flip over houses

[CaptSpike]

Looking at these and saw some old posts was wondering what the 07 opinions were. I'd like a 2-3 man, saw the clam, and frabill has nice seats, also read about the otter here (most expensive). I will need to outfit them with tow bar and travel cover so which one is the best bang for the buck? The otter I looked at was $715 set up like that. Is it true that the otter sleds are that much better?

Thanks,

Spike

[iffwalleyes]

Personally for me yes Otters are a better all around package. The sled is far tougher that any of the others. Which if you are looking at a tow bar I am assuming you plan to tow it. The down fall of the otters are that they are heavy due mainly to the weight of the sled. But I would rather deal with that and have a more durable sled. I have had several otters over the past few years and I don't plan on switching brands anytime soon. One other thing I should mention is that it is a little taller in the center when set up and that is nice for taller people like me that can stand up and stretch without having to stoop over.

[LMITOUT]

I can't speak for the Frabil or Clam, but I really like my Otter Magnum and how it holds up year after year. The canvas is durable and holds heat quite well. It folds up nice and fits in the back of my truck pefect so it has everything that I need. You also get the peace of mind that Otter will stand behind their product if you have any problems and they are located west of the metro area so they are a local company. I had a sticky pole that wouldn't slide like it should and I had one on my doorstep in a day after contacting them.

If you can wait I would suggest checking out all the different sleds at the St Paul ice fishing show. You may even stumble on some VERY good prices.

[harvey lee]

Speaking of flip overs I have had very good luck with my Clam Voyager.I have had it for four or five years and the tub is in very good shape.I tow mine a fair amount and the tub has hyfax.The canvas did get a few holes in it and I could not figure out what happened to it.It was three years old and I called Clam and they sent me a new one.The poles still work well.I have been very happy with this house.

Now,I will also say that I bought a new Otter this year.I cannot tell you about service or durabillity of this house as I have not used it yet.From what I have been told they are a great house.

I hope I am as happy with the Otter as I am with the Voyager.I believe they both make a good quality house and from what I have heard the tub is second to none.

[jigging-matt]

I pull my Clam Voyager with my wheeler and am extremely happy with it.

[SomethingFishy*]

We have 2 Otters, a Lodge and a Cottage. We pull them with our wheelers and they are great. Pulls easy, durable, and Otter stands behind their product. If you wait a bit you will find better deals. Gander sells a package that has everything but the hitch and hyfax. It comes with sled, canvas, 2 cushioned seats, and a cover for a good discount.

[DEADhead]

I have fished out both Otters and Fish Traps. Both are very nice units and you would be happy with both. Here's my take on each of these units.

Fish Trap Yukon: The canvas seemed more durable than the Otters. I liked the doors, windows and ventilation system. You are able to get out the back of the house, not like the Otters. The traplink system seems like a good idea, except you need to fish with someone that has a clam as well, although I like the option of being able to connect if I want to. The built in seats on rails were a nice touch. Sled was pretty tough with the runners on the tubs a little deeper than the otter sleds. Everything for this shelter came in one complete package, sled, seats, house, etc... Definitely a great house for the starter.

Otter Large resort: Bigger than it's Fish Trap equivalent, the Yukon. Since the sled is bigger, you can fit more stuff in it. The older rigid hitches at the time were not as good as the clam ones, but they are about equal now. There seemed to be more material on the wind skirt on the bottom; I don't think this really benefitted the shelter any, as the yukon's was long enough. This just added more material to trip over if you are on bare ice, or have limited snow to cover the skirt. The Otter has a no drill snap system to attach the house to the sled. The sled had lower runners on the bottom; in deep snow the sled didn't seem to track as well as the fish trap. The whole unit seemes heavier than the yukon, even though the brochure says it is 12 lbs. lighter. You need to buy everything seperate for this shelter. This can be looked at two ways, if you are a beginner, this may be a drawback if you are unsure of what you want and are looking for a "complete package". If you are into modifications, this is a bonus, because you are able to pick chairs or bench seats, and there is more freedom to choose what kind of style you want. It is also easier to modify by adding carpeted wood inserts like those seen on the portable modification page. There is definitely more flexibility on the Otter houses for modifications than on the Fish Trap units. The Otters are indeed more expensive than the Fish Traps.

I like my yukon, but I think both shelters have their advantages. The best solution to figure out what you would like is really to fish out of both of them and decide for yourself. If you picked the Otter I wouldn't be surprised.

[cold one sd]

The new Frabill Glide Trax portables look like they are very nice. The sled is heavier duty that it was last year and has built in storage for rods and tackle. I bought an

XL Twin last year and like it a lot. I am putting hyfax runners on it this year because I pull it with an atv. I really like the comfort of the seating system and it has been redesigned for this year also. Look at em all and buy what you like best for your use. One thing that I really like is that on sunny days it almost heats itself. Some days I don't start my heater until the sun is going down.

[TeddyBoy]

I have a Frabill XL-Twin from last year and am very happy with it. It's tall enough to stand in and light enough that I can pull it around by hand. I love the seats too.

I was at Gander in Minnetonka this morning checking out all the new gear. I have to say that the new Fish Trap X looks really nice.