what size fish house would be better a 14' or a 16' wheel house

[wheelerboy920]

I'm looking to buy a new preformace engineering fish house but I'm having troble to figure out what would be the best size to go with you know?

[Scott Stein]

kinda of like a garage,it will never be big enough! haha id say 16 buddy of mine has a 17 and its perfect,cousin has a 14 and it seems to get a little cramped just my 2 cents

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

Depending on layout, I'd say 14' would be good for 3 guys, possibly 4. The 16', again depending on layout, would be good for 4 guys, and you could possibly squeeze in a 5th.

[The Donk]

Depends on how wide it is... a 8X18 that we rent from time to time is perfect for 4 guys... and my buddy has a 6 1/2 x 16 and that is cramped for 3 guys

[Sandmannd]

I would say go as big as you can afford. Will a 14 get your by? Sure it will, but you may wish you had that extra two feet sometime.

[AlwysFshn]

A basic economic principle is that more is preferred. An example, I can give you two super bowl tickets or three. What do you choose? Go for the 16' house!

[The_Duckslayer]

Unless you are trying to get it into a small storage shed you can NEVER have a fish house that is too big? Just like a boat... garage... outhouse :-) Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[SM1]

16' Always more comfort with more room.

[BuckKiller]

Hi Johnny,

I would say it depends on what your planning on putting in it and the layout. Keep in mind the weight, although im not sure if 2 feet will make that much of a differance. Also factor in your hole position. It will prolly just be you and your dad fishing... maybe one more.

Just my opinion, see you on the ice.

[JeffB]

Depends on your fishing style. If you cook in the house or ever play a game of cards go for the bigger one. If your always a 2 man run and gun team then maybe the small one. My self I would want the big one and have a sled type portable too.

[backlash 1]

When I built a shed, my dad said you can never build them big enough. Guess what, 2 years later, he was right!!! Same with a fish house.

[Glockwinger]

When I bought my wheelhouse I had to decide if I was going to go 16' or 14' and if I was going to go 6.5 or 8' wide etc. I ended up with a 8 x 16 w/ 3' "V" front. Like others have said, you can never have enough room! I love having all the room. The bigger house does however suck more gas and pulls harder on those long trips to Upper Red!

[vexilareye]

I agree with most saying, "Go as big as you can afford." I have an 8x16 w/3 V front and it has lots of room. If you are going to have kids in the fish house the extra space is a necessity.

[crappiekid]

Several good points but a few words of caution on bigger is better. You need 12 to 14 inches of ice for bigger is better fish houses. This either keeps you off the ice longer or forces you into a portable longer... Also a good point if you "Lake hop" or travel long distances those big houses can kill your pocket book and are hard on the rig. I have an 8 X 16 ice castle with a V front. I got frustrated waiting for thicker Ice and pulling long distances for the weekend so I built a "Scout House" 6.5 X 12. Perfect for what i call hard water trolling. In the front i have a bunk with a dinette. I snuck 6 holes in it. I also hinged a cook top stove in it. The Big house stays up North for the LONG weekend trips and I run all over with the "Scout House". A 6.5 X 14 V house seems to be a compromise..Hope this Helps.

[hoggs222]

I've got a 6.5x12 wheelhouse and it's fine. I wish it was bigger when I bring the dog with. If we leave, we set up her kennel which takes up 1/4th of the fish house, or so it seems. My ideal wheelhouse would be an 8x16 or 8x14 w/a 3' v nose.

[B-man715]

Go big or go home. (right?) I haven't yet invested in an icecastle, but 2 of my friends have. One has a 6.5x16 w/v, and the other 8x16 w/v. Both friends pull them with 1/2 ton pickups (in tow/haul mode). For the little added weight and cost of heating/towing go with a single axle 8x16. It seems to be a happy medium for fishing at home by yourself, or a 4 day trip to LOTW with 3 guys. Good luck and keep them lines tight!

[bak2MN]

I have a 8x18 icecastle with the v front I went big because I have two ids that go with all the time and mine set up with air cond so I use it as a camper in the summer. If you are pulling a 14, 16, 18, or 20 footer around you are still going to eat just as much gas. Dont have your foot in the gas. I pull mine with a Nissan Titan and bet around 12-14 mpg unless a bad head wind.

[bobberal]

Wheerboy,

One thing I can tell you from first hand use is that a 8 foot wide V front pulls better than a flat, but a 6.5 foot V front pulls in my opinion about 35% percent easier than the 8 foot V. I use to have a 8 foot V and now use a 6.5 foot V and if you go with the 6.5, go with the 16 foot long beceause the extra space in length is nice for these 6.5 wides.

[Brade4]

Depends on your fishing style, but I'd go with a 14' vnose. Not sure if your talking v nose. Then you'll have another 2-3 feet for cupboards and what not.

[bisekb]

Im gonna have to say if you can afford the 16 footer go for that one. We first built a 14 and it was nice but just didnt have the storage and space that we wanted. We were fishing 3 guys out of it regularly thought. We definatly upped our standards this year and built an 18 foot v front with a 2 foot bump out in the back, and a 2 foot lofted roof in the back for extra head room on the top bunk. So my opinion if you want something for relaxing and having fun do the larger, if you really want to hit the ice early and fish hard maybe a 12 or 14 would suit u.

[landscaper]

for those of you guys with a 8x16 plus 3 for a V front how many of you are running a Single Axle? and how many are running a Double/tandem Axle??

how many of you guys run a AC in the summer or use your fish house as a Camper

and I will be Buying a frame for my next fish house and wondering which is the best??

[SomethingFishy*]

My house is an 8x20 with the V-Front, tandem axles with brakes, I also have an AC unit for summer use. It pulls just fine with My 1/2 ton Chevy with brake controller. Biggest thing is keep the weight balanced. I also don't speed for both safety and law enforcment reasons. I prefer to stay at 65 MPH down the interstae but it will handle fine at 70. Fully loaded with 2 ATV's and gear we get 9-11 MPG.

[7outof10]

i got a 6 foot wide and 12 long i am trading it in this next year for a biger on i was thinking about 7.5 wide and 16 long but i dont want to go to big becouse i want to pull it up north with out giveing my life saveings to the the gas station

[eyebjim]

I have a 6.5 x 12 and would not consider anything bigger. I can get out on 7-8 inches of ice with the 4 wheeler. I have plenty of room for me and 1 other and it tows easy on the road or thru snow on the lake.

[hoggs222]

Make sure you get one with nice matresses. The beds in mine are 24" wide. Not super comfortable after a few nights in there.

Also, one of the biggest things for me is storage. Once you get all your bags, food, tackle boxes, etc. It can get kinda cluttered. Overhead storage or cupboards are crucial.