If you had to pick one...

[broman]

I own both. A wheeler is easier to use and operate IMO and you can easily add racks mounts, boxes, etc to it. However, when the snow gets deep or the resorts plow large banks, the sled is going to be the best. Sled travel will always be faster when there's some snow on the ice. In case you need to high tail it to the onshore biffy.

[CaptainMusky]

I have easily gone through snow that was over the front racks on my ATV. When I say easily, I dont mean I was going 20MPH, but I made it through without getting stuck. This was in 4 wheel drive and front diff locked.

I have only a wheeler now, but had sleds for years. I would like to get a sled just for ice fishing, but with the amount of snow we have had recently it doesnt pay, my ATV can go through pretty much any amount of snow we have had in the last 5 years and I dont even put chains on it.

If you have a long distance you want to run with a lot of snow then a snowmobile is by far the better mode of travel, but shorter distances an ATV will get you there without issues. At least one with a decent amount of ground clearance.

[grasshopper]

been thur a foot for sure. U guys must think will get a blast of snow before we have good ice. If thats the case, I'll be walking out looking out 4 soft spots.

[Queenswake]

I'd say try to get both if you could. Spend the most on the ATV and go older used on the snowmobile. As others have said, with the recent winters, ATV is going to work most of the time. Unless you fish exclusively up on LOTW or Red or whatever, I think ATV is the way to go and then save for a used snowmobile as well.

[Cyberfish]

I got the snowmobile, a lot cheaper used. last year I made it through the whole snowless "winter" fishing almost every weekend with no issues. A wheeler would have been better last year, but we had chicagos weather last year lol

[fishinnut_3446]

To the OP,My buddy has a older Phazer for sale and I think he only wants about $500 ? And in a week or so I will have to come up to Mn.and go to IceAssult and fish house supply to get some stuff if your interested I could bring it with ?

[northerndave]

Depends on the lakes you fish. If it's short trips from shore to your fishing spot a mile or two out then a wheeler is pretty handy. A wheeler will fit in the back of a pickup or on a trailer. Sleds WILL go in the back of a pickup but it's no fun getting them in and out, very clumsy.

If you fish big water like lake of the woods and you might want to run out 16 or 20 miles across the ice to fish.... Well then travel time really has a LOT to do with your fishing trip. With more distance comes greater chance of encountering numerous breakers as well, and sleds are way better for safe crossing on breakers. Granted, there is a limit to how fast you can go regardless and that limit is usually governed by how rough the trail is.

Sometimes 50mph is ok for getting there without wrecking your stuff, sometimes it's 20.

But if distance is a factor then a sled is the way to go. It's a much warmer ride, you can run much faster if the trail permits, safer machine for breakers/slush pockets.

Keep the sled light and simple by design if possible. Fan cooled singles or twins fron 340cc and up. Pick one up used, go through the carbs, service all idler/bogie wheels and bearings, hifax, jackshaft bearings, chaincase, clutches, wear bars under the skis with a little carbide is nice. Bring along a small tool kit and a pair of scratchers to install at the back edge of the skis incase you run into low or no snow cover. The scratchers will kick up a little ice dust for your hifax.

[Northlander]

For strictly ice fishing a snowmobile is a must once you get into the mid and later part of ice season. Especially if the lakes you fish, and areas on it, dont get plowed.

[Myrt]

sold the atv with tracks and will be trying out the ranger with tracks and cab this year...wasn't the best husband wife conversation we ever had..but hey..you only live once.

fish big water 2-3 times a year and travel a ways, but never in that big of a hurry and never break anything...I think it just depends on where you fish the most, how you set your vehicle up, and what you use it for.

I now can legally take my two young kids, and/or my Dad, comfortably, and warm about anywhere on the lake...once ice is thick enough...if it was just myself...kept the four wheeler...or set up a snowmobile.

Have fun...

[BigDogRob]

You may be able to go with a snowmobile with scratchers...but won't that just scare ALOT of fish away from your destination? It seems on LOW there are times when a dragging foot on the floor of the house impacts how the bite is going to be for awhile. I guess I am fortunate enough to have both, but it would be harder to come up with a plow for the front end of my snowmobile to clean the driveway.

[BoxMN]

Have 3 sleds and one ATV. I do love my sleds, and using them for trails and ice fishing, but last year was first with ATV and I gotta say, I am so glad I got it! Not just for the lack of snow (which was a huge plus for the ATV) but how much stuff you can pack onto an ATV and you have just one nice ice fishing package. I have auger rack up front, and a rear drop basket rack, and a seat bag. Holds everything securely and room for everything and then some.

It is a slower trip home, but I don't go too far from the cabin.

What others have said though, that a decent used sled is cheap is correct. I traded an old canoe for a 88 indy 400 and that thing is great sled still running perfect and pulling the otter and another tub with ease.

ATV is much easier to move around the garage in the off season though

[northerndave]

You may be able to go with a snowmobile with scratchers...but won't that just scare ALOT of fish away from your destination? It seems on LOW there are times when a dragging foot on the floor of the house impacts how the bite is going to be for awhile. I guess I am fortunate enough to have both, but it would be harder to come up with a plow for the front end of my snowmobile to clean the driveway.

Oh my.....

Nevermind the fact that it's a SNOWMOBILE with engine noise, carbides and skis scraping across the top of the ice, all the track noise etc... a couple of scratcher studs are going to scare fish away?

You need a hot air balloon and some feather pillows to strap to your feet lol.

That way you can get to your spot undetected by the fish and drill your ho.... Dam!! Can't drill the holes!! Too noisy!!

[CaptainMusky]

You may be able to go with a snowmobile with scratchers...but won't that just scare ALOT of fish away from your destination? It seems on LOW there are times when a dragging foot on the floor of the house impacts how the bite is going to be for awhile. I guess I am fortunate enough to have both, but it would be harder to come up with a plow for the front end of my snowmobile to clean the driveway.

You do realize that fish do not just set up shop beneath your house right? They move through so the "shuffling" of feet in the house and slowing of bite is just coincidental.

If you were fishing in a couple feet of water noise would be an issue, but in 20 feet plus we have done a lot of hooting and hollering and still pulled up more than our fair share of fish.

[Gus]

Biggest deciding factor in my mind is, "what part of the state do you normally fish" Or what part of the state do you normally see yourself using said ATV/Sled?

Northern half... sled no question in my mind. Southern half...ATV no question in my mind.

I agree with most everyone. ATV's are great in that you can haul way more gear easily. But if you get up into the northern parts of the state you'll be stuck once the snow gets deep if you try to go off the beaten path.

[Jeremy airjer W]

If you're buying it strictly for ice fishing, then it's a snowmobile. ATVs are great until you get 10-12 inches of snow .... then you need tracks on the ATV, or a snowmobile.

I have an ATV but do not have tracks for it. There have been times I've wanted to use it on the ice but can't due to snow depth. But there's been other times when I've used it for days or even weeks at a time with no issues from snow depths, and that's been awesome.

If you want to do more with it than just ice fishing, then you'll get much more versatility out of wheeler.

agreed!

[muc33]

Like already said. I used to own a 4 wheeler, don't anymore. Now I own a 2up sled and am going to purchase another. I have nothing fancy and can honestly say I don't know that it's ever been over 45mph since I have owned it. My buddies call it the Grandpa sled. And i'm ok with that! When I'm on the lake fishing, I can't hear them make fun of me! Ha!

[BigDogRob]

You need a hot air balloon and some feather pillows to strap to your feet lol.

Guess I never even really gave that part a thought... I don't think I would want the hot air ballon on a wide open lake with high winds... I'll stick to the warm house and stocking foot fishing. After thinking about all the noise around it is suprising that we can even get any bites!

[NKLCOLT1911]

some of the best fishing i have ever had was up on winne when a guy next to us kept his truck with loud exhaust running cause it was -40.

[northerndave]

One of our fav gags to pull while we have a group out tip up fishing is to put somebody on an atv or a snowmobile and send them out on a "fish round up" where they make a huge circle around our fishing area on a machine and keep doing circles tightening the circle each time.

Wouldn't ya know it more often than not we'd get a flag or 2 that would pop during a stupid "fish round up"

[NKLCOLT1911]

One of our fav gags to pull while we have a group out tip up fishing is to put somebody on an atv or a snowmobile and send them out on a "fish round up" where they make a huge circle around our fishing area on a machine and keep doing circles tightening the circle each time.

Wouldn't ya know it more often than not we'd get a flag or 2 that would pop during a stupid "fish round up"

thats great, would be pretty funny to see.

[Rooster7]

One of our fav gags to pull while we have a group out tip up fishing is to put somebody on an atv or a snowmobile and send them out on a "fish round up" where they make a huge circle around our fishing area on a machine and keep doing circles tightening the circle each time.

Wouldn't ya know it more often than not we'd get a flag or 2 that would pop during a stupid "fish round up"

My ex-brother BIL that used to guide on LOW taught me that trick and I'll be danged if we didn't get a few flags by doing it as well. lol

[perchking]

This, i was plowing thru 20 inches of crusty slush with 3 guys pulling 2 shacks and 1 in the back. Wheelers or sleds didn't have a chance. This pic is from last year, I know have a cab which is a nice option.

[IceHawk]

perch nice rig!

[Zenit]

Yep, that's a nice rig, kind of the the way I went...it seems expensive, but in the end I think it is more cost effective than buying one of each and from an ice fishing standpoint more practical and useful than either a wheeled ATV or a snowmobile. I saw the Yamaha Grizzly 700 EPS with the Camoplast tracks and Otter boxes on it at the Moon Motorsports booth at last year's Ice Show, and immediately started saving my pennies and mentallly devoting my tax refund and annual bonus to that beast. I've owned some really nice Polaris sleds before, but nowadays I just can't justify blowing $11K on an IQ Widetrack that I can only use 4-5 months out of the year (at best). I picked up a '12 Grizzy with the Camoplast tracks and the two Otter boxes, the Otter rod holder case and the Otter Auger holder for a little over 13K from Moon in February, and I can go places with those tracks and high clearance that neither sleds or wheeled ATVs can go. Taking off the tracks and putting on the wheels is not terribly difficult, just time consuming, it took me a little over 3 hours to swap them out by myself, but I won't do that on a yearly basis until my venerable old 2000 Polaris Sportsman 400 calls it quits (12 years of hard miles, and the only repair I've ever had to make on it was when the electric start quit 2 years ago - still runs like new).

I'm partial to Polaris and MN companies, and I did explore putting the tracks on a 850 Sportsman, but because of the new layout the Otter Box customization wasn't the same; I own both a Victory Kingpin and a Yamaha V-Max, and have owned both Polaris and Yamaha rides/sleds/ATVs since I was old enough to buy, so I have no problem going one way or the other, depending on my need. My only regret is that I cannot fit the Grizzly in my Zack Shack, just a shade too wide with the tracks, so when my buddy and I go out, I trailer the Zack Shack with the Polaris in it and he trailers the Grizz on a flatbed ATV 800 trailer; no need to drive the vehicles on the ice, the Grizz tows the Zack Shack just fine on the ice, and sets up/gets ready for travel within 30 seconds - we've got what I think is the ideal mobility and comfort in adverse conditions package.