Ice Line

[EC1]

Good Afternoon everyone! Hope you guys have started your ice fishing / softwater adventures for the weekend!

 

I just had a quick question for everyone that is ice fishing. Is there really a need for ice line, or what type of line could I get away with? I used Sufix Elite in 6lb last weekend, and that line has pretty much turned into a slinky. Would ice line actually stay supple even in the extreme cold?

I just wanted to make sure before I go spend anymroe money on ice fishing.

 

Thanks In Advance!

[redneck666]

good question, i got 4lb trilene spooled onto my ice rod, but i havent used it yet. and i have a full spool of 8lb trilene extra tough. so, who knows. thats the line i rely on my whole softwater season! it works fantastic and i hope it holds up when i finally get out on the ice!

[EC1]

Thanks Bigredneck. I am a little weary for using summer lines, but I don't know if I can get away without buying ice line, that's all.

 

No tips from anyone else? What does everyone else put on their reels on the ice?

[SBCregal]

i've been buying up some gear and am gonna try ice fishing this winter. i just purchased some of the trilene cold weather line, 6lb i think i grabbed. havent used it before, but have had decent luck with trilene in the past.

[asdve23rveavwa]

No tips from anyone else? What does everyone else put on their reels on the ice?

 

Would be nice to hear from some of the ice fishing regulars on this one....going for the first time since I was a kid tomorrow...already have the ice line, but, curious as to what others think.

[Joeytier]

I wouln't reccomend braid in any situation, unless there's some kind of ice braid I don't know about that isn't completely useless in cold weather.

 

I started using P-Line's ice flourocarbon recently and it's great!

Edited January 9, 2010 by Joeytier

[EC1]

thanks guys. Will go get some floroice as soon as i have time today. Will report back and tell you guys how it is!

[s2k4mee]

i tried powerpro ice today. Can't say i love it. It still has the tendency to freeze while jigging, albeit less than regular braid. My suggestion, stay away from braid for hard water.

[pike slayer]

i find just regular monos work great, i think ice lines arent much different, in fact i find them to be pretty crappy, i've tried a few different brands and so far they all suck. im gonna stick with my regular summer mono hasnt failed me yet and isnt to bad for ice build up, no worse then ice lines.

[trapshooter]

The only time brad will work is if you're in a heated hut all day. Can be good for feeling hits when fishing deep. Always use fluoro leader though!!

 

I've tried a couple ice lines and wasn't sold. I use regular Trilene, 8lb XL for walleye and 10lb XT for trout. Works for me.

[Fisherman]

I'm stuck on using the Berkley Trilene Micro Ice in 4 and 6 lb, no complaints.

[MCTFisher9120]

I just got my HT reel spooled up with Berkley Fireline Fused Micro Ice Crystal(6lb)

 

Looks and feels great, off to the lake tomorrow!

[Dara]

I use 20 lb trilene wrapped around a board. I hang it off of a limber willow gad cut from the side of the trail on the way in to the lake.

I use a 10 lb snelled hook hanging off the flasher.

I change the line out about every 5 years.

 

When the hole ices over I stomp my heel in it to break the line loose and re-open the hole. Thats why I use 20 lb...it can take the beating of winter fishing and bouncing around in a sleigh.

 

The fish I catch specs, lakers and eyes don't seem to care.

I have been ice fishing for 40 years now and I think somebody started calling it ice line about 2 years ago so people would buy special line for winter fishing.

 

I wouldn't use 6 or 8 lb line in winter. You get a decent fish rubbing it against the side of a hole and you may go home pretty depressed.

Edited January 10, 2010 by Dara

[pike slayer]

i do pretty well the exact same setup as dara but i change my line every year and i put lighter 8-10lb on a jigging rod when i feel like jiggin. hasnt failed me yet.

[EC1]

I just got my HT reel spooled up with Berkley Fireline Fused Micro Ice Crystal(6lb)

 

Looks and feels great, off to the lake tomorrow!

 

Mike, going to be on scugog tomorrow? If yes, see you there!

[EC1]

And thanks guys for the reply! I'm going for crappie though.

 

I don't know if I want anything more than 6.

[NAW]

I second Fisherman's post. That's the same rig I use. 6lb micro ice with a flouro leader. That's for lakers and whities.. For perch, what ever mono you got on your reel will work..

[irishfield]

I've tried a couple ice lines and wasn't sold. I use regular Trilene, 8lb XL for walleye and 10lb XT for trout. Works for me.

 

Ditto !

[Stoty]

Dont waste your money on "ice" line...its all about flourocarbon. Softwater and hardwater....you HAVE to have flourocarbon.

[MCTFisher9120]

Mike, going to be on scugog tomorrow? If yes, see you there!

 

Look for a guy with no hut dressed in Camo with a orange hood lol. I'll be with my friend out there.

[fishnsled]

Trilene but have got one rig with flouro to try this year. I'll see how it holds up on the ice tomorrow.

[asdve23rveavwa]

I second the thanks to all for input!!! Off to bed...getting up early for some perch on ice...see how my line works out.

[EC1]

Oh Will! Where are you going to be? Is Ms. Smith going to be out too?

 

And now all my rigs are set up with a cheap mono backing, tied to ~30m. floroice, with a 1.5ft FC leader. Hoping for the best! Thanks everyone for the input.

Edited January 10, 2010 by EC1

[Sinker]

I used braid most of last season, and found it pretty good. Any line will work though, and any line will freeze. There is no getting away from it. I find the braid has more positives than negatives.......especially in deep water. I always use a seaguar fluoro leader.

 

S.

[Dabluz]

I hate fluorocarbon of any sort. All of the independant tests on the internet say that it is just as elastic as most monos, is not more abrasion resistant than most other monos and it sure has terrible knot strength and shock resistance. It's also stiffer than most other monos.

 

If I'm just using some whippy branches that I cut on the way to some distant lakes for walleye and pike, I use rather large mono (15 to 20 lbs) and a finer leader of mono for the walleye or 12 lb 54 strand steel leader material that is about the size of 4 lb mono (expensive stuff) for pike. I use the large main line because it is a hand line.

 

For cod, flounder, halibut in 300 to 600 feet of water many years ago, I used to use 100 lb test mono as a hand line because of the stretch factor. With a large trolling reel and rod, I use 30 lb test braid now.

 

For places where there are just walleye and I'm using a rod and reel, I use 6 lb good quality mono ...like Sensithin (no longer exists).

 

Ice line....that dark blue mono ice line....plain junk. It may be ok where it's -20 or -30 but the water is nowhere near that temperature. It's way too elastic and soft. It even is thicker than ordinary mono of the same lb test.

 

Fluorocarbon and co-polymer lines....have always disappointed me. I tried 25 and 15lb test fluorocarbon leader material (Vanish and Seaguar) and it was terrible. Luckily, I had won those spools in a contest so I did not waste any money.

 

However, I'm glad when I see fishermen using fluorocarbon line....it means more fish for me.

 

Sure...ice builds up on the line. If the line is old....the build up is worse. New slick lines have less build up. In any event, it takes a second to push it down the line into the hole where it softens up. Ice on the rod tip is another problem. I prefer using the thin titanium rod tips but I don't mind removing the ice on the rod tips....it's part of icefishing. It only happens when you reel in fish and you let the water freeze up.