Leaderboard

My buddy bought one last season from Amazon. Within an hour of it being on the ice, it sounded like it was grinding gravel. At the end of the day, it's a $50 reel from China (yeah I know, every thing comes fron China). As the old adage says...you get what you pay for. I've paid more than that just for a set of bearings (ABEC 7 mind you) for a centre-pin reel. Same buddy (cheap bugger) also bought a Picsifun spinning reel from Amazon last spring...didn't last the day before he took it off his rod and tossed it in the lake... lol... I've been using a couple of the 13 Fishing BlackBetty Freefall in-line reels (not that I'm a big fan of most of the stuff from 13 Fishing) ...but they spin nicely even in sub-zero F temps, and the drag is pretty decent. There's also a Pflueger in-line reel that another friend uses...haven't heard him swear at it yet..

So I won one of these and kind pumped about it. Feels very well made. Anyone ever use one? Piscifun ICX Carbon Ice Fishing Reel, Inline Ice Fishing Reel 0.36 LB Magnetic Drop System, Free-Spool Dual Model Lever, 3.2:1 High Speed, 8+1 Shielded BB, CNC-Machined Ice Reel. I won these other items too. Let the ice begin!

In my younger years I got frostbite on my fingers on both hands so no I have to keep gloves on as long as I can or old scool would be my way to go too. So now it's rod's in a holder, hand, jawjacker or something else. At least I can still ice fish

LOL.. Ive never been able to find a good real for the ise.. im just a cheap tip up pick up.

"find something similar from a well known manufacturer" Unfortunately none of the " big guys" (Shimano, Daiwa, etc) are making in-line ice reels (yet). I do like this style for ice fishing...simple and effective (less stuff to freeze up), also easy to control the free-fall rate. Easy to use with heavy mitts or gloves. Back in the day, I used to use a Martin Multiplier fly reel on the ice for the same reasons. I have found the higher end 13 Fishing in-line reels to be pretty bullet proof....so far. Not a lot of mileage on them to see if they hold up over time. These days my hours fishing open water vs hard water are probably 12 to 1. Now that I'm mortgage and kids free, I try to get in at least one trip down south each winter. Much prefer to be wading the flats in Belize, than standing out in -20 with a 40k north wind. The older I get, the less appealing the ice gets...but that's me. Even so, I still get out trying to turn the lake into Swiss cheese at least 10 times a winter. I grew up at my Grandmother's cottage on Long Point filling up a bucket with Perch. There's just something about staring down a hole waiting for a tug that never gets old...

I spend way too much $$$ on gas to use gear like that, lol. That being said that style of reel has really taken off in the icefishing world. I'd probably try to find something similar from a well known manufacturer.

Clayton did.

Really like it. I run 10lb on my float reel. So nice a smooth.