Where I do my ice fishing there are only two types of ice fishing traps, Heritage Lakers and Jack Traps. There may be 100 companies that make ice fishing traps but none of us would know, my ice fishing buddies and I only fish the two brands. I must be honest and say I fish the Jack Traps, I own a set of Heritage Lakers and keep them as a reserve, loan them to friends, and use them when we fish states that allow more than the standard five trap limit. I even put one of them into use at the end of last season after a snowmobiler went right over and through one of my Jack traps. Whiskey and Beer do not mix with snowmobiling, its one or the other.
Let me paint you a picture with words of a common day of ice fishing when it gets slow. There is usually at least five of us out there on the ice braving the elements. If it is a decent day we are all sitting around a hole or two on the fold out chairs or the bait buckets, a couple of us jigging and the ice littered with ice fishing traps all around our perimeter. The flags are down, and we are just waiting for one of them to point sky high to signal a fish is on. In the meantime, we are all sitting around shooting the bull about which is better, the Sox (of course) or the Yanks, burgers or dawgs, and Jack Traps or Lakers. We never have a unanimous decision but it sure is fun to argue and compare. The one thing we all agree on is they are both very high quality traps that are durable, reliable, and none of us would think of fishing anything else!

------------------------------- Unique Design ---------------------------------

This is not the conventional ice fishing trap design that is often imitated. It is common in the ways of having an upright post and collapsible folding holding arms that keep it on top of the ice and stable. Where it becomes unique is on the top of the post. Most traps use a thin piece of spring steel to hold the flag up, the Heritage Laker uses a stiff piece of aluminum about a foot long resembling a car antenna. The flag stick is mounted on a strong spring which is mounted on top of the upright, not on a side. The mechanics of the trap are the same as just about every trap, the reel turns and the flag goes up. The unique flag post is great compared to the thin flimsy springy steel posts because it can be set up and put away without removing your gloves or mittens which is important when fishing on sub zero days or at the end of a long day. The post is visible when the flag is tripped along with the flag giving the fisherman more of a warning when the fish is on.

---------------------------------- Quality Trap --------------------------------

Made in Maine , you know this is a quality trap. It is made from hardwood which is very important when choosing an ice fishing trap. Ice fishing traps take a lot of abuse. They get thrown in the back of a tote sled, bounced around in a pack basket, and occasionally run over by snowmobiles. It is a must that they are made from the strongest woods available such as maple, ash and oak. Even when they are taken care of they are still in some tough conditions with half of the trap exposed to the weather and the other half exposed to the under ice and water conditions. It is a tough life for the ice trap.
Other than the flag design my favorite thing about this trap is the Great Drag System. Most traps including the Jack trap don’t offer a fully adjustable drag system on the reel like the Heritage Laker. This can be set according to what you are fishing for and what you are fishing with. When I go for big pike I use big bait. I am using 10-12 inch suckers and shiners which would tip most flags on their own. I don’t have to make any modifications to the trap when I switch up and fish for 10-12 inch brookies other than the slight adjustment of the drag. It is set up like a star drag on a bait-casting reel.
They come with a layer of Polyurethane over the hard wood which makes it water proof and extends the traps life. I recommend putting another layer or two of Poly over the wood to ensure protection. The only real problem I have with the trap and the company is when they switched over to plastic reels. I am a big fan of metal and wood and I don’t like plastic. Most of my buddies have the older ones with the aluminum reels but we have some mixed in with the new black plastic reels. I cant say any have chipped, cracked or broken yet but I would rather have aluminum reels because I know it never will.

-------------------------------- Wind Proof ----------------------------------

This is another one of those traps you don’t have to worry about on a windy day. I laugh right now as I write this thinking back to some of the first traps I had and some of the other cheap ones I have seen on the frozen lakes. Every time the wind blew the flag went up and the fishermen ran to the hole and there was no fish, just a wind flag. Fishermen got so used to false alarms they sometimes didn’t run or check fast enough when it really was a fish. It is very, very important to buy a trap that is wind proof. The Heritage Laker is windproof. I have yet to see a wind that can set the Heritage Laker off. If the fisherman worries about the wind with a Laker he/she can simply twist it and position the flag on the lee side of the upright. The flag stick tucks into a metal holding position and the strong spring holds the flag stick in place.

------------------------------- Modifications ---------------------------------

I like to modify just about all of my stuff until I get it just the way I like it or perfect. The Tripper or flag stick holder needs a little bit of modification for my liking on this trap. This controls just how much tension it takes to trip the flag when the fish strikes. I like as little tension as possible especially for finicky trout. While you can set the flag tip anywhere on the tripper holder, it still protrudes a little ways past the opening and gives a little too much tension on the tip. I modify mine by filing down the aluminum with any file that is handy. This takes a couple minutes to have it just the way I like it.
The Flag modification is up for debate. Offered with the Heritage Laker is a florescent orange flag. I find this difficult to see with a light snow background or on sunny days. I have painted some of mine darker colors and some of them I simply draw an X or color in the perimeter of the flag with a black magic marker. My friends like to keep theirs original.
Most Wingnuts on any trap need to be changed. The wingnuts tighten the trap for transportation. This is usually used for opening or closing the trap at the beginning and end of the day, the two coldest times for a fisherman. No one needs to be fumbling with a tiny little stock wingnut, I put larger ones on to ease in getting it ready for transport.
The Reel can be changed out for an aluminum reel if you prefer or just keep the plastic one that it comes with, it is all preference here.
I like to put another coat or two of Polyurethane on mine to ensure it has adequate protection under harsh conditions on and off of the ice.

Of course all of these modifications are just my preferences and I offer them to you to improve the trap if you like. Don’t let them scare you away. This trap is ready to use right out of the box and will work as advertised.

---------------------------- Summerizing:-----------------------------------

This is funny because it is just like winterizing something like a boat, sports car, or anything else that gets put away in the winter, except these get put away for the summer. Since the flag system is unique, summerizing the trap is unique. When transporting these traps the flag is bent in the cocked position and locked into a storing notch. I recommend allowing the flag stick to point sky high because there is no tension on the spring during storage and this will keep it strong for many years of use. You don’t want to store it with the spring in the cocked position and allow it to weaken. I like to take the hooks off of mine and change the monofilament. The nylon line will last for decades. If they get a lot of use I throw on another coat of Poly when I get a chance. This is the best season to do this task as they dry quicker and don’t need to be out on the water the next day.


-------------------------- Price and Availability ----------------------------
These are currently trading for $30 each and are sold at L.L. Beans . They are a trap that should last you a lifetime depending on abuse.


©smallmouth 2007

Other Fishing Reviews:
Frabill Vinyl-Coated Minnow Trap
Frabill Sit-N-Fish Bait Container
Berkley Trilene XT
Berkley Trilene XL
Trilene Ice Fishing Line
Jack Traps Ice fishing Traps

Recommended: Yes