What Mods have you made to your portable?

[NotoriousBLM]

Just looking for some ideas...

[IceC]

So far... I have made a few improvements to my Pro

I have added a reflective emergency blanket to the ceiling to help reflect light and hold in alittle heat

I replaced the seat with a cushioned boat seat.I mounted the brackets that come on the Fish Trap seat, to the swivel on the boat seat. This way, I can install and use the seat(slide it or flip it up) like the original.Plus it swivels now and is much more comfortable.

I am currently working on a foam-lined basket that will be mounted to the tub and snuggly hold my Marcum.I'm thinking the foam will take some of shock out of the ride and further protect my investment

I'm also working on a mounted lighting system that will run through an on/off switch and a vex battery that will sit in the foam basket also. Havent gotten very far on this one yet

I think I have a little too much time on my hands LOL

I'm sure the list will grow

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Have an Ice day

[IceC]

I also made a compartment for my heater and propane tank to hold them in place while moving.

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Have an Ice day

[Guest]

For my old Fish Trap II, I added a new bench system with carpeted seating. Rod holders. Deadstick holders. And I was in the process of a lighting system but decided to pick up a new portable.

Good Fishin,
Matt

[email protected]

[Guest]

Finding a ice rod Rod holder system that had high flexibility in mounting and use was a challenge. What I found that will cover this is the Driftmaster 3/8 Li'l Duo.

The Driftmaster Li'l Duo is A two-position
rod holder when at a flat mount installation Holds rod at 0 or 30 angle.

What you want to do for a FISH TRAP/conduit frame shack installation is to add the rail clamp mounts that will easily clamp onto any conduit in any shack.

Round Rail Clamp Base - Two models available for either 7/8" or 1" round rails. Rod angle can easily be adjusted by loosening one nut and turning base on rail. All Hardware is included with the base.

When you add this Round Rail Clamp Base you gain unlimited angles and choice of placement for the rod holders.

A simple twist of the wing nut and your ready to set it where you need it, another twist and it is rock solid. I use the prepackaged stainless steel nut and washer on one side, and replace the apposing nut with a wing nut. This makes the rod holders easy to adjust in the cold or with gloves on. They won't slip. You can flip them out of the way easily when not needed or when storing for trips.

This system is Very handy for dead sticking any species of fish. The rods are easy to remove when you have a hit. The rods sit securely in the holders and you have no fear of rod loss. They will not break in the cold, or heat, or whatever...they are seriously tough units! They are fully guaranteed for life, no questions asked.

I use Driftmasters exclusively on my catfish/walleye guide rigs and I have NEVER lost a rod to a fish. Once I found the new Driftmaster Round Rail Clamp Base's I fast added them to the ice shacks. Works great!

OH, Driftmaster also has a nifty lantern holder that will adapt to this clamp base. No more tarp burn Eh. Or busted mantles from knocking over the lantern while running for that tip-up.

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Ed Carlson

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 10-11-2003).]

[Guest]

I just got a new Fish Trap Pro this morning. Very nice and I plan on adding a few mods. I'll let you know what I do.

Good Fishin,
Matt

[email protected]

[mrclean]

Hey Backwater,can you pick those accesories at any sporting goods store or order on line.

thanxs in advanced
Lance

[Guest]

I just added a set of rod holder protective tubes to my Fish Trap Pro. Also added a carpeted shelf/table. Starting to turn out real nice. Can't wait until I add the lighting system and finish the rod storage.

Good Fishin,
Matt

[email protected]

[This message has been edited by MJ5 (edited 10-19-2003).]

[Guest]

Mrclean many stores do handle Driftmasters but ordering direct by mail or on line would be quickest. The rail clamps I mentioned are used in the T-Bar rod holder system. If you can use that you may be best off to get that and use the components for both seasons. That way you get more bang for your buck. The T-Bar is A very handy system for trolling boards, panfishing, drifting rigs, or catfishing. You can set up a heck of a spread from one location with only one T-bar. Add two on the boat and your really covering Boo-Koo water.

Driftmaster T-Bar

Fully adjustable for fishing multiple rods.
(2 rods on the 9" T-Bar and 4 rods on the 18" T-Bar)

Full horizontal and vertical adjustment.

Stem-lock sprocket locks T-Bar base in 12 horizontal positions.

Pictured above with the 45deg rod holders. You can order them with the little duo's at the same cost as a package. The 45 is good but I like the little duo's better personally.

www.Driftmaster.com

Tell Cal at Driftmaster Backwater Eddy sent ya.

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Ed Carlson

Backwater Guiding

"ED on the RED"

><,sUMo,>

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 10-19-2003).]

[Guest]

In my Fish Trap Pro, I replaced the origonal seat with a padded boat seat. Not the heavy duty ones but the plastic ones with bottom and back padding. Very nice and very light weight too. I took the same attachments that were on the origonal seat and added them to the boat seat so the new seat can still come off. Works great!

Good Fishin,
Matt

[email protected]

[EBass]

I have the way tiny fish trap scout. The only mod that it has now is a boat seat so I can swivel and sit back which is way better than the carpet on a board that it came with.(it's just mounted on the board)

I'm going to add some PVC pipes and fill them with sand to help stop the wind. (Since I don't have a zipper door, only flip top)

One Q that I have for you modifiers is that I want to add a little vent or window so to speak. Has anyone did this and what did you do and do you like it? Like velcro vs zippers, just an opening or some type of screen? Just wondering.. Thanks

[Guest]

EBASS I found that pipes and boards get in the way on the draft curtain when you fold them. Boards get soggy and rot the tarp too.

What I did is add a light metal or plastic chain into the bottom drop curtain channel. Then tack it into place every 8" with some FireLine so the chain stays in place.

The chain holds the flap tight to the ice/snow and folds up better. You get less wind noise too, less flapping in the breeze.

When ice builds up on the flap bottom you just give it a shake and the ice pops free.

A cheap and effective fix for sloppy drop curtains.

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Ed Carlson

Backwater Guiding

"ED on the RED"

><,sUMo,>

[EBass]

Ah I see! That makes sense. Thanks for the tip Ed. I'll get some chain and big sewing needle, but plastic?

Ever make a little window w/flap?

[Guest]

Yup, some hardware stores have plastic or nylon chain in heavier gages. As long as it has enough weight to hold the flap down it will work. Ya don't need a log chain in there to tote around but you do need some weight.

I used a large curved leather needle to do the tacking of the chain. Old heavy FireLine or PowerPro line is easy to work with and will not rot away like common thread.

I tacked the corners together too. My last Fish-Trap had an extra corner flap that functioned well to tie the two corners together more tightly.

You should notice the whole tarp is much tighter when your done.

Yup I made a couple of windows in my traps. One with a very hot lantern and the other with a very sharp ice auger without the blade protector on...neither were intentional.

If I was ever thinking on adding a window I would let a tarp specialist do it, way too much sewing for this guy Eh.

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Ed Carlson

Backwater Guiding

"ED on the RED"

><,sUMo,>

[This message has been edited by Backwater Eddy (edited 10-23-2003).]

[Melon]

I've got an Otter Lodge. I took a peice of remnant carpet and cut it the size of the exposed ice inside the shelter. I then took the cover of my 8" auger and used it as a template to cut 4 holes, one at each corner of the carpet. It helps to insulate against the ice a little and prevents puddles from forming under the heater head.

I could use some other ideas about keeping the house warm. I'm going to try the Reflective Blanket on the roof... I seam to lose a lot of heat that way!

Thanks for all the great ideas to improve on an already terrific product!

[This message has been edited by Melon (edited 10-23-2003).]

[EBass]

melon,
Are you using the same stuff as what's used to wrap up water heaters? It sounds like you are. That will help. My friend has some fold up shack and actually sewed that reflective stuff on one side. Then has sheets that he places on the roof and some goes on the rest of the sides. He has a lot but it really helps on those cold windy days.

[irvingdog]

I think Melon is using the same stuff I've used for years. At most sporting goods stores, you can get emergency blankets with poly-plastic on one side and foil on the other. I put foil duct-tape on the parts where the straps need to pass through(reinforcement), and cut through it with a soldering pencil. With the foil side down, it bounces back down heat and light. It works amazingly well. Plus, it folds up with the canvas top.

[IceC]

EBASS,

You can find the foil emergency blankets in the camping dept of most stores.There are usually 2 different styles. 1 is just foil and cost about $2-3.The 2nd has 10-12oz of insulation and is about $8-10. Get the 2nd one and place reflective side down.

Make sure to get 1 that looks like chrome on the reflective side. I have seen emergency blankets that are dull looking and wouldnt reflect light well.

Good Luck!

IceC

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Have an Ice day

[Melon]

I haven't put it in place yet but I am going to use the emergency blanket that IceC pointed out. I've heard it works great. Lite weight and folds into the canvas.

[slick2526]

Is it possible to get your hands on just some sheets of plastic? I dont think I have ever seen anyone ask this question. Im think of building my own plastic box towards the back of my ultra-lite. Im going to buys som fanfold(sp?) Also to insulate my house. The next question is does menards or etc. carry a clamp-on headlight? If so would it also be possible to get a dimmer switch that could handle the cold? Thanks fur the time

[FrostyFisherman]

You guys seem very knowledgable on these portable shelters, I was wanting to purchase a new Fish trap pro but can't find any local stores carrying them for months yet. Any suggestions? Most catalog houses will not ship from one state to another because of shipping costs.

[Guest]

FrostyFisherman if you have a Mills Fleet Farm in your neck of the woods check them out. You should be able to see several makes & models and compare them while they are set up. Fleet Farm in the past has handled Traps, Frabill, Otter's, and a few others.

But be Careful, Fleet Farm is a dangerous place on pay day!

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Ed Carlson

Backwater Guiding

"ED on the RED"

><,sUMo,>

[Guest]

FrostyFisherman,

Welcome to Fishing Minnesota!

There are 12 Gander Mountains in Michigan as well. All of them should carry Fish Trap Pros. Sometimes smaller tackle/bait shops will have them too.

Just a few more options for you.

Good Fishin,
Matt

[email protected]

[Scenic]

FrostyFisherman.

Drop me an email. I can arrange to have one shipped out of state.

Jeff
Scenic Tackle
[email protected]

[CNY Tim]

First thing I did when I got my FT Pro was mount kids downhill ski's on top of the runners. Protect your investment by adding protection. They track nice and straight behind a quad or snowmobile and prolong the life of your plastic sled bases. Most of the time I walk so before I even hit the ice with it I ripped out all the seat hardware and bench to lighten my load and replaced it with a padded top coleman cooler 40 qt. for dry storage. I can store every thing I need in there LX-3 or FL-18, heater, tackle, lunch, thermos, etc. 6 gallon bucket for my rods which are inside a croxton pond bag for protection and another 6 gallon bucket for fish.