Favorite Portables??

[Quackaddict9]

Hey guys- bored here...I am wondering what you guys have for a portable ice house or what you like the best? I have the older Fish Trap III and still use it today and have tried other ice houses such as Shappell, Fish Trap Yukon, Otter flip style, Eskimo QuickFlip III and Clam 5600/6800. I like the Fish Trap Yukon the most of all. Because of easier set up, flip style, pulling it around and the sled box is nice for storage.

So... just wondering what you guys like?

[schweady]

Otter II Medium Cabin

[Neiko]

I have the Eskimo Pro Lodge. I like it because there is plenty of room for 2 people and you are not standing in water like the pull over style houses. I really like the quick pop up poles and the durable canvas.

[tightlines]

Ditto on the Otter II Medium cabin

[AF POL]

I had a Shappell 3000 for about 3 years and likedit somewhat but It was pretty plain and tended to tip all my stuff over when I hit a bumb going out to the honey hole!!

My wonderful wife got me a Fish Trap Yukon last yearfor x-mas. I am in an icemans heaven! It carries all my stuff, It sets up really easy and most of all it has a lot of room in the inside. Trays that hold my other stuff are great too! All in All it is a great shack! It holds two plus if you wnat to put a third in the middle it can happen! I hope I dont sond like a salesman, but it is nice! HEHEHE

[Reynolds]

For the past couple of years I have had a Fish Trap Guide. I think it is a very nice set-up for the most part, but there are a couple of things that I think could be improved. The sled is pretty shallow which in most cases is not a problem, but when there are drifts on the lake it tends to dive into them instead of float across the them. I think it could also benefit from a being a bit taller. You have to bend down significantly to enter the house. Doesn't sound like a big deal but when you have an Aqua-Vu, a Vexilar, and another person in there, it can be a tricky thing to do. It seems to me that the the whole Fish Trap series is a bit short on height when compared to the Otters and Eskimos. I know that you can stand up in an Eskimo or Otter. I am not sure you can stand up in the larger Fish Traps such as the Yukon or Voyager???

I would reccommend the Fish Trap guide to a person that generally fishes by themself. It is very lightweight, so if you don't have a four-wheeler or snowmobile, it can pulled easily with all of your equipment by one person. Plus the added room over the solo houses is nice for all of your equipment. The canvasses are also very durable. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, they are small enough to fit into many of the smaller sized SUV's (i.e. Blazer, Cherokee, Explorer).

I am considering buying an Eskimo Quikflip III for this next year. This past year I started fishing with others more often, so I think the size of this portable would be nice for two or even three people with equipment. I like the fact that you can stand up in this portable.

[SomethingFishy*]

I have an Otter Lodge with 2 of the padded seats, travel cover, and a hyfax kit. I love this thing pulls easily considering the weight with all my gear in it. I have a GMC Yukon Denali that I pull a 4x8 trailer behind, it's easier than trying to lift it into the back of the suv. It's a really nice house, I can stand straight up in it and fish 3 guys with gear, 2 is ultimate with lots of room to move and spread out. It is an easy one man setup. I plan on purchasing a Otter 1 man next year for the trips alone.

[AF POL]

I guess if there was one thing I dont like about the Sled is that it doesnt glide to good on the snow. It sort of digs a little behind the 4 wheeler, if that makes sense.

[wolfman-k]

I finally got to use my Otter double wide yesterday-burr. Once I got the big Buddy going it warmed up real nice. I've got to say, with all the gadgets between my friend & I, we need all the room! We each have flashers, and he has a camera, so having room for extra holes is nice. We each have a 4X6 ft. area to fish when set up. I had to bring the 20lb. propane tank inside yesterday because with the cold weather, it wouldn't work with it outside. I ended up starting the heater with two 1 pounders just to warm the big tank up so it would work. Nice and toasty inside running on medium all day. My Otter is insulated with thinsulate too, so the heat stays in. I hope to make up for a slow start of ice-fishing yet in the next couple of months.

[fishing tech]

I have a Voyager and love It. You have room for everything you need and then some. Room for 3 if you need it.

[Captain B.R.K]

When I fishing by myself, which is almost 99.9% of the time, my Fishtrap Scout is just the ticket. It's light enough to pull through most snow/ice conditions. Plus after drilling a hole, all I have to do is flip the house over and I'm ready to fish. No dealing with pushing the little clips to snap the tubes in place.

If I'm on the ice with a buddy, then I have my Otter Cabin ready to roll with a bench seat. Very roomy and comfortable!

[picksbigwagon]

I have a voyager, and it is an extremely comfortable 1 man although a bit hard to load up in the back of my truck. It will fish three in a pinch as well. Of course I am a big guy so two of fish are pretty comfortable too. I am waiting to find a good deal on a fishtrap pro in the metro area so I can fish solo out of that instead of loading up the voyager too......My wife doesn't think I need two ice houses, and I told her she doesn't need 4 Coach Purses....enough said......

[oil painter]

I have a clam 6800 a little more work setting up but more room can stand up and I have a floor. Ive camped onthe ice in it and wouldnt trade it for any flip over, have built a sled to pull it with and I think it is easier to pull than a flip top jmo

[fishtrapgirl]

My husband and I have a Yukon. We love it! Easy to set up, with plenty of room for us, 2 Vexilars, Aqua Vu, and a Big Buddy Heater. The seats are very comfortable. The beverage console is great for holding all our little "junk" that we need handy. The longer skirt around the bottom does a good job of keeping the cold out. The sled is large enough for carrying everything, even the auger. Hooking it up to the 4-wheeler is a breeze with the hitch. Very, very happy with our Yukon. Also have a Pro that is great for when only one of us is fishing.

[harvey lee]

I have a fish trap voyager and have no reason to change houses.I have had very good luck with this house and have no gripes with it.I would be willing to change if I used one that I thought was better,havent yet.The tarp has been good,poles fine and with all the pulling behind my 4-wheeler,the tub looks very good.A++

[Bobb-o]

If you are looking for a cabin style, nothing beats the eskimos, they set up almost as quickly as the fish traps do.

[mike42075]

I have an eskimo quickflip 2 and I hate it. It works for what I am doing, but I have owned it one year and it is in rough shape. I am a littler rougher with stuff, but this is terrible. I saw an otter, and for the extra $85 I could have had more room, tougher canvas, and a sturdier frame. Spend the extra $1-200 now or you will be buying a new portable in 2 years.

[Catmendo]

This winter I switched over from the Yukon to a FRABILL Ranger Triplex. It's abosolutely amazing, it has state-of- the-art modular seats, three seats in all. The Triplex is 6'-6 inches at center ht. and is a full 72 inches wide on the inside. Fishing three out of this baby isn't an issue!

One of my buddies has dubbed it the "FRABILL Hilton", LOL!

[Shorelunch]

Ditto ditto for the Otter 2 Medium Cabin. It's done me well this year with quite a bit of use.

[jacheesehead]

I just bought a Frabill RangerXLT. Only had it out a couple of times but really like it. Sets up quick, comes down just as quick, seems to pull nicely behind the snowmobile, plenty of room for my son and I. I don't think it would be too comfy with three in it but it could be done if you had the bench seat. Mine has the comfy swivel seats and really was the feature that sold me on this unit. Compared to the homemade unit I was using before, this is really a step up.

[Big D 1]

Ditto on the Triplex

[huntingislife]

I have an Otter Den for when its just me and an Otter Lodge for when 1 or 2 others come along. I love them and would never buy another kind.

[eyehead]

Frabill Ranger

Very light and durable with good cloth that doesn't rip easy. I'm very impressed with it.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

I gotta vote for the Otter cabin for just me and the Lodge for 2. Lots of room for people and gear and tough as nails!

I also have an old WindBlocker that I love when it is just me and the crappies! Needs a new canvas though.

Cliff

[metrojoe]

I've got the Fish Trap Pro. It's a perfect set up for a one man.