I remember the first portable fish-houses to hit the ice. Mere canvas stretched over makeshift aluminum poles bolted to primitive plywood frames; nevertheless, they got us out of the wind and cold. Today, portable fish-houses are lighter, offer more fishable space, and the best are constructed of state-of-the-art materials for resistance to the elements and greater R-values for warmth. But fishing from portable fish-houses still presents challenges, so we ice anglers are continually looking for better, problem-solving shelters – not to mention customizing them with our own modifications.
One of my biggest peeves with portables has been pole design. Fact is, you’re never colder than when you have to shut off your heater and start breaking the house down at the end of the day, and then have to throw it in the back of the truck or hitch up to the ATV or sled.
You take your gloves off and push those little buttons on the poles and by the time you get that done, the feeling in your fingers is history. Now, with Frabill’s re-design, you’ve got poles that are easy to adjust with your gloves on, which factors huge during breakdown.
Another thing about portable shelter poles is that many are prone to failure. Solving that problem, Frabill’s new alloy frames are 30% stronger and 30% lighter than traditional aluminum frames. The result means easier transport, setup and storage – and practically fail-proof operation.
Bench Seating with Integrated Rod Storage
Seems like seating has always been an issue, too, especially when fishing with family or buddies. There’s just never enough space. For that very reason, I’ve been fishing out of the Citadel 3405 this year, which features Frabill’s proprietary Combo-Case Bench design that will accommodate three anglers with room to spare.
http://www.frabill.com/ice-fishing/ice-shelters/citadel-3405.html
There are so many times when you need to lay stuff down on the seat or need a little work table and the big bench seat lets you do that. The Combo-Case Bench is super comfortable and you can freely position yourself where you want to be on the cushion, especially great for fishing with other anglers; even better for fishing with kids.
Frabill’s Combo-Case Bench design solves another common problem: rod storage. It’s actually built on top of the same heavy-duty roto-molded case many outdoorsmen use as gun cases, complete with pick-and-pluck foam to customize perfect fit slots for your valuable ice fishing combos. By cutting out foam with a serrated knife the case easily accommodates six combos; more if you use shorter rods. But here’s the thing: you can easily transport 8-10 ice combos in the Combo-Case Bench without cutting any foam! Either way, rods stay secure, untangled and easily within reach. I don’t know how many times I’ve pulled out a house, only to find out that a propane tank or some other heavy item shifted and crushed a rod or two. Frabill’s Combo-Case Bench eliminates that.
Fishability in Spades
Frabill’s Citadel also yields a giant fishing area. You don’t realize just how big until you get in the house and almost feel lonely by yourself. The Frabill Citadel 3405 features nearly 30 square feet of fishable space, but what makes that even larger is Frabill’s unique SideStep™ Entry with a door on each side rather than the standard front door design of most flip-overs. By straightening the angle on the front wall, Frabill added more fishable space, as well as room to set hooks with longer rods.
Available exclusively in the Frabill Citadel and Predator families, I can tell you the SideStep design flat-out eliminates hassle, like your buddy knocking over the heater, portable fishfinder, or getting wrapped up in line. The design simplifies in-and-out access, removes the need to step over gear and holes, and a vertical front wall reduces the risk of kicking over the heater.
Lastly, Frabill re-thought window shape and placement. The uniquely shaped new windows provides greater viewing space to keep an eye on nearby tip-ups. In a word: smart.
So, if you’re looking for a portable fish-house that will last longer, eliminate hassles, and offers fishability in spades, look no further than the Frabill Citadel series.
About Steve Pennaz
Steve Pennaz excels at finding and catching fish on new waters, a skill developed over 30 years of extensive travel in search of giant fish. His television series, Lake Commandos, Man vs. Lake vs. Man, helps anglers understand the steps to building successful patterns on the water.