Portable Fish Houses

[Smokey]

After fishing out on the ice last year, the family and I have decided to get a portable house this year. Right now I am considering the Clam 6800, or a kit from Canvas Craft in Anoka. With the kit I would end up with a house that had a plywood base as opposed to the plastic base of the Clam. Going the kit route seems like it would get me a studier house for less money, but it would be heavier and would not slide across the ice/snow without putting it on some sort of sled. I will be pulling this thing by hand, so the plastic base of the Clam looks appealing. My concern is: how tough are those plastic bases? If the thing freezes in during a long day of fishing, can I get it pried out without punching a hole in it or deforming it?

[Jigging Bob]

I have used a 4X8 with a wooden bottom for quite some time now. They are heavier to load and unload. There is no getting around that. However, they will pull very easily if you put plastic runners on the bottom of the house. The wood bottom probably will still not pull as easily as a plastic bottom, but on a windy day you aren't sliding all over trying to keep it positioned in one spot, especially if you get out of the darn things and there is no more weight in them and they go scooting away. Don't get me wrong they are both very good ways to get the job done but I wanted you to see both sides of the coin. Good luck to you

[GRAND DAD]

I have a wooden one to and i love i just took two old ski's and mounted them on tha bottom and it pulles great!!

[minneman]

fisherdog has a 6x8 clam for sale on this site, check it out!

Ive got 2 suitcase style houses with plastic bottoms and they dont ever freeze to the ice.

[This message has been edited by minneman (edited 11-13-2003).]

[fisherdog19]

I do have my Clam 6800 for sale. Easy to pull, easy to set up, and nice flat floor. Once you drill the holes and snow bank it in place, it will not move, even in 30mph winds. I'm only selling it because I fish alot myself and will have an ATV this year so I will be doing the hit and run thing to stay on top of fish this year. I will be getting a flip over style house that I can move around alot more easily. I'd really like to sell it so I can get the new one before the ice gets thick, will even drop it off within an hours drive.

Fisherdog

[jigjigsk]

I have a shoremaster with a plastic floor and I don't ever remember having my house freeze down, not like one with a wooden floor can. Plastic pulls across and over the snow much better without a sled. Drawbacks are they can be slippery inside and they can blow more easily because they don't freeze down. But I prefer them to a wooden bottom, lighter to load and unload and easier to pull around.

[Smokey]

Will you take $350 for it? That's what I figured I would have invested in the kit version when I got done with it. We will be up at our place on Little Pine Lake this weekend. Email me at [email protected].

[fishermatt]

a clam 6800 is NOT easy to pull by hand, unless you have a team of dogs to do it for you. If you have any fresh snow on the ice, it's impossible to move by hand with only 1 or 2 people. If you're going to be driving by vehicle to your spot and not moving after that unless packing it up and moving, or pulling it with your truck.
We once had 4 people with a clam 6800, when we walked out there was no snow on the ice, and you could pull it with 1 finger. while we were out, we got about 4 inches of snow, and it took us 2 hours to drag, carry, and grunt that **** thing to shore with all 4 of us.

[Guest]

I have fished out of both a clam 6800 and I have a home made plywood/canvas 4X8 portable. They will both pull good if there is less than an inch or so of snow, but more than that the home made house is much harder to pull. It all depends on what type of runners you would put on a kit house. I would say that a wide plastic skid would be the best for snow. Personally I would rather fish out of and pull a clam 6800 or what ever. You should also take into consideration what type of physical shape you are in. I am 22 and I dont mind lugging a house for a long distance. Just something to think about.