Cabin Style VS. Flip-Over STyle Questions--hopefully some answers

[JigginIsLife]

So i was contemplating the laborious battle between getting myself a portable. either the clam trap or like the clam 5600 model. i love the floor plan on the 5600 but the flip over style imseeing a bunch of lately. im not a fan of having that much ice open but I am here looking for pros/cons of each. a couple of questions i would ask you to address for me.

Does that much ice open cool the shack down?

How are your feet while in there?

Does the 5600 model need an additional sled to go under it to pull it?

Does the TRAP style tend to tangle your lines or Aqua View?

Any help would be great

[Bobb-o]

I have the eskimo quickflip, which is the cabin style, but with the way they have the poles set up inside, i can get mine up qicker than my buddy can set up his fishtrap.

[Ryan_V]

I went from a cabin to a flip over and will never go back. everything is in the house, and can stay in the house. with the cabin, had to load everything seperate, get to the ice, take the house out and set it up, put everything inside...fish....take everything out, take house down, put everything in truck.

with the flip over, take it out of the truck, drill holes and fish. when done, flip over and put in truck. much less time comsuming, and more convenient. as for my feet, I went to menards and bought to anti fatigue mats, the thick rubber ones with big holes that people stand on all day. keeps my feet about an inch or 2 off the ice. I also don't notice my fish trap any cooler than my cabin style used to be.

[sparetime]

I have a Fish Trap Guide (I think). Its the one person flip over style that is a little bigger than the base size. Anyway.......

I don't think the open ice is an issue, there really is no insulation value from the plastic floor anyway. On a nice day, flipping the top down and sitting in the sun is great after being cooped up inside.

Like the other poster mentioned. All of the stuff is in the sled when you leave your vehicle and all of it goes back in the trunk or pickup bed when your done. Really slick.

[jigging-matt]

I used to have the Cabelas suitcase style shack and switched to the Clam Voyeaguer last season. Will never go back. Mostly for the same reasons as above. Love having all my gear right there. Never have to load or unload.

Just hook it up to the four wheeler and away you go. Plus the seating on my clam is way more comfortable than any chair was in the old house.(without hauling out a recliner).

[Matt Johnson]

If you're looking to be as portable as possible, then the flip-over model is what you're going to want. Easy to pull around and much easier to set up and take down. The weight is also usually lighter and you can pack/haul things much easier as well with a flip-over house.

The open ice will cool down the shack a little, but not all that bad. Get good heater like a Mr. Buddy or a Mr. Heater and you'll heat up a 2-man flip-over just fine.

My feet are usually fine, even on cold days. A good pair of boots always helps too though. I've never had a real problem with cold feet. I wear Sorel Glaciers.

The 5600 will pull without a sled, but not too well in deeper snow (like 6-7 inches or more). This is because the snow bunches up along the front. The flip-over models will pull much easier in snow because the sled is designed to perform as just that.

As far as tangled lines, I haven't experienced a huge problem with that. I've run 4 lines inside a 2-man flip-over and things have been fine. Sure, it's bound to happen every once in awhile, but I wouldn't let that be the determining factor in your decision.

If you're looking at setting up the portable and staying put for long periods of time, then maybe the 5600 is the way to go. But if you're looking at moving around on and off throughout the day, then the flip-over house is a better choice in my opinion. Mobility can really make or break a day on the ice, and the flip-over style houses allow you to stay mobile...

[Reynolds]

For the past couple of years I have owned a fish trap guide and have absolutely loved it. I could fit all of my equipment including the auger in the sled itself and then throw in the back of my blazer. Towards the end of last year I came across a good deal on a canvas 6x8 suitcase style fish house. So I decided that I would put it to the test. I ended up making a wooden sled to pull it behind my snowmobile for that day. Well, it turned out to be one of the most miserable days of ice fishing I have ever had. I ended up dumping all of my equipment when I heading down the ramp to the lake. I had had the equipment stacked on top of the the folded up suitcase which had no sides of course. When I got out to the lake I setup the house which was an experience in itself. I do know that most other suitcase style fish houses have a much better set-up. I was on top of some crappies for about an hour and then it went cold. So I decided that I want to try another area on the lake. And to me this is where the glaring weakness of a suitcase style comes into play. It has no comparison in the ease of portability versus the flip-over style.

[RAJ]

I have a frabill flip and love it..!!

Like all the other posts, you can throw everything in it and go. With all the options out there, I don't think you'll make a bad choice.

[Farley]

Get the flip over. I take snow and bank it up around the flap that lays on the ice, if there is no snow I use the slushy ice from the holes. Then I use the zippered door to get in and out. I also run a sunflower heater so you only need to turn it on every once in a while for a quick blast of heat, if you bank the house in, that heat will last for a while granted you are not opening the doors.

[IndyEFI500]

I currently have a 5600 and am also debating on getting a flip over instead. No matter what I do, it is always easy to set up and take down in the summer or in the garasge. On the ice it is always another story. I have had many cuts and gashes from trying to get the poles back down. A friend of mine found me a flip over but then told me to back out becasue it didn't have a door. He claims that in the real cold that you will lose all your heat if you need to go out and have to flip up to get out. Makes sense to me.

[Shorelunch]

I started out with the 5600. To me it was always a pain to set up and take down. I got an Otter medium cabin flip over last year - much easier. I'm very impressed with the sled and cabin construction.

[dr_amx]

I have an otter and the only issues that I have had with the heat portion is that the ice will get a bit melty if you stay in one spot for a long time.

[Mr.Seaguar]

I had a 5600 and fished a bunch with a guy who has a Shappell 3000DX. I got two good things to say about those shacks. I sold the 5600 and I never owned the shappell. I use a Frabill Triplex and a Clam one man now. They are great but if I had to buy only one shack, Clam 2 man. Good Luck with your selection. Wind is what really sucks when you have to set up a cabin style. Flip style if its windy it just means you have to point the shack a certain direction.

[Eastwind]

I had a Clam 5x6 for 12 years and it was a great house based on the available designs back when I bought it. This style is tough to set up in a brisk wind, the floors are slippery when wet or when they have loose ice on them and they are not designed to tranport any gear. I now have a large Otter 2 man which is great but, if I had to do it over again, I would get the smaller 2 man. Someday I'm going to be getting elderly and the large two man is a bit heavy for one person alone to get in and out of a truck. I now also own a Frabill one man flip. Problem solved. If I could only have one house, though, I would get an Otter or Clam standard two man house. Also, I have not noticed any difference in the temp at my feet between the flip and the cabin styles.

[bottomdweller]

My two cents, I love both styles. If it was me I would look for used equipment and get both styles. When the wife and I go we take the suitcase. When its just me I take the flip over. Pros and cons for both. Set up is longer with the suitcase the flip over is a little cooler with slush. If you dont move around alot I would suggest a suitcase, I have a mankato and setup takes 5 min and your fishing. Flip over and your very mobile and setup as quick as it takes to drill your holes. Good luck

[wishing for walleyes]

I have an eskimo lodge.It sets up in less than a minute.

[old_school]

Post deleted by old_school

[Sandmannd]

Can I get the plans for your house please? [email protected]

[S.D. Ice Angular]

I had a 6800 for 2 years before I could find someone to finally buy it. It was a pain to transport along with all the equipment. It was very difficult to deal with the wind and any bad weather.

I purchased a Clam Voyager the next day and love it. At the time I bought the Voyager I lived where I knew many more people to fish with so the size was perfect. Now I live near Alex and don’t know anyone with in 70 Miles. I am thinking of buying a much smaller unit so it is easier to manipulate around. With the Voyager, I always set it up with the back to the wind. I made some really nice rope handles on the top part of the sled these also work to anchor the sled / shack when it is very windy. You anchor it down before even erecting the tent portion. After your all set up and fishing minutes later I always go out and drill a hole on the front and the rear of the sled auguring up a large pool of water. This floods the area under the sled and ends up freezing the sled down right to the ice. I love to fish with the door wide open then you can be in the shack and watch your tip-ups and easily react and it seems like you’re in a wind shelter compared to being in a boxed up canvas square.

There is also another benefit to the sled design, you can tow it behind a snowmobile or four-wheeler so easy compared to the cabin type. Then you also have 600 Pound anchor already attached.

Flipover / Sled type the only way from this mans opinion

Good Luck!!!!!

[lookin4fish]

i think the fat lady has sung when it comes to the flipovers. everyone has listed the reasons so i wont repeat them. flip over all the way!

[Captain B.R.K]

Quite a few reasons listed here to support the flip-over vs. in-floor constructed portable fishhouse.

The question was asked about heating both. Many of the manufactors that make the flip-over fishhouses have built in a zipper door to take care of the heat lose issue.

I have owned both types and will never go back to fiddling with pools, snaps, & lining this and that up in below freezin temps. I'll lose a little heat each time I flip my house over vs. dealing with the above. Yea it stinks to lose a little heat, but I see as getting fresh air and pushing myself to get up and explore new areas.

The other thing to with a floor house is that when you dig out your holes, the ice has to be even across the whole thing otherwise your house sits funny on the ice.

Save the hassle, deal with a little heat lose and go with the flip-over style house. You'll be happy you made the change.