canvas craft northlander spear house question

[BigRoy]

I am going to order a new house next week and am wondering how you guys ( and gals ) handle the 2x4 that splits the house for folding. I had an 8x8 many years ago and had two spear holes, one on each side. I am thinking about ordering a 4x8 for my son and I and the only thing I dont care for is the 2x4 that would be right in the way on my seat. I use a blue seat with the rod holders in the back, I forget the name of it right now. Should I spend the extra 50.00 smakers for an 5x8, or would a 4x8 work? How do you hang your decoys in the northlander? BNS I know you spear out of a northlander-can you offer any insight?

[Central Bassman]

BNS has it set up perfect i think!!! He should have pictures of how we set up his house!!! He just has one big hole on the opposite side of the door and puts his chair in the middle with this feet right nexts to the hole. The CC are awesome houses, you will love it!!!

[bassNspear]

I do have a northlander, and it is by far the best spearing house i have ever owned. The reason i love it so well is becusae the way that it is built, and all the space that you have in the house.

As you can see in this photo, i have cut the hole in the house very big. If you are cutting it with a 9 inch auger, it is 7.5 across and 4.5 down, so its a big hole. I have placed carpet on the floor to help with heat and save the floor. I painted the hole floor and outside with a black oil based paint, so it will save the wood as well.

As far as where i hook up my line and decoy, i drilled a hold in the floor, and made a bracket to place a reel on it. I use P line, and set my drag so if a monster pike or little one comes it and wants to run with it, it wont break, and i can pull it back.

You were talking that you dont like the wood right in the middle of the house, i place a old folding chair over it, and have enough space there for my feet right next to the whole. This way you can place all your equipment on the otherside, knowing that there is no way that it will get to the hole and fall in.

Hope this helps!

[Central Bassman]

A house like that is great for two people, myself and BNS have had a lot of people in that ones and there is always enough room.

[merkman]

I found a used 8 X 8 nothlander last year on some internet list.

I tried it out for the first time last weekend with Huey.

It currently has 2 spear holes (19" X 30") and 2 ice holes (12" X 12") cut into the floor in the following layout.

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I originally wanted to increase the size of the spear holes to 2' X 3' but after using it last weekend I am going to keep it as it is.

I like the fact that I can bring others out spearing with me and we each have our own hole and each person can do what ever they want in thier hole.

A friend of mine has a custom northlander with doors on each side.

That may be nice so you are not crawling over each other when people need to get out.

I thought the board in the center would be a big pain in the ????.

It really wasn't a pain at all last weekend.

It kinda divides the house up nice actually.

I would get some extra poles though if you had the option.

You could then brace the sides and top a little more (not that it is needed) but it would be nice and it gives you a place to hang the decoy line right above the hole too.

Huey what did you think of the house?

[merkman]

If you are concerned about the 1 bys sticking up in the center of the house and you are going to make your own floor then just use a double hinge design and the floor will fold flat.

The side 1 bys may not be as strong but I would think you can brace them up at the ends (or bolt a scap 1 by on to them (with studs and wing nuts) when it is folded out) and they would be just as strong as boxing it in.

[Huey]

Merk- Your 8x8 was a great set up for 2 people spearing. It's like you each have your own spear house but with a shared roof. Plenty of space for each person and the spear holes were far enough apart that didn't seem like you were interferring with each other, but your close enough to see when a fish did come in on the other guy's decoy. It's an awesome set-up.

Big Roy- I'd get the 5X8. Just so you and you son have a little extra room. A 5x8 is wide enough that you could comfortably sit side by side while watching the spear hole on one end. You could get folding chairs or something that you could set up over the 2x4's.

My $.02, Huey

[merkman]

The $50 extra for the 5X8 is worth it.

I do like the point B&S made about the wood keeping things out of the hole.

[bassNspear]

ya, thats what its all about. I dont have to worry about it at all. Everyone is goign to have there likes and dislikes, thats nothing new!

[BigRoy]

I am going to order up the 5x8 as a kit, I wonder if they would build one for me with the nor pro fabric turned inside out? I would have to paint a orange line around it so I wouldnt get wacked by a snowmobile. HMMMMMMMM. Black on the inside white on the outside-think it would work? Thanks for the pictures BNS and the nice cad drawing ) merkman-thats alot of key strokes!