Portable Fish Houses

[theonz]

I'm in the market of buying a new portable fish house and I am not to sure about which one. I am looking for a 2-3 man house. I have heard good things about the otter lodge but I don't know to much about the Frabill's. I also heard that the eskimos and clams don't have as good as fabric as the Otter. Also, are the square supports really better than the traditional round ones?

[Koolguie]

The Otter is a great house with having the toughest sled on the market. The canvas is also very hard to tear even if you do somehow punch a hole in it. The canvas locks tight all the way around the sled to prevent wind entering the house. The support bars being square are stronger then tube bars. The seats are sold seperately, and are fairly comfortable, but you have to remove them to move side to side and there is no front to back movement. Frabill is a decent house. With the canvas being black it holds the heat very well but the canvas is nylon and tears if it rubs against something with a hard corner or gets caught under the sled if you are pulling it across pavement. The seats don't have any padding and you have to make sure the back feet are locked in tight to the seat or you will be on the bottom of the sled. In my personal opinion the Fish Trap series from Clam is the best all around house on the market. The canvas is pretty much tear proof even if you somehow manage to punch a hole through it. Also, like the Otter, there is a strip that attaches the canvas to the sled to keep the wind out. The inside of the canvas is made of some kind of insulating material and is grey to help hold in the heat. The seats are padded and very comfortable and move side to side, front to back and swivel. The sled is a good sled but not quite as durable when pulling across pavement as the otter. I hope this helps.

[f1sh1nfool]

I have an otter lodge. I would say that if weight and price are of little concern then i would invest in one. put the hyfax runners on and you will have an investment that will last a long time. I have fished out of fish traps and they are great houses too. they have made alot of improvements to them such as a "D" shaped door instead of the old style. the seats and the way they are put in look to be improved also. I have fished out of the eskimos also, but not any of the recent ones so i can't comment on them too much. I would think that if you purchased a fish trap and put the hyfax runner kit on it you will have a good set up for a little less money than the otter. plus you get seats with it. good luck.

[CrappieJohn]

Polar Sport, another FishingMinnesota.com sponsor, makes the Nordic. I is a larger two man unit. The Nordic package comes with the sled (66+39+11), the canvas house(66+90++72,and features an over sized door, 4 windows,reflective corners, license pocket, side vents, two high-back seats, auger holder, and rope kit for pulling. It also can be fitted with a towbar and full travel cover. To get things real slick you can equip it with hyfax strips by simply screwing them into the handy recesses in the bottom. This unit weighs in at about seventy pounds.

To see more of Polar Sport's product line go to our sponsors and click or go to www.polarsport.com. The company is located in BuffaloMinnesota. Something of note is that they have an unreal warranty....if you tear it, burn it, break it, bend it...you name it....they cover it! And they have a full line of replacement parts on hand at all times. Think I am kidding?....check them out! Ask for Jim.

[sledhead]

I'm with crappie tom, I purchased a Polar sport Last year and could not be happier. I'ts a comfortable 2 man flip over, tight on three becase it's a five foot sled. but im over six feet tall and can stand in it with no problem. I picked it up a thorne bros for 399 for the skin and sled. What is nice if I wanted to upgrade to the dual flip style I could just buy the skin and frame work. It has the round pipes but I stepped On them many times last year and had no bending issue. I do like the new Fishtraps to. If they would have had the new doors last year I would have got that on instead. I Like the otters to and they offer one of the biggest and most durable but Price was a factor. If you get a new fishtrap yukon I think it is, and your buddy has one to you can zip them together and have a heck of a lot of room. Good luck in your choice.

[theonz]

Thanks for the info. I have pretty much narrowed it down between the otter lodge and the Fish trap yukon. Any more comments on these would be great.

CrappieTom, just wondering how long that warranty lasts?

I am also wondering what the hyfax runner kit is. Thanks again for your help and any more would be much appreciated.

[anyfishwilldo]

I just got the yukon. This house is fantastic. The seats that it comes with are by far the most comfortable out there, and they have a quick release on them so it makes it very easy to put an auger under them. Also the house comes with a center counsel, and a rod storage bin. The canvas is extremely tough. When I was at the show, clam was the only company that was willing to give you a piece of canvas with a hole in it to try to rip (I couldn't rip it).

[CrappieJohn]

Theonz....I'm not certain what the deadline is, but I can find out. I'll post tomorrow regarding that.

[CrappieJohn]

Theonz....If you buy the portable, the warranty as stated is for three years.

[hanson]

Theonz-

You definitly narrowed it down to 2 very good houses! I think it is hard to argue against either of them. My personal preference is for the Otter. That is what I've been using for the last few years. In fact, I ordered up a brand new Otter Lodge this year to compliment the Otter Den I've been using for a 1 man house.

I've always said if you plan on pulling the house with a 4 wheeler or snowmobile, get an Otter. The Otter sleds are bulletproof and will take many miles of towing. The new Yukon by Fishtrap is advertised to have an 'extra tough and high-sided sled.' I haven't seen the Yukon in person but if the guys in blue have upgraded the sled, I don't think you can go wrong with a Yukon either.

To answer your question on hyfax. Hyfax are approximately 1" wide 'plastic' strips that are screwed to the bottom of your sled. I can't think of the particular material they are made out of right now. They help your sled slide better and also wear first before the sled bottom itself wears.

[Eastwind]

Hanson,

The look of the Hyfax strips and their intended purpose

(increased wear resistance)would make my educated guess be that they are made of Nylon.

[lucky7]

I just purchased the Fish Trap Guide. just right for two...Great for one. It is light enough to pull by hand and the runner kit makes it perfect. No Matter what there are some great products out there and I think you will find the right fit for you

[theonz]

Thanks for all the info. Tomarrow or wednesday I'm gonna head over to Capra's and Vadus bait to check out both the Otter village and the Fish Trap Yukon.I will probably pull the trigger on buying one of these this wekend. I'll keep you guys posted on my purchase and as always any more coments or problems that you have experienced with these are much appreciated.

Thanks again, ONZ