Ice Line Preference?

[Yellow Dog]

I know this has been gone over before...but I wonder about specific set-ups.

I use:

2 lb gold stren for 'gills/crappies

4 lb micro ice for perch and eyes

Tried fireline (1/8) last winter and several times it iced up something fierce with little ice balls...quite a mess. And it didn't seem to be any advantage. I thought it might be a better for jiggin' spoons...

What is your set up?

[P.DONA]

i'm trying power pro 2 lb diameter/ 10 lb test this year.it's supposed to soak up less water. the limpness, and diameter looks good, too, while I was spooling it.

I have that with 4 lb fluro carbon on it. Any other suggestions ???

[Deitz Dittrich]

yellow Dog- was good to meet you down at Cabelas.. always fun to put a name with a face!...

My set ups are 2 or 3 lb P-Line Floroice on my panfish rods and I have 6 lb on my walleye rods....the floroice has really treated me well, so i stick with it.

FYI- for those that use Floroice.. its the same as p-line Floroclear but ackaged in smaller packages and in a different package.. I buy the Floroclear so I change it a few times a winter and want the larger spool. It is hard to find the larger spools in the smaller diam however and usually have to order online.

[Bob Horn]

P-Line rules year around. You can`t go wrong useing it.

[BigDaddy]

Does anyone here prefer a different line type or weight for jigging verses deadsticking for the same species of fish?

[Captain B.R.K]

This has always been a great question for discussion. When looking to purchase your ice line you do not want to buy the line (mono) specific to the species of fish you are after. Typically people want to buy 2 pound for gills/crappie, 3-4 pound for perch-walleyes, and heavier stuff for pike,catfish, and lake trout. Throw all that stuff out the window.

When buying ice fishing line, you'll want to match line to the size of lure you are fishing. The lighter size lure, buy the lightest line you can get. The heavier the lure you will be fishing, the heavier size in line you'll want to go with. NO need to ever exceed 6# test.

For panfish, I always go with 2# regardless. I'm normally fishing a size 10,12, or 14 genz bug, ratso, ratfinke, or any other small bug for those bull gills or slab crappies.

For walleyes, I will step it up to either 3# or 4# test line because there I will be fishing at the heaviest 1/8 to 1/4 ounce Northland buckshoots or some type of jigging spoon made by JRs or Swedish Pimp.

A heavier lure on light line, puts tension on the knot giving it more of a chance to break. Put a light lure on heavier line and you won't get the right swimming action of your lure.

Also keep in mind that when you are ice-fishing, you are basically still fishing. When still fishing, you are looking for the smallest size diameter line possible because it gives the fish more time to look at your bait.

When you are open water fishing, you have the waves and movement of your boat to hide the line in the water. Normally in open water, the fish don't have time to think- they just react to the movement of your lure. Also a heavier line will allow to withstand nicks and scrapes from rocks- maybe withstand an occasional snapper that goes after your lure . So in these cases, you can get away with thicker diameter line.

Remember, it's matching your line to the size of lure you'll be fishing NOT matching the size of line to the kind of or size of fish you'll be catching!

Put a little confidence in this theory, you won't be sorry!

[BradB]

I use 2# Seaguar fluorocarbon on my main panfish rod, 4/1 fireline with a 6' leader of 4" Seaguar fluorocarbon on my 3 walleye rods, 4# P-line on my walleye bobber rod, 2# P-line on my panfish deadstick, and 4# P-line on my walleye deadstick. I also use leaders of the 4# Seaguar fluorocarbon on all my rattle reels.

Tying the fluorocarbon leaders to the 4/1 Fireline is quite a trick. I use a blood knot with the fishing glue (super glue, really) for making that knot tight. I couldn't do it without the glue, as the material is too slippery. On the rattle reels I use swivels as tying those are much easier (with a palomar knot, of course).

[Corey Bechtold]

Yellow Dog, I really like the Micro Ice from Berkley. It's silver in color and has less stretch than the Cold weather. 3 lb test is my all around favorite for panfish. It's sensitive and strong. I iced many big Pike and Bass that have tried to steal my ice jigs on this line. Personally I don't care for the ice Fireline (which is no different than the regular stuff). I like to be able to change jigs quick to give the fish what they want. Sometimes that super line likes to fray after you get the knot excess cut off. It also holds water which can be annoying. There are a lot of good choices but if you give the Micro Ice a try I'm sure you'll love it.

Good Luck

Corey Bechtold

[Yellow Dog]

Thanks guys...always nice to get a variety of views...tweaking this and that looking for a new angle is always a good time and helps me spend some money!

I think I'll give 2 lb p-line a shot this year. I've been using 2 lb. gold stren. The p-line might give me a few more hits...who knows.

[Deitz Dittrich]

YD-Dont forget that little tip we discussed down at Cabela's about crimping the line...

[Yellow Dog]

Yes! Sounds brilliant...which side of the line do you crimp? just kidding!!! Done some homework on the p-line and it sounds like it's worth trying.

[Deitz Dittrich]

YD- It is.. my only complaint expecially in the lower pound tests, is that it is so invisable. If you dont have good eyes it can be very difficult to tie or get threw the eye of the hook. I think the benifits far outweigh the problems with tieing the line... and for everybody, EXPECIALLY WITH FLOROCARBON lines... make sure you wet the knot, floro will heat its self up when you tighten the knot and make it weaker. Human spit does work. But a silicone or oil base scent will work better.

[JoeTC]

Exudedude-

How does the line memory of the p-line floroice compare to that of mono? I am looking at getting some florocarbon line for ice fishing this year but I hate dealing with high memory line.

[EBass]

Vanish is my choice. May try P-line though.

[Pete Riola]

P-Line hands down. You do have to change it more often but it's tough as nails.

[Philo]

I agree with EBASS. 6 lb Vanish is on all my poles except for my micro lite panfish rod, where I use yellow 2lb stren. Works great.

[Deitz Dittrich]

JoeTC,

I think that florocarbon lines by nature have a little more memory than a regular mono. However, the smaller pound tests do not have as much memory as the larger pound tests. I usually will lightly stretch my line when I first drop my line down and have no problems the rest of the day.