panfish ice line

[arctic_scrap1]

I need to restring my panfish reels. What are people running for line? I'd like something that will work a little better in the cold, if it costs a little more that's fine.

[B-man715]

Two pound Suffix Elite or Trilene XL for me (clear for both).

Don't waste your time or money on overpriced tiny spools of "ice" line.

Edited December 8, 2015 by B-man715

[DLD24]

I'm a P-line fan if you can find it or vanish...I'm trying micro ice this year on a couple rods

[eyeguy 54]

been using trilene micro ice clear steel in 3 pound.  tough stuff, dont have to retie as much as XL. 

[GillAssasin13]

I run 3 lb Bionic Fluorosilk on my jig rods and 4 l b on my spoon rods (for crappies, perch). When I fished mono, I ran 2 lb but the fluorosilk is nearly invisible which allows me to up size. Never hurts in case you hook into something big!

[eyeguy 54]

the micro ice handles 20 inch bass and 30 in norskies fine.   

[GillAssasin13]

Certainly, with good drag / fish fighting all of the above mentioned can handle big fish! I firmly believe Berkley makes the best mono on the market.

For me though, the invisible nature of fluoro is critical for tough panfish bites. The low stretch compared to mono is also very important for the way I fish - 15+ foot for crappies / bluegills / perch a lot of days. A lower stretch line absolutely drives the hook home better - same reason I use fluoro for most applications when bass fishing in the summer!

[Scholly]

big fan of fluorocarbon on my straghtline reel.  As much as i want to like it for spinning reels it just doesn't work that great on them.  I run 5 pound power pro on the spinning reels with a fluoro leader.

[eyeguy 54]

havnt spooled up floro so I cant say how I like it but probably is dandy. 

[th64]

Love Power Pro for my crappie pole but I might try a clear line for my gill rod. On the PP I use a mono or flour leader (stretch is not an issue with 1') I coat 20' with chapstick to reduce freeze up, pretty quick to do. 

No memory no stretch, few tangles-great stuff.

[Zenit]

I'm a P-line fan if you can find it or vanish...I'm trying micro ice this year on a couple rods

+1. I usually bring 10-12 reels a year into Thorne Brothers and have them all spooled with 2 or 3 lb P-Line Fluorocarbon, they have P-Line in bulk from 2-12 lb, I believe. The price is right, and it is a superb line for the hardwater season.

[bobbymalone]

I think this no stretch stuff has it's uses (especially in some open water applications), but for the most part i think it's a fad that doesn't really mean much as far as catching fish goes.  People decided that mono is like fishing with a slinky ever since "no stretch" became a buzz word.  How much stretch do your really think there is when a crappie or a gill nibbles on an ice jig at 10 feet?  Right at about zero.  I'm not saying you can't stretch it in an experiment, but in the real world, I don't think it really plays that much of a role.

I think the rod has much more to do with bite detection and hook sets than a no stretch line does    

I'm a P-line fan.  

I've had troubles with ice up using braids outside, maybe I'll try this chapstick thing.

 

Edited December 9, 2015 by bobbymalone

[tinker]

I am using Micro ice with a Flouro leader for the 1st time this year it seems to be working OK. After all the good reviews on P Line I think I will give it a try also.

[Naturboy]

2 Lb Vanish is my choice, never let me down. I have tried Northland Bionic panfish line and it works good also if you 10' feet or less. It has stretch but its not enough to matter at that depth, so it's a good choice for my straight line reels.

[monstermoose78]

I am using sufix in 3 pound and 2 pound test for crappies and gills. I have 4 pound berkley trilene xl for by perch rods and bobber rigs. 

[bobbymalone]

Certainly, with good drag / fish fighting all of the above mentioned can handle big fish! I firmly believe Berkley makes the best mono on the market.

For me though, the invisible nature of fluoro is critical for tough panfish bites. The low stretch compared to mono is also very important for the way I fish - 15+ foot for crappies / bluegills / perch a lot of days. A lower stretch line absolutely drives the hook home better - same reason I use fluoro for most applications when bass fishing in the summer!

depending on what fluorocarbon and what mono you are comparing, the fluorocarbon might have more stretch than mono.  

There are some interesting reads online about fluorocarbon and stretch.

[Scott O.]

I'm a fan of Berkley's ice fluorocarbon as well as Northland's Fluorosilk lines on my panfish and trout rods in 3# or 4# test.  My walleye rods get either Ice Fireline or Nanofil on them in 8# test.  Sometimes I'll use Northland's Bionic Ice mono in 8#.

[Drewski]

For me it depends on the setup. For my various plastic presentations I love 3 lb P-Line. The stuff is super sensitive, strong and doesn't coil like monofilament lines do in the cold, which is key for those ultra light biters. Just make sure to fill your spool with a little bit of backing, as a standard spool of line doesn't quite fill a 500 class spinning reel all the way. I also like to spool one or two setups with 4 lb for when I'm fishing a little bit heavier presentations, like spoons.