New Shack?

Just sitting here thinking and looking at new One man shacks got me to thinking maybe its time to down size. The one reason I am looking to down size cause I fish alone most of the time and hauling my (Clam Yukon TC) tends to get a little on the heavy side with gear auger in it. Plus since I bought my shack 2 years ago all my buddies went out and bought 2 + man shacks, one buddy bought the big denali one that folds from both sides and holds 4+ people.
No all that a side I was just looking at getting some input from anyone else that has a one man shack is all(Frabil, Clam, or Otter). From the days when I had my one man frabil to now it looks like the one man sleds style have come along way. Any and all input from you guys would be great.

i am in the same boat. i want a one man when its just gonna be me, and something easy to pull…..

I have a frabill recon dlx. Its an okay shanty. Kind of small, but enough room for me to jig in one hole and have a heater/lantern going next to it. If I want to deadstick a rod also, I have to put the heater behind me in the sled. The sled is very easy to pull, put most of the weight in the back and it does not plow at all. I think it weighs 52 lbs dry.

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I have a frabill recon dlx. Its an okay shanty. Kind of small, but enough room for me to jig in one hole and have a heater/lantern going next to it. If I want to deadstick a rod also, I have to put the heater behind me in the sled. The sled is very easy to pull, put most of the weight in the back and it does not plow at all. I think it weighs 52 lbs dry.

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its the plowing that sucks on my 3man. if i had more of a slant on the front, it wouldn’t plow so much. other than that, its a decent sled

Have you ever thought of going with out a shack? Just like buddies that dont show up they just slow you down. Get out on the,drill lots of holes and keep moving.

Think if I was to look at a shack again it might be a pop up style. They look very light.

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Have you ever thought of going with out a shack? Just like buddies that dont show up they just slow you down. Get out on the,drill lots of holes and keep moving.

Think if I was to look at a shack again it might be a pop up style. They look very light.

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That is what the 1 man is awesome for. Its light and it holds all the gear very well. Then you can drill drill drill until you find some fish, then pull the shanty over to jig. Use it as a chair and if you get cold, flip it over for a minute. Only takes a second.

I was going to purchase a 1 man Otter but it weighed as much as my 2 man Eskimo. I ended up with a Frabill Commando and am pleased with it. It only weighs around 50lbs which is defiantly a plus and there’s no poles to extend. Like B BK mentioned most of the time i just use it for a chair then if I get chilly I can just flip the tent over for awhile.

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Have you ever thought of going with out a shack? Just like buddies that dont show up they just slow you down. Get out on the,drill lots of holes and keep moving.

Think if I was to look at a shack again it might be a pop up style. They look very light.

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That is what the 1 man is awesome for. Its light and it holds all the gear very well. Then you can drill drill drill until you find some fish, then pull the shanty over to jig. Use it as a chair and if you get cold, flip it over for a minute. Only takes a second.

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Got a very light one man fish trap in my rafters. Hasnt been down in a number of years now. Doesn’t really mater how light it is it just fell into the category of extra stuff I was dragging out on the lake and didn’t really need. Along with the heater for it, extra gas tanks, and a bunch of other stuff. Now its a auger slung over my shoulder, five gallon bucket in one hand, depth finder in the other. This is about as mobile as I have found I can be. No faster way to hole hope and throw in getting to enjoying the scenery of the great outdoors. Dont think Ill be going back in a shake anytime soon.

Then again standing out on the ice all day is not the way everyone likes to fish. Guess i was just offering it as another solution.

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Have you ever thought of going with out a shack? Just like buddies that dont show up they just slow you down. Get out on the,drill lots of holes and keep moving.

Think if I was to look at a shack again it might be a pop up style. They look very light.

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That is what the 1 man is awesome for. Its light and it holds all the gear very well. Then you can drill drill drill until you find some fish, then pull the shanty over to jig. Use it as a chair and if you get cold, flip it over for a minute. Only takes a second.

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Got a very light one man fish trap in my rafters. Hasnt been down in a number of years now. Doesn’t really mater how light it is it just fell into the category of extra stuff I was dragging out on the lake and didn’t really need. Along with the heater for it, extra gas tanks, and a bunch of other stuff. Now its a auger slung over my shoulder, five gallon bucket in one hand, depth finder in the other. This is about as mobile as I have found I can be. No faster way to hole hope and throw in getting to enjoying the scenery of the great outdoors. Dont think Ill be going back in a shake anytime soon.

Then again standing out on the ice all day is not the way everyone likes to fish. Guess i was just offering it as another solution.

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As much as a love fishing outside and dislike being coupped up in a shelter, I have to disagree with you for fishing panfish or walleyes. If it’s lakers I’m after then you couldn’t force me to drag a house along, but any other species and small, light shelter will put more fish on the ice in weather under 15 degrees or moderate winds.

I like my 1-man shack to basically be a shack that I don’t even know is there. Something I can tug around effortlessly while hole hopping for pannies and flip over as fast as I can sit down on the seat. A Fish Trap Scout TC is the best one I’ve used.

A shack like this will no doubt help you catch more fish when hopping around trying to find that school of panfish during extreme cold conditions. Once you find the active school you’ll catch more fish in that short window that often lasts just minutes before the fish move on to the next hole.

Getting out of the elements means seeing/feeling the bite better, taking off fish faster, adjusting a knot faster, getting back down the hole quicker, equipment working better, etc. All things that lead to catching more fish in the short window of a hot hole.

I bought a small portable at an auction. It is like a Sno-Boat but it is only 4 feet long and about 3.5 feet high when popped up. Since I have all spinning reels on my ice poles the reduced height is not a problem, just reel them in. If the sun is out you don’t even need heat even on days when the temp is less than 10. Holds all the gear I need and pulls easily unless the snow is deep and sticky wet. I’m not sure they are even made anymore tho.

Wow thanks guys for the input.

Don’t get me wrong I like to sit out in the elements jumping from hole to hole. I’m just looking at getting a one man to keep me out of the elements when I do get on a school. Just trying to find a good one man and find some input from the guys who actually use them, and not some made up reviews on some random site.
Thanks again and keep the inputs coming in.

I’ve heard a couple rumors about an ultra light option in the works by Otter for next year.

Eskimo Wide one anyone look at it for a one man?

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I’ve heard a couple rumors about an ultra light option in the works by Otter for next year.

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There used to be a fish trap lite on the market. Mine weighs in at about 20#s if I had to guess. It is a no frills flip over with no seat, light weight tarp, ect. Still it was all that was needed to block a little wind.

It looks to me that most flip overs are going bigger and heavier nowadays. 50, 60, 70 pounds for a one man is a lot of extra weight to drag around threw the snow all day. It would be nice to see someone come back to the lighter more portable units.

Looked around on line last night for the fish trap lites and only found mention of them on a couple of web sites and those posts where about 10 years old.

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i am in the same boat. i want a one man when its just gonna be me, and something easy to pull…..

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Do not forget to check out Canvas Craft fish houses. They make a great house! Best Thermal house on the market!

http://www.canvascraftinc.com/ice-fishing-shelters/northlander-sled

Ice House – Northlander Sled – Single
Small Ultra Wide 4.5′ x 7′ 64lbs

Shappell FX100 is a nice 1 man with a wide mouth feature at
$219.95 it’s a bargain, saw someplace the had them on sale
for less but I can’t remember where.

mills fleet farm had the clam kenai on sale for $179.00 a short while back. at 50 lbs with a decent sled it seems to me a pretty good deal. I am also experimenting with a clam twin hub II, it’s like only 15lbs. my setup is to pull it around with my auger and other stuff in a lightweight plastic sled. my idea is to do a quick anchor, on the upwind side, to the sled if windy out. why is it we humans are always trying to reinvent the wheel

Mike W., sell yours to Zab. The Eskimo Wide One looked pretty nice at the ice show. The folding chair that comes with it locks in to place and looks comfy. It looked like the chairs sat too far back in the 2 man. I bought a used Frabill Ultra Lite. I can carry it easily in one hand. I think the fella I bought it from said it was 27 lbs or so. I don’t know how long ago they stopped selling them though. The hubs are nice. I’ve got a 4 man Eastman Ice Cube. I mainly fish alone also. I haven’t used the Frabill yet, but I know it will be lots quicker to move. Its just faster when you already have everything in the sled with a flip. Its also tough to anchor a hub if there is much wind if you are all alone, or if you are with friends and they think its funny to stand there and watch.

I always add gromets to the skirt on my hubs and before erecting them I anchor the upwind side either to the ice, my sled, or atv.

Nope. Not selling mine. Like someone posted earlier there are conditions where a house is nice. Right now I just pretty much choose to do something else on those days. Looked at the 10 day forecast for the next week in my area and didnt see a single that looked rough for standing out on the ice. Now if I fished the dakotas, N MN or Canada Im sure that would not be true.

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I always add gromets to the skirt on my hubs and before erecting them I anchor the upwind side either to the ice, my sled, or atv.

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great idea with the gromet!!

Wow again a lot of input on this topic again thanks you guys. Will prolly end up searching around towards the end of the season to try and find a good deal on a nice one man

I love my Eskimo Pro 150. It’s a few years old and they don’t make it anymore. But, if you can get your hands on a used one, jump on it. It’s actually a man and a half shack, meaning it’s between the sizes of one man and 2 man shacks. It has a sliding bench seat, which I put all the way back and have my feet in the sled, giving me a lot of room in front. I have plenty of room for 2 holes, flasher and heater. And, I can stand in it (I’m only 5’8″, though. It’s very light and easy to set up, too.

Have a clam scout and i love it. It carries my gear and I can move around really easily. I drill a lot of holes and like to fish them all so If im not catching I move. I can load it by my self into my jeep. Just have to take the auger and flasher out. Other wise for a heater the smallest buddy heater and a 1 lb will last you more than a few trips.

I know you’ve said the otter is a bit much for you, but I’m really happy with my older otter Den. Its basicailly a nice deep sled with a shack on it when you need it.

I go out and fish most of the Minneapolis lakes all winter and this thing is great to tow by hand. There are lighter houses for sure, but when looking at them you seemed to really compromise on the depth/size of the sled. I usually take the seat with me, but other times I just use a bucket.