What to look for in a sled for ice fishing....

[rockman]

I have read a few threads here already, but I still have a a couple of questions.First off, my price range is 1500.00 max,and more like around a grand.Second, I have not ridden a sled in about 30 years, so this is all new to me,again.

Is it necessary to have reverse,a long track,high and low speed, and a 2 up seat to have a 'ice fishing' sled? I have seen a ton of sleds on hsolist already,but where does a guy start when deciding on which ones to look at, and which ones not to? Are the features I just questioned when looking at used machines making it that much tougher to find one, or can I get by without a long track, or whatever, to find a sled in my price range, and not wait till spring to find it? I do understand some sleds are more for speed and trail riding, as opposed to 'utility' sleds, or maybe a 'mountain' style machine that is used out west.What has worked well for you folks that have used sleds for ice fishing? Is it really a matter of personal preference to have a longtrack vs. a regular track,or reverse vs. no reverse? Is a regular trail sled just a good for ice fishing, as a little more'specialized' machine? I may end up doing some trail riding, but not a whole lot, due to time constraints.Thanks for any help that can help shed some light on this for me.

[captainshane]

LAST FALL I BOUGHT A 96 SKI DOO TOURING 2 UP LONG TRACK WITH 980 MILES AND ELECTRIC START FOR $950. SO THOSE SLEDS ARE OUT THERE KEEP LOOKING. I PUT A REVERSE KIT ON IT THIS FALL. LONG TRACK IS UP TO YOU BUT A 2-UP WITH REVERSE IS NICE TO HAVE. THE OLDER YOU GET THE LESS YOU WANT TO DRAG A SLED AROUND.

SHANE

[Jim Almquist]

Rockman I can only tell you what I have for my fishing sled. It is a Polaris Indy Trail Classic. It has a 2 up seat,heated grips and thumb,reverse all things that I would not go with out. If you are not young pulling a big sled off the trailer is not fun. The 2 up seat is great so 2 people can chase around and the sled has more then enough power to haul all your gear.The heated grips are nice when it is very cold and you just get done tearing down your equipment it warms them up before you have to load everything back on the trailer. One last thing is to have a hitch so you can have a rigid bar between the sled and in my case my Otter so when you hit the brakes everything stops with you instead of running into the track. I have not encountered a situation were I needed a longer track. Hope this helps and I know all brands make the same type of sleds. I looked and drooled over a new SkiDoo but the price tag was enough to make me keep my older sled

[frogtosser]

I just bought a polaris 440 off craigs list for 750 and its just a regular sled but it does have studded tracks which are great. I have seen 2ups for less then a grand which i wish I would have gotten, a hitch is a must I pull an otter just fine with mine it works alot better then my atv right now in the crappy conditions. I dont have reverse and they are right it is a pain to unload. its up to you just keep your eyes open.

[rockman]

For you guys that are just giving me what your sled has, that's is exactly what I need to read.jimalm, the handwarmers are something I haven't even thought of, or considered,yet, even though I have them on my atv! I am not a spring chicken by any means, so reverse on a machine is definitely in the plans.That way I can possibly avoid messing up the lower back any more than I already have.Keep the replies/good info coming,folks. That is why this forum rocks! Thanks.

[Jim Almquist]

rockman one other thing that I almost forgot to tell you is that no matter how you haul your sled you must do something to protect the front end of the sled from the road salt or you will have some repairs to the front end in a couple of years. If you decide on just a cover spend more and get one that protects your skis or get the plastic shield for the front of the trailer. It will be money well spent in the long run.

[swedishpimple]

You need to look at where you fish too. If you are just running out to your fish house on some "Metro Lake" just about anything will get the job done.

If you are running 40 miles one way through deep snow and slush on LOW trout fishing you may need a little more. I don't have a customized trout fishing sled yet...but I am working on it.

The guys I fish with run AC 660 Turbos..the 2 up version without the back seat. They added a large basket and auger carrier. THe power plus the studs are needed for blasting through the slush. They also run a VK540 w. hi and low range. This is a cam sled used for a spare or for pulling back broken down machines. This machine has a 20" wide track...not sure on length. The other new tow machine is an AC Bearcat 660 Turbo Wide Track. It will be exciting to see how this works.

Gas Milage is very important in Canada. Sometimes it is hard to find...and it is usually not cheap at resorts.

I am looking to get a Ski Doo Renegade 600 H.O. SDI...this may be a nice mix of a sporty machine that can handle some snow and slush. (26" wide track x 136" surface area = 144") Plus the mileage is great from what I hear. It looks like the tunnel may allow for some nice attachments off the back.

The keys for me....Power...Milage...track...studs...comfort

[Shack]

The above would be a dream machine, if you have $10,500.00 to spend, plus another $2500-$4500 worth of custom racks and GPS type goodies to outfit it with the cool stuff. I would love to have one. I have heard they are pretty tough machines.

When I win the Lotto on Sat., I will buy two of them.

When buying a sled (like said above) it will depend mostly on what you are doing with the sled for fishing. Most times and good running, short track sled will be just fine. "But" if you fish way up north, like to tool around Grand Portage, planning a trip to the UP or making the high mark out west, a long track and power are going to be needed. I my self on a 2 stroke sled prefer EFI. Starts every time and I have just have not had concerns with EFI sleds. Studs are fine, but I feel they short live a track and unless you are on bare ice, ice racing or in snow cross, you do not need them. I know guys swear for braking, but these are the guys going balls to the wall and need studs for when the tree pops out in front of them.

If you are pulling a sled behind, you may want to look for one with a tow hitch/mount. You can use rear grab bar, but make sure it has an inner steel tube mounted to track tunnel, or it will break in cold weather. Other than that, stay with in your price range and test drive the unit before you buy it. Test drive it twice.

When you look at a sled, check it over good. Check the obvious, like how many pulls it takes to start a cold eng., pull plugs and look at them, check belt and clutch’s for rubber shedding and align. One place I do like to look at it where the bulk head meets the tunnel, down buy where the front foot pads are. I look for cracking or tearing of the metal/ alum. Also look for buckling or bending in this area. It gives you an idea of how it was ridden and if it has struck anything.

Also, click below to find out more on help when buying a sled.

Click here to link you to more sled buying info!!!!!!!!

Good luck!!!

[Shack]

If you want to drop $12,000.00 plus add ons, this one might float your boat.

T Z1 LXR

I still think the Bearcat WT 660 Turbo, would be best for the 40 mile plus laker run .