the R2 Tech material and the Otter sled - to me, that seems to be the best of all worlds - indestructible Otter sled, the best in high speed. low drag material and technology, CC's legendary craftsmanship and customer service, and patronizing a local company. If I was starting from scratch, I'd probably lean towards CC; but I think that one can find a lot to like about Otter, Frabill and Clam Corp.

Bottom line, I think all the local MN companies (Clam, Otter and CC) have good offerings that you'll be happy with as long as you are willing to pay a little extra for quality, and not just go with their baseline offerings, as previously mentioned with some of the Clam products (I also thing that the difference between the Otter Wild and Pro Ice series is rather noticeable.) Frabill, however, has really stepped up their game, and has the marketing means and juju to compete with Clam Corp...as much as I like to patronize the MN companies, I fear the future colors of ice fishing may be black and gray instead of blue.

[fishwacker1]

I second the quality and satisfaction from the Canvas craft thermal. Picked up the top to the medium otter I have been running for the past 8 years and could not be happier. Got a great deal at the ice show. Them guys in Rogers treat you great, you're not a number to them.

[mww24]

I would say the consensus is that clam has gone cheap. Time for them to step it up then. It seems to me they are focusing more on gimmick accessories then quality shelters. This is coming from a person who owns two clam shelters. By the way, my base camp thermal had the little hockey puck thing snap in half when i was pulling the roof up. Luckily it happened when i was showing it to a guy at work and not on the ice. It was maybe the fifth time i had ever opened it up. I do like my old guide though. It still works like the day I bought it.

[SFC]

Own a clam yukon very happy with it, bought a true blue rod & reel combo if the temp is below 20 it is like reeling up with a anchor on your line, must have been designed by someone who doesnt fish much. I have a cheaper rod and reel combo the wife bought I beleave it is a berkly has worked great.