I wanted to start a new thread on single man shanties and share my perspective on the topic while soliciting the opinions of others in an attempt to grow my own knowledge and hopefully share some insight for those of you who may be interested in making the transition or are just interested in buying one.
My group has recently converted from the two man shanties to the single man shanties. Before the 2012-13 season we would either bring a two man shanty or pull our jet sleds. We decided to make the transition in order to add versatility and reduce setup/take down time. We figured, rather than take two man shanties out, pack it full of gear for two guys, and limit our fishing area to such close proximity to one another, we would diversify and opt for the single man shanty approach.
The single man shanty approach has proven to be extremely helpful in terms of hole hopping and cutting down on weight while manually pulling the rig on foot. This gives us the opportunity to hole hop with more ease and allows us to fish away from one another so we can cover more ground while we are scouting a new area or searching for fish. I know a lot of you don't use shanties at all while hole hopping (neither did we); but, the one man shanty is no more than a jet sled with a seat attached and built in shelter. These rigs are a little bit heavier than a mere jet sled, but i feel the added options are well worth the weight for the style of fishing we do.
On nice days the shanty never gets flipped over and we just use the seats as if they were buckets or chairs by pulling the sled right up to the hole(s) with all our gear in it. I found having everything I need right in the shanty sled makes for a well organized and simple way to fish.
We all bought single man shanties that do not require the extension of the main poles; however, some models do have an extension option that enlarges your "fishable area" by simply extending the bottom spreader pole. Models such as the Clam Scout EXP and the Eskimo Wide One.
As a stickler for making sure the things i use a lot are well fitted for me and my style i decided to bite the bullet and buy the 3 different models i was interested in so i could test them all out with the idea of selling the two i don't like as much and keeping the one i felt best suited me. I also wanted to share my opinion to others so they wouldn't have to. I purchased the Clam Scout EXP, the Frabill Commando thermal, and the Eskimo Wide 1 (non-inferno model). I ended up selling the Clam and decided to keep the Frabill and Eskimo. I know what your thinking... ...this guy is sick and just likes to spend money... (Well, i am definitely sick! After all i am an ice fisherman and a waterfowler.) ...but i knew i could get a good share of my money back by selling my old two man shanties and by giving a good deal to my friends/family on the shanties i didn't want.
I have posted a review of the Clam Scout EXP on the forum so others could benefit and plan on posting full reviews for the other two mentioned shelters in time. I decided to keep the Frabill and the Eskimo due to the difference in features and weight. They both seemed to have a place in my arsenal and since i no longer have a two man shanty i figured i would keep two in case i wanted to take my wife, a friend without a shanty/sled, or if i was introducing someone new to the sport.
Let me know how you guys use your single man shelters, which ones you prefer, and why. Im interested to see modifications, usage, accessories, and alternative theories of their use. Post pics if you can!
If you have any questions regarding the models i own or have owned i am more than happy to share. I did purchase the hyfax runners, tow bars, and covers for all of them.
Thanks for reading and sharing...
Alpha
My group has recently converted from the two man shanties to the single man shanties. Before the 2012-13 season we would either bring a two man shanty or pull our jet sleds. We decided to make the transition in order to add versatility and reduce setup/take down time. We figured, rather than take two man shanties out, pack it full of gear for two guys, and limit our fishing area to such close proximity to one another, we would diversify and opt for the single man shanty approach.
The single man shanty approach has proven to be extremely helpful in terms of hole hopping and cutting down on weight while manually pulling the rig on foot. This gives us the opportunity to hole hop with more ease and allows us to fish away from one another so we can cover more ground while we are scouting a new area or searching for fish. I know a lot of you don't use shanties at all while hole hopping (neither did we); but, the one man shanty is no more than a jet sled with a seat attached and built in shelter. These rigs are a little bit heavier than a mere jet sled, but i feel the added options are well worth the weight for the style of fishing we do.
On nice days the shanty never gets flipped over and we just use the seats as if they were buckets or chairs by pulling the sled right up to the hole(s) with all our gear in it. I found having everything I need right in the shanty sled makes for a well organized and simple way to fish.
We all bought single man shanties that do not require the extension of the main poles; however, some models do have an extension option that enlarges your "fishable area" by simply extending the bottom spreader pole. Models such as the Clam Scout EXP and the Eskimo Wide One.
As a stickler for making sure the things i use a lot are well fitted for me and my style i decided to bite the bullet and buy the 3 different models i was interested in so i could test them all out with the idea of selling the two i don't like as much and keeping the one i felt best suited me. I also wanted to share my opinion to others so they wouldn't have to. I purchased the Clam Scout EXP, the Frabill Commando thermal, and the Eskimo Wide 1 (non-inferno model). I ended up selling the Clam and decided to keep the Frabill and Eskimo. I know what your thinking... ...this guy is sick and just likes to spend money... (Well, i am definitely sick! After all i am an ice fisherman and a waterfowler.) ...but i knew i could get a good share of my money back by selling my old two man shanties and by giving a good deal to my friends/family on the shanties i didn't want.
I have posted a review of the Clam Scout EXP on the forum so others could benefit and plan on posting full reviews for the other two mentioned shelters in time. I decided to keep the Frabill and the Eskimo due to the difference in features and weight. They both seemed to have a place in my arsenal and since i no longer have a two man shanty i figured i would keep two in case i wanted to take my wife, a friend without a shanty/sled, or if i was introducing someone new to the sport.
Let me know how you guys use your single man shelters, which ones you prefer, and why. Im interested to see modifications, usage, accessories, and alternative theories of their use. Post pics if you can!
If you have any questions regarding the models i own or have owned i am more than happy to share. I did purchase the hyfax runners, tow bars, and covers for all of them.
Thanks for reading and sharing...
Alpha
Single Man Shanties and how they can be affective...
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