ATV for pulling a sledtype fishing shack

[gspman]

What do you folks look for in an ATV in general and specifically for pulling a sled type house. I have a PolarSport 2 man house. At some point (not ready to commit yet) I'd like to be more mobile and get an ATV to pull this thing around on the ice and snow. Not to mention work duty at the lake in the spring, summer and fall. What things do you look for in an ATV for this purpose? What size engine would you look at for pulling a sled type fish house? How much ground clearance would I need? What things would you stay away from? Any and all input is appreciated. I know little about ATV's and I've kinda based my research on Polaris Sportsman ATV's because they seem extremely popular but am open to recommendations on any and all. Thanks.

gspman

[Eric Wettschreck]

When I went to the dealer for my ATV I said," I want a work horse. Not worried about going 75 mph down the road. Gonna pull fish houses around, move docks, etc." He turned me on to my Yamaha Big Bear 400. It does everything I want it to do, but it has a few bad points.

1. Solid shaft rear end. Good and bad. Good for super duper traction, bad for bumpy ride and makes it harder to steer.

2. Limited slip front end. Once again super traction, harder to steer.

3. All time 4 wheel drive. I can't put it in just 2 wheel drive.

Having said those things, this puppy is a worker. I can wrap a log chain around my house and drag it down the road if I want to. Starts every time and I haven't had 1 problem with it.

I don't really think you will find a bad ATV as the major players in the game have really stepped up their products and they are all pretty good.

My $.02.

[iffwalleyes]

You don't really need anything that special for pulling a house they are pretty easy to pull. I would look for a 300 or better machine and for sure a 4X4 even though you will get around ok with a 2X4. Ground clearance really isn't that important in the snow because most machines will just plow through it. I would make sure to put chains or ice studs that make getting around alot easier. Polaris are decent machines but they wouldn't be my first choice. I use a Honda Foreman 450 ES. w/ ice studs and a windshield (this is really nice it sure helps keep the wind off you when you are booking it). So first I would get a Honda but there are several happy Polaris owners out there. My dad has a Sportsman but I don't think it is as nice as mine.

[Lundman]

I run a Polaris Sportsman 500 and love it. I agree the Yamaha and Hondas are very good units as well. I think the ground clearance is a issue. The higher the clearance the better you are. I can run my Sportsman through 12" of fresh powder pulling my Otter Magnum Ice house with no problem and that's without any chains or studs. I really havn't had a need to put chains on my ATV. If you get any more fresh snow on the ice than 12" then you will have trouble no matter what ATV you are on. In that situation I would go with a snowmobile. It realy depends on if you get a lot of snow where you fish. It really is going to come down to brand preference. All have good and bad points. Do your research on what is important to you and you will answer your own question over time. Good luck with what ever ATV you get!

LundMan

[Neighboor]

If your going to baby the machine any unit will do. If you are going to ride it hard and want minumum maintenence go with a HOnda or yamaha.

4 wheel drive is a must for the ice and snow, especially if your going to pull anything. If you are going to just use it to pull a sled type house then the smaller/lighter ones will do fine.

[Jarrod32]

A 4x4 would be ideal, but depending on your budget, you can get by with quite a bit less. I have used an old Honda 3-wheeler (250) for a few years now, and it works fine as long as the snow is not really deep...

I would put in a good word for Honda, though...this thing runs great even as it approaches 20 years old.

[Kylersk]

If you have specific questions on a certain manufacturer, or would like to learn more about different ATV's, ATV Connection is a great place for information.

[IceHawk]

I run a 400 Polaris Sportsmen and am totaly happy with it. I have rode many other machines and they all have good features. The suspension and clearance was a big reason why I chose a Polaris. All machines have good and bad points even Polaris but I'm more than happy with my choice. As far as size I fish around 4-5 days a week and have found the 400 to have plenty of power for hauling my gear and fishhouse through most conditions faced. I will admit I would probably go with a little bigger machine next time, not because its needed. You know guys they always think bigger is better, I guess it's a guy thing. As for a set-up I have a rack on the back that hauls my trap auger holder on front and a gear bag strapped on my back holding rods etc. I also run chains on the back and it's amazeing how much snow you can go through. Ice fishing productivity has really increased with the revolution of the Atv. Our group of around 5 guys all have machines set-up this way and we have been able to really look into new areas, that still to some degree are un-tapped.

[OUT_FISHIN]

I own 2 wheelers a 650 and a 400 both Kawasakis, both have there advantages and disadvantages. I think any wheeler would do the job, Most you can get chains for. so traction would not be an issue. the bigger they are the longer they take to warm, up though, fuel injection would probably be a plus.

Good Luck

[northernnels]

I too am interested in an atv for ice fishing does any one have any info as to how these machines go in the slush? I have had several bad time with the snow machine in the slush . Nels

[fishingbuddy]

Icehawk

What do you use to haul you auger? I have a Polaris ATP and trying to figure it out

[knoppers]

the size of the machine really dosen't matter as much for pulling your house across a lake, its the traction. 4x4 is almost a must, and the tires are even more important. I have the grizz which is a 660, but the size did nothing but spin in deep snow, untill I put on some deep lug snow tires, then it went through anything. so if your looking at price, I would also add the price of replacement tires, which can cost up to 80 bucks per tire. I would think any 400 wheeler with some aftermarket tires will still be cheap enough and give you plenty of pulling power and traction.

[gspman]

Thanks so much for your input guys. This information is very helpful and has cleared the air for me a lot. Thanks again!

gspman

[IceHawk]

FishinBuddy: I use a IPI auger holder that mounts on the front rack.

[dougger222]

I've been running a 2002 Polaris 700 Twin going on 3 years next month. I bought the 5 year full warranty and have had repairs to it several times in the amount of $2K+. The machine has a ton of power but is not reliable to say the least. It has just over 1000 miles on it.

The machine also has the auger mounts on the front rack and a large plastic box for the rear rack. It has a 48 inch Polaris plow which works ok. For pulling the Frabil XLTwin flip over house I bought a tow bar at Cabelas for $20 mounted to the factory holes for the tow rope. Had to put a quick release hook up on one side of the bar and get a 8 inch drop receiver hitch to use in the 2 inch aftermarket receiver mount.

My uncle recenlty picked up a 2000 Yamaha 400 quad for ice fishing, not a huge machine but perfect for pulling his two man shanty.