When you want to stay on top of fish, and yet keep that degree of comfort on extremely cold days, then the flip over style shelters are the way to go. I have been using Clam Fish Traps for years, but ice anglers have many options from various companies to choose from these days. Just to start things off though, today I will focus on the Fish Trap style shelter which was pioneered by Dave Genz.
There are several choices available from Clam in their original Fish Trap, and then their X-series of flip overs. The smallest and lightest weight Trap is the Scout. The Scout is the ideal sight fishing shelter. Lightweight, easy to set up with no poles to extend. Position over your hole, throw down the top and start fishing.
Next up is the Pro, which is similar to the Scout in size and weight since it is built on top of the same sled base. Rigged differently the Pro gives you more elbow room side to side. I have two of these models, one 9 yrs old and the other 5 yrs old. They were engineered slightly different, but still give the bigger guys a little more room to move around inside. Once you extend your poles and flip, you are ready to fish.
The Fish Trap Guide to me is the ultimate lightweight one person shanty, even though its built for 2 folks to use. If you are the kind of angler who wants all the comforts of home; gear, room and warmth, you can do it all in the Guide.
Next up is the Yukon, call it a high rise because of the height of the sled base. It gives you lots of room to stretch the legs and the sturdiest sled in the lineup. A roomy two person flip, the Yukon offers the most comfort for two on the move.
Last up for today is the Fish Trap Voyager, the three person flip in the “lightweight series” . Room for three, the Voyager offers the chance for you to fish in comfort with two or three of your best buds while out on the ice. Like the Yukon, this is a definite pull behind an ATV or sled type of shanty.
