I have a woods, but both of those are good brands, I get a good idea from the customer comments and ratings on basspro usually. I use that one because they show all the reviewers complain about basspro logo’s letting light in the tents. lol You can tell if the reviews are from actual users. There is a lot of (non-facebook) fishing forums that are active, and great for gear reviews.
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I think you can almost flip a coin when it comes to Otter and Eskimo… However my brother just a few weeks ago was facing the same decision and after looking at both he bought the eskimo 650XD. I have an otter xt pro cottage and I am pleased with the quality overall.
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I’ve never been ice fishing, but I loved to fish. I miss it. This is the last time I went fishing. I went to Colorado in 2018 on Christmas and had a blast.
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You gotta try it!!! I know it sounds scary/dangerous, but as long as you use some common sense and some planning, its actually very safe. Ive been hooked on ice fishing the last couple of years. Ive got a spot marked on my gps i go back to year after year and slam crappies every time i go out. I can sit in this spot all day and not mark a fish, but right when the sun starts going down, they move in shallow and my vexilar just blows up with fish. Im usually catching them so quick i cant even keel two rods in the water. I over 50 crappie a few years ago in under an hour. Only kept about 15 out of those, but what a blast!!!
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I’m disabled and have mobility problems. I’m just too tired these days to do much. By the time I get everything loaded up, I am worn out and ready for a nap.
It’s a shame, too, because I actually have a lot of fishing gear.
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You just need the right partner…someone with a hut and a snowmobile would love to have you with them. If you’re in Ontario, and wanna try, look us up mid January. Nice comfortable hut, I’m the only guy with my wife and 2 girls (and baby) as my buddies. We would love to have you…Its just a big fort on the ice to smoke weed and have fun in. Short 200 yd ride to the “hilton” In Southern Haliburton, we can make it super easy for you. The offer is open to all OGers and their fams, especially you @Hippiechik the soft bench in the hut is long enough to Nap on too…
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@Cannasaurusrex if I ever get where I can drive again like I used to, I would take you up on it. I’m slap in the middle of the US, going walleye fishing has been on my bucket list for years. I’ve got just about everything needed to catch any fish species, too.
Catfish have always been my favorite, they’re easy to catch and clean, and they are stocked in the millions. Plus they are delicious and I love fried fish. (Crappie and white bass are popular too, but you really need a boat to hunt them down, and I don’t have one.)
Watching the sunrise after spending all night fishing was always fun, too.
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I’m big into fishing. Just got back from a Mexico trip and caught this nice sized wahoo. Got back to Montana and was ice fishing less than 48 hours later lol.
I’ve gotten skunked both times on the ice this year tho
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Now thats something only a stoner could come up with 
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Some montana ice fishing sure does sound like a good time
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Go figured. Made an extravagant ice fishing purchase and now the temps are 50’s and rain all damn week. I must of pissed off the ice gods big time!!!
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Won’t be long now, about average time so far. In S. Ontario we should be getting some really good ice after Christmas on some of the small lakes. There is enough ice for people to get in trouble right now … Big lakes have taken until 2nd week in January the past couple years…forecast for lower temps here on in and hopefully snow won’t be deep early on. My son-in-law just went to sell his mobile Otter tent, and when he unfolded it before heading to sell it, he found mice had pretty much ate the whole canvas! LOL I’m gonna check my 4 man tomorrow!!!
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tell your son inlaw to go to Otter’s website and look at the section for replacement parts for the ice huts. They sell the shells/canvas and often put them on sale.
I actually built my own Otter XT Pro Cottage from the ground up by first buying the replacement canvas. They had 50% off sale at the time and it was a smoking deal even buying it from Canada and paying the dollar difference. But ya… tell him to look at thier site, a replacement shell would be much cheaper than buying a whole new ice hut.
Was out today… -17C and windy… big time windy. So we fished for a few hours, wife and I got skunked LOL but our friends got 4 brookies. Wife and I spent the drive home looking for the perfect christmas tree and actually found a real nice one not too far off the road.
Was a good day.
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Thanks for the tip, yeah his framework is A1. Love the roadside Christmas trees, we still do that now with the Grandson…for his own little spruce, we go for the farm raised beauties upstairs LOL. Merry Christmas to you and to Everyone in this thread !!! hope to see some new presents being put to good use on here 
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Spent yesterday building a new, lighter weight smitty sled. One of my friends graciously gifted me her sister’s ski’s who recently passed away. Said this is gonna be the coldest christmas we’ve had it 25 years. About to be an amazing season. You fellas be safe out there on first ice!!!
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Yes, please everyone get home safely.
THAT is a slick rig, will be a breeze to pull ! You can do all sort of custom mods to that sled. Wicked. That polar vortex should get things nice and thick out there, before the brief and regular New Year thaw, this year.
Checked out a new small public lake today. Its completly locked up but ice is still super thin. Hoping to be out there monday or Tuesday nezt week.
too cold to do anything outside right now.
-47C last night and it warmed up to a balmy -30 today LOL
Lakes are making ice hard now. Supposed to warm up considerably the next few days so will get a chance to go on christmas eve I’m thinkin.
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Hahah you defiantly aint close to me lol
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