What do you prefer?

[Agronomist_at_IA]

For a portable shelter would you go with a pop up or a larger 3 man flip over?

For panfishing a spring bobber or a very light tipped rod?

Post you're decision and why.

[hamms-scooter]

I am a flip over shelter guy for sure. Way faster especially if windy...Not stakes. I like have my gear right there in the tub. I have a Yukon and a Scout. Very portable for trolling the ice on those cold windy days.I also think for longevity flip over will out last the popup style. I used my brothers eskimo and the poles on it poped out out socket first trip out. I will stick to mt trap style even if a bit heavier. As far as the rod question I like to tightline for panfish so I am more interested in the gold stren but I do have a jason mitchell with strike indicater on it. Very fun to use. I use HT ice blues as well and so I have the best of both worlds I guess. Plus the ice blues is a sweet dead stick for panfish hi vis tip and very soft.

[jwmiller33]

flip over - more practicle/useful as it has the sled to carry all of your gear. if you have a popup, you still need to get a big enough sled to fit all your gear. Also, the popups are much harder to set up, especially if there is any type of wind. I think the flip overs are warmer in general as they tend to have more insulation than the popups. Lastly, flip overs (at least mine) has very comfy seats with great back support which make fishing all day much easier than sitting on a bucket in a popup.

very light tipped rod for panfishing as your line doesn't get tangled/caught in the spring and you don't have to deal with the spring bobber getting iced up

[hamms-scooter]

HT makes one that is a wire style and has a large hoop on the end. I installed this on my jason mitchell 17 inch sight fishing rod mainly to provide the action I wanted with tungsten and plastics. It never freezes up a great option. Marmooska I think its called...

[fishnowworknever]

jwmiller - Not sure why you would sit on a bucket in a pop up? A nice comfortable folding chair works much better.

I've used both and would have to say a flip over is much more convenient if you have gear to pull or if you're moving a lot.

I hate spring bobbers for the exact reason jw mentioned... unless I'm in a nice warm flip over insulated fish house.

[nofishfisherman]

Id prefer a flip over style house for many reasons but the one advantage of the hub style house is that you don't need a truck to get it to and from the lake.

If I were to buy a nice 2-3 person flip over style house I'd also need to go out and buy a truck because I don't own a vehicle that it would fit in.

I also prefer a light tipped rod. Spring bobbers drive me crazy by either icing up or getting my line caught up in it. I might lose an extra fish or two without it but less aggrivation is worth a lost fish.

[Woody Erickson]

Flip-over equals portability. Like already said, the tub is used for hauling equipment and gear is within arms reach away while fishing.

Spring Bobber (St Croix Style). I have retrofitted most all my rods with these. The line doesn't ice it up as easy. The line does not get caught in it as easy.

[Catfish999]

I avoid the spring bobbers myself, but my 86 year old mother loves them. I have gotten into a strange habit, but it has worked for me for about 20 years. I use a light tipped rod and when I see or feel a tap, I lower the rod tip about 6 inches. If the line stays slack, I set the hook. If the line does not stay slack I just resume fishing. I also do a lot of slow down jigging and watching for slack before I set the hook. I can not remember the last time I set the hook on a panfish from a tight line. Not saying it is right or wrong. It just works for me. Good luck!!!!

[hamms-scooter]

I avoid the spring bobbers myself, but my 86 year old mother loves them. I have gotten into a strange habit, but it has worked for me for about 20 years. I use a light tipped rod and when I see or feel a tap, I lower the rod tip about 6 inches. If the line stays slack, I set the hook. If the line does not stay slack I just resume fishing. I also do a lot of slow down jigging and watching for slack before I set the hook. I can not remember the last time I set the hook on a panfish from a tight line. Not saying it is right or wrong. It just works for me. Good luck!!!!

Tightlining is a sweet way to effectively put fish on the ice. I love doing this. Nothing better then lowering the rod tip to see slack line and then nice hookset and your on your way to a good diner.

[Knoc]

Im a flip over guy myself. Seems alot more portable and faster to put up and take down. Plus if the weathers nice, its nice to sit on with the top down until the evening chill.

Im also a setup light with a small bobber guy. Something about watching a bobber go down the hole that gets my rocks off. Ive tried numerous times to get to like a spring bobber since people would suggest Im "missing fish" but its alot less fun to me.