francisco4 wrote:

Where are you located?

Hastings, Mn

I would NOT buy Bushnells. I purchased a pair from their lifetime warranty Legend line a few years ago, and was very disappointed in their refusal to repair them when they went out of alignment. They said that line was discontinued and offered to let me purchase a new pair from their equivalent line for more than I originally paid in the first place. So, that isn’t what I would consider lifetime warranty. I replaced them with a pair from Vortex.

What length shaft did you go with and will the motor lock in the stowed position when the motor is set at its deepest position? I currently have a maxxum with a 60″ shaft but I never use the last 10″ of shaft since it won’t sit on the bracket when stowed without adjusting the collet down the shaft. So if the 52″ shaft on the ultrex can be set at its deepest setting and will lock onto the bracket at that setting, that is what I’d like to get. Does anyone have any informed input on that?

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.

How thick is the ice? Do you need an extension?

Definitely a weird year for migration. White fronts were migrating down the Mississippi south of Hastings all day yesterday. More than I’ve seen in total in the state of Minnesota.

Thanks for all the input

Thanks for the replies.

This is my second season with an expedition sport with the 550 fan, And set up with scratchers. Good sled for the money. It has performed well with everything I’ve thrown at it. It’s untested in deep snow since we haven’t had those conditions since I bought it. Lots of room, I’ve hauled 2 adult men plus my 9 year old on the sled while pulling 2 otter lodges with no issues.

I bought a 2015 ski doo expedition sport with the 550 fan cooled engine. Only have a couple hundred miles on it so far but it seems ideal for ice fishing. I put the ski doo reversible ice scratchers on it and it works great with little to no snow. Of course I haven’t had the opportunity to test in deep snow but the 16″ by 154″ track should do pretty well. It’s geared low so 60 mph is top speed but it cruises well up to the 40’s with 2 adult men on board with 2 shacks and equipment in tow. I bought new because I was concerned about reliability as well.

Steuben1, that looks like so much fun I can hardly stand it. Would love to make the trip from Minnesota during the first week in March. There is a full moon that week. Any thoughts if that is good or bad for ice fishing on Erie?

I have a 2007 Alaskan 1800 with a shorelander roller trailer. If you launch in shallow water, it is the only way to go. I wouldn’t worry about the hull on that boat, my cousin has a 94 Alaskan that he has taken to hell and back and there is no hull damage from the rollers. I launch in high current frequently and do not have any problem with loading, but it would be more difficult to master for someone that had to load their boat in current infrequently.

I bought a Triton atv88 trailer last winter. It fits 2 wheelers when loaded from the side. It comes with a ramp that fits in a channel under the bed and can be placed to load or unload from either side or the back. It has an aluminum frame and a plywood deck. $1300 from Central Trailer Sales on 65 in Ham Lake .