Ice Line

[Spiel]

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.

 

 

Ditto !

 

Another "ditto" here. Been using XT for many years on the ice, no issues.

Have also used braid succesfully when in the warmth of my portable.

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

any "ice line" that isn't just a mono is garbage. fireline, braids, all that stuff looks and feels like dental floss more than line. on my one rod i have berkley XT and it's fine if it's not colder than about -10. if you start getting into -20's and -30's i find regular mono freezes up really bad, loses it's limpness, and then my line starts to show up on the vex. i find the berkley trilene ice or berkley trilene coldweather mono to work much better once it's real cold.

[Handlebarz]

I use the Berkley Trilene Micro Ice in 4 and 6 lb, for ice fishing I will have a good spro swivel with a lead of 6lbs floro to help prevent line twists when using the rapala jigging minnows the reason I like the ice line is that its BLUE that is the only reason I use it a couple years ago I was using cajin red for the same reason I can see my line as I jig this way I can see the light bite before I feel it if my line slacks any bit at all I set the hook. For me its all about being able to see the line and for the panfish I will use the 1lbs line on a very lite rod.

[Fisherpete]

I have tried many of the "ice lines", and there are mixed results:

 

Berkley Micro Ice - very good. Fairly cheap too, and I like the blue. I use 4 lb or 6lb on several of my setups.

 

P-Line Fluoroclear - AWESOME. Not the straight fluorocarbon version, but the fluorocarbon coated mono - it is my fave ice line, but I can't find any 2 or 4lb test this year... Only 6lb, so that is on my trout/whitey setups. If anyone knows where I can get some in 2 or 4, please let me know!

 

Berkley Fireline Ice - You can feel everything, but MUST use in a heated hut or you are wasting your time. Expensive too.

 

Powerpro Ice - Again, you can feel everything, but MUST use in a heated hut or you are wasting your time. Really pricey.

 

I also have good ol' regular Trilene XT or XL on a few rods - 4lb test - works just about as well as the ice mono...

[solopaddler]

Trilene XT and XL are no brainers for me as well.

Have to admit though I've been running 11.9lb Tectan on my dead stick rods the last couple years.

Love it, stays amazingly limp even in super cold weather.

Contrary to most I've also been using 10lb Power Pro on my jigging rods.

Spray some of this stuff on your reel the night before, let it soak in and dry, and you're good to go.

 

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...__SearchResults

 

(I used to use "Reel Magic" but was recently turned on to this product and used it steelheading the last time out. It really works. It's not marketed as a de-icer but it makes your line hydrophobic. Spray it on your guides as well to reduce ice up).

[Dabluz]

Trilene XT and XL are no brainers for me as well.

Have to admit though I've been running 11.9lb Tectan on my dead stick rods the last couple years.

Love it, stays amazingly limp even in super cold weather.

Contrary to most I've also been using 10lb Power Pro on my jigging rods.

Spray some of this stuff on your reel the night before, let it soak in and dry, and you're good to go.

 

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...__SearchResults

 

(I used to use "Reel Magic" but was recently turned on to this product and used it steelheading the last time out. It really works. It's not marketed as a de-icer but it makes your line hydrophobic. Spray it on your guides as well to reduce ice up).

 

Wow....a Tectan user. I love that mono too. Quite expensive because I have to order it from Europe or the U.S. I have been using 3 lb Tectan Premium for brook trout fishing in the summer....haven't used it for winter fishing yet and it is very fine. It may not be as strong as other 3 lb test monos but it is finer (feels and looks like 2 lb mono) thus this means that the company does not sell you 3 lb line that is the size of 4 or 5 lb test line and say that it's super tough. Stren does that. They sell 8 lb mono that is the same size as the 10 lb mono other companies make and then claim it's the strongest mono on the market. I would like to use Stren Original Clear mono but it is an inconsistent line....the diameter and strength varies throughout it's length. That's why it is not expensive.

[fishnsled]

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.

 

Ended up on Quinte today, Miss Smith didn't not brave the -17 temps today. lol! Stayed outside all day, didn't use the portable at all as it wasn't windy in the morning and that sun sure felt nice. I was tempted when those winds picked up out of the west though. Slow bite for us, a few perch and no walleye.

 

As for the lines The mono was very stiff and fell off the reel. Once the bait was down it was fine. The flouro I was using was Seaguar AbrazX. It did not go stiff like the mono did, fished with it all day with no problems. Ended up putting the mono away because I just like how the flouro was working. No problem with hookset and getting those might perch up the hole. Looking forward to trying it out on some whities and lakers and see how it holds up then.

 

 

on my one rod i have berkley XT and it's fine if it's not colder than about -10. if you start getting into -20's and -30's i find regular mono freezes up really bad, loses it's limpness, and then my line starts to show up on the vex.

 

Yep mono doesn't like -17.

 

Contrary to most I've also been using 10lb Power Pro on my jigging rods.

Spray some of this stuff on your reel the night before, let it soak in and dry, and you're good to go.

 

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/s...__SearchResults

 

(I used to use "Reel Magic" but was recently turned on to this product and used it steelheading the last time out. It really works. It's not marketed as a de-icer but it makes your line hydrophobic. Spray it on your guides as well to reduce ice up).

 

 

Great tip!

[EC1]

Ended up on Quinte today, Miss Smith didn't not brave the -17 temps today. lol! Stayed outside all day, didn't use the portable at all as it wasn't windy in the morning and that sun sure felt nice. I was tempted when those winds picked up out of the west though. Slow bite for us, a few perch and no walleye.

 

Ahh, nice. I, on the other hand stayed inside the hut for practically the entire day to stay away from the cold and freezing lines.

 

And to report my findings on P-Line Floroice in 4#, I have very mixed feelings about it. First off, I loved the fact that it didn't turn into a slinky even at the end of the day. The line was very supple, and didn't make any loops even when I was reeling line in carelessly. BUT, for some reason I had this line snap on me on 2 hooksets(?) I may have put the line in contact with the heater, but I'm pretty sure that I didn't. Glad I didn't lose tackle from it, as I was lucky enough to grab the line just before the fish swam away and actually caught 1 of those 2 fish on the broken line

 

I believe I will be trying that line out ONCE more before I decide to keep it or throw it away, and might try the reel magic if I do make a trip out to BPS.

[kmarr]

Berkley Fireline Fused Micro Ice Crystal(4lb)

[Vanselena]

For Lakers and Whitefish I use braid with a floro leader open air in - whatever degrees. For perch no braid but use 2lb florocarbon.

 

Trick with braid is to run your line over a block of beeswax and you are good to go.

[Eazy]

I do use super-lines for jigging..........The Bekeley one i find is the best for not icing up, because, techically, it's not a "braid"..

[Eazy]

I do use super-lines for jigging..........The Bekeley one i find is the best for not icing up, because, techically, it's not a "braid"..

[ciscokid]

Im pretty new to ice fishing so im not sure but either way i just cant afford another fishing expense... i ll take my chances.

[cheaptackle]

I have to echo the braid with flouro leader and agree that in the open the braid does ice up. This year I'm using the lightest braid (not "ice" braid), PP 1-8 & 2-10 in red with about 24" 10lb flouro leader. I only go in huts so icing isn't a problem. Don't know if I'm catching more or less as a result but I'm not unhappy with the performance of the lines (yet??). One thing I do like about the red is I can immediately see if the line goes sideways at all in the hole (usually healthy bait but sometimes...) I'm not sure if this is just because it's the first time I've tried it so I'm maybe paying more attention, but I feel pretty comfortable with it (isn't 90% of this sport your own comfort zone?). Figured I'd try this setup so I can use the reels & lines on my ultra light rods in the soft water season too - might as well maximize the mileage!

Michael

[John the Fisherman]

I have been using Spiderwire "Mono" 8lb for some years now on the ice. It stands up to the abuses of getting caught on little pieces of ice around the hole, and is excellent for hook setting because of the lack of stretchiness. I use this line for all spieces around Temagami. Lakers, walleye, pike, specks. It stays limber on cold days, and does not ice up too bad.

There are some pretty crappy lines out there for sure, some come off a spool like a spring as soon as you flip the bail, and end up in a big mess. Others are just too big in diameter for the smaller spools on ice rods.

It works for me quite well, but it still takes a sharp hook to get the best out of your line.

JTF

[Dabluz]

Ahh, nice. I, on the other hand stayed inside the hut for practically the entire day to stay away from the cold and freezing lines.

 

And to report my findings on P-Line Floroice in 4#, I have very mixed feelings about it. First off, I loved the fact that it didn't turn into a slinky even at the end of the day. The line was very supple, and didn't make any loops even when I was reeling line in carelessly. BUT, for some reason I had this line snap on me on 2 hooksets(?) I may have put the line in contact with the heater, but I'm pretty sure that I didn't. Glad I didn't lose tackle from it, as I was lucky enough to grab the line just before the fish swam away and actually caught 1 of those 2 fish on the broken line

 

I believe I will be trying that line out ONCE more before I decide to keep it or throw it away, and might try the reel magic if I do make a trip out to BPS.

 

I would like to use fluorocarbon lines in order to have a line that may be less visible to fish but all the ones that I have used so far (Vanish 6 lb test, Vanish leader material 15 lb test, Seaguar leader material 25 lb test) do exactly what yours did.....simply snap well under their test rating. All within the first hour of use.

[MCTFisher9120]

To fix my comment from before...Fireline Crystal is garbage. I've now switched to P-Line Fluoroclear(4lb) and it has worked great...except when I caught that 31" Pike, she stretched a few yards of line. That with my 15lb Fluoro leader and I have no problem's catching pike. On Tip-Ups I use 12lb mono with the same leader material.

[Tybo]

p-line fluoroclear here also.

I have had it on a couple of reals for a 2 seasons with

out a problem.4lb and 8lb.

[splashhopper]

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

 

 

me too

[lookinforwalleye]

Of course its necessary.

 

It`s necessary to keep corporate revenue streams strong,just like all the new and improved lures,hooks,sinkers etc.etc. we get baited into buying every year.

 

You mark my words one day soon there will be a company that will start marketing eco friendly green fishing products.

[cheaptackle]

Thought that was what the non-lead push was all about...?

Michael

[BillM]

me too

 

Is that the blue stuff? If so that's what I'm running this year, 4 and 6lb.. No complaints yet!

[EC1]

Of course its necessary.

 

It`s necessary to keep corporate revenue streams strong,just like all the new and improved lures,hooks,sinkers etc.etc. we get baited into buying every year.

 

You mark my words one day soon there will be a company that will start marketing eco friendly green fishing products.

 

I kind of have mixed feelings about this now. Lots of people say it is marketing, but at the same time I believe that the ice line really works. I used sufix elite on my very first ice fishing trip (and I loved it so very much during softwater), but it was absolutely terrible on the ice! Then I bought myself some actual ice line and found that it works much better, and after some line conditioner, the line works almost as well as sufix would during softwater.

[MCTFisher9120]

gotta love ice line lol

Edited February 12, 2010 by Mike The Bass Fisher

[cheaptackle]

Seems to be a 50/50 split - now I'm wondering...

Michael

Edited February 12, 2010 by cheaptackle