For one man pulling by hand..Fish Trap Pro or Scout?

[Guest]

I've seen some good deals on Fish Traps and I'm in the market for one. I will always be fishing alone with this shelter and always pulling it by hand. Is the Scout claustrophobic? Or would it be worth it to shave off 10lbs. of weight? I'll be hauling this shelter all over the lake on foot. I'm leaning toward the Pro and just being careful not to take too much with me. Most of my weight will be powerauger, vex, poles, tackle box. This shelter must be haulable through a foot or two of snow, as these conditions prevail for sometimes a good part of the season where I live. Any thoughts appreciated.

[Steve Foss]

I haul a Fish Trap II by hand, with heater, tackle inside and 3 HP auger (and sometimes a gas can) on top. For me, the space is a big deal. I do get slightly claustrophobic in the smaller traps, and I like the space between two holes inside the Trap II gives. The auger is by far the heaviest piece of gear, so if you're hauling an auger as you say, 10 pounds weight difference on the trap's not a big deal, unless you're in poor health. If you plan to haul through as much as 2 feet of snow, I'd guess you're pretty healthy. However, none of the traps I've seen pull that well through heavy snow. With auger weight, etc., they sink into thick snow instead of riding on it. I saw one guy who'd mounted downhill skis on the trap's bottom, and he was riding high when all the rest were sinking in. Sounds like a great idea. If a person drills countersunk holes up from the bottom of the skis into the trap and puts roundtop bolts through from the bottom, fastened by nuts/washers in the trap, that'd work without creating more drag. I'll probably do that for next year. Or a guy could lay out a lot of money for a four-wheeler and/or snowmobile. Cheap used skis are WAY easier on the budget.

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Steve ([email protected])

[This message has been edited by stfcatfish (edited 02-18-2002).]

[rap]

i have a fish trap guide i haul around with heater, auger, and other gear. i can pull it pretty easily...

[Steve Foss]

Forgot to mention. One way I've cheated deep snow while pulling by hand is to find a snowmobile trail, even if it's only from one or two sleds. They can be packed down OK.

[hydro]

I have a sled made from an old pair of downhill skiis that my clam style house rides on. I can pull this through stuff that would kill me dead trying to pull the plastic house by itself. The sled is raised about six inches for snow clearance and I clean and wax the skiis periodically. I also have a box that sits atop the house that all of my gear rides in. I recommend this concept to anyone who is trying to pull any weight over distance, especially through snow.

Ps. Another trick is to wear snowshoes with ice cleats to increase your traction. It's much easier to walk through snow and when you hit ice, the cleats dig in.

[jigmeister]

I have both of these traps and the Pro is definetly the way to go. The scout is a tight fit for even a medium sized guy. The Pro has more room, the seat is a lot more comfortable, and the walk out door is nice at times. Just an all around better built trap.

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<Go Fish>

[Guest]

I think I'll go with the Pro. Obviously on days with really deep snow I won't be going as far and wide as usual- no matter which trap I got. Rigging up some kind of skis for it is something I'll definitely experiment with.

[dlskills]

hey backwater.. I bought the pro and i fish alone.. i pull the trap and have my old jiffy and a stove and gas tank and some times i have a battery in a case for lights..they took the trap scout and turned the sled sideways and made the pro.. I have had a clam and a mankato and they are a pain but i can go anywhere with this settup its light enough to climb over the snow..
thanks, dwight