Clam or Frabill

[JRS]

looking for a two person shelter. looking for feed back on the clam or frabill.

[King Slammin]

Frabill by far. Clam is the Walmart brand of ice fishing gear.

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[GAMBLER]

Frabill by far. Clam is the Walmart brand of ice fishing gear.

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I have been a Clam owner since the original Clam Cabin tents. They are very well built and higher quality than Frabill IMO. The tent material on the Clam tents is twice as thick as the Frabill and other brands. I now own 2 clam tents (Yukon and Kodiak). My Yukon is 8 years old now and my Kodiak is 3 years old and they are in great shape. I put a ton of time on the ice and they hold up to the abuse I put them through.

[Finders Keepers]

I've had Frabill shelters for 4 seasons now and they're doing great still. Do you like black, blue, or gray better? I think you will be happy either way you go. There are some slight differences in the styles (door placement and the way it opens, framing, etc.), so I would suggest trying them out and see which you like better and if one works better for your fishing style while your smoking the fish in your hut!!

[daker1979]

Also check out Eskimo shelters, I've had Clams and my eskimo is every bit as good at a lesser price

http://www.geteskimo.com/home.asp

[dewey123]

Ive been using my clam voyager for years and it still looks like new. No holes in the fabric. Only down fall is because it is so big its heavy especially when loaded full of stuff. That wont be a problem if you have a machine to pull it. Im thinking about a 1 man clam this year. I thought buying a pop up instead of a flip over to travel light would be the way to travel light but them popups arent for me. They suck in any wind. Im sure you will like frabil or clam just little differences. When gander mountain gets them in go sit in them and see the differences

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[EYE SPY]

I currently have a fish trap pro that I've had for about 4-5yrs. I'm not completely dissatisfied with it but my next one will be an otter hands down. Heavily built and more user friendly features than any other brands IMO. The only downside I can see is they are a little heavier(if you're dragging)

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[JRS]

Thanks every one

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[Silver Fox]

Otters are expensive!

[Yankee Troller]

my next one will be an otter hands down. Heavily built and more user friendly features than any other brands IMO. The only downside I can see is they are a little heavier(if you're dragging)[ Post made via Android ]

Same here! Otters are built like a tank! Saving up for one now as we speak!

[fishman08]

Love my Otter! I've had it for 4 or 5 years now and it has held up 10 times better than my clams ever did. Well worth the money.

[fishmaster13184]

When i had to chose i looked at both and went with the fishtrap voyager because it was more comfortable to me when sitting in it. Otters are very nice and on a different level then clam or frabil and their price reflects it

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[panfisher]

Otters. clams, frabills.....What we need are passports, as we'll all have to go to the tundra in a couple of years to do any ice fishing worth investing in; and maybe for only a couple more years after that. Maybe fishing for largemouths and peacock bass in greenland in 10 years! BTW, just a casual comment. No pro-con man -made vs totally natural (same thing!) global warming political fights meant at all.......

[jimski2]

I have heavy snow suits, a light plastic sled for pulling my gear and seat. I keep it simple and I move around a lot. Savings on a trailer, 4 wheeler, hut, registrations, insurance, etc. allow me drive longer distances. So unless I am Lake Oneida or Lake Erie, things are fine.

[bluewater]

I have a clam yukon and I love it. It has thick walls and holds up well to strong wind. I liked the seats better than the frabil.

[Csutt16]

I don't think it really matters they are both great but from the clams that I have seen that material is a lot thicker than frabil and your paying for quality not the name

[spreheim]

I might be chiming in a little late, but i ice fish a lot. I have had numerous clam shantys due to being a cheap a$$ have found that the quality of clam has greatly diminished of the last 5 years. I purchased a new clam last year and after loosely tightening the bolts to the seat base, when i sat on it, 2 of the bolts broke. Now it may have been the holliday cookies but i think its poor grade of clams bolts. I also bought a clam hub shanty for early ice so its easy to pull out when i have to walk. The third time i opened it up, one of the rods broke. I talked to the guy at gander and he said i was the third guy that came in that week about the same thing. I sent clam an email about the issue last week, (becase i lost my receipt) and they still have not gotten back to me, OVER A WEEK. Very poor customer service.

I bought a new frabill last year after dealing with my clam and stuff kept breaking and it wouldnt stay up in the wind and then it ripped in the wind... The frabill has a much more solid construction and does not shake much in the wind, never blown over. The poles are obviosly superior just by looking at them. Also i ordered a bunch of frabill tip-ups from cabelas and 2 of the wingnuts were stripped and wouldnt tighten. I emailed the company and the next day they sent me an email apologizing and asking me for a copy of my receipt, which i sent them, and they sent me 2 brand new tip-ups. NOW THATS SERVICE. I will be a frabill customer for life, unless their quality control turns to that of the clam corporation. I mean who rembers why schlitz beer went out of business? I think clam is heading down that same road. I feel bad that Dave Genz and Jason Mitchell are associated with their name.

Also I have never heard anything bad (only great) about otter shanties, i just dont like the ugly (IMO) camo patterns...

[JRS]

Thanks for the info i agree the frabill is better than the clam. I haven't bought one yet but i will be buying the frabill.

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[Sean Youngblood]

I have had a frabill one man for about 5 years now.It is pretty narrow, the material is thin but that is what I like about it the most.It pulls like a dream.I have used it hard and it is still holding up great.

[Sk8man]

I have a Clam Fish Trap Pro and My son has a Frabill >They both have strnegths and weaknesses just like most other things in life. The best thing to do is try them out in person at Gander Or Bass pro etc. The one thing I absolutely HATE about my Clam though is the the metal bottons you have to press on the supports to bring it up or down..they suck when your hands are cold...almost impossible to operate sometimes.

[fishmaster13184]

Spreheim try calling customer service i have had a few issues and every time i called my problem was resolved in a timely manner and i was always satisfied when i hung up. I had the bolt breaking issue and also a few of the buttons that lock the pole break

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[Landshark]

otter by far

[spreheim]

Otters. clams, frabills.....What we need are passports, as we'll all have to go to the tundra in a couple of years to do any ice fishing worth investing in; and maybe for only a couple more years after that. Maybe fishing for largemouths and peacock bass in greenland in 10 years! BTW, just a casual comment. No pro-con man -made vs totally natural (same thing!) global warming political fights meant at all.......

Question as global warming was mentioned. Sure the fall was a litte warmer than usual (and sunday was 60*), i still ice fished the weekend after christmas, and we still have good ice. I have a question for the educated people out there (as im just a south dakota farm boy with a public education). If global warming is such pressing issue and the "polar ice caps are melting," where is all of the water?

Seems to me the last time the polar ice caps melted, God cleansed the earth and Noah was at the helm. So how is it that ALL the great lakes are 4ft low, and the midwest is/was in greatest droughts since the 1930s. I just dont know where the water went to, maybe the US government is selling it to aliens to offset the national debt...