1 Lb. test

[Lake Alice]

My success on gills through the ice has increased greatly since I went to 1 lb. test and a spring bobber. There is always skepticism from other fisherman about 1 lb it seems to me, and it is hassle to deal with at times, but I think it makes a huge difference on certain days. Do others use it regularly and find this to be true?

[ozzie]

how do you go about tying 1lb line.. I have trouble with 2-4lb tests. seems to break on me everytime. i use the twist 6-8 times pull through the bottom loop then through the loop you created and pull tight. then snap all the time!!! any suggestions would be great.

[lilman]

Your trilene knot ozzie needs to be wet, spit on it, your getting too much friction and heat, thats whats snapping your line everytime.

I have been using 1 pound test for a little over five years now, and have not had that much of problems with it. Re-tie often, but you should be doing that regardless.

Check out fluoroice too, that is another great low vis line that does make a difference.

I use one pound exclusively for crappies and gills, its the best ultra finesse line out there. As long as you have a good quality rod and a great reel to match it with a smooth drag, you should not have any worries.

There are times when I do upsize upsize to two pound, (Red lake, deadstick lines).

[Dan Thiem]

I agree it will help you get more fish. But unless your in an environment that's fisherman friendly, one pound test is very frustrating. Even with two good peepers, it's tough to tie. Wind and jagged ice can be a real enemy using ultra lite line.

[metrojoe]

I agree. It's gotta be like trying to tie hair.

[CALVINIST]

I had fits last year tying 2lb . With 1lb. I would be instutionalized !

[Tyler Holm]

The 1lb stuff kinda scares me. Those gills always do the "circle of death" on the way up the hole and it gotta believe it "nicks" the line as it skips over the ice on the bottom of your hole.

With 2lb, I have the confidence that I can lift them out of the hole and up to my lap or hand.

[himjunkie13]

I use 2lb test but after reading the post i think i'll use some 1lb even though it sounds difficult to use, i love a challenge.

[delmuts]

hey cal !! that is why wal mart and those plces sell those CHEAP reading glasses!!!! i'm doing like CT said. i bought several pr. and placed them in my different fishing/tackle boxes ! that way i don't have to worry about having , or loosing my presception ones!!!! and always have them handy !

[Guest]

I will stand behind the smaller line diameter being better for panfish, or any specie of fish.. I have been telling that to friends for years. A few have caught on, others dont want to believe it. I use 4# for walleye fishing most of the time.

1 lb line... thats pushing the limits of good taste, and not recommended for night fishing unless you have a 50 million candle power house light where you can see it. 2 pound test is a bit more user friendly, but still holds its limits of frustration. I have good luck with the polamer knot with light lines.. the wrap around the line 6 times knots I have had problems with especially after the line has been stressed, or stretched out.

The lighter you go with the line, the more difficult it gets for a hookset the deeper you go.

[CrappieJohn]

I have gone the routeof the 1 pound line a few times, usually after a new product comes out. I have also used the clear mono sewing thread. That stuff is right in the pound range and is super limp. As Del has suggested though, that hyper light line requires some very good eyesight and/or eyeglasses.

I can't say that there is much benefit to using it ( 1 pound) over the up-to-date two pound lines. Advancements have made this weight of line a pure joy to use and when a guy gets into the fluoros, he is fishing above the listed breaking weight of the line used. Perhaps in the most extreme cases of the fish being finicky and hard to tease into hitting....and I am home by the time such a senario would evolve.

If a person is looking for a "line class" record in the panfish arena, the one pound would have to be the way to go. It would, however, mean using a "Class Line".

For those who want to try their hand at this super light line, I suggest buying a spool or two of the tippet material used by fly fishermen and using the fluoro products, not mono. These things are handy because they come in 25 yard/meter lengths and are generally of a higher quality than even the better names in standard and fluoro lines. The weight definitions may be a bit hard to decipher but sales personel worth their salt can help out there and you might even find some products that scale even less than a pound....a real test of skill.

[harvey lee]

I have been using 2# P-line this year and it works great. The only problem is also tying as my bi-focals have a hard time finding it. 1# would probably work great,only I believe I would not be able to see it. I have had no problem with fish on this light of line. Today a limit of crappies from 9-14 without a break, this light line does work.

[radke22]

Yesterday my neighbor landed a 43" sturgeon out of 45 FOW on 2lb floroice. I use both 2lb and 3lb, that 1lb stuff may work, but when you have a opportunity to catch 20+ random fish, that 2lb seems to work alot better that that 1lb test.

[ASMOLEY]

There was an article in an outdoors magazine a few years ago they made a refrance to a silk thread that is actually smaller in diamter than a 1lb test line but incredible strong. I've never tried it myself and can't remember what it was called. Has anyone else heard of this? For me i seem to be able to pull plenty of fish through the ice with 2lb but on those days that they just don't want to bite it starts to make me wonder what if....

[Cyberfish]

If the fish I am targeting are getting that fussy, I will move and look for more agressive biters before I would downsize that much. 1pound might get you more bites on occasion, but I get into nice eyes, bass , and huge crappies sometimes while bluegill fishing and I can usually get em in on 3 pound test.