Few anglers have the luxury of spending as much time staring at the inside of their portable fishhouse as I am afforded year in and year out here in “Manland”. Living on the top of a mountain overlooking Rainy Lake in INTERNATIONAL FALLS (A mere cast from Canada) many ask me if I get USED to cold weather!! LOL!! You don’t get USED to it, but you learn to deal with it. As a full-time licensed fishing guide I spend a lot of time staring down a 8 inch hole within the cofines of my Otter Fishhouse fleet!! I guess in the older days the declaration, or stamping of “GUIDE SERIES” meant something beyond consumer enticing marketing ploys. This got me thinking about the business side of modern day ice fishing equipment. From Augers to houses how can a guy really realize what he truly needs until he’s out on the sheet. This is when you know you made a good purchase or a poor one. When it comes to Ice Fishing “creature comforts” and convienences I’m looking for the best of the best in Ice Gear. During the summer months freezing a finger off isn’t one of the downfalls of poorly constructed, or faulty equipment. In the “Icebox” during the winter months in an area known for Cold Testing vehicles it is REALITY. Warmth is #1 to customers having fun or FREEZING to death. Never have nearly froze to death, and considered it a fun day. Ask anyone who doesn’t Ice fish, and they’ll inquire about how cold is it?? Secondly everyone knows to reduce the element of weather set up time must be efficent as it is virtually the only cold time while Ice fishing these days. Efficiently designed portable houses considering you might be in a “BRAIN FREEZE” is very importnat. This alone eliminates everything but flip over houses for me. Lastly transporting thousands of dollars of Ice Gear we all accumulate is crucial. Big heavy duty sturdy sleds are the only thing I trust my electronics, Augers, Rods, cameras, heaters……..I guess it is my ice fishing insurance policy. Truth of the matter is my house is a mere fraction of the $$ I’m dragging on the ice, but truly the most important!!
So the otherday I am staring at the INSIDE 4 walls of one of my new Otters. From A to Z Otter Product Development guys have got this product pinned to the top of the competition. This is a blue ribboned product while the competition has earned Green participation ribbons with some great marketing efforts. Hey Otter……Please continue to put the money in the house, and not in ad designs!! Sturdy in all weather, Warm, Large fishing area, Bullet proof sled (Haven’t actually shot it), comfortable swivel seats, and flat out COOL looking house. In the day and age of big box consumer driven product lines I personally request from “Rainydaze Guide Service” that OTTER PLEASE never cheapens up this dominate design of fishhouse, and only continues to strive for improvements. The newly designed square pole system with the the smaller poles sliding into the oversized poles with the convienent coupler is a tremendous design. ANYONE who has fished with sliding poles without this hopefully patented innovation realizes that if your ever fishing in slush or get some water frozen on the inside pole you have got problems. I don’t suppose anyone has had spring snaps give way or a little burr on the inside of one of your poles. If you haven’t……..YOU WILL!! Any you won’t be happy as it is not going back together!! Get the torch out!! This is when you find yourself in below zero weather kicking the poles to go together, and in effect bending your internal frame. KUDOS OTTER!! Might go unnoticed by some anglers, but this is brilliant!! I’ve set up in slush nearly all winter courtesy of “Mother Nature”, and never once has this been a problem. I’d say in 1 year my house gets as much use as the weekend warriors will in 5 years…….MIGHT BE CONSERVATIVE!!
Your sled is flat out bulletproof!! I’m not going to lie to you I work the heck out of my snowmobiles, houses and augers. This is pulled down streets, over rocks, through the woods, jagged Ice…….You name it, and It has been there! There isn’t even a nick in this thing!! How do you put a value on that?? I have had many other houses in my career, and have had countless sled CRACKS, chased top heavy houses across the lake, Read the directions on the HOW TO put together a house in 30 below weather…….No matter how you try fix it you’ve got a bandaid on a gusher, and your angry!! This is when lanterns get kicked, and kids aren’t allowed to talk to Dad because he’s not in the mood. This is when you hear “Hey Dad??? I don’t like Ice Fishing” Companies like OTTER have turned an old pastime into the most enjoyable, and rapidly growing sport in the winter!!
So after spending a lot of time staring at the inside of these 4 walls, PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE A THING!! You ARE the competition!! Oh by the way your a BARGAIN TOO!! 
My guess is everyone who owns or has been in an Otter will give you the thumbs up!! 
Oh I almost forgot……I give this the Stamp of “GUIDE SERIES” AND YOU’VE GO IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY…..YOU’VE EARNED IT!! 
