MyFishFinder.com Just like iceshanty but warmer
Very true gamalot. I have a mix of traps and I don't dislike any one of them. Some are better suited for this while others are better suited for that, but they all catch fish!! I've got some Frabill pro-thermals which are the most compact and easiest to carry around, you just drop them in a bucket. They're great for when holes ice up quick as well. Not so great when there is 3' of snow on the ice....hard to see the flag.I also have frabill bigfoot classics, and one of my favorite things about these are that you can usually hear a noise from the metal holder thingy dropping down onto the spring once the flag pops up. The pro-thermals and the bigfoot classics have the added bonus of being able to see if the spool is spinning before you even get to the hole. If it's not spinning you know that it might just be a flase alarm before you even get there. They are solid and hold way more line than I need them to! They are kinda bulky and not as easy to transport though. I've got a bunch of heritage lakers which are all around good. I've done a few mods to them to make them a little better with better hardware, etc. Good tip ups for moderate money, and parts are readily available. Then, there are the Indian Hills!! Not that any of the others that I have are poor quality, but when you hold one of these things in your had you can tell that no corners were cut in making these traps! From the stain, to the rounded edges to the nylon washers on all the bolts they just scream high quality. I don't usually have many wind flag issues, but with the design of the Indian Hills, it is a non issue. If anything I would say that the spools are way overkill!! They're not cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for. Hold one in your hand and you'll know you got a good deal for your money. Also, despite being totally wind proof, the trip mechanism is totally seamless...there is no increased resistance right before the flag trips. I hear that years of trial and error went into the final designs and it shows. Here are some pics I stole from other people on IS to show you guys from outside of new england that haven't heard of them yet. http://indianhillicetraps.com/The white piece that you see below the mechanism slides up and down on the tube and keeps the flag from tripping while in storage/transport.
Whew! Long thread to get through! With my tax return I decided to spend crazy unnecessary money. Jacktraps were on sale at Cabela's, so I bought one. It just came in today. I'm going to try it tomorrow after work.I did notice that the wood is very well varnished and heavy. That split ring design seems as though it will be a pain to set, though. Yeah, I was trying it at work today, inside with unfrozen hands. I'm thinking a modification might be in store. All I've ever had were hand-me-downs....I especially love the ones that don't trip. lolAfter reading many posts about the Jacks, I don't feel so silly about spending $35 on it. Thank you all for the information!
I bought two Beaver Dams last year and have landed a few large pike on them. They work great and are very smooth. I've used a similar plastic HT or Polar and they worked fine. There is a bitof aesthetics involved with the Beaver Dam. Uncle Josh's owns them now, and according to some reviews, don't have as nice a finish as the originals.