Does anyone use braided line for ice fishing?

[spooner]

Just want to start off by saying what a great site! Look at the site every day, just dont say much!?

Heres my Question:

My buddy is going to be using braided line for ice fishing- any thoughts?

Will it freeze easier?

He says theres no memory, and no stretch.

Havent seen any post about braided line.

thanks everyone!

[fiskyknut]

Deep water Perch'n and/or heavy current situations I sometimes put the braid spools on.

[JSK76]

I used the Berkley Crystal last season and it worked good. I might put a clear mono leader on it this year to make it even more covert. I might also try the Berkley Micro Ice.

[Bob/Mn]

Brade works well inside a heated house. Outside in cold weather it collects water and freezes up.

[spooner]

The Berkley Micro Ice is a mono line correct? What is Berkley Crystal?

[Ed Carlson]

Power Pro Ice is formulated for ice fishing conditions. Braids that are extra thin and extra smooth collect less ice beads that accumulate in the guides. Thinner guides such as stainless steel guides disperse ice beads best, they tend to chip off.

Braids that are thicker and rougher collect more water droplets that form into ice. The best braids are very thin, and very smooth. Ice braids commonly have an extra coating to accomplish this.

Yes they are no stretch, and because of that you gain better feel and bite detection. At first you can get a bit trigger happy and miss more fish because you feel the take quicker even on light bites, so it may take a bit of practice to adapt from mono to braids.

Braids and mono both have good points and weak points. Personal preference factors greatly into line choice. In time you will know what works best for you for various applications.

[spooner]

Thankyou everyone! Great to have such a network of fishing people!

[Northlander]

I use a lot of Superlines. I love them. Inside or on warm days they do best.

I will use 2# crystal for crappies all the way to 40# for them deep Apostle Island Lakers. Ill use a floro/gamma leader when I think I need to.

Use a slightly lighter drag setting so when you set the hook its slips just a bit and no bassmaster hooksets just a flick of the wrist.

It really shines in deep water and current. It will get your baits deeper quicker and you have way more feel.

I use mono on my deadsticks and bobber rods. Usually Trilene XT or XL in clear. XT for when in woods or weedy spots where a fish may drag you across some stuff that could nick up your line.

I also like longer rods for walleye in the 28-36" range. Lakers are all over 42" and for crappies about 26". I just like the feel of longer rods and the extra leverage and forgiveness they give me.

Experiment and enjoy.

[Meat-Run]

I personally don't use it because I feel that panfish see it or i just have poor luck while panfishing but I do use it for walleye fishing. This has only been my experience and shy away from it on very clear lakes and fishing shallow water.

mr

[OnAFly]

I used fireline ice last year. It worked well, until you got outside hole hopping in cold weather. It tended to ice up quite a bit. In a house/porty/warm weather it's great, just not when it's cold and you're outside.

[PerchJerker]

I use it, but only in very limited situations. You have to be in a house or in above-freezing temps or it will quickly ice up. I use it for jigging spoons for walleyes/saugers/perch, and every so often I use it for really light biting panfish.

I also think it's highly visible in the water, so I use a flouro leader unless I'm in stained water like LOTW.

[harvey lee]

Ditto what Perch said.

[fisherdog19]

Mono for outside fishing or shallow water, superlines are worthless at below freezing temps; there isn't one out there that won't freeze up on your spool. They are great in deep water, current, or where you need extra sensitivity and/or low stretch.

[gritsnham]

Great info from all I gave up fast on braids for ice fishing and use fireline occasionally but stick with mainly mono.

Just wondering with how much clearer water is during the ice season on average if anyone has seen a large difference between fishing with no leader vs. using a mono or flouro leader?????

[Brad B]

let's take this question and add to it. How would it be if a person would use a braided line on tip ups. I have 2 tip ups with braid line and was wondering if I should switch them to something else.

[sparkydm]

I use braid on tip ups and jig sticks. The main reason I do this is because it's easier to see and untangle when you have a bunch of it lying on the floor or on the ice. For jig sticks(maybe I'm the only left using these?) I use a flourocarbon leader. I only use tip ups for pike so I use a wire leader.

[only ice]

I have Power Pro line on all my Eye Rods, I fish LOW alot and the lakes around here are almost all dark lakes. I will run a mono leader if im on a clear lake. I love that line and fish with a guy that uses only mono. He has yet to out fish me because of my line I have on!!