Buying An ATV for Ice Fishing

For me, an ATV is a tool used exclusively for early and late season ice fishing. It wont move from it’s corner of the garage the entire off season. I don’t trail ride, I don’t need it for farm/ranch work. I don’t want/need an $8-10k rig sitting idle for months on end.

My 4×4 400cc sized machine does everything I need plus way more. I have yet to even get halfway close to pushing it’s limitations. It does not have power steering (PS is probably more useful for trail riding or those with tracks). I can drive/steer one handed, it’s not tough. In 4×4, the thing will actually go through some pretty deep snow with ease.

Like others have said, it’s lighter and much easier to get unstuck. It’s air/oil cooled which I actually like. No coolant to worry about changing.

The best part is, that it was new (warranty), affordable, and paid for. It was in my budget. Would a big 700 Grizzly be fun? Heck yes man! But for what I use mine for, it fits the bill absolutely perfectly and I have zero regrets.

As for me, a beefy ATV is a way of telling other drivers to get the heck out of my way! That fishing hole is MINE!

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JD, you’re definitely going to want bigger tires in the snow… I’m pretty sure this model would better fit your swagger.

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Banshee!

There is a lot of parity in ATV quality and value today; more so than previously for sure. So…there are more right answers for you than wrong answers.

Consider a Yamaha Big Bear 400. I have 4 quads and this is my go-to quad for ice fishing. The Big Bear is a 5 speed manual so there is no belt to ever slip. You just find the right pulling rpm and lay into it! You will be surprised what it will pull. My hardside house is an 8X12 Ridgeline skid with a 2′ V-front and I can pull it anywhere. I equip my Big Bear with a windshield, v-bar ice chains, a plow, heated hand and thumb grips, tons of accessories on the racks to carry buckets and other gear. It is shaft drive and also has an enclosed rear brake inside the rear differential so it is a great mudder in the summer too!

For general trail riding I prefer my BRP Outlander’s visco-lock 4WD system. For pulling the fish house in snow or especially when plowing the Yamaha full lock 4WD is untouchable. Press the button and you have full posi-lock on front and rear differentials. I am not aware of anyone else that offers that.

Determine how much you can spend then find the cleanest best running one you can find regardless of mfg or size. That’s what is boils down to for a basic quad. Everybody has a winning or hard luck story about every brand.
Try to find a guy like me that takes great care of them and you will be set. None of mine are for sale right now.

Will Roseberg wrote:

JD, you’re definitely going to want bigger tires in the snow… I’m pretty sure this model would better fit your swagger.

With that pink color, just what are you trying to tell me Will? Why I oughtta!

Like Will, I have two machines – Polaris Sportsmen (400 and 500). My dad talked me into the 400 after I bought the 500 and I reluctantly agreed. Prior to that buy, I was completely fixated on staying with the larger machines. All I can say is WOW. The 500 stays in it’s corner of the garage 90% of the time throughout the year, but the 400 gets quite a workout. I’ve (too easily) buried that 500 in some snow, mud, and other stuff, but that 400 floats right over anything I can throw at it and is PERFECT for ice fishing and anything else. I love that machine. Plus, it’s older than the 500 and has never given me an ounce of trouble, other than regular maintenance. The newer 500 on the other hand….ugh.

so far ive found two deals i have interest in both on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Andy was nice enough to share with me where he got his suzuki deal. i called them up and they have 1 remaining in stock (quad king 400). $5710 out the door, thats after taxes, license, transfer fees… is what i was quoted. I also found a 2001 HONDA TRX 450 FOREMAN S. Now this machine looks a little worse for where but the dude has replaced the brakes, gauges, oil change, and 1 piston and rings and bored it out. i can get this rig for 1300-1400$. i cant tell how many hours/miles are on it cause he swapped the gauges (sounds shifty i know). I have interest in this because i like honda and the price is right. I might go take a look at the Honda but i think i will pass on the suzuki for now. its a great deal but id like to give it more time to see if i can find a really nice used model for cheap. The replies have been awesome. Thanks everyone!

IMO there is no way in h#ll that there should have been that many issues with the Honda without some type of abuse… I’ll give the guy credit for being honest in all the work he’s done but on my 2001 Honda I have done nothing but change the oil regularly, replace a torn boot on the axel, and put in a new wheel bearing. I don’t beat on it but that one lives up at our farm and is used year around not just for ice fishing. It has been mudding, driven in lakes, through rivers, off-road through the woods, and many many cow pastures chasing animals. It’s been virtually bulletproof so no idea how he could have had that many issues.

thanks for the info Will. yeah i dont know the guy personally so im not jumping at the bit to go buy it. Definately the only pluses to that deal is Honda + 1300$ but youre right if its been abused doesnt matter if NASA constructed it

Didn’t Joel have a creampuff that he was bragging about last fall?

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/snw/4870231897.html

Todd Ruesch wrote:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/snw/4870231897.html

2-wheel drive and no odometer. But looks good.

Look for an early 2000’s Yamaha Wolverine 350. Full-time 4wd, manual shift (auto clutch) lightweight, and most of all, bulletproof. No frills, but a guy can find a clean used one for under $2500 regularly. I had one, it was a great ice fishing wheeler and a ton of fun on trails, too.

called this fellow

http://bemidji.craigslist.org/snw/4834827864.html

This looks clean

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/snw/4869290917.html

or…

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/snw/4865756954.html

I run a polaris sportsman 500. before that was a 400. buddy runs a honda 300, another buddy with a 700 sportsman. Honestly that honda 300 keeps up with anything our bigger bikes do. Hell if your just dragging a portable and staying with tires a 250 will do the job just fine. But if your gonna use it for any working, I.E. farm use or food plot maintenance id go no smaller than 400.

I looked at this very issue back at the end of 2009 and elected to go with a 700 Grizzly. At the time, if I remember correctly, it was within 100cc of the largest big bore; however, the Grizzly had the smallest footprint and lightest weight. As mentioned earlier, there’s not much size difference in the line from 450 – 700 and the weight differential was fairly insignificant. Additionally, I knew that I would be adding tracks at some point and wanted the additional ponies the 700 offered. Plus, it was EFI which I thought better for cold weather, and had an EPS option that would be welcomed for the little trail riding I would do and the tracks that I would be adding. Lastly, the Gizzly was a very reliable and proven platform from everything that I had researched.

In the interim since I’ve purchased it, I find that I no longer ride trails but can see myself doing so at some point in the future. I use it a little bit around the house to haul cut trees and a little bit in the summer when I’m training bird dogs.

This is what it has evolved to in the winter since purchase:

Chris, I’ll give that a “Double Yeah Baby!”
How far can you go on a tank of gas?? Does running tracks drain the tank faster than wheels?

Chris i used to have that very same rig!!! and then i woke up… Very nice machine

Smaller rigs are all you need like mentioned. My dad runs a 96 Suzuki 250 quad runner. That little wheeler has it all. 4×4 front differential lock and 2wd option. Independent read suspension light weight and powerful. He had a Honda 300 before that. I run a Honda 200s atc. My next wheeler will be either Suzuki or Honda. You can pick up a good setup cheap.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Chris, I’ll give that a “Double Yeah Baby!”
How far can you go on a tank of gas?? Does running tracks drain the tank faster than wheels?

Yeah, much faster. I should have an article coming out on tracks in next year’s “Ice Fishing” magazine on the pros and cons of a tracked ATV. Fuel consumption was one of the cons. The short answer is that whereas 20 MPG with tires is standard for my machine with stock tires, I found that tracks only provided approximately 7 – 9 MPG on average. As can be imagined, the deeper the snow, the more that fuel is consumed.

crappie55369 wrote:

Chris i used to have that very same rig!!! and then i woke up… Very nice machine

What happened to change your mind?

Chris Raymond wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crappie55369 wrote:</div>
Chris i used to have that very same rig!!! and then i woke up… Very nice machine

What happened to change your mind?

Chris, I think he’s saying while he was asleep the vision that is your rig came to him in a dream, but upon awakening he realized his reality of not owning one. Not a change of mind, but a change conscious. I have same problem, Kate Upton is never beside me when I wake up….but in my dreams………………

I started out with a Yamaha Tri Moto 200 which was a very good ice fishing machine. It was light and did very well on up to about 10″ of snow. But I did upgrade to a 97 Honda Foreman 400 when I found a very clean unit at a very good price. That has fit the bill perfectly for me and will likely be the last machine I’ll ever need for ice fishing or towing the small boat to remote lakes.

castle-rock-clown wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Chris Raymond wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>crappie55369 wrote:</div>
Chris i used to have that very same rig!!! and then i woke up… Very nice machine

What happened to change your mind?

Chris, I think he’s saying while he was asleep the vision that is your rig came to him in a dream, but upon awakening he realized his reality of not owning one. Not a change of mind, but a change conscious. I have same problem, Kate Upton is never beside me when I wake up….but in my dreams………………

Well was that ever a Duh moment on my part! I’m so used to trying to be objective about product posts and seeking opportunities for making solutions better that I totally blew the message…kinda embarrassing actually.