Home Forums Fishing Freshwater Ice fishing shelters?

I was on lake ice yesterday in an Eskimo shelter that was half kite.

Anyone have ideas on what is the "best'?

I have an Eskimo Wide One Flip-Over that I am pretty darn happy with. My only complaint is the thickness of the sled, it is a bit thinner than I would like. I placed a Rubbermaid action packer in it and attached the stock seat to it. It provides dry storage.

I use a home made one with a wood floor. Nu wave propane with a chimney. Takes apart fits in a pick up. 4 x 8.

Just about all portable hub type shelters become kites in a strong wind. Even if they are staked well to the ice the hub will pop. In short, on windy days, in the wind, they are all a pain in a rear end (IMHO). I have fished in other shelters that have their own sleds and aluminum poles and they are much better, albeit, heavier.

I should mention that I fish out of a hub style shelter 3 to 4 nights a week catching bait. Portable hub style shelters are the way to go for a number of reasons but they don't play well in the wind.

Jdk, what kind of bait are you trying to catch and how are you going about it? powdr

I spend nights on the Nevada Idaho border. 8 miles from town only person on the reservoir I can see. She is 14 miles long so there may be others out there i don't see. And very very Windy. I built it my self....pretty simple really. If some one wants pics to post I could email em. I don't use photo bucket on orders from the war department. My wife.

Smelt and I have to use hook and line.

I used a hub shelter one day, that was enough. I haven't even sold it, it might be broken after putting it away in the wind. Otter pro 1200xt is the best. I fish alone almost all the time so I have the Cottage. I also have an Otter T600 Lodge that I have used 2 times in 3 years of ownership. You sit in one in a store and you can tell why they cost more. Good luck.

It helps to have snow to put on the snowskirt. This year I am lucky to have enough ice to fish

I'm a fan of the flip up portables over the hub style.

Eskimo just came out with the Evo 1 and 2 hearing good things about them..

Otter and Frabill i like over Clam. Might give that new Eskimo Evo 1 a try. I need a new one man.My Frabill one man has seen better days.

My buddy has an Evo 1 and likes it a lot. I, too, am considering one. His only complaint is it weights about 50 pounds and is a pain in the neck in deep snow and slush.

Hub shelters are ok IF you take the time to put the stakes in and use lines on the pull straps, anchored to stakes or to you snowmobile or four wheeler.

I prefer a flip shelter, as the sled holds all the gear, and ends up inside the shelter when set up, unlike a hub where everything is still outside in the sled after the shelter is up.

When considering a shelter, one important thing to consider is where you will put your heater. Here in MN we need a heater most days. Some of the single person flips have no room for a heater. Three of my friends have different 1 mans. Two of the shelters, and all three of their fishing suits bear wounds from getting too close to the heater. Something to think about!

+1 on the heater in the one mans. Thats half the reason ive kept my Frabill one man for so long its the Ranger model probably 14 yrs old.Lots of room compared to the new ones.

I wish in the sporting good stores they would put heater and a flasher in the shelter to give a guy a clue for room.

Best, no idea, but this is what we use !

Have seen a number of these, this year too.

They are built into a sleigh.



But, boy, are they ever pricey !

Pretty fancy, many here just use a 5 gal. plastic pail salvaged from somewhere. I can't take the cold so well anymore, wind actually, so I have my old Fish Trap rigged so I can have the top half way up for a wind break. Folds down easily when I stand up so I'm not chasing it across the lake.

Then there was the first year I tried ice fishing. Windy day with a two man clam on mostly smooth ice - coulda sold tickets!

They are expensive but they are very high quality. If money was an issue I would have gotten the Clam Legend XL. I fish 2-3 times a week I felt the money was justified. I still do. I haven't used mine since yesterday, I really am happy with it.

Never have I ever had a hankering to fish....that bad.

Lol Reloder. After a couple months of cold weather the blood thickens up and you get sick of sitting inside. The fish are actually very active in winter and large catches are possible. An added bonus is that fish taste better from cold water.