2016 F+W Ice Guide

Be sure to check your local bookstore, grocery store, or outdoor store to pick up the new F+W Ice Guide.  I picked up this copy at my local Mills Fleet Farm over the weekend.

F+W Ice Guide always has a collection of well written articles and tips and is a must get for the die hard ice fisherman.

Jason Mitchell on the cover with a beautiful northern pike

Hot off the presses

Just a friendly reminder to check with your local supermarket, book store, or super store for the 2017 In Fisherman Ice Guide.  I picked up this copy at the local Walmart today.

The ice guide always helps me get into the mood for ice fishing and it shares some new gear and tips for the up coming season.

Be sure to grab yours today!

***New for 2016*** Clam Kenai Pro Thermal Stealth ice house

Spec sheet of Kenai Pro Thermal Stealth

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to get a close look at the new Clam Kenai Pro Thermal Stealth one-man ice house; I thought I would share my thoughts.

Clam Kenai Pro Thermal Stealth

I have been pretty excited about this ice house since I heard about it a couple of months ago; it is designed and built specifically with sight fishing conditions in mind.  I am fortunate enough to live three and a half hours away from one of the best sight fishing lakes in the Midwest, West Okoboji Lake, located in northwest Iowa.  So a one man shack tailored to sight fishing has always been on my bucket list.

For those who have never sight fished before, it is vital to make the inside of your shack as dark as possible in order to have the best viewing through your ice hole.  Many of the current ice houses on the market have a lighter colored canvas, pin holes, stitch holes, or wearing away of the inside black coating; those conditions lend to light into your shack and make it more difficult to see through the ice or can even spook fish.

So with those requirements in mind, the new one man Clam Kenai Pro Stealth and the larger two man Clam Voyager X Stealth shacks were born.  They both have a 900 total denier fabric which is fully thermal.  What that means, is that the fabric for the shack is very strong, retains heat on the top and sides, and limits condensation build up.  The heavier fabric also helps limit the amount of flapping the tent experiences in windy conditions.  Clam employed a new way of joining the inner and outer material of the tent with an adhesive.  Previously the two layers were either sonically welded or stitched together with thread.  By using an adhesive, it allows there to be minimal stitching on the tent, which allows less ways for light to enter into the shack.  I spent some time trying to pull apart the two layers of the tent either between my fingers or with both hands and was unable to do so.  Clam also made flaps to cover the zippers and windows on the inside of the shack, so when you "button up" it truly is dark inside.

For those who are concerned that it may be too dark inside or when night fishing, Clam includes it's mini light tube and battery bracket as part of the house.  The LED tube does an excellent job of lighting up the inside of the shack and all you need in an extra 12 volt battery to keep it bright all night long.

The Kenai Stealth also has plenty of storage via a full length hammock under the seat and an overhead mesh storage area.

Coming in at 48 pounds, the shack is about the perfect weight for a one man shack though I would advise putting some runners on the bottom of your tubs if you plan on hauling the shack over concrete, rocks, or behind a snowmobile or all terrain vehicle.  I would also advise adding the Deluxe Seat Cover as the seat that comes standard with the Kenai Pro Thermal Stealth shack has padding and may cause you to have a sore back by the end of a long day of fishing.

MSRP for the one man Kenai Pro Thermal Stealth is $399 and for the two man Voyager X Thermal Stealth is $799.  I would also advise getting the deluxe seat cover if you decide to purchase the Kenai pro thermal stealth and the MSRP for that is $35.

I fully expect these shacks to be great sellers for Clam, so be sure to check them out at your nearest retailer.

Inside picture

Close up including hammock and battery bracket

Inside of shack with led light bar on