Any problems with Indian Hill Traps??

[Moosekill]

I am planning on getting a new set of traps and I have been looking at the Indian Hill traps.  I fish mostly for togue and salmon, with a few bass thrown in.  I really like the looks of the Indian Hill traps but I haven't had a chance to use them and I wondered what people who have actually used them thought of them.

Thanks for the help!

[SmellsLikeFishNH]

Ive got Indian Hills, and I absolutely love them. I know what you are saying about the flag not staying in the top of the trap, I think its so that you can turn the spring and flag to get it to pop up the way you want it. I just put a few drops of glue in the hole in the position I wanted the flags in and I have not had the problem since. Ive used them exclusively  for 2 years now, and love them. All of my Heritages are in a box in my garage...junk compared to my Indian Hills.

[swstandring]

I own one set if IH's and just picked up a Nor' Easter to play with this winter.  No issues whatsoever... built like tanks.  Mike's been nothing but helpful and the traps are top notch.  DEFINITELY much better the Heritage's.  I've never had the chance to compare to Beaverdam's or Jacks to I cannot help you there..

[Mainedog]

After further consideration I realize my comparison of Jack Traps, Heritage Lakers, and Indian Hills was incomplete and needed a bit more
explanation.

I have a set of 10 Lakers (about 8 years old now) that I had to re-work considerably (poly, pinned the plastic flag holders, pinned the
reel axles into the wood, messed with the release mechanisms).  Things I liked about the HL's were they stood out in deep snow--tall flags. had a drag mechanism, had relatively large aluminum reels.  These were about $15 a piece when I bought them.

I purchased set of Jack Traps a few years back.  They are heavier wood pieces.  Came with a nice finish.  Had large reels (no drag mechanism).  The flags are spring steel (that rusts if you don't take care of it).  Are more difficult to set (next to impossible) with gloves or
mittens on.  These were about $35 a piece with I bought them.

I have fought with my HL's many times due to not tripping the flag--the reel is not hitting the wire because it is bent or not aligned properly.  I have never really adjust the drag on the HL's.  I try to keep very little to no resistance.  HL's are pretty good at preventing
wind flags.

I get a few more wind flags with my Jacks.  I also catch more fish with my Jacks.  I had to learn to adjust the flag tension by lowering the flag steel a bit.  I also have to deal with cold hands more often when I use them.  Sometimes it's hard to tell if I have a flag due to the strong wind blowing the JT flag over.  Not an issue with spring/wire rod flags like HT and IH.

As I stated in my original post, I had a couple issues with the IH not triggering and my flag won't stay on the trap.  I've been too lazy to
fix it, and have gotten the triggering problems squared away (initial break in/user education/etc).
I really like the quality and design of the Indian Hills.  I think sticking a nylon (plastic) stud into wood and keeping it there is always a difficult thing to do.  The reel size is smaller than my Jack's.  I also know you will not get better customer service from IH's--speaking
from first hand experience and from what I've read on here.

There will always be differences of opinions/styles of fishing etc.  I wrote my original post (which I have since deleted) with the intention of answering the original poster's question.  It was not intended to give bad press to any particular brand.

I wish I had been smarter when I bought my first traps--just bought a one or two and then tried them out to decide if I wanted to spend more money.  Each brand, type has is advantages/disadvantages.  Sometimes it depends upon the species of fish, weather or snow
conditions, how much you are willing to carry, how skilled the operator is, what type of bait is being used, etc.

MD

[Moosekill]

Thanks everyone for the help.  When I was a kid we had Thompson lake traps??  They sound more or less like jack traps,with the little ring you put the trigger mechanism in.  I had good luck and used them for 25 years or so.  I found after time that the reels would occasionally stick and they were looking pretty beat up, so I picked up a couple of the round thermal insulated type traps. 

The round thermals work pretty well, but I have found that as the day wears on snowmobilers have a tendency to run them over.  I have also had times in a big snow or later at night that they are hard to find.  They also need a flat space around the hole to work well.  They can also freeze into the ice a bit if there is water on the ice that freezes over.

On a trip up to Long Lake in Sinclair Maine, I saw a bunch of people fishing with traps that didn't go in the water.  They stick straight up, and you stick them in the snow, the reel is out of the water and the line runs through the flag mechanism that extends out over the water and then just the line goes into the water.  They are great at keeping your hands dry and they work pretty well but for a couple of things.  If it is really cold, the line can freeze into the ice.  Now it has to be fcking cold for this to happen, but I was fishing on Long Lake the day it hit almost 50 below and the ice was making pretty damn fast that day.  The other problem is if there is no snow on the ice you try and get enough ice shavings from making the hole to keep them upright .  Also, if you try to use the same holes the second day, and it is cold you can't get them to stand up and you have to drill new holes.  Finally, I did notice on real soft hits the flag wouldn't always trip.

So off to my search.  I finally decided upon the Indian Hill.  I spoke with the owner and he answered all my questions.  They ended up being a little cheaper than the Jacks.  I will let you all know how I like them once I get them and try them out. 

Once again, thanks, and Have a Merry Christmas!

[Mainedog]

The IH's are also easy to set with gloves on; almost windproof (no trap is totally windproof).

I have seen pictures where folks have taken a black marker and made the white reel sides have a pattern like a secchi disk--that way
it is easier to see it spin in dark water conditions.

MD