ATV for Ice Fishing - Large Fisherman

Twenty-three more months until retirement.

I have a home in northern Wisconsin that will soon be my year-round residence. I live about one-quarter mile from a lake and maybe one-half mile from where I intend to ice fish. I don't intend to have an ice shanty.

I'm interested in buying an ATV (old or new) for ice fishing. For many, many years I used to walk (pulling a toboggan) but that was 30 years ago and I'm not a young man anymore. Besides, I think I would fish more often if ice fishing wasn't such an ordeal.

I've never operated an ATV (or a snowmobile, for that matter) in my life. I have numerous cars and trucks and can drive a manual transmission no problem so I don't think I'm a total dunce with a motor vehicle. I simply have no idea what kind of ATV to get.

I'm a somewhat LARGE fellow (6'3", 300#) so I'm thinking I need a somewhat POWERFUL ATV. Is this a reasonable assumption? I'm thinking a 4x4 (with rear chains, from what I read) would be preferred for ice fishing.

I've seen numerous "side-by-sides" and that is NOT what I would prefer, since I probably wouldn't fit on one side and have no projected passenger for the other side (maybe a dog). Are there many decent used conventional 4x4 ATVs around these days, replaced by side-by-sides?

Any advice appreciated.

RR

RR, 

Just checked Craigslist, there an X2 for sale in Merrill, it would fit you perfect.  Get after it.

RR,

Use every avenue you have to find a Polaris 570 Sportsman X2.  It will serve you very well.  You can affix mounts to the front for your auger.  The X2 has a very sizable "box" on the rear that you can fit 2 buckets in to hold your Vexi, rod & reels or any other items, plus I have found room for a minnow bucket. It has power steering which is a very nice feature. The X2 comes with heavier suspension as well as its kind of built as a work horse. 

RR,

More L-L mail in your messenger box.

Oh hey now, I just noticed this today (11.13.20).

I was / am unfamiliar with the new LL messenger system.

I "very nearly pulled the trigger" on a couple of brand-new ATVs over the past couple of months, but I chickened out, for various reasons. And now here I am SO DAMN FRUSTRATED that now that I have retired ( at 61) I am too enfeebled and weak (apparently) to get around the 600,000 acres of public hunting land I have retired to. I think an ATV would absolutely help. It's become "a necessity".

It's either that, or I sit here at my kitchen table and look outside at the birdfeeders the rest of my days. It could be worse I guess.

Thank you for thinking of me.

RR  

RainbowRunner,

You have L-L mail

RR, there is no end in site to finding a used ATV. Best advice is to find someone you know who is upgrading. Second best advice is to check the oil and make sure it is full to the line. I did not do this and of coarse when I topped it off, it would always smoke. A bore job, piston and rings, and new valves while I had it apart, has me running like new. 

Best part is there are used 2005 Honda foreman’s for sale now for more than I paid for mine used back in 2007!

Fishin' Jimmy, you have already accomplished (staying fit and active at 85) that which I aspire to. I've been blessed with good health but I've got to watch the drinkin' now that I've moved up here full time at 61.

44/45, wow, you're a whopper of a fisherman too. The ATV dealership never did call me back to test drive the 450 so I'm back at square one. Maybe the 450 was already sold or something; you'd think they'd have the common decency to call me back.

I just wish to heck I could find a decent used ATV. The very nature of them leads them to get beat pretty bad, I'd guess. I'll keep watching the local paper and everything but "shopping" really isn't high on my list with this damn COVID thing going on.

RR 

RR 

I myself am challenged on snowmobiles and ATV’s at 6’7” 280. I use my ATV’s as much as I possibly can. Polaris 500HO and Honda Foreman. The Honda is a workhorse even with plowing but lacks ground clearance and is not true 4wd and will get stuck in deep snow easily. The Polaris is true 4wd and will go farther than the Honda but is still limited by it’s ground clearance. I do like the power steering that Yamaha has to offer and may be looking that direction soon. Also by getting something 500 or bigger would allow you to add tracks some day. Looking to move north in a couple of years myself.

RR ... 

Take from an OLD man who STILL does it ALL @ 85 yrs.

Ariens snow  blowers laugh at 10" of wet and heavy..  28" w/bigger  motor offered. for the BAD days.. cheepo's work on the 2-4" stuff

You admittedly say you are a larger man... AGAIN don't go w/a cheepie  400.. 450 get a man sized ride..600/750.. Yamaha Grizzly is what I have...NEVER has let me down 

Some after market wheels and tires w/aggressive treads will be plenty w/out chains unless your trying 12"s of snow on the ice...  2"s larger then stock will fit under the fenders and give you added height ..

a 500 Honda also are work horses..

I'd look for a good used Yamaha or Honda w/5-600 miles and save yourself  the dealer mark up.

 if you riding on the EZ days sure a 400/450 will work but again.. your size pulling a sled  along comes 6-10" of wet and heavy.. you NEED horsepower ! for the days when the weather tests your abilities.

Just MY thoughts..  buy the good stuff once and be done.

Good Luck

Jimmy

Sounds like a nice deal RR. Looks like MSRP is around $7300. 

You'll know after a test ride if its a good fit.

 Couple accessories to negotiate....hand warmers, mirrors, winch, trailer hitch,snow blade. Winch and hitch are super handy for using around the property year round.

Hey, thanks for the feedback guys. I tried to respond with the iPhone I was issued by my employer, but it didn't seem to go. Sorry if this posts up twice.

With this COVID-19 nonsense going on, I quit my job on March 18, 2020. My employer said "no, no, no, take this iPhone and the computer out of your office and work from home", so here I am. I'm OK financially, but I don't have a ton of money. The Yamaha 450 is $6200.00 brand-new, which is in my wheelhouse. I don't want or need to go 100MPH, just putter out onto the local lake and set up some tip-ups. I have a Jeep if I need to go off road for hunting, but I'm not willing to drive it out on the ice.

I've attempted to schedule a test drive, but I haven't heard back from the dealership yet. I really want to quit my job once and for all on September 1, and get on with my life here in the Wisconsin northwoods. My house down-state is sold and I'm outta there.

OK, so it's not "ridiculous" for a 300 pound man to use a Yamaha 450 ATV.

I'm excited.

I don't "dread" winter up here; I actually thrive on it.

Thanks for the feedback.

RR

I wouldn't consider a Kodiak 450 a youth model. Friend had a Kodiak 400 and it was a strong workhorse.

I would seriously consider it. Make sure your comfortable getting on/off machine even with cold weather type clothing.

I don’t know about the model you are looking at however I have a Bombardier Outlander 400. It is a basic 4x4 ATV. I equipped it with a rear cargo rack that I can put my Otter one person flip over unit in. That Otter sled with the flip over tent can carry all my gear for a day on the ice. I have rear tire chains. I can carry my Strikemaster 8” auger strapped to the front carrier of the ATV. It is plenty powerful enough to get me around, I am your size too. You will be limited by deep snow and slush as to where you can go. I do carry a long handled shovel along in case I need to dig myself out. The shovel I use has a square front commonly referred to as a concrete shovel. If you can swing it budget wise look at the track attachments for an ATV as they can go through so much more. My ATV also has a low range option in the transmission if I need power more than speed. There was a Lake-Link member that posted often last winter that has a tracked ATV but I haven’t seen him here in a while. 

Any thoughts or opinions on a 2020 Yamaha Kodiak 450?

Very reasonably priced.

Mighty enough to haul a large elderly person out onto the ice or is this a "youth ATV"?

My MIL is 81 and living alone in the woods since FIL died 20 years ago lives 30 miles from the nearest town. Not sure how she does it. I think it would drive me nuts but she does have a lot of cronies for friends and we have a cabin nearby so we help her out a lot (but never enough) when we are there. Doesnt show any signs of selling and moving yet.