Fatfish 9416 v. Bigfoot XL6000?

[401TE]

I own a FatFish 949, and love it aside from having to fix a couple poles/hubs this year. Some buddies and I are considering buying a 9416 or XL6000 instead of using resort houses up on LOTW. Anyone have firsthand experience with these houses? Anything I should know? One better than the other? Durable? Tough to get warm when it's cold? Bring a snowblower with so you don't have to shovel?

Thanks!

Chris

[TruthWalleyes]

I spent 14 nights in my quickfish 3 non insulated hub house this last winter. Basically every weekend from january to end of feb 3-5 days at a time on Mille Lacs. Including a day with 50mph winds and waaayyy below zero wind chill.

Few things you'll learn doing that.

#1, you need a fan to blow heat down. Get a cealing fan like clam has. This also helps to reduce moisture and dripping...which you'll find to be a huge annoyance when spending a few days/nights in your portable.

#2, I will run a sunflower on high in cold temps...sometimes that's not enough. That's extreme cold, but that's what your dealing with on LOW. I even had some of that insulating materials (Can't think of the name but it is what most people use to insulate thier portables) and that makes only a slight difference in temperatures.

#3, A way to sleep. A cot or zero gravity chair works great.

I bought the 6000T (I believe it was called "Command Post" then) last year, clam sent me the non insulated version. I brought it up to mille lacs the last weekend without even checking it and once i set it up i realized it wasn't insulated. I was very disappointed with the amount of venting. I had a new death experience that weekend with CO poisioning. Once i got the replacement insulated version I measured it and it was 6" narrower than the specs...Clam wouldn't budge, i returned it. I found that when i setup a cot, there wasn't much room side to side and i wanted that extra 6".

I just got the BigFootXL4000T in the mail wednesday last week. That will be my new shelter on the ice for long weekend.

I know Clam doesn't offer that size house in insulated (WHY I DON"T KNOW) and i don't think eskimo does either. I'd stick with something insulated.

Now, that whole post might have been a waste of time because maybe you were just talking about staying in a hotel and using this as a portable during the day...But then you would miss out on the pout!

[Corey Bechtold]

Maybe take a quick look at this model...

http://catalog.clamoutdoors.com/plog-con...-14_page_13.jpg

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

[Brad B]

one thing that has changed with the XL6000 this year is that Clam added the thermal roof to it. the sides are still not thermal. the XL6000 is 8 feet by 14 feet and the command post is only 6 feet by 12 feet. command post did come in both full thermal and non thermal. It appear Clam discontinued the command post this year and is pushing the Bigfoot XL series and the new 5 sided full thermal Jason Mitchell hub house.

[walleye 4 me]

#1, you need a fan to blow heat down. Get a cealing fan like clam has. This also helps to reduce moisture and dripping...which you'll find to be a huge annoyance when spending a few days/nights in your portable.

save your money. I have a bigfoot 4000 and i use a computer fan (got it free from our IT guy at work) with a switch for 3 speed settings that i used some wire to hang from the ceiling and run off a vexilar battery. works great!

[401TE]

I should have been more specific, we're going to use the house in lieu of day houses on LOTW. Only using it to fish out of during the day. Anyone have personal experience with the 9416?