What reel for a JM Mackinaw?

[nemoski]

I am thinking about buying a Jason Mitchell Elite Series 36MH Mackinaw rod for fishing Lake Trout, but am not sure what reel to buy. What do you guys use and recommend? What do you NOT recommend? Thanks everyone in advance!

[Steve Foss]

Any full sized bass baitcasting reel with a smooth drag and fast retrieve ratio will do perfectly. Fast retrieve because sometimes you really need it. Smooth drag because sometimes you really need it.

Brand/model is a personal choice. Any in that class will balance well with the Mackinaw. I've never gone wrong baitcasting for ice lakers with the Ambassadeur 5500 series reels. Way more line capacity than you need for inland lake trout, but I use the same reels for open water as I do on the ice.

[Northlander]

Inland I do as Steve Says. On Lake Superior I use a Diawa Sealine line counter because after a couple hundered feet you can read your bait in the current so when I get a hit I make note of how much line I had out.

[nemoski]

What type of line do you use in Superior or other deep water applications? I have never fished for Lakers, so trying to gather as much info as I can. Thanks!

[Steve Foss]

Superbraids are the way to go for deepwater applications because of the no-stretch factor, and since they are narrower per test strength than mono they put up less resistance to currents. Tough to get a good hookset using mono with that much line out.

If you're going deepwater, you might want to look into a longer rod. The Mackinaw, at 36 inches, is a very nice laker rod and is especially nice inside a portable shack for inland action, but the long butt eats up a lot of what could have been rod length, and at MH it's a little light for deepwater work. Something in 42 inches or so and a heavy action would give you more leverage/muscle on a hookset with a lot of line out there, and the added length will help absorb the shock better than a shorter rod when you get a laker close to the hole on that no-stretch line.

And a 2-rod plan with the Mackinaw and a longer/heavier rod will take care of all different laker ice fishing jigging situations.

[nemoski]

Steve: Thank you for your information, it is very helpful and I appreciate it very much. I am very green when it comes to fishing for Lakers, and 40 feet of water seems like deep water to me (I mainly fish for walleye). At what point does mono not work effectively? I have charts coming for the lakes that I am going to be trying, so am not really sure how deep the water is, but I am fairly certain that the depths reach 200' plus.

Also, what brands of rods come in the 42" Heavy?

Thanks!

[Wanderer]

The Mackinaw, at 36 inches, is a very nice laker rod and is especially nice inside a portable shack for inland action, but the long butt eats up a lot of what could have been rod length, and at MH it's a little light for deepwater work.

Just FYI on the newer Mackinaws: I looked at the "new" Mackinaws that are now under the Clam Corp. name and the handles are now shorter with a bit more rod to 'em. Just the way some folks like 'em.

[Steve Foss]

When I ice jig deeper than roughly 75 feet (very rare on inland waters), I toss the mono rigs in the bag and go with superbraid.

I don't know of any commercially mass produced ice rods in 42 H. I've got a 40 and two 42s that were custom made, which I bought used. I'm not saying they are not out there, just that I don't know of any.

I do have a 44 H in the Polar HT Ice Blues baitcaster series. IBT-44 is the style number. A bright blue color with an orange tip section, and a baitcaster to boot. It's not as stiff as some in that series. It has large guides and a slow H action. These are available in some stores or online, and they are not expensive. I use it as a bait rig for lakers and pike, and if I was going deepwater in Lake Superior, that would be the rod I'd pick. I have a line-counter reel on it. It's one step too heavy for most inland laker jigging, IMO. It ain't a pretty rod, but I've never seen style points handed out for laker fishing.

If you go with a long custom ice rod in MH or H for lakers, you're looking at $50 minimum, with prices rising from there. Probably Thorne Bros makes something right down that alley, but they're not cheap, either.

[Capt. Russ]

I think Steve is right on with the ambassadeur reel. They are tough and should last you for many years with just a shot of oil occasionally.

[Ed Carlson]

I like Lefty reel, for right hand jigging. So I run a Shimano Cardiff 101 on mine. Works well and is a nice size. A 200/201 series would do it well too. I think the 100 series is large enough and strong enough for any fish through the ice.

The reel I'm playing with on one of my JM Mak's this season is the Daiwa's Magforce, with the Twich'n Bar & magnetic anti-backlash control. This is a very handy ice reel. Quickly line pick up on the thumb bar to reel in line to sucker fish up off the bottom...and up and down with one hand...nifty darn reel really.

There is a few class's of this reel to look at, from $69.00 up to $170.00, depending on the bearing count and if it is saltwater rated . I went with the $69.00 model and it is doing well for me. For heavy duty Lake Trout fishing, you might wish to go with the Salt Water grade model.

I re-lube my reels with Quantum Hot Sauce, and they run click a well oiled clock in the cold. For aggressive jigging, this is an option to look at for sure.

You need to watch not to squeeze the Thumb'n Bar and set the Hook at the same time (that's Bad), that is the way to mess them up. Once you know to avoid that, your good.

This reel has also found a fallowing for Bottom Bouncer fisherman in the summer months, so it has a lot of cross over use for the angler.