Fishing in slush advise...

[BoxMN]

Ok, y'all gave me some good advice a couple years ago about fishing in slush, but how bout hearing it again or from new people..?.. Have a snomo and portable that I tow. Lake is hella slush. Amy advice?!! Thanks!

Edit-no studs, just don't wanna get stuck. Best so far is do a circle and park on packed track, and also disconnect shack and park 100' or whatever away. Will be by myself. Thnx

[Esox_Magnum]

Good idea, got a sled myself be my first time in many years with one and can use all the advice I can get. Never used one for fishing before but now may be the only option.

[knoppers]

Ok, y'all gave me some good advice a couple years ago about fishing in slush, but how bout hearing it again or from new people..?.. Have a snomo and portable that I tow. Lake is hella slush. Amy advice?!! Thanks!

Edit-no studs, just don't wanna get stuck. Best so far is do a circle and park on packed track, and also disconnect shack and park 100' or whatever away. Will be by myself. Thnx

thats what we do in canada when out on remote lakes out for lakers, the slush is almost a givin up there, so we circle to pack it down, before we shut the sled down.

[Fred_Bear]

Before you shut your sled off, run the track to get all the slush out of it. This will save you from burning through belts and if your snowmobile wouldn't start for some reason good luck trying to tow it with a frozen track. I've had 2 situations like that. 1 time it took 4 guys with screw drivers 2 hours of chipping ice to finally break the track free. The other time we never got the track broke free and ended up taking the skis off, putting them back on backwards and hoisting the track of the snowmobile onto the back of another sled and towing it out backwards.]

Don't follow someones track through a slush pocket, unless you want to get your sled and yourself wet.

Keep everything as light as possible.

[knoppers]

fred has very good advice. we had a sled burn down, and towing it back with slush in both sleds, stopped the towing, we had to leave it there, just to go back the next day and chip it out of the ice.

[DTro]

I'm a little confused. What exactly do you mean by "running the track"?

Like lifting up the back and clearing it out? Sounds like a 2-3 person job if I understand correctly.

[DaSwede]

Pick up the back end and hit the throttle, I'm guessing. Free-wheeling, I'm guessing. We do it all the time. Usually takes two guys or a jack stand.

[croixflats]

A great Idea from someone last year. Carry a 2x4 and a come along for if you do get stuck. Drill a hole in front of the sled put the 2x4 in the whole and attach the come along to the 2x4 then the sled and winch free. Better than throwing your back out or over exerting your self. If fishing alone this can be a life saver.

[knoppers]

great info croix, Im have heard people that do that with there wheelers also.

[Phred52]

Biggest thing is to keep your sled and house OUT of the slush!! Anything of value to you, be sure it doesn't freeze down!! You may be looking down holes that are 1 1/2' or 2' down, just STAY on TOP of the snow, or be prepared to sacrifice equipment!!! Phred52

[Fred_Bear]

I'm a little confused. What exactly do you mean by "running the track"?

Like lifting up the back and clearing it out? Sounds like a 2-3 person job if I understand correctly.

Yeah 1 guy lifts the back of the sled and another guy runs the throttle just fast enough to clear the slush. A jack stand would take more time but is a safer alternative.

Knoppers you're right on with the slush being a given on those kinds of lakes. Last year the opener was a disaster for our group. In 3 days of fishing the slush and cold burned up 3 of the 9 snowmobiles and they had to get towed over 15 miles back to Sioux Narrows.

[riverview]

A few years ago up at soix narrows we would make tracks one day and fish it the next. I allways keep 100 feet of nylon rope so if i get stuck i unhook sled hook up rope and get a run at the sled to get unstuck. in slush you cant beat a long wide track, my skandic with a 20 wide 156 in track doesnt sink as bad as a 121 sled.

[7outof10]

slush is all ways a bad thing ....i hope my wheeler can make it

[jd524]

A great Idea from someone last year. Carry a 2x4 and a come along for if you do get stuck. Drill a hole in front of the sled put the 2x4 in the whole and attach the come along to the 2x4 then the sled and winch free. Better than throwing your back out or over exerting your self. If fishing alone this can be a life saver.

Thanks for mentioning that tip, I had heard of it before but forgot all about it. I was wondering about some more specific details from someone that has done it before, how long of a board, how deep and wide of a hole, etc. I have a feeling if there was ever a year it might need to be done, it would be this year.

[croixflats]

I would think a 3 ft brd be enough. An augers width be enough. Placement of the hole would be the full extension of the come along cable less 2 wraps around the spool. Drill hole at an angle, if possible, so when board stands up it angles away from sled that way cable wont slip off and board does not come out of hole. Depth of ice will determine that. But ideally at least a foot and be sure to hook cable as close to the ice as possible.

A tip for the 2x4. Nail a small board on the end of the board,making an L shape to catch the back side edge of the ice, if you have to drill all the way through the ice like in thin ice situations. this will keep the board from slipping out of the whole while winching.

[woodspliter]

If you don't make the board to long, you could use it to prop the back of the sled up when your by yourself to run the track clear.

[trapperdirk]

I just tip my sled up on its side and let her rip to clear the track . Also if your machine is broke down for whatever reason pull the belt off it and it will tow alot better because the motor is not being turned over as the track moves . A sleigh such as an otter will be an asset too when moving a broke down sled .

Whatever you do don't let that slush freeze in the undercarriage .

TD

[BoxMN]

Trapperdick, great tip about tilting sled to side to clean track! Thanks!

So far I have driven in circles to pack down a "runway" on sunday, and then also parked the sled about 60-70 feet away from fishing holes. Sled stayed high and dry, and dragging the otter back to the sled was easy on t he packed down "runway". So far so good, will hopefully be good this weekend, but I think there will be many more holes out there letting water up, so more slush areas. Have to sno-Seal my boots

[jd524]

I would think a 3 ft brd be enough. An augers width be enough. Placement of the hole would be the full extension of the come along cable less 2 wraps around the spool. Drill hole at an angle, if possible, so when board stands up it angles away from sled that way cable wont slip off and board does not come out of hole. Depth of ice will determine that. But ideally at least a foot and be sure to hook cable as close to the ice as possible.

A tip for the 2x4. Nail a small board on the end of the board,making an L shape to catch the back side edge of the ice, if you have to drill all the way through the ice like in thin ice situations. this will keep the board from slipping out of the whole while winching.

I will experiment with that and see how it works. Thanks!

[Ed Carlson]

If your pulling in with a Otter Sled for instance and fishing open air, no shelter, on the sloppy ice from your sled.

A tip that is helpful is to drill and set up you angling holes and position the sled so you can sit in it and keep out of the slop. The less footprints you have near your holes the less of a slough you will produce and the dryer you will stay.

If the sloppy conditions persists I would even recommend a 2 hole temporary floor that will fit in the bottom of the sled so you can flop that out as a template and also keep the fishing areas a bit dryer to work with and also keep the electronics up and out of the slop. I have used this trick on flooded river ice and it is helpful to keep my working area as comfortable as conditions allow.

[jd524]

Originally Posted By: croixflats

I would think a 3 ft brd be enough. An augers width be enough. Placement of the hole would be the full extension of the come along cable less 2 wraps around the spool. Drill hole at an angle, if possible, so when board stands up it angles away from sled that way cable wont slip off and board does not come out of hole. Depth of ice will determine that. But ideally at least a foot and be sure to hook cable as close to the ice as possible.

A tip for the 2x4. Nail a small board on the end of the board,making an L shape to catch the back side edge of the ice, if you have to drill all the way through the ice like in thin ice situations. this will keep the board from slipping out of the whole while winching.

I will experiment with that and see how it works. Thanks!

Well, I tested it out today. I first tried an angled hole not all the way through the ice with a 3 ft. 2X4. The board kept slipping out. I then drilled a hole all the way through and completely vertical. The board held in place and didn't budge an inch.

[croixflats]

Very nice being prepared before you go out. Nothing worse then trial and error on the fly.