# flip over shanties..



## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

when i sale my pop up 2 man frabill shanty i want to get a nice small one man flip over and i have been looking at the clam scout, is that the one that i want to go with or is there a nicer one or cheaper and nice one to go with.. id really like to find a used one but i need to get mine sold before i can buy another..


----------



## ParmaBass (Apr 11, 2004)

Try to find a store that has the scout out for you to look at and actually sit in. I think the scout is kinda tight inside, frabil makes one called the rover 1.5 it's got alot more room inside.


----------



## swantucky (Dec 21, 2004)

I sat in the scout and it was a bit small for me. I bought the pro and love it. It is a little tight for 2 but I have fished with my 12 year old in it on really cole days.


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

the scout seems ok when you sit in it with nothing in it but once you fill all that floor space with stuff youll wish you had a pro. im lucky i bought a pro and i still love it, absolutely the perfect one man shanty. now they have changed the design of the seat assembly, i have the 2004 version which has no side to side rail, only front to back, im glad i have what i have. my dad has a later model pro, i dont like the design as much. the pro is a bit pricey though, around 330 new now i think. its really hard to beat though, im a huge fan of the trap pro. look at the cost as an investment of something youll use for years to come.


----------



## papaperch (Apr 12, 2004)

I like a lot of room in my shanty. So I took one seat out of the Guide model and made it a one man. Now I got plenty of room for all my crap I tote along. I agree with all the others go with the bigger model. While the investment is big up front it should last at least 10 years. That way its only costing 30.00 or less per season.


----------



## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

anyone familiar with the frabill Recon i like the quality of my frabill and this one seems nice and cheaper then the fish trap . it looks like it would be big enough for me.. as i dont need the extra floor space. i dont use a vex or anything like that.. just need room for two poles and my body... and maybe a lantern..

and as for finding a store with them setup to look at.. the hole in the wall places close to me hardly have ice rods.. if i get a shanty i will probably order online..


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

> the hole in the wall places close to me hardly have ice rods


i know what you mean. Dick's sporting goods nearby told me there not carrying any ice gear from now on, they just dont sell enough, which is understandable, but ice fishing just isnt respected in any of the stores i go to. 

the recon looks really thin. 5" thinner than the scout and 15 pounds lighter. $30-$60 less than the scout though. prices are way up this year! the recon is 31" wide set up, you could somehow set up a table against a wall 31" away and see how that feels. its gonna be very tight (youll have about 3" on each side of your arms fully dressed) but if you think youd be happy with it....it looks like it can be done but i personally would want more room. the other thing is its very light and that makes me wonder about the tent fabric. never seen one in person though.

good luck with whatever you go with!


----------



## FISHIN 2 (Jun 22, 2005)

Do yourself a favor. Don't buy something your gonna use alot just for the sake of savin a couple bucks, been there , done that. I owned a half dozen, " econo models ", was sorry and sold every one of em. The trap pro will cost ya in the short run, but after you use it a season, you'll appreciate the reasoning. The scout is narrow and on cold days, you want to get away from the walls a little. I use a vex, a buddy or focus 5 heater, and in the night a lantern. you need the extra room cause after 4 hours of setting, you need to move a bit and if things are cramped up, believe me, you won't be there long.
Take the drive to cabela's or gander mountain, even bass pro, set in one, check em out, you'll be glad you did. ps, I'll be on erie as soon as the ice gets good, watch for the posts and come join us, you'll love it. Go someplace that alot of guys are icefishing, walk around, talk and look. Most guys will be glad to let you gawk inside  !!! Take care and again, don't waste your money on the budget models . Mike


----------



## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

the web site says the recon is made of the same material as the venture is made of. and mine is great for keeping out wind.. and i haven't tore it yet.. i think i could fish in that shanty and be comfortable.. the only thing is i might not have room for a propane lantern... and that's not really a big deal... if i end up buying a new shanty that will probably be my pick. unless i can find something else used.


actually my small bathroom tub is the same width as the recon and i sat a bucket in it and measured out the length on the fishable area in that shanty and its narrow but its fine but damn its long i think id have plenty of room for 2 poles and a lantern.. i cant believe how much room long wise you have.. my venture didnt have half that space in front of you..


----------



## sisezz73 (Mar 9, 2007)

Call cabelas in WV and see if they have some. Not to far from you. Just to make sure you buy what you want.


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

one last thought, just because 170 is a lot less than 330, or 200 or whatever, $170 is still a LOT of money.


----------



## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

well i sold my shanty on here and am meeting up with lesteratv next saturday to buy his ht polar escape express flip over.. anyone have any tips or mods that can be done to these?? i have read online about different stuff done to fish traps just wondering about this ht one... id like to maybe install some rod holders.. or i could just use my wood ones i use when not in a shanty... 

go ahead and list the mods you guys have done to your flip overs even if its not an ht...


----------



## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

peon......great for you......go get em. guy


----------



## sam kegg (Jun 23, 2007)

anyone is welcome to see how mines built. home made canvass inliner nylon outside,folds down and up pretty easy! wood base i will say this! im in a t shirt in that sucker . lantern is all i need if your looking to build one this is the way to go


----------



## hearttxp (Dec 21, 2004)

sam kegg said:


> anyone is welcome to see how mines built. home made canvass inliner nylon outside,folds down and up pretty easy! wood base i will say this! im in a t shirt in that sucker . lantern is all i need if your looking to build one this is the way to go


How about some pic's ? Your design ? or someone's plans you built ? approx weight ?? I'm interested ?? I have a Clam 2000 suitcase Model that is in need of repair ? So I'm just thinking ?


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

> go ahead and list the mods you guys have done to your flip overs even if its not an ht...


1. moved seat assembly to the left (im right handed)
2. installed wear runners
3. installed two eye bolts for anchor/made shanty anchor, stores in shanty
4. invented/installed two rod holders that mount on the front lip of the tub
5. installed four LED ropes, 2 on each bar over fishing area (aim those bulbs!)
6. installed SLA battery holder at front left corner of shanty for LED lights
7. custom built power cable running from SLA to LEDs
8. installed carpet bottom in sled
9. removed hinge from swivel seat to reduce weight
10. discarded spreader pole. saved "C" end, converted it to a lantern hanger
11. replaced stock pull rope with longer rope (much easier pulling!)

thats all i can think of. i usually do this stuff in the fall, thinking about the problems i faced the year before. the best mod i did was making those rod holders. before that i had rods laying all over the place, on the "floor", where i stepped on one and broke it, another time a fish pulled a rod in, and its just a big mess having rods laying on my minnow buckets, etc. the rod holders i have now are like rod holders for trolling in a boat. any mod should make some part of the ice fishing process easier or better in some way, has to be extremely durable, and easy to actually use. everything is more difficult on the ice, and ice fishing equipment takes a severe beating. 

if you ever want any advice or need help brainstorming on a mod let me know.


----------



## mrphish42 (Jan 24, 2008)

Yep.......as i see it .....the man does know his modifications......Great job "hardwaterfan". Comfort and efficiency in this hardwater environment...does tend to add a certain degree of pleasure to one's outings........Jon Sr


----------



## ParmaBass (Apr 11, 2004)

You got any pics of the rod holder mod. you made? I just got a flip-over myself and thought something like that would make life alot easier. And what kind of battery are you using to power your lights? Something like a small tractor battery?


----------



## sam kegg (Jun 23, 2007)

its been a few years since i built this one,, so i will have to go over it to see the exact material.... i wish i had some pics for you guys to see


----------



## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

thanks for the list hardwarter.. i seen a post a while back about your rod holders and anchor and they both look great im sure i will use your ideas when i make some for mine ... i just wish i had this shanty already so i could sit in it and pretend fish lol..


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

> You got any pics of the rod holder mod.


i had been asking for advice here from the guys, been thinking about it for a while, and when i finally came up with something good i made a thread with pics. here it is:

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=37755



> what kind of battery are you using to power your lights?


12v 5aH SLA (just like a vex or camera battery but smaller)

i bought them from Nature Vision, they sell them for cameras. sweet deal, i got two for $20. might have been some kind of discontinued item, not sure if they still have them. ive measured the draw of my four LED ropes, they draw about 450 mA, so with one 5aH battery i should get about 10 hours ideally. i figure i need them from 5pm till 11pm at the absolute latest. 6 hours. i try to downsize my gear whenever possible. so thats why i picked these smaller/lighter batteries.


----------



## ParmaBass (Apr 11, 2004)

Those look sweet! Don't know how I missed that post, looks like I'll be heading to Lowes. I think I have an extra battery laying around somewhere for my underwater camera that I hardly ever use, I'll use it for the lights. Wasn't sure how much those LED light ropes would draw.


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

thanks man, they really work nice. a real pain to make though. you have to put a lot of thought and time into it. good luck with yours or whatever you come up with, if you need any advice just ask. 

about the LEDs, everyone is different but i found two ropes were a bit lacking so i got two more from GM, they seem nicer than the old ones i bought from them, same packaging and everything, but a little shorter. more bluish light, but nice and bright! seem brighter. each rope draws about 110-130 mA. couple things ive found/done is mount the lights with clear non-yellowing packing tape, every 6 inches or so and mark the spot where the tabs from the shanty fabric wrap around the pole so you dont put tape there, and very important to mount the rope with the lights turned on so they can be aimed where you need light. if there not aimed right where you need to see then they dont do much at all if anything. the inside of a pro is very dark blue, any light hits that, it just gets absorbed into the fabric and is wasted. so sitting in the shanty i marked the pole where i wanted the direction of the lights to be aimed, then took the pole off and set it on a work table to mount the lights bearing in mind the marks i made on the pole as to where i want the lights to aim. and kind of making sure they wouldnt interfere with anything else. with packing tape if you screw up you can just cut the tape off and try again. 

well, good luck. have fun with your projects.


----------



## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

well i picked up my shanty today from lesteratv its a one man flip ht polar escape express and it is a great shanty... it has a small hole about the size of my pinky finger.. what would be the best way to patch??? i have a bicycle tube patch im gonna try from the inside.. the inside material is kind of smooth so i think it will work.. i also replaced the pull rope with a nicer thick, softer and longer rope. and have some pvc pipe elbows mocked up and in the gorilla glue stage, i will then spray paint black and install, (thanks to hardwaterfan) im kind of thinking about some lights.. not sure if i will need them or not. it has windows on all four corners , why exactly do you guys install the rope lights???


----------



## ParmaBass (Apr 11, 2004)

I use duct tape for the small holes, small square on inside and out so it sticks together. I had a pinky size hole 3 years ago on my pop-up shanty and the duct tape is still going strong, can hardly even see it either. I took the lazy man approach and ordered these for rod holders. I installed them and I think they'll work pretty good. Just gonna paint them black for a nicer look. I'll get a pic of the whole setup later and post it.


----------



## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

well my rod holders are done... i ended up just wrapping them with camo duct tape.. and also i ended up using the duct tape on the small hole.. i couldn't sit and watch the glue dry on the bicycle patch lol... i kept poking at it.. the fever has hit me bad lol....


----------



## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

You might want to get some shorter rods too. You'll see why when you have it closed and set the hook.


----------



## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

i have plenty of room to set the hook... done tested it out lol.. my rods are only 28 inches long , is that real long???


----------



## icebucketjohn (Dec 22, 2005)

I like using 28"-30" on the open ice, but now that I got a shanty, I'm definitely increasing my rod selection to a few shorter rods.


----------



## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

I use 30" rods in my Frabill shanty w/ no problem. Remember there's more than one way to skin a catfish


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

nice going peon. looking good.



> why exactly do you guys install the rope lights???


for fishing after dark. 5pm is too early to go home. got to stick around to see if the crappie want to play. 

most guys dont use rope lights. most use lanterns, headlamps, etc. 

most everyone gets frustrated with rope lights for a few reasons. 
1. one rope is not enough light
2. the lights should be aimed as you install, meaning you cant just zip tie them, they will untwist. 

you have to put a lot of thought and time in your planning and install and 99&#37; of guys arent willing to do that. plus i guess 4 rope lights cost a lot of money, plus the battery you need, etc. custom cut/crimp a power cable. (unless you dont mind wires hanging all over the place) i guess it really is a fairly major project.


----------



## roger23 (Mar 7, 2007)

this is what I use


----------



## hardwaterfan (Apr 6, 2004)

thats a good idea. i bet thats bright as heck.


----------



## tomb (Oct 9, 2004)

Started using a propane lantern w/ reflector last season. Less fumes than a coleman fuel powered lantern. Also throws more heat than you would think. putting it in a bucket is a good idea, I'm gonna borrow that one.


----------



## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

I started doing that last season too. Great heat and just enough light. And Peon, i had a shanty that size. Had to get a couple 18" rods too. Fishusa had some for $7 each that work great. Dont even need a spring with them.


----------



## peon (Feb 28, 2005)

i heat with a single burner propane stove and have a lantern i use also.. i dont think i will need lights.. i always have my headlamp light if i need more light.. and i am sure my 28 inch rods will be fine.. i just ordered a 26 inch panfish popper thats about as small as i want to go..


----------

