Snowmobile for ice fishing

[Hitchhiker]

What is the best type of snowmobile to use for pulling portable fish house out on the lake. Would 2up touring/trail sled work well for myself and wife.

thanks

[furnace man]

A touring with a two up seat would be nice. If you have rev even better. I have a 600 rmk with reverse and it is great. If you have a two up sled get studs not alot but enough so that get traction on the ice.

[jdsmi]

If it were me, a 2up trail sled would be preferred. I would look for a sled with a reliable fan cooled motor (ie. Polaris 488, Cat 440). This setup would be reliable, light, menueverable, and easy to maintain.

Other opinions may vary but while I have 5 sleds in my shed to choose from, my old Jag goes fishing with me while the bigger, faster iron stays home.

[Jim Almquist]

Most all of the 2 up sleds will have a hitch or towing bracket so you can just pin your tow bar for your fish house or in my case a Otter. The electric handwarmers are nice when its time to leave and you get done packing up and have had your gloves off for a while.

[BoxMN]

I have a Yammie Venture 600 2-up and it works great for pulling the shack. Actually I pull a Otter Cabin with an Otter Magnum sled behind that, so it pulls two sleds behind it.

I don't have studs, but I can see where it would be very nice, especially early ice where the snow is not as packed down, or in slush where you can dig down without really trying.

Definitely get electric start and reverse. I had to put on my own hitch. I think the 2-up Cats are set up a bit better for an ice fishing sled.

I also have an old 88 Indy 400 (with studs) and it does a good job of pulling a shack as well.

[Gissert]

Some of the sleds with wider tracks and a low range are good - Some examples are the Polaris Widetrack or the Arctic Cat Bearcat.

[Fred_Bear]

Hitches are pretty easy to make yourself. Only takes a little scrap iron and a welder. You can make them so they can go on and off your bumper in a couple minutes with no holes drilled in the bumper. I've never found one in a store that was really strong enough.

The fans are light, cheap, and reliable but don't plan on pulling a portable through any good amount of fresh powder or slush they just don't have the power for that. You'll need a little more power and a bigger track with deep lugs or a paddle track for that.

[fisherdog19]

I've got a Cat 2 up four stroke, the T660 touring. It's great for ice fishing and pulling a sled or 3. Longer track, no fumes, and 20 miles per gallon. A 2 up would be the way to go if it's an option for you.

[castmaster]

If $ isnt an issue I dont think you can beat a 4 stroke Arctic Cat BearCat. They are THE ice fishing snowmobile IMO.

[JCR]

I run the Ski-Doo Skandic Super wide track. It has a 24 inch wide track, 56 long, and a transmission with two speed forward and reverse. The big track and the low gear make it good for towing.

[magicstix]

IMO a 2-up, long track, reverse, and 96 studs[too little studs will cause them to pull out easier and you don't need 240] would be perfect for pulling a portable. If everything is working properly electric start isn't needed. For ice fishing I think a fan maybe be better for low snow conditions but still need to be concerned about slide lube. A liquid motor will have a lot more longevity. There was a used skidoo 380 2up reverse for 950 locally aweek ago but I kind of want a polaris since thats what I already have.

[Jim Hudson]

Your on the right track.. a little pun intended!

2-Up with a longer track is the way to go.. Studs are nice, but not always needed. That long track, along with studs, help in case you run into slushy conditions!!

[CatchPhotoFilet]

I have a polaris 500 widetrack Lx with a low and high gear for pulling. Its a great sled and would highly recomend it to anyone looking for a sled with some pulling power

[riverview]

I have a 08 ski doo tundra 550 lt 16x156 track and a 05 600 wt skandic. both are great sleds for ice fishing.

[magicstix]

Studs for the bare ice, for take off and more importantly braking control/control. I'm pro studs for years and the last sled the dealer talked me out them saying the new tracks are superior and you don't need them, not exacatly true. they are superior in snow and hard pack but bare ice you still need studs, I tried it for a very short bit without studs and didn't like it on ice. The key is proper placement[should be able to get by with a pattern inside the rails] and you only really need a 1/4" sticking above the track lug and a good quality carbide stud.

[harvey lee]

I would say a 2up with a long track. They seem to work very well.

[hovermn]

I had a 2 up Polaris a couple years ago with a rear rack. It made it real easy to mount the auger on the snowmobile using those ATV gun mounts. Also was nice to keep the Marcum in there instead of the sled.

[FISHINGURU]

any snowmobile that runs good will do the trick

[Hitchhiker]

Thanks all been very helpful, been along time since had a snowmobile. One other question would touring sled handle slushy conditions like we had last year.

[leech~~]

If you get a 2 up with a long track it's better, but a lot has to do with how heavy of a load you are pulling and how fast you can get it moving to stay on top!

[BoxMN]

Also, I learned, when pulling up to a spot to fish, do a lap or two in a circle to pack down where you will eventually park. If you can, lift the rear end of the sled and spin the track to get the slush out before it freezes. Starting up in the slush seems like the only hard part, going through it is no prob.

[bonehead99]

You probably want to stick with a fan cooled also, they don't require snow for engine cooling. Most liquid cooled need snow thrown up in the tunnel for cooling. They need just enough to lube the track.

[magnum mike]

I recommend the touring sled. I have a 700 EFI Cat touring model. My buddy calls it the "Long track with the milk rack". I have been stuck once in 10 years. I was in 2+ feet of cold fluffy powder on top of clear polished ice. When my buddy blazed a trail (he had studs) I was off & running again. All good advise posted here.

[Bottle Fish]

The way this year is going I would have to recommend a boat. We first need ice to ice fish. Snow is the least of my worries.

Sorry I couldn't resist.

[Fishin Dood]

I just remembered a funny story I had to share ( having to do with lubricating slides). I was out on WBL one year, absolutely no snow, glare ice. I look out the window of my portable and see two Sheriff's deputies or DNR officers coming across the ice...on sleds. They stopped and checked myself and everyone fishing around me. They get back on their sleds to leave and the sleds wont budge...oops. It took the better part of an hour to get the tracks broke loose from the slides. Don't ride on glare ice.