spitting and sputtering when in water

Hello all. I have a 2011 sportsman 500 HO. I modded the stock muffler(which I now hate) added a K&N air filter, rejetted the carburetor, and changed the spark plug. Now when I go thru deep enough water to just possibly come over the floor boards and sometimes not even that deep it will start cutting out and barely make it through. I put dielectric grease in the spark plug wire and it still does it. Any ideas on what it could be?