Fly Reels for Ice Fishing

[Mons]

It seems I have been hearing a lot about fly reels for panfishing lately. I believe the reason guys like them is because with a fly reel there is no line twist right? I have heard fishing to deep of water with them can be difficult because you have to peel out the line by hand. My question is how deep can you fish with this style of reel and still be efficient? Also what kind of rod do you put them on? I have a light 24" st croix legend, would that work?

[FishinFools]

Search the forums...Tons of info/comment already there.

[MCRDP]

That rod will work just fine. I would try to stay shallower than 15 FOW but 20-25 can be done. It just gets old after a while.

[blackdog1101]

I fish 20 feet deep or so with mine with no problem. Aside from line twist, another benefit is the slow drop of the jig. There are times when that really helps.

[Gillfisher]

I've used one fishing whitefish in 30 feet of water, not great but it was ok. I only use them in 15 feet or less now. I use mine for walleye as well, I have found at times the low rate of line retrieve to come in handy when the eyes are finicky. You can wind really slow and the lure just creeps up, it is better than lifting the rod as it is smoother and you dont have to worry about running out of lifting space if your in the shack.

[FisH_SLaYer24]

I have two rods with fly reels on them. I have fished in 30 FOW with one, so it is do-able. However, if you don't want to do a lot of winding and tire yourself out 1. Fill the spool close to completely full with backing to help with line pickup and 2. Try to fish under 15-20 FOW.

I was lucky enough to get a chance to get my hands on one of 13 Fishing's new Black Betty 6061 Multiplier Fly Reel for this upcoming season. These new reels are going to redefine the sport of ice fishing because now you are gaining an ice reel that offers no line twist, but also maximum line pick up because they have the gears and bearings similar to a spinning reel.