Snowmobile for icefishing

[utduckhunter2]

I love to ice but the older i get the more the long walks out onto the ice take their toll. I know nothing about snowmobiles but looking for one this year for ice fishing on strawberry. My budget is $1500 what would you all recommend and why? Thank you for the help
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[SkunkedAgain]

I like the Ski Doo Summits, but they are hard to pull over and start. You may want to find something with electric start. Look for a wide or long
Track so you don't have to worry about getting stuck. You may want a fan cool rather than liquid because on ice without snow you won't get the snow spay to help cool the liquid heat exchangers. You should be able to get a pretty nice sled for that budget just look for a little older one and you'll be fine with anything newer than twenty years old. Not a lot of snow lately so most used sleds still have plenty of life left. Good luck and KSL has a lot of good deals on snowmobiles. Later J
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[dtayboyz]

Cant go wrong with a phaser. No need for a long tracked mountain sled. Air cooled sleds are lighter and you want oil injection. I've owned lots of sleds and the 1980s and 90s Yamahas are very easy to start and operate. They were ahead of their time. Currently I have a skidoo 800 rev and it is not something I'd take out on the ice, it's just way to much, it belongs on a Mtn going straight up. My wife can't pull the rope due to the high compression.

Buying tip: always check compression, make sure both cylinders are the same and over 100 lbs. No triples, they sound cool but they break, a lot. Electric start is cool but batteries can be hard to find for older sleds. If it don't start first or second pull, walk away, if dude says it's easy or cheap to fix, why isn't it?
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[SBennett]

Everything Skunked and Dtayboyz said is 100% accurate.
I spent all summer doing my research this year to be prepared to buy before prices jumped at first snow.
I purchased a 1996 Arctic Cat Bearcat with 477 confirmed miles for $250 during late summer. The BearCat is a longtracked 2 up utility sled made for trappers,cabin owners, and ice fisherman. 340 fanner but low geared from factory as a work machine with good mileage. I spent an extra $70 but that was $35 for a new belt,$15 for a new primer, and $20 for a junk snowmobile with a 440 engine in it that has 130 psi compression. The 340 also had 130 psi in both holes and after cleaning the carb starts on first pull. The 440 also starts on first pull and will drop in if I find that the 340 is not enough.
Oh yeah, I also spent $8 on a roll of Gorilla duct tape to 're-upholster' the seat. You will know me if you see my custom seat....
It is a heavy machine and I wish it had reverse.
The Phazers are an awesome machine. They are good for 10,000 miles and still in high demand as kid/wives machines.
What Dtayboyz said about Phazers is correct, they were WAY ahead of their time.
If you don't mind wrenching, there are a ton of bargains in Utah. Keep $500 in cash with you, a compession gauge, and be ready to respond immediately to a KSL ad and you can find a good Phazer.
Now if only I could get a good bargain on a cabin at Fish Lake!
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[utduckhunter2]

Thank you for all the help already. What do you all think about the rmk 700
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[dubob]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]UDH2, I sent you a PM.[/#800000][/font]
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[icejunkie]

I just bought a RMK 700 fun to ride hauls ass but I wouldn't go over a 500 if you are looking for a ice fishing sled .But the 700 will get you into most of the high unita lakes in lots of powder. We went up to Whitney last week only had couple feet , but it was a fun day of riding ,no fishing cause my 27 year old son doesn't have patient's for fishing.Ha Ha
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[outdoorsman1]

I have a 4 stroke Yamaha with electric start, this is my 3rd sled and I love this set up. Whatever you get..... get some good ice scratchers for your tunnel and hi fax. Some guys stud the track, that will help a small amount with cooling if you have a liquid cooled sled, also with traction. The air cooled ones are best if you only will use it for ice fishing. I also recommend a double runner or a longer runner for your carbides on your skis, that will help with steering on ice. Having a snowmobile for ice fishing makes it so much nicer.....[cool]
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[SBennett]

New to snowmobiling.
Could I get my trail sled and tow behind fish trap to Trial Lake or would I need a high hp powder machine?
Thanks.
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[icejunkie]

You should be able to access from the Kamas or Evanston side the state parks service grooms the mirror lake highway and it's a beautiful trail ride I'd be willing to go with ya if I'm off work.
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[SBennett]

I'm an experienced ice fisher but never ice fished up there, only fished it in the summer.
Any tips for some easy fish? I need to lessen the pain from Mantua yesterday.
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[dubob]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Because of the distances involved from either end, I STRONGLY urge you to NOT attempt this trip alone. A breakdown of any kind could get ugly in a heartbeat. I think a group trip with at least 4 machines would be great. I tried to get a group together last year but couldn't get enough takers. I would be up for a group trip this season if 4 or more snowmobiling ice fishermen are willing to take it on. If you set it up SB, I'll go if I'm not otherwise engaged elsewhere. I'll PM you the dates I'm free.[/#800000][/font]
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[SBennett]

Unfortunately I still punch a time clock ( I know, embarassing at my age) so I can't just go at the drop of a hat so timing will be critical but I am intrigued.
Icejunkie also hinted at a similiar trip for safety in numbers.
I have yet to run my machine so I need to go on a maiden voyage to see if I have all the bugs worked out.
Did Tibble Fork ever get repaired, that would be a good maiden run?
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[SBennett]

Good idea!
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[kj]

If you give me enough notice, I would also enjoy making the trip. I have done it from the Kamas side. We actually started at Soap Stone. Fun trip.
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[SBennett]

Cool.
Soapstone is what I also had in mind.
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[beerbatter]

The 700 RMK is a great ice fishing sled. The motor is pretty much bullet proof and has enough power to get you where you need to go. I have a 98 and a 99 RMK and prefer the 98 due to its body style.
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[utduckhunter2]

Thank you all for your help i really appreciate it
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[kj]

I have a 98 Polaris RMK 600. More than enough machine for anything I will ever need. It has the longer track and is made for powder. My wife and I use it only for ice fishing and pulling out our gear. The seat is really made for one person, but we both fit. When we purchased it, it had less than 500 miles on it. We have owned it for 4 years now. I almost ran a tank of gas thru it last year. At the rate we drive it, it will last us for ever. I had my wife and granddaughter on the back last year while pulling 1 sleigh full of gear and another towing my son as a passenger. Absolutely no lack of power.
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[dubob]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I have a 1993 Polaris Indy Trail 400 that pulls almost 600 pounds of passenger weight plus 2 full gear sleds behind. Ice fishing use does not require a lot of power to run on level ground/ice. Power should not be at the top of your priority list if all you want it for is ice fishing. If you also want to trail ride and climb hills at altitude, then you may want more power at the top of your list. [][/#800000][/font]
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