More ice fishing coverage to get you thinking that the ice will not get here fast enough. The oracles of ice fishing are wanderers. They know staying put just won’t do. They bore holes here, drop transducers there, and deploy baits pretty much everywhere. Even fishing with their buddies, they know spreading out and covering more water will increase the overall catch rate. To keep it short and sweet: Roamers catch more fish than campers – period.
These masters of hole-hopping also know that single-person shanties are the defining tools when it comes to fully jacketing the ice. The biggest problem of the past, however, was once situated inside the shack, it always felt like the walls were closing in. You had to step outside to stretch your aching “shanty back.” The footprints of olden one-angler shelters weren’t two-hole friendly, either. That, and setting the hook could easily result in a broken rod tip.
For these reasons, the design team at Frabill decided the claustrophobia had to end and blueprinted the all-new 2016 Recruit. It’s the single-angler flip-over fortress that allows even the huskiest occupant to stretch out, fish multiple rods and set the hook with unbridled exuberance.
“No matter what shelter you’re in, the more you use it the more you wish it was bigger,” says Wisconsin ice-fishing guide and Frabill prostaffer Pat Kalmerton. “The Recruit has the elbow and legroom for an angler to shift around comfortably all day long, jigging in one hole and deadsticking in another. Yet this flip-over shelter is lightweight, while at the same time built tough for the long haul.
“The Recruit truly fills the gap between tiny one-man shelters and two-man units.”
It’s Frabill’s new super-alloy framing —which is 30% lighter than standard aluminum poles— that allows the Recruit to maintain its fighting weight of only 62 pounds, making it easy to pull by hand. But don’t let the reduction in load fool you – the new super-alloy is also 30% stronger than conventional metals. So go ahead, hook it up to a quad or snowmobile and tow it across the heaves and valleys. It can take it.
Folded down for towing, the Recruit measures a mere 52.5”L x 32”W x 16”W. Once erected, however, you’ll find yourself surrounded by housing that tapes out to 75.5”L x 52.5”W x 59”H. That’s an incredible 16.5 feet of tackle-toting and fishing freedom while surrounded by a fully-insulated 600 Denier tent.
The secret to gaining all that room lays in the fact the swiveling, cushioned boat seat sits along the side of the sled, rather than the front end; thus the framework and tent pivot over long ways around the angler, creating more lateral space. That’s room for two holes, stretched out legs, heater, sonar and more.
Like the entire line of Frabill Shelters, the new Recruit sports a stylish, contemporary look. Inspect it closer, too, and you’ll note the newly-shaped windows with a trapezoid on the front and rear and parallelograms to the sides. The new window configurations aren’t for the sake of vanity, either. The specialty shapes afford better lines of sight for checking tip-ups and monitoring the activities of your prankster comrades.
Don’t wander aimlessly this winter. Get in and enjoy more room with the Recruit
Frabill Recruit 1250 Ice Shelter
- Full-zippered front door
- Padded, swivel boat seat
- 600 Denier tent material
- Full tent insulation
- Super-alloy pole system
- 5-feet of fishable space
- 62 lbs.
- Setup: 75.5”L x 52.5”W x 59”H
- Collapsed: 52.5”L x 32”W x 16”H
- Model #640200
- MSRP: $399.99
ABOUT FRABILL
Frabill, Inc. is in its 77th year of engineering premium, trusted fishing equipment. Frabill’s ice fishing product lineup consists of portable ice fishing shelters, rod and reel combos, tip-ups, bait containers, portable aeration, and premium ice fishing apparel. Open water products include landing nets, portable aeration, bait containers, bait care, bait traps and seines, accessories, and premium open water F Series Storm Gear. Visit www.frabill.com.