Setting a snowmobile up for ice fishing is mostly a mounting job, not a bungee job. Put the auger vertical and locked behind you, keep rods in a case instead of open tubes, ride the bucket on the tunnel, and put bulk behind the sled on a rigid tow bar. Start with a tunnel-mounted base, then add carriers in the order the problems show up, usually auger first. Done right, the sled carries drill, rods, bait, and what you need at the hole, while the tow sled carries the stuff you leave in one place. And the whole thing comes off in the spring without leaving a pile of brackets on the tunnel.
Key Takeaways
- Mount the auger first. It is the heaviest, sharpest, most awkward thing on the sled and the first thing to shift.
- Start with a tunnel-mounted base, then add carriers to it. Do not buy carriers one at a time and hope they line up.
- Keep weight low and centered on the tunnel, and leave yourself room to swing a leg over.
- Put what you use at every hole on the sled. Put bulk and weight in the tow sled.
- Ice thickness guidance comes from your state DNR. A better mount does not change what the ice holds.
What goes wrong when gear rides loose?
The common setup is a bungee net over a plastic tub, an auger on its side, and rods in whatever space is left. It looks fine in the yard. Then you get a quarter mile from shore and the ice turns into slush ruts, and everything on the tunnel starts walking.
You stop every few hundred yards, gloves off, in the wind, re-strapping the same load. Sometimes it is worse. An auger that tips and drags can put a nick in a blade. You pay for that nick on every hole you drill. A rod tip pinned under a shifting tub can snap, and you do not find out until you try to cast. Gear that falls off in the dark is gear you go back for, if you notice at all.
That is a mounting problem, not a gear problem. Straps hold a load one way. They rely on friction for the rest. Vibration eats friction.
What rides on the sled, and what rides behind it?
The split is simple. If you touch it at every hole, it rides on the sled. If you set it down once and leave it, it rides behind.
The auger, rods, bucket with tackle and bait, and the pack you dig through belong on the machine. That is the reason to run a sled instead of walk. You should not have to unpack anything to drill.
Bulk and weight go behind. Shelter if you are not racking it, propane, heater, tote, the stuff you haul off the lake. A rigid tow bar beats a rope. A rope lets the sled run up on you when you slow down. On glare ice it can pass you.
The shelter is the odd one. A flip-over can tow. A hub shelter is bulky more than heavy, which is why it can work on a rack, such as the Snowmobile Tent Rack Lock'R, instead of eating all the space in the tow sled.
Where should each piece sit on the tunnel?
Weight low and centered. A tall load on the back of a tunnel changes how the sled steers in deep snow and how it turns on ice. You feel it first on a turn you have made a hundred times.
A few things to get right before the first ride:
- The auger rides vertical, behind you, blades up and covered. It takes the least tunnel and keeps the powerhead where you can lift it out.
- Rods go in a case, not an open holder. Open tubes are fine until you lay the sled over in a drift.
- Leave your mounting leg clear. You still need to get on and off in bibs and boots.
- Check clearance with the suspension loaded. Track, exhaust, taillight, and anything that rubs can fail when the skid drops.
After the first ride, check the hardware. Cold steel and washboard ice work on fasteners harder than anything in the driveway. A two minute wrench check early catches a loose bolt while it is still just a bolt.
If you are also setting up a wheeler, the same rule applies: mounts you can adjust beat straps you cannot. The ATV and UTV collection covers the same base-and-attachment thinking for wheels.
What do you install first?
The base first, then the carriers. This is where people get backward. A lot of sleds end up with three brands of bracket bolted to the tunnel at three different heights.
The Sled Interface Kit is the foundation. It is a steel platform that mounts to the rear tunnel and gives everything else something to attach to. The base is listed at $115.95, with a four connector version at $189.95. It weighs 14 pounds on its own. Order the connector count with the carriers you plan to run. The carriers latch to the connectors.
Then add carriers in the order your problems rank. For most anglers, the auger is first. The Snowmobile Ice Auger System mounts to the interface kit. It starts at $279.90, with two and four connector versions at $309.90 and $339.90. After that, the Snowmobile Case / Rod Lock'R System handles rods, and the Snowmobile Bucket Carrier System handles the bucket. Both build off the same base.
This costs more per piece than a marketplace bracket. It is still the cheaper way through, because you are not buying the same mount twice.
Will it fit your sled?
This one has a real limit. Check before you order.
The Sled Interface Kit is made for the rear tunnel of most Ski-Doo snowmobiles. For Polaris, Arctic Cat, or Yamaha, you may need the Herc Polar Link Adapter. That also ties the system into LinQ-compatible mounting points where the sled supports them. Ski-Doo Expedition sleds may need the Expedition Adapter for a proper install.
Tunnel length and seat configuration decide how much you can stack. Check the options on each product page against your exact sled before ordering. If it is not clear, call and ask. We would rather talk you out of a part than take it back.
How much ice do you need under all of it?
More than you needed on foot, and more than you think after a cold snap.
A loaded sled with a tow behind it weighs considerably more than the rider, and ice thickness guidance is written by weight. Use the Minnesota DNR's guidance on traveling on ice and its general ice thickness guidelines. The DNR does not measure ice for you, and conditions vary across a single lake. White ice is weaker than clear ice. Current, springs, and pressure ridges do not care what month it is.
Mounted gear makes a load ride better. It does not make the ice hold more. Check thickness as you go. Tell somebody where you are fishing. Carry picks where you can reach them with wet gloves.
Where Herc fits
Herc Outdoors builds the carriers and the base underneath them. The products are designed, cut, welded, powder coated, and assembled in Pine City, Minnesota, by Product Fabricators, the shop behind the brand. The sled systems get run on the crew's own machines on Minnesota lakes before they go on the site.
Everything carries a 30 day try it policy and a 2 year warranty, with free U.S. shipping over $100. That is the honest test: bolt it on, fish it for a month, and see whether it holds up on your lake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need the Sled Interface Kit before I buy a carrier?
The interface kit is the tunnel-mounted foundation the systems attach to. If you already have Herc mounting on the tunnel, a standalone carrier is the cheaper add. If you are starting from bare tunnel, start with the base. Each product page states what it includes and requires for your sled.
Can I run the auger, rod, and bucket systems on the same sled?
Yes, that is what the base is for. They are built around the same mounting approach. Tunnel space and your sled's configuration set the practical limit. Check the product pages for what fits together on your model.
Does the setup have to come off in the spring?
The carriers come off the base. You can strip the sled back to a plain machine for trail riding and leave the interface kit in place. That is the advantage of building on a base instead of bolting a bracket directly to the tunnel.
Do I still need mounts if I pull a tow sled?
You need fewer. A tow sled handles bulk. Anything you reach for at every hole still belongs on the machine where you can get it without digging.
What if it does not work on my sled?
Run it 30 days on your lake and in your weather. If it does not install clean, haul hard, and hold up, send it back under the try it policy. The 2 year warranty covers the rest.
Build it before first ice
The worst time to figure out a sled setup is the morning the lake locks up and you are standing in the garage with a roll of bungee cord. Mount the base now. Add the auger carrier. Add the rest when the season gives you a reason.
Start with the snowmobile carrier systems, or call the shop at (651) 674-0007 if you want somebody to confirm what your tunnel takes before you order. The same base-and-attachment thinking also works for an ATV or UTV setup.
