Ice fishing with Sled transportation Q's.........

[Moe Szyslak]

Well, I finally picked up a sled to use this winter for ice fishing. I plan to use it so I can venture out on Mille Lacs more during times when truck travel isnt smart. Couple Q's

1. How much ice should I be waiting for before I should feel comfortable with a sled pulling a otter portable and a rider?

2. What is a good way to approach travel on mille lacs on a snowmobile? Speed? Obstacle avoidance? Smart to venture off beaten path?

Any other suggestions for using sled to go ice fishing?

Thanks

[redhooks]

The dnr has some ice suggestions but I like to stay on the safe side and would wait for 6 inches on a sled w/ a buddy. Just make sure your not the first guy and only guy out there. Be careful going fast cuz frost heaves are hard to see and can send you airborn, so stay on an old path or drive at a reasonable speed and never out drive your headlight at night. Watch out for slush and presure ridges. Get a cover and hard hitch for your otter and bungee everything down so yoiu won't have to turn around and search for lost gear. A GPS w/ chip on the dash is great for navigation. You're going to have a ball w/ a sled and have access to alot more water, I love my sled for icefishing and will always have one for the mobility. The last issue of infisherman Dave Genz talks about mods to his sled for icefishing.

redhooks

[Moe Szyslak]

Thanks. The sled has the heavy duty bumper so I can Install the hard hitch for the sled. I guess I need to figure out a good way to attach the color H20 to the dash.

[DEADhead]

I use a RAM mount to mount my H2Oc to the dash. It works out slick.

The rigid hitch and travel cover are sage advice. Make sure everything is secure inside the tub of your sled. Things will got bumped around in there real good. One good trick I've seen for transporting minnows is inside a plastic coffee can with a screw on lid. Make sure you have a heavy duty rod holder like a Stone Legacy revolution rod case to protect your gear. They are dang tough.

Also make sure your auger is secure. A ready rig cover for the power head is nice to keep gas from spilling all over your stuff. It is inevitable that fuel will eventually leak from the carbs when hitting bumps.

[Northlander]

This year I will be carrying my rods in a Otter Rod box. Thick foam liner and heavy duty plastic outside. Rods and reels are plenty safe in that baby.

Im going to mount my auger on my snowmobile so that wont get bounced around in the tub. It will also open some more room in the tub.

I put my 12# propane tank in a milk crate, my tackle and other baits etc. go in my Otter Sportsmans Caddy, minnows in a Thermos water cooler with screw on top, Marcum in a milk crate with a foam liner when driving far, Tip ups and gear in a 5 gallon pail, snacks/pop/food in a small flip top cooler and fatigue matting and ice scoops get tossed in the bottom of the tub.

If your cover isnt real tight put a bungie across the front so you dont lose it.

I also mounted my H2Oc on a ram mount like deadhead. This year I will run the H2Oc and a Global map for a bigger screen wich is nice and easier to read when moving on a sled at higher speeds.