Hardwater Army Awaits First Ice, First Deployment of the Shuttle by Frabill
OutdoorHub 11.08.11
Ice Belt, North America – In a recent post-deer hunt (buck-less), fireside chat with ice fishing icon Brian “Bro” Brosdahl, the conversation, as predicted, shifted from antlers and venison to walkable ice and eagerness for that first vertical jolt. Mere minutes into the banter, excitement earned Bro’s expression while he waxed about getting Frabill’s new Hard Top Shuttle on the lake.
“Finally, I can put an entire season’s worth of ice fishing gear in a compartmentalized, easily pulled, and lightweight transport,” said Bro. “The Hard Top Shuttle could easily become your best friend this winter. No knock on your buddies, but they’re always complaining about having to carry gear.” Bro said this knowing full well that he carries the weight when it comes to finding fish for his friends…
“Literally, I’m going to pack one Shuttle exclusively for panfish and have a second geared for walleyes and other predators,” he said pointing out the fact that there are different strokes for different fish. Two Shuttles? Not a bad idea in this era of specialization.
Bro already has a checklist for what’ll be stored, secured, and ready for a day on the ice…and the day after that, and through ice-out. “In my panfish Shuttle, there’ll be 6 or 8 pre-rigged Bro Series Combos and a couple of the new Straight Line Combos nestled safely inside the built-in rod locker. Then a complete collection of panfish-specific tackle, like Bro Bugs and hundreds of other shapes, sizes and colors.” Other essentials include propane cylinders, his Mr. Heater Buddy, extra set of Snosuit gloves, Frabill shelter lights, backup boots and socks, D and AA batteries for the lights and various Frabill portable aeration products.
“Can’t forget the Sit-N-Fish, either. It’s my ‘take a load off’ spot and container for enough fish for dinner later that night with my wife Heather.”
His walleye Shuttle houses many of the same core supplies, but the rods are rigged for walleyes; tackle is upsized for marble eyed predators; and the hull holds a menagerie of pre-rigged Frabill tip-ups.
Scott Glorvigen, another ice fishing trendsetter and nearly neurotic organizer, considers the Hard Top Shuttle his “traveling workshop.” “Once you leave the garage and workbench, and truck is back on shore, you used to be out of luck when it came to having a functional workspace on the ice,” said Glorvigen. “Now I have that space for tinkering and tricking-out – the Shuttle.”
The Shuttle organizer sled base is standard equipment on the new Frabill Trekker MAX and Commando MAX. But with so many anglers now donning warm and functional ice fishing outerwear, like Snosuit and ICESUIT, and fishing hyper-mobile, The Shuttle lends them the storage and seating of a portable fish house, but without the weight of a frame and tent. Guys like these wear their portable fish houses…
So feel free to fish freely this winter, Shuttle-style.
The Hard Top Shuttle is available in two sizes for total individualization. The Recon Shuttle offers 10.5 cubic feet of storage at a mere 31-pounds. Full dimensions are 50-inches (L) X 30.5-inches (W) X 13.5-inches (H). Trekker Shuttle boasts 13.7 cubic feet of storage, with full figured dimensions of 58-inches (L) X 33-inches (W) X 13.5-inches (H), yet still weighs in at only 38-pounds.
ABOUT FRABILL
Frabill, Inc. (Jackson, Wis.) is in its 73rd 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, including FXE Snosuit. Openwater products include landing nets, portable aeration, bait containers, bait care, bait traps and seinesory, accessories, and premium openwater apparel, including FXE Stormsuit. Visit www.frabill.com.
