.... The right portable

[rl_sd]

So the new wheel house is done.... But the main purpose was to have something a little more road worthy to explore the lakes in NE Sd and move away from the same to lakes that are close. It is pretty obvious that dad and I are going to have to do some hunting on these new lakes to get the the lay of the land and start finding our own hotspots. In theory, I would like to think that the wheel house will serve as an anchor point and that we won't "set it and sit", especially on the new lakes. I am wonder what your guys thoughts are on the best flip overs to look at. We already have a two man hub house, but it doesn't offer the flexibility of a sled-style flip over. So which ones do you think that I should look at? I am obviously torn between 1 vs 2 man flips primarily because with two singles we can do twice the scouting... Of course if we are going to load up everything (including the wheel house) for a two to three day trip, storage room does become an issue. The other issue is price.... While the wheel house is nice, it did not come cheap. That being said I don't want to buy something that is only going to last a season and be junk. I am not going to use it exclusively, but instead use it to try to get dad, my boys, and myself on fish so that we can move the wheel house in. I am also not against buying used as long as you think it is good quality... So what do you guys think? Looking for makes, models, and possibly production years and the pros and cons that go with it. I know the site is a little slow right now, but those that are left checking the site in July are truly the die-hard hard-water fishermen... Thanks in advance!


P.S. Sorry for the long post.... Nothing good on tv tonight

[Mr.Seaguar]

2 1 man shacks doesn't really work out unless you both have augers, you are stuck going the same places. It's better to have 1 guy who will drill and drill and check with a flasher and have the other guy fishing out of a bigger shack and moving it if the other guy finds some fish.

As far as which flipover, they are all good and getting better. I have Otters for both my one man and my 3 man. I am very happy with them but you have to spend more to get them. Looking back, I am glad I spent more to get exactly what I wanted. Good luck.

[rl_sd]

Thanks Mr. 

Is your 3-man otter a true flip over, or do you need to extend the frame and insert cross bars...etc once you want to stop and fish?

For what it is worth, dad and I have our own augers and atv's but I get what you are saying

[Cfilbert]

The main advice is to go with insulated.  My buddy had an Eskimo quick flip three non insulated.  Certain days it seemed like it was raining inside.

[hardwater diehard]

Couple things ... size matters .. one mans can get quite cramped ..if you like room two man way to go ... also the denier fabric ...my 300 denier Frabill has a lot of wind whip ...annoying at times ... also removable seats...for those days you trek way back into that honey hole ..you can get away with a bucket or an HT sports chair...also the way the seats attach to the tub ...some have unremovable cross bars...and where the bar attaches makes in difficult to store gear as not enough room..talked my self out of shelter cause two buckets wouldn't fit side by side due to a bar.

[rl_sd]

Couple things ... size matters .. one mans can get quite cramped ..if you like room two man way to go ... also the denier fabric ...my 300 denier Frabill has a lot of wind whip ...annoying at times ... also removable seats...for those days you trek way back into that honey hole ..you can get away with a bucket or an HT sports chair...also the way the seats attach to the tub ...some have unremovable cross bars...and where the bar attaches makes in difficult to store gear as not enough room..talked my self out of shelter cause two buckets wouldn't fit side by side due to a bar.

Great info die hard... Much appreciated!

[royjulius]

I'd get a couple of thermal Scouts. I think they are called Scout Pro Thermal. My buddy and I fish that way, he has a Scout and I use a Nanook with only one seat in it. We both have augers but are on foot. We pick out a huge area and split up. Eventually we find something to catch. 

[williev18]

for scouting missions I love my bay runner, once its set up and heat is on its good to go all day, no need to break down to move, and I just leave it hooked to my wheeler or sled to fish so I don't have to anchor. Its says 2 man but its a little cramped with 2 adults. plenty of room for one guy though. I also love it on slushy days because my feet never touch the ice.

[ryan3703]

There is a new line of otter coming out this fall.  Don't know what it will bring but currently have an otter 650 cottage for going out and checking new spots. I have the big foot XL4000T and the Six Pack 1660 mag thermal for my base camp. My next flip over with be the Clam X1 or X2 thermal bigger and a little lighter the otter. maybe the new line of otter will have something that changes my mind. just my 2 cents

[Monovasia]

I use the Shappell Bay Runner...I really like it....room enough for 2, plenty for one, comfortable bench seat, great electronics shelf....easy to pull, easy to set up and take down....nice and warm with my buddy heater...never had it sweat...never feel cramped...

I load it into my 8 ft truck bed no problem....I bought the hyfax kit and I am really glad I did....

[Smax]

 I don't know if this helps but this year I'll be sleeping in a quickfish6 or 949 and using my trusty clam one man flip for chasing. Wish I had a wheelhouse! We so use one man flips for scouting.