Atv for ice fishing

[Buckmaster7600]

I’ve posted on a couple other atv forums but figured I would put my question up here as well.
 
I’m looking for the ultimate tire setup for my 700 kodiak for ice fishing duties. I fish a lot and fish a bunch of tournaments so often I can’t just not go if the ice conditions suck “slushy or deep snow etc.” I put almost 400 miles on my wheeler this ice fishing season so it gets ridden a lot and often on long runs up and down lakes especially pre fishing for tournaments. The last 2 years I’ve ran the stock 25” tall tires with chains on all 4’s and it’s worked but I’m tired of dealing with them and listening to them etc. I know I don’t want a mud tire they’re the absolute worst in deep snow. What I’m thinking is more of an all terrain in the 28-30” tall range and studding them. I think I’m going to have to lift it to fit the bigger tires, especially with the loads I carry with all my gear and me.
 
Anyone have any insight on any of this? I’ve ridden wheelers my whole life but trying to set one up specially for ice fishing is new to me.
 
I know a wheeler will have limitations, I have a snowmobile I can use it if the snow gets too deep but a snowmobile is a huge pain when you have to drag a sled. It’s so much nicer being able to have everything I need mounted on the wheeler.
 
I also know that tracks are the obvious answer and that may end up being the direction I go but my hold up on tracks are 1)cost, 2)having to pull and park a trailer it’s so much easier driving the wheelers into the truck “parking is always an issue especially at tournaments,” 3) cost of a new trailer, it will have to be enclosed so that adds another 3-5k to the project. Tracks are basically a 10,000$ investment that I will only “need” 1 or 2 days a winter, it makes them hard to justify.
 
If anyone’s got any ideas on good studdable snow tires let me know.


 



 
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[NYBowhunter]

5 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

 

I’ve posted on a couple other atv forums but figured I would put my question up here as well.

 

I’m looking for the ultimate tire setup for my 700 kodiak for ice fishing duties. I fish a lot and fish a bunch of tournaments so often I can’t just not go if the ice conditions suck “slushy or deep snow etc.” I put almost 400 miles on my wheeler this ice fishing season so it gets ridden a lot and often on long runs up and down lakes especially pre fishing for tournaments. The last 2 years I’ve ran the stock 25” tall tires with chains on all 4’s and it’s worked but I’m tired of dealing with them and listening to them etc. I know I don’t want a mud tire they’re the absolute worst in deep snow. What I’m thinking is more of an all terrain in the 28-30” tall range and studding them. I think I’m going to have to lift it to fit the bigger tires, especially with the loads I carry with all my gear and me.

 

Anyone have any insight on any of this? I’ve ridden wheelers my whole life but trying to set one up specially for ice fishing is new to me.

 

I know a wheeler will have limitations, I have a snowmobile I can use it if the snow gets too deep but a snowmobile is a huge pain when you have to drag a sled. It’s so much nicer being able to have everything I need mounted on the wheeler.

 

I also know that tracks are the obvious answer and that may end up being the direction I go but my hold up on tracks are 1)cost, 2)having to pull and park a trailer it’s so much easier driving the wheelers into the truck “parking is always an issue especially at tournaments,” 3) cost of a new trailer, it will have to be enclosed so that adds another 3-5k to the project. Tracks are basically a 10,000$ investment that I will only “need” 1 or 2 days a winter, it makes them hard to justify.

 

If anyone’s got any ideas on good studdable snow tires let me know.

 

 

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If your thinking of getting tracks for the  ATV, why not just get a snowmobile, can drive it into a pickup bed. Then you would have both an ATV and snowmobile.

[Buckmaster7600]

If your thinking of getting tracks for the  ATV, why not just get a snowmobile, can drive it into a pickup bed. Then you would have both an ATV and snowmobile.

I have a snowmobile, problem with a snowmobile is all my gear needs to get towed behind in a sled. It adds a huge pain having to load everything in and out of the sled for transport and once you start pulling a sled with a couple hundred pounds of gear the abilities of a snowmobile are diminished in deep snow/slush.


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[NYBowhunter]

2 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

I have a snowmobile, problem with a snowmobile is all my gear needs to get towed behind in a sled. It adds a huge pain having to load everything in and out of the sled for transport and once you start pulling a sled with a couple hundred pounds of gear the abilities of a snowmobile are diminished in deer snow/slush.


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Gotcha.  Makes sense. 

[Buckmaster7600]

Current setup


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[onlybrowning]

Full disclaimer I know very little about this. But...how about a better cargo system fir your snowmobile? I’m thinking something mounted off the back line ATV racks and maybe even the front. Just an idea. Could make them quick attach too.


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[sbuff]

Hard to beat chains..

[Robhuntandfish]

I hear a lot about snow dogs.  Never used one but they seem pretty handy. 

[Buckmaster7600]

Hard to beat chains..

Yes but they’re rough riding and a pain taking on and off.


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[Buckmaster7600]

I hear a lot about snow dogs.  Never used one but they seem pretty handy. 

They’re nice for early ice and small lakes but not really meant for running 10 miles down a lake.


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[Robhuntandfish]

Just now, Buckmaster7600 said:

They’re nice for early ice and small lakes but not really meant for running 10 miles down a lake.


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Oh yeah def not for long hauls like that.  

[chrisw]

I run 27" maxxis Zilla's on mine and they work awesome. I've plowed through 2' of snow out on the lake and had no issues. I put a coil spring spacer on the front shocks (mainly to stiffen the front springs for the plow). I have zero complaints about the tires, from really deep mud to snow they work great.

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[Buckmaster7600]

I run 27" maxxis Zilla's on mine and they work awesome. I've plowed through 2' of snow out on the lake and had no issues. I put a coil spring spacer on the front shocks (mainly to stiffen the front springs for the plow). I have zero complaints about the tires, from really deep mud to snow they work great.

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They keep coming up, you have chains or studs?


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[chrisw]

They keep coming up, you have chains or studs?


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I don't have either on mine, chains would be nice when it's glare ice but I've never needed them.

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[Buckmaster7600]

I don't have either on mine, chains would be nice when it's glare ice but I've never needed them.

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Chains are great if your going slow and not going too far!

This year was the worst! It seemed like every tournament we fished for a month and a half had the same conditions 6-10” of snow with 6” of water under it then the ice.


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[rob-c]

How much weight are you hauling ? 
You can fit 30’s on with no lift, I run 28’s  with no problems. If you go to a 28-30 inch tire you’ll want to consider doing some cvt clutch work. Going up more than a size or two on your tires you’ll loose your lower end torque.       What kodiak do you have  base / se / sport ? Anything but the base has adjustable springs , you can crank them all the way up and carry a lot  of weight. 
I did quick search check this out https://www.tires-easy.com/blog/?amp=1&s=Atv+tires+for+snow

https://tiredeets.com/best-atv-tires-for-snow/

Edited March 9, 2021 by rob-c

[land 1]

ive seen snowmobiles with enough cargo mounts to carry everything a wheeler does, a wide, long studded track utility sled is the way to go.....and snowmobile is alot more forgiving crossing cracks and the occasional unseen gas pocket,,,,

[Buckmaster7600]

How much weight are you hauling ? 
You can fit 30’s on with no lift, I run 28’s  with no problems. If you go to a 28-30 inch tire you’ll want to consider doing some cvt clutch work. Going up more than a size or two on your tires you’ll loose your lower end torque.       What kodiak do you have  base / se / sport ? Anything but the base has adjustable springs , you can crank them all the way up and carry a lot  of weight. 
I did quick search check this out https://www.tires-easy.com/blog/?amp=1&s=Atv+tires+for+snow
https://tiredeets.com/best-atv-tires-for-snow/

I’ve never weighed everything but I would guess 5-600lbs with me on it.

It’s a 2020 se700, i have the shock tightened all the way up. But it still squats some.

I’ve heard that about clutching and I will if I need to but I think most of what I have read on it was from guys trail riding or deep mudding. I don’t really care about performance I just want to not have to use my winch.


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[chrisw]

Chains are great if your going slow and not going too far!

This year was the worst! It seemed like every tournament we fished for a month and a half had the same conditions 6-10” of snow with 6” of water under it then the ice.


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My last trip on Oneida was 6" of slush and 18" of snow in top of it and I dragged out two shanties with 2 people on the wheeler and never got stuck, I had to pin it a few times in the real heavy slush but never got stopped. The Zilla's are a lot larger lugs than pictures show too. I went with an inch taller and an inch wider than stock, but probably could've fit 30's or close to it without modification.

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[rob-c]

5 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

I’ve never weighed everything but I would guess 5-600lbs with me on it.

It’s a 2020 se700, i have the shock tightened all the way up. But it still squats some.

I’ve heard that about clutching and I will if I need to but I think most of what I have read on it was from guys trail riding or deep mudding. I don’t really care about performance I just want to not have to use my winch.


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It’s not just for mudding , carrying  a lot of weight plus turning larger tires can cause the belt to slip in the cvt sheaves thus  causing one to burn the belt. You can buy  heavier coils for your stock shocks to increase the load. But having said that you do know that the rear rack is rated for 198 lbs and front is 110 lbs.  Your over loading the quad and there’s no fix for that. 

[Buckmaster7600]

It’s not just for mudding , carrying  a lot of weight plus turning larger tires can cause the belt to slip in the cvt sheaves thus  causing one to burn the belt. You can buy  heavier coils for your stock shocks to increase the load. But having said that you do know that the rear rack is rated for 198 lbs and front is 110 lbs.  Your over loading the quad and there’s no fix for that. 

It’s a load for sure but I’m under the rack ratings, I figure I’m 250 with all my gear on, my pop up and bait well are on a carrier I made that fits in the receiver hitch.

I’ve been considering springs.

I’m hoping I don’t have to do clutch work because once Ice fishings done for the year it’s goin back to normal but I’ll do what I have to do.


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[Buckmaster7600]

ive seen snowmobiles with enough cargo mounts to carry everything a wheeler does, a wide, long studded track utility sled is the way to go.....and snowmobile is alot more forgiving crossing cracks and the occasional unseen gas pocket,,,,

Sleds are safer that’s for sure but I don’t see how a sled could hold everything. I know most guys in the Midwest and Canada do It but they almost always pull a sled and they can only run 2 lines for the most part. Tipups and a big baitwell both take up a bunch of room.


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[rob-c]

9 hours ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

Sleds are safer that’s for sure but I don’t see how a sled could hold everything. I know most guys in the Midwest and Canada do It but they almost always pull a sled and they can only run 2 lines for the most part. Tipups and a big baitwell both take up a bunch of room.


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Honestly it sounds like you need a sxs .

[NYBowhunter]

42 minutes ago, rob-c said:

Honestly it sounds like you need a sxs .

S x S with tracks, now your talking!!! But then you would most definitely need a trailer.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Pickup with a snow plow