how heavy is your trap?

[robbyt10]

Hi guys I am new to this site (this is my first post!) so im not sure if this is the correct topic for this question so redirect me if need be.

I am starting out fresh.  Got hooked to being out on the ice from a buddy of mine 2 years ago and think its time to start getting some supplies of my own. 

i have a few of the basics however its time to start looking for a shanty.

here is what i got:
full size truck (room is not an issue)
usually go out with 2 sometimes 3 at the most
at this point of time i will be pulling by man power

I am very interested in the otter 2-3 man.  my only concern if the weight (~120 lbs bare) and when i add equitment obv alot more.

SO my big question is how much does your sled weight and is it realistic to think I will be pulling an otter by hand?

Share some stories im anxious to hear!

[Whopper Stopper]

I have an Otter Cabin. Once the ice is 5"-7" I always use a 4 wheeler to pull it out.. Otter is an excellent brand. I also have a 1 man fish trap for early season. I can pull that fully loaded with no problem. It sounds like you are well on your way for equipment. Good luck!

     Welcome to the site!

         WS

[Grumpyoldman]

My sled is about 80-90 lbs. fully loaded.  It's a bugger to pull in the snow.  I hate pulling every ounce, and cut back weight whenever I can.   

[robbyt10]

I started a post in a different section but this might be a better spot for it...


Hi guys I am new to this site (this is my first post!) so im not sure if this is the correct topic for this question so redirect me if need be.

I am starting out fresh.  Got hooked to being out on the ice from a buddy of mine 2 years ago and think its time to start getting some supplies of my own. 

i have a few of the basics however its time to start looking for a shanty.

here is what i got:
full size truck (room is not an issue)
usually go out with 2 sometimes 3 at the most
at this point of time i will be pulling by man power

I am very interested in the otter 2-3 man.  my only concern if the weight (~120 lbs bare) and when i add equitment obv alot more.

SO my big question is how much does your sled weight and is it realistic to think I will be pulling an otter by hand?

Share some stories im anxious to hear!

[Lrains]

Trekker 2 I just pull out one of the seats when fishing alone but at times it's still heavy but love the extra room, not ready to give up space for weight just yet

[coboy]

I've got the Otter Cottage. I don't have the thermal which is listed at 80 lbs. I have to empty mine out to get it in the back of my Toyota Tacoma. With skis mounted on the bottom it helps me
prop it up on the tailgate to lift it in. Without the skis and if you have a full size truck it would be a bit of a crank to get it in unless you're a burly guy, which I'm not. It pulls fine on ice or a little
snow, but sucks with deep snow. If we ever started to get snow as in years past I would probably do a Smitty type sled. Most resevoirs around here won't allow snowmobiles or atv's.

[fishfeind]

I have a clam Yukon emty 80pounds.  5" and over ice I drag it with a 4 wheeler less ice I take a minimum of gear and am not as mobile.  Fully loaded: 11lb propane bottle,  heater, 5 rods, 4 tip ups,tackle, auger, minnow bucket, aireator, lights if night fishing,spud bar, vexilar, way to much to drag! and thats if its only me!! But it is way comfy with 2 guys and all that gear on one of our -40 days.

[BaitBucket]

My personal opinion is to get what is best for YOU.
Dont purchase a 2-3 man to accommodate other people. They are big, heavy, awkward to lift, and a PAIN to drag.

Get the smallest lightest One man that will suit your needs. Its all about weight when your dragging by hand.

This will depend on how big you are.

Some companies I suggest you look into are Shappell and Clam.
Shappell being the first if you can find them in your area.

I looked at them all before purchasing my Clam Trap Trapper. If i could have found a Shappell Rover 1 I probably would have bought that.
But for $150 and having $200 in Dicks gift cards, i couldnt pass up the trapper. Completely empty out of the box assembled it weighed about 27lbs..

If you want some help in narrowing down a choice shoot me a PM. 

[lightningz]

I have to agree with a couple of the prior posts in that the bigger 2-man set ups are heavy and hard to pull by hand. I own a Clam Pro 1-man and it is perfect for me. It has plenty of room for myself and the equipment I use. I have installed Hyfax runners on the bottom to protect the sled and a few mods to accommodate my equipment. The swivel padded seat is quite comfortable and can be easily removed for greater access to the sled. I use the tow rope to help lift it into my pickup truck with ease and with the travel cover I don't have to worry about my equipment. The only drawback to the system is the fact that my gas auger doesn't fit inside the sled and I have to lay it on top of the cover when pulling it on and off the lake.

I also have a 4 wheeler that is set up for the ice and I am presently working on either a tow bar system or rear carrier to be able to take my Clam without any hassle.

[BaitBucket]

Lightning

Check out my home made removable auger mount for flip overs.
Carried my 40lb Jiffy 30 on it.
Only thing i changed that i dont list is i drilled two holes in the tabs on the side holding the auger blade end, for a bungee cord to hold it down. On bumpy terrain it popped out.

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=245196.0

[lightningz]

Thanks for the great idea BB. I like the simplicity of the whole thing as I really didn't want to hack up my sled, but a couple of holes is nothing. Thanks again

[$ignmoney]

Had me wondering so I grabbed the bathroom scale and had at it. I'm 80# on my older 1 man scout that has a lot of mods.  I have a bench with a top that lifts up for storage. I load it it up with all my stuff and no wonder it pulls hard. I don't know what to leave behind?  I need all that stuff!

[BROOKIEGILLY]

get a nice two man I have a yukon, build yourself a smitty sled and put it on top.  and pull it will drag easier than a jet sled across snow or ice

[wipike]

Clam Kenai with no factory seat/brackets; bucket & foam/3 rods/heater/tackle/bait and a 6" hand auger = 52#

It pulls like its 80# though, I swear.  Whatever Clam engineer came up with that sled design should be flogged unconscious with a frozen sheephead - then revived - then beaten again.

Love the space/room, can deal with the weight, hate the pull.  Wish a Rover 1 had been available instead, but not upset with the purchase.

[toofuss]

I have a original gentz trap and a shappell rover 1.5 if I had to choose just one it would be the rover. Windbreak system already built in, larger easier pulling sled and I like the dark canvas and tinted windows in mine. I added a boat seat and swivel along with the clam sled lights mounted to the poles for overhead light. Also added a clam baitwell and soon to add the clam hanging pouch thingy. Another thing about the rover is mine has Velcro on the front of the sled to stick the edges of the skirt to help seal out the wind.

[beeverfishing]

get a nice two man I have a yukon, build yourself a smitty sled and put it on top.  and pull it will drag easier than a jet sled across snow or ice

Great advice !!

[BaitBucket]

get a nice two man I have a yukon, build yourself a smitty sled and put it on top.  and pull it will drag easier than a jet sled across snow or ice

Building a sled form my sleds sled seemed wrong to me.

If your pulling it out by hand, go with the lightest solution possible. Anything else can be modded to your liking.

[fishinnut]

Building a sled form my sleds sled seemed wrong to me.

If your pulling it out by hand, go with the lightest solution possible. Anything else can be modded to your liking.

I here you but those drop down skis attached to the side of the trap look like the best of both worlds.

[Steellord2]

Clam Kenai with no factory seat/brackets; bucket & foam/3 rods/heater/tackle/bait and a 6" hand auger = 52#

It pulls like its 80# though, I swear.  Whatever Clam engineer came up with that sled design should be flogged unconscious with a frozen sheephead - then revived - then beaten again.

Love the space/room, can deal with the weight, hate the pull.  Wish a Rover 1 had been available instead, but not upset with the purchase.

Get a pair of skis and make yourself a "Smitty" sled. It gets the tub off the surface and makes pulling a flip-over shanty a dream.


My version of the "Smitty" sled.


My Kenai out on Lake St. Clair.

[IceCrafty]

Steellord,

Do you happen to have a picture of your sled set up. I am really interested in seeing how that effects the canvas.

[WYIfish]

Get a pair of skis and make yourself a "Smitty" sled. It gets the tub off the surface and makes pulling a flip-over shanty a dream.

(Image removed from quote.)
My version of the "Smitty" sled.

(Image removed from quote.)
My Kenai out on Lake St. Clair.

[WYIfish]

Nice job on your smitty sled.   I love mine so much I am going to give her a pretty name soon. Smittyette?  Either that or Doris.  Your vote.

[$ignmoney]

Smitty sled is the way to go!  I named mine after the great one " smitty "

[briansnat]

I've been seeing a lot of these built using old skis.  I built an ice fishing sled with old skis about ten years ago.  At the time I thought it was quite ingenious of me, but now I see that a lot of people had the same idea.

Anyway, it worked great  most of the time.  The exception was if there was deep snow, when one of the skis would run into the tracks made by my footprints and the entire sled would dump over. 

I guess that could be avoided by building a sled wide enough so both skis ran outside my tracks, but in my case I wanted one that would fit easily in the back of the car I owned when I built it.   But from what I see here a lot of these aren't much wider than my sled.  Anybody else who uses skis have that problem in deep snow?

[fishinnut]

Steellord,

Do you happen to have a picture of your sled set up. I am really interested in seeing how that effects the canvas.

It comes off the sled when you get to your fishing area. On the sled the canvas would be short.

[$ignmoney]

Anyway, it worked great  most of the time.  The exception was if there was deep snow, when one of the skis would run into the tracks made by my footprints and the entire sled would dump over. 
  But from what I see here a lot of these aren't much wider than my sled.  Anybody else who uses skis have that problem in deep snow?

I made mine just for the snow. My scout pulls like a log so up on the skies and its a different world. In the deep snow (less than knee high) it tracks good and haven't had it tip yet. I had it piled up with 2 huts stacked before and it pulled great. My sled is 36" wide

[staggerin]

I have an otter lodge. Love the room, but its like pulling a leads led in snow. Solution, a jiffy that doubles as a ramp to load in the bed of the truck. . Even with a 20 lb tank hand auger grill tip downs rod locker and all the other in necessary things, I can pull better than most 1 man flips now .

[Beeler]

Clam Kenai with no factory seat/brackets; bucket & foam/3 rods/heater/tackle/bait and a 6" hand auger = 52#

It pulls like its 80# though, I swear.  Whatever Clam engineer came up with that sled design should be flogged unconscious with a frozen sheephead - then revived - then beaten again.

Love the space/room, can deal with the weight, hate the pull.  Wish a Rover 1 had been available instead, but not upset with the purchase.

Mount 2 skis under the sled with a 3 inch spacer between the sled and ski........pulls real easy.

[filetandrelease]

  my Smitty was made big enough to also handle my kenai and  my X2 I'm an older guy and no trouble pulling my fully loaded Kenai in deeper snow , and when it is mostly just ice the smitty stays in the truck , that thing sure has saved a lot on the back