Odd question maybe

[dutchboy]

Need some advice and suggestions.
I just moved to International Falls and am bored silly. Been thinking maybe I should look into ice fishing which I've really never done. I would be thinking of one of those light weight skid houses they make now. You can get most any size for 600 lbs or less I think. I will need to trailer it to the access point. One question is should I get a snowmobile (the direction I'm leaning) or a UTV of some sort to pull it back and forth. I'm assuming I would need to bring the skid house back home each night? Only thing I'm SURE of is I don't want one of those tent things you need to set up and take down each time.

Things are confusing but with a little help and input I should be able to figure things out for next season I think. I should add, I won't be staying out overnight this will be for day trips only.

Suggestions? Idea's? Advice?

[Boar]

ive been doing this ice fishing thing for 40 yra or more and the portable to wheel hiuae to skid house thing for 30. one thing i know is ice fishing equpment dosent really depreciate.  that in mind. by the best yu can afford and buy it once. i just ive done portable to camper house to ice castle. all take alot of work. now im embarking an a new direction, skid house, we bought  24ft tandem trailer. 3300 bucks got a deal on a aluma light style 7x12 skid house, 4000 bucks. found a freind who had a suburbab rv heater 250 bucks. new 800. now to pullit. i recomend sled. wheelers cant tow in snow depth. clearence for 1 thing. dead in the water. pun intended. were are buying next year a brand new yamaha wide traxk high low range utility sled made for work!!! 13,000 so its a money pit. if ya got it great! if ya dont. finance. take care of it. if ya find out ya dont like it much. ull get ur money back. but a sledd and skid house are the way to go. big wheel house go only so far. les yu have a large trak vehicle.  lortable suck for old guys who like comfert. me!! good luck!

[HD]

I, myself, would go for a utv or atv...I just can't justify buying a sled and only being able to use it a couple months out of the year.

[dutchboy]

Thanks Boar, absolutely no wheelhouse for this guy.

[dutchboy]

I, myself, would go for a utv or atv...I just can't justify buying a sled and only being able to use it a couple months out of the year.

Thanks HD, problem is I would never use the ATV or UTV either. 

[LPS]

I have a wheelhouse and a Clam pull behind the atv or sled kind of deal.  I also have an Otter hub house.  You pull the cords and it sets right up.  Tie it to your sled or atv so it doesn't blow away.  Heat with a Buddy heater.  Pretty easy and low investment to get you started.  Mine is insulated and says 4 man.  No way would I do 4 people.  It is just right for 2 people.  Better yet for 1.  How far do you live from the water?  Do you have some land where an atv would be handy to have?

[LPS]

Actually I don't even hit the lake here until I can drive out with my truck.  SO there is that too.

[glenn57]

I, myself, would go for a utv or atv...I just can't justify buying a sled and only being able to use it a couple months out of the year.

Thanks HD, problem is I would never use the ATV or UTV either.

oh you'd be surprised.  personally i have both and once the snow gets deeper.....its the snowmobile.

if you want comfort a small skid house. otherwise like LPS said get a nice sized otter sled house. never go 1 man not big enough.  with a skid house as long as you have a shelter license on it you could leave it overnight.

not meaning to suggest things that others dont agree with but just maybe you could venture over to LPS of JB's for an afternoon to check it out??????

[Boar]

yup onse idsas arnt made for everyone else. skid hiuses and wheele hiuse are made for long term IMO. IF YUR A DAY TRIPPER. a really nice flip over large enough to handle yurself with losin a nut, and a sled is the way to.imo

[glenn57]

yup onse idsas arnt made for everyone else. skid hiuses and wheele hiuse are made for long term IMO. IF YUR A DAY TRIPPER. a really nice flip over large enough to handle yurself with losin a nut, and a sled is the way to.imo

yeppers...........what my buddy boar said!!!!!!!!

[HD]

I, myself, would go for a utv or atv...I just can't justify buying a sled and only being able to use it a couple months out of the year.

Thanks HD, problem is I would never use the ATV or UTV either.

oh you'd be surprised.  personally i have both and once the snow gets deeper.....its the snowmobile.

You could just put tracks on a UTV 

[glenn57]

I, myself, would go for a utv or atv...I just can't justify buying a sled and only being able to use it a couple months out of the year.

Thanks HD, problem is I would never use the ATV or UTV either.

oh you'd be surprised.  personally i have both and once the snow gets deeper.....its the snowmobile.

You could just put tracks on a UTV 

for what those tracks cost.........i could purchase a new sled!!!!!!!!!!!

well pretty close anyway!!!!!!

[Jerkbiat]

I definitely lean towards the snowmobile too. Much better in the deep snow and better for getting across the cracks.

[HD]

 

[dutchboy]

As every retired guy has said....."I'm on a fixed income" and that thing would break it. 

[LPS]

If you have a shack out on the lake and leave it there you are going to need a snowmobile.   An atv isn't going to get you there unless you have tracks.  I have both.  The snowmobile sitting outside starts and runs much better than any atv made that sits outside in cold weather. 

[dutchboy]

Maybe I'm a sissy but leaving a small skid house on the ice over night seems like trouble. I know Rainy likely doesn't have the meth heads of the metro area but still kids are kids. Maybe I worry to much, just insure the darn thing and leave it.  Kinda busy for the next couple of weeks so I'll think on it some more.

[glenn57]

  you just said your bored.....now your busy????? find a lady friend?????

[dutchboy]

Bored & busy doesn't = being insane. Been there , done that.

I'm bored cuz I got nothing to do. I'm busy because I am getting the truck serviced and heading to Arizona.

Multi-tasking Glenn, it's called multi-tasking.   

[Jerkbiat]

Just don't leave anything inside the fish house of value. Worst they would do then is wreck the door getting in. And if you won't fish for an extended time pull the house off until you go back out.

[HD]

As every retired guy has said....."I'm on a fixed income" and that thing would break it. 

To bad you didn't post this last summer. I gave a running Yamaha srv away for free.... even a retired guy could afford free 

[mike89]

As every retired guy has said....."I'm on a fixed income" and that thing would break it. 

To bad you didn't post this last summer. I gave a running Yamaha srv away for free.... even a retired guy could afford free 

I'm surprized Glenn didn't sniff that out!!   

[LPS]

 

[glenn57]

As every retired guy has said....."I'm on a fixed income" and that thing would break it. 

To bad you didn't post this last summer. I gave a running Yamaha srv away for free.... even a retired guy could afford free 

I'm surprized Glenn didn't sniff that out!!   

i have one of my own plus there's yamaha wheelers at the cabin already. last thing i need is to have more maintence things to deal with!!!

[Boar]

by the looks of them on red ya dont maintain thise either...

[glenn57]

by the looks of them on red ya dont maintain thise either...

that wasnt my yamaha that wouldnt start.........iffin ya noticed that Can AM.....MINE started.

and in case you forgot were you not jump starting yours when i pulled in.

[Boar]

nope

[Leech~~]

I, myself, would go for a utv or atv...I just can't justify buying a sled and only being able to use it a couple months out of the year.

Thanks HD, problem is I would never use the ATV or UTV either.

This is what it sounds like you would want!      Scandic and Ice Cube.  But can't afford on a fixed income by the sounds of it?   

But, you can still get out there like I do with good used and used at a 1/4 of the cost. 

The best place to find great hardly used stuff is from guys who bought a bunch of new stuff to try something for the first time, then sold it cuz they didn't like it.  Like I do! 

[dutchboy]

The ice cube is the house I am considering. The Scandic, not so much. I'll wait things out until it becomes clear what will work the best for me.

[Boar]

yull want a sled with high low rang and a wide trake for sure