Tow behind hint & tips welcomed

[stuckinohio]

So....
I have been away from a sled or anything to do with sleds for 40 years now. Back in the day, I simply carried everything in a wood slat back pack and strapped my bait bucket to the rear bumper. Worked great for years.

Back 20 years ago, I got back into ice fishing (moved back north) and having no sled and not needing one to get to good places, I ended up with simple tub sleds which I secured skis to the bottom of. I also have amassed a ton of stuff that comes with me anymore. Tents, heaters,auger, chairs, etc.
A LOT of stuff

Anymore, Jen and I are pulling 2 sleds full of stuff and now I am wondering... Is is wise to put a solid arm on each sled and end up pulling a tandem behind the snowmobile OR should I just get a larger sled OR stick those ideas and simply scale down?

I must say.... It was a lot easier to fish when I was young, tough and single LOL!

[meandcuznalfy]

I've scaled down what I take, fits in a small sled and easy to pull. A bigger sled might fit all your stuff better, but will be harder to pull if walking, might scale down a bit for when walking and not using snowmobile.

[800stealth]

Pulling 2 can be done but sometimes it can make things more difficult like going down hill or uneven terrain stuff like that. In my neck of the woods a lot of spots require boondocking it over snowbanks or dropping down off the road so I'd get a bigger sled for when you're pulling with a machine and keep the smaller ones for foot travel...

[hardwater diehard]

I would say follow your states towing regulations  . I would use a ridged tow bar for the first sled tub ..if you can get away with one big sled then great . But sometimes dividing your gear up some helps . Even when I transport my 2 man flip over atop my ATV I bring a small Jet Sled to divvy up my gear to keep my flip over clear/less cluttered . I also made some chain extensions that work really well. Having a cover helps for long hauls. I have choo choo trained several sleds and shanties pretty EZPZ.

[filetandrelease]

 Tow bar on front and this on the back for towing tandem going on 12 years

[stuckinohio]

I REALLY like this idea.
Very nice

I would say follow your states towing regulations  . I would use a ridged tow bar for the first sled tub ..if you can get away with one big sled then great . But sometimes dividing your gear up some helps . Even when I transport my 2 man flip over atop my ATV I bring a small Jet Sled to divvy up my gear to keep my flip over clear/less cluttered . I also made some chain extensions that work really well. Having a cover helps for long hauls. I have choo choo trained several sleds and shanties pretty EZPZ.

[badger132]

I am always trying to minimize. Storing all that stuff, loading it in the truck, out of the truck, back in,... takes the joy out of fishing. I will pull a small sled if we are walking, but if not, all our stuff fits in a box on the back of the sleds. If it is really nasty, I sometimes wish for a shelter, but most days I am glad to be out. I walked for many years, and the thin ice days I walked this year were my favorite.
Keep your load focused on catching fish, and you will catch more fish.

P.S.
I did try a pack basket and manual auger once this year- that is too primitive for me. I hole hop, and picking up that basket was a back breaker by the end of the day.

[stuckinohio]

I am always trying to minimize. Storing all that stuff, loading it in the truck, out of the truck, back in,... takes the joy out of fishing. I will pull a small sled if we are walking, but if not, all our stuff fits in a box on the back of the sleds. If it is really nasty, I sometimes wish for a shelter, but most days I am glad to be out. I walked for many years, and the thin ice days I walked this year were my favorite.
Keep your load focused on catching fish, and you will catch more fish.

P.S.
I did try a pack basket and manual auger once this year- that is too primitive for me. I hole hop, and picking up that basket was a back breaker by the end of the day.

I agree with you. I used to have my traps in the back pack and lugged the bait pail and ice chisel. That was it back when we had 48" of ice normally. I used to bang out 7 holes and then sit on my bucket and I had a great time.
Jen is not having any of that old time rock & roll  LOL

[badger132]

I agree with you. I used to have my traps in the back pack and lugged the bait pail and ice chisel. That was it back when we had 48" of ice normally. I used to bang out 7 holes and then sit on my bucket and I had a great time.
Jen is not having any of that old time rock & roll  LOL

She sounds like a smart woman!

[stuckinohio]

She sounds like a smart woman!

 

Yeah....She is.

[eyeflyer]

So....
I have been away from a sled or anything to do with sleds for 40 years now. Back in the day, I simply carried everything in a wood slat back pack and strapped my bait bucket to the rear bumper. Worked great for years.

Back 20 years ago, I got back into ice fishing (moved back north) and having no sled and not needing one to get to good places, I ended up with simple tub sleds which I secured skis to the bottom of. I also have amassed a ton of stuff that comes with me anymore. Tents, heaters,auger, chairs, etc.
A LOT of stuff

Anymore, Jen and I are pulling 2 sleds full of stuff and now I am wondering... Is is wise to put a solid arm on each sled and end up pulling a tandem behind the snowmobile OR should I just get a larger sled OR stick those ideas and simply scale down?

I must say.... It was a lot easier to fish when I was young, tough and single LOL!

I find the tandem works well.

[mi500]

We had a good tow going last year with 4 guys and two flip overs. The trailer was rough on the guys but beat walking.  The trike doesn’t pull at snowmobiled speeds so I didn’t worry about the shanties not having a tongue. 

I’d just pull what you have instead of having another sled to store in the off season.