Fish Trap or Otter

[theonz]

I am still having trouble deciding between the Otter lodge and the Fish Trap Yukon. Any comments will be much appreciated.

[Duffer]

i cant compare them because i have never owned a otter but i have a yukon and love it i also have heard alot of good things about the otter lodges.

[Corey Bechtold]

You owe it to yourself to check out Polar Sport at:

www.polarsport.com

Also take a look at their Nordic line too. These are awesome houses!

Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions.

Corey Bechtold

[Pete Riola]

I have an Otter. They're tougher, more comfortable, the fabric is thicker than the Voyaguer I had and I love the square tubing.

[Dan Wood]

I fish out of an Otter Lodge. They are very nice units. They aren't cheap, but you get what you pay for. The Otters are top quality, they use thicker canvas and nice heavy duty sleds that will last years. Some manufacturers skimp a bit to keep the cost down.

[jlm]

I would have to agree, the Otter houses are the top of the line on the market right now. I have tried going cheaper and have been disappointed time after time. After fishing out of a few friends Otters and using them pretty often, that is the only way I will go. I am picking my new one up this weekend (I hope). Spend the extra cash, its well worth it to make your fishing experiences much better. Just my 2 cents!

[mamohr686]

Both are faily large houses. My decision would be based on if your going to pull a lot. The otter has a heavier sled and is made for dragging. The fish trap has a weight advantage. It will be much easier to fish by yourself with the lighter weight house but you will need a hyfax kit if you plan to pull it at all. The otter also seals out the wind slighly better and thay may be also a consideration. Both are good houses and it comes down to your fishing style.

[danny berg]

I own a Fish Trap and my buddy owns the Otter, To tell you the truth I don't think there is much of a difference. Maybe the weight of each is different.. They are both good fishhouses in my opinion and you can't go wrong with either.

[muchowja]

I was going to buy an otter but then I looked at the new fishtraps. They are much improved over last years model. Comfortable adjustable seats, rod storage and beverage holders all come with it. Just assemble and fish. Plus it's less expensive than a comparable otter or polar sport. The seats are what sold me on the trap though. Otter's bench seat is also very comfy but you have to shell out an extra 150 for one. The fishtrap is a little easier to put up and take down by yourself. The otters have tougher sleds and a canvas tent while the fishtrap has a ripstop nylon tent. If you tow either a lot you should put hyfax on each so that is a wash. The fishtrap voyager,not the yukon, is the same size as the lodge. Whichever you choose I'm sure you'll be happy. Good luck

[Rainman]

I have owned both and LOVE the otter! Nuff said!

[Ray Esboldt]

I've owned both. For construction and durability qualities I would pick the Otter. The showroom price is not that much different. The Fish Traps do have a few more bells and whistles.

So, if you're an equipment abuser or you tow your house behind an ATV or snowmobile, pick the Otter.

[hanson]

I don't think you'll regret either purchase. Anything is better than sitting on a bucket.

But, I prefer the Otter houses myself. I've used an Otter Den 1 man house for the last 3 years and will be using an Otter Lodge in addition to my Den this winter. They have a great product line that keeps getting better.

[Ryan_V]

I agree with all the glowing recommendations about the otter!!! that being said, I bought a fish trap voyager. I like that it is lighter weight due to the amount of fishing I do before I can take my four wheeler. Was a better buy, but like everyone said, the otters are very very high quality, rugged units!! but it is harder to pull them by hand and load them alone into a vehicle.

[Bruce Mosher]

I have an Otter Lodge all decked out. It's Perfect for high speed cruising (behind the snowmobile) across LOW. I bought a sled mate that fits perfectly inside of my Otter. It keeps everything organized. I like it! The Fish Traps are very nice too. Great for first ice, Light Weight etc. Everything has it's place! Bruce Mosher

[andy j]

I think your main decided points should be if you are going to pull by hand go with the fishtrap, if you are going to pull with snowmobile or ATV go with the otter. The otter lodge is to heavy to pull by hand in the snow. They have beefed up the sleds on the Voyagor and the new yukon, not as durable as otters but better then before. The otters quality is nice but very pricy.

[ds]

The only thing I hate about the Otter is the fabric rips right away. A couple of my buddies have one nice sleds but the fabric got about 5 holes in it the first time out. They have along way to go on that end.

[trapperdirk]

5 rips the first time out ? Geesh , sounds like a chainsaw massacre not icefishing . Do tell more because this is the first I ever heard anything but how tough they are and going by the Otter small sleigh I own I would think their canvass would be the same .I want to add the tent to my sleigh .

TD

[Hammer-Smites]

I have the Otter Magnum and I fished with 3 guys last weekend on LOW that all have Fishtraps. The ice was rough and tough on the sleds. Before the weekend was over, all three Fishtraps had holes worn in their sleds. Two of the guys were filling their sleds with snow on the way out fishing because of the holes.

As far as canvas durability on the Otter as mentioned above, I have abused mine quite often and have fished in 50 mph winds. There are absolutely no signs of wear in my canvas.

If you plan to pull long distances or in rough terrain (rough ice or across roads or islands), I would highly recommend spending the extra fifty bucks on a set of hifax runners.

Go with the Otter.

[Big Sky]

Found this site last year. Read all the comparisons myself on these 2 houses. In the end, I purchased the Otter. However, I too had immediate problems with ripping on my tarp. A couple of the problems were caused by me, however, all the talk about great skins, left me really dissappointed. Other than that, the house is everything you read about. Durable, heavy , and comfortable. I pull with an ATV so weight was not an issue. Just very bummed about the rips. I hope this lasts me cuz I spent a lot on it.

[Northlander]

I have owned quite a few houses and seen every house made. Otters skins are as good if not better than any others made. I had a older 1 man and that skin was bulletproof. Im assuming the skin on my new Lodge will be just as good.

I fished out of my friends polar sport tonight and I was impressed withe their skins as well as the sturdiness in the wind.

[bigminnow]

I was just in your shoes, however I just picked up the Fish Trap Voyager. I was so torn between the fish trap and the otter that I went to Fleet and Farm everyday on lunch to try to make up my mind. I really think they are a horse apiece. I think the Otter tub is the best on the market, and would be the way to go if you plan on pulling from a slede or 4 wheeler ( b/c they are heavy). I am not planning on doing that so I opted for the Fish Trap (very happy with it), Which I think has better seats for the '05 models. Bottomline You can't go wrong with either one.

Bigminnow

[TRDtom69]

I have a Otter, and am very pleased. This is my third year with it with no problems. I have had it out in very strong winds (don't unhook it from the wheeler kind) and it worked just great. Would forsure buy again!

[walleyedan]

If you haven't made your purchase yet, I would suggest looking at the Eskimo line as well. I have the Grand Caravan and it is a beauty!!

Walleyedan

[anyfishwilldo]

I bought the Fish Trap Yukon. I love it. Only one thing I would change if I had my say; larger zipper.

[hanson]

I just picked up my Otter Lodge on Friday and have been working feverishly putting it together and doing some customizations similar to the one I did on my Otter Den.

-Started off putting the hyfax on. I thought it would be tricky but didn't take much time at all with 2 people.

-Assembled the frame without a hitch. The new square tubing and the brackets that attach it to the tub are real slick. Otter has definitely improved these brackets since I bought my Den 3 years ago.

-The canvas went on smoothly also. All I can say is the new Trim-Lock system is awesome! Way better than the old way of drilling holes through the canvas and using those black push darts to hold the canvas to the sled. Thumbs up on this system!

-Then I mounted 2 of Otters rod holders to the brackets on the ends. The brackets are now coming predrilled with the holes to mount the rod holders. Slick! Last time, I had to drill my own holes.

-The majority of the weekend went into fabricating a plywood insert to fit inside the Otter Tub. I picked up a new Frabill Min-O-Life Magnum minnow bucket to use for this sled. It works perfectly between my 2 swivel seats! There is more than enough room in my 'insert' to carry 2 flashers, camera, propane tank, buddy heater & heater/cooker w/ hoses, minnow bucket, tackle boxes, rod bags, and a small cooler with lunch.

It will be awhile before there are any pictures of this mod. I actually plan to field test it for half of the winter or so, and then I'll finish it off with marine carpeting once I have it working the way I want.