Fishing snowmobile's

Which is the best wilderness off trail snowmobile on the market? Don’t want to go fast want dependable sled that won’t fail in the bush, and can pull. ??

Arctic Cat, Polaris and Ski-Doo all make good utility snowmobiles that would fit your needs. The best choice usually comes down to what is the best dealer closest to you .
I have a 2014 Arctic Cat Bearcat that would fit your needs very well and I really like it. It’s designed to pull. I use it only for ice fishing and pulling my portable ice house and I’ll probably have it the rest of my life.

Some things to add. For my recent purchase, I had some criteria outside of brand specifics. For me I wanted a 2 up, 600cc minimum for pulling, long track, fan cooled for times with light to no snow cover, and availability for parts. I also should add that I was on a budget and looking at used sleds. Because of my criteria, I was pretty much deciding between Polaris and Arctic Cat. If you’re buying new, it’s still good to make sure the sled has the features and specs you’re looking for, regardless of brand. For me the Polaris Indy 600 xlt sks had everything I need, but there are much better sleds out there too if the budget allows.

The old ski doo tundras are some of the most sought after machines by trappers and back country ice fisherman and are less than 300 cc’s. I run 3 ski doo touring sleds that are all set up for ice fishing. I like fan cooled machines since I can run on glare ice without overheating. The 380 and 500 models work just fine for me as I can haul a loaded otter and two people across the lake with 2/3 of the throttle to spare for slush pockets. My average speed has always been 15-20 mph, as not to beat up gear too much.

If I did any trail riding at all I would buy bigger liquid cooled sleds but for hauling a little gear over flat ice, these work great for me. Also, spending 10K per machine is not worth it to me.

I like 2-up sleds as I can shuttle people back and forth if I have a bigger group.

I agree that Polaris, Artic Cat, Ski Doo and Yamaha all make great touring or utility type sleds. Anything with a long track and room for some gear will do the job.

I have a Ski-Doo Expedition TUV. It is a long/wide track. 600cc 2-stroke.

I absolutely love it as far as a fishing sled. The high/low range is great for pulling heavy sleds and the 20″ wide track makes a big difference in traction. I am usually pulling two loaded otter sleds when I go.

When I was looking for a used fishing sled, my criteria was for a 600cc 2-stroke, 2-up seat, and wide track. Brand made no difference, I just happened to find a Ski-Doo and I have been happy with it, and would do it again.

Doo Skandic, I lover my Wt 900 ace machine. Pulls anything, out does mountain sleds in the bush hands down.

Indy 550 voyager with 144 track. Great trail manners which many utility sleds lack. Love mine. Add ice scratchers and you have the ideal low snow and deep snow machine in one.

I would be a little more wary on large CC snowmobiles. I have a 800 Ski-doo Renegade and it’s a bear to get to tow right…Full throttle or no throttle…My 600 tows much better, as does my old 440. I would look into a 4-stroke sled only if it’s mainly for ice fishing. The Ski-doo 600 Ace motor is proven, as are the Arctic cat C-tec4 motors. And for Polaris, well, I’m just not going to go there…

Happy with my 2014 Skidoo Tundra Long treack. Primarily used for ice fishing and pulling my Otter portable.

I’m in the market for a Tundra 600 ACE. I saw a couple good condition older 1 banger tundras on craigslist last week, pretty rare opportunity on those.

If you do a bunch of bush travel – and overnight remote trips, I would exercise caution regarding going with a 4-stroke. We do a lot of backcountry fishing in Ontario and have experienced dang nearly 100% failure rates with 4-strokes starting in extremely cold temps. Conversely, we see about 100% success rate at getting 2-stroke sleds running when it is bitterly cold.

If you are NEVER forced to leave it outside and not plugged in, EVER, then a 4-stroke may fit your needs. Personally, I wouldn’t have one even if they were free, because on my trips, I need them to start.

T

I love my ski doo expedition sport with the 550 fan. I’ve used it anywhere from -25 to 60 above. I put scratchers on it and have had no issues using it on bare ice. Great low end power and it cruises great from 20-40mph but won’t make it over 60. On lake Winnipeg this year, it hauled 2 adult men with 2 augers plus all the fragile gear on the sled while pulling 2 otter lodges. Never bogged down or bottomed out.