Preferred line on rattle reels

[LaVoi]

Just curious what everyone spools their rattle reels with. I am currently using black braided tip-up line but am starting to wonder if it a little too visible for walleyes/crappies. I would like to put mono on em but it seems it would be tough pulling em up hand over hand with that. What is everyone else using?

[tdk]

Some friends of mine from LOTW got me using old fly line on rattle reels. but I would also use a mono leader. It was easy to use pulling up a fish, and it wouldn't tangle when you had it on a fish house floor. Years ago I would find bigger foam boobers that would use a tooth pick to set the depth. It would work really well for walleyes.

[JOHN T jr.]

Had chance to go out with an older fisherman than I knew once, and in his house he had his reels set up with FLY FISHING line. He had about a 4ft fluracarbin as a leader. It was attached to the fly line with a swivel(ball berring). We had on problem with handeling the line (no cutting the hands). The fish didn't seem to fear the line either. It may seen a little way out there but it works..

[beer batter]

I currently use the black braided line with a 6 ft mono snell. I am thinking of switching to the fly fishing line with a mono snell instead. I've had problems with tangles in the middle of the night with the black line when a fish flops around the floor. Heard nothing but good things about the fly line - no tangles, plenty strong, easy on the hands...

[waskawood]

I also use fly line with a leader. You can have it all snarled up on the floor and it untangles itself. It may be a little more money but lasts a long, long, time.

[lancer]

I use the black braided tip-up line with a swivel and then about 6' of 10lb vanish. Works good for walleyes.

[federline]

We've used lots of combos on the rattle reels, but they all have one thing in common - 6-8 foot fluoro leader with a glow bead and a splitshot and a red hook under a swivel. Line is invisible within strike zone. Swivel so the minnow doesn't twist and tangle the line up. We have had coated tipup line, braided uncoated tipup line, 25 pound mono, fireline... whatevers handy.

I will tell you this: the uncoated, black braided tipup line is the best, in my opinion, because (1) it is easy to get a grip on, (2) it coils up in a tight circle next to the hole as you hand-over-hand it up, (3) it is easy to see on the floor and doesn't get hung up on boots in the fish-landing scuffle, and (4) as it gets wet, it gets heavier, and puts extra weight on the rigging so the fish feels less resistance when they take the bait.

The coated stuff coils up in way too big a circle in the frenzy. The 25 mono is hard to grip. Fireline was because I didn't have anything else handy.

[MNfan]

Tried alot of lines, fly line is the only way to go, easy to handle and you can not tangle it.

[hoggs222]

Flyline for me also! No tangles, never needs replacing. I've been using the same flyline for probably 15 years.

[LaVoi]

Great responses, thanks. The fly line sounds like the real deal, for the time being I think I will just try lengthening my snell. Right now I run about a 3' snell but the 6' snell sounds like it would do the trick. I do really like the black tip-up line as it is so easy to work with.

[BendnSend]

I have used the fly line also, with great results. Nothing wrong with the stuff besides alittle pricey. I've found the best bang for your buck to be the white and green stuff from cortland line company. Its sold in a white spool i believe. Stays limp and smooth, does not tangle and is so tuff, you will never break it unless you burn it or cut with a scissors. Like what was stated also about the barrel swivel and mono leader about 6 ft should do ya just fine!

[chris63]

tdk,forget the line you said"bigger foam BOOBERS"hmmmmmmm c63

[Boar]

Iv,e tried that nylon coated tip up line , works great but dosent slide through a mosher foam bobber, so I use 25lb dacron with 3ft of 4lb mono. Boar

[tdk]

The bobbers that I was talking about were what I used when I started ice fishing 27 years ago. You could squeeze the ice off of them. The ones I use on fly line are about the diameter of a quarter. They don't seem to cause any problems with fish when they take the bait. When I say fly line I can usually find some trout fisherman (I live in SE Minn) that changes their fly line every year.

[fishinalot]

I like the black vinyl coated tip up line tied to 6' mono. I like the coated line because it will not snag on the ice around your hole and is easy to fight your fish with the hand over hand method.

[woodman]

Fly Line hands down. The two kids, wife and I just got home from 3 days on the lake, and they all caught fish on the rattle reels. The kids would let the bobber go down to the bottom of the ice then pull. They got the hang of it right away and NO CUT HANDS! We have had fly line on for 12 years now, and have caught walleye, perch, northern, pout, crappies, and white fish.

[mskyfshntchr]

Here is the ONLY way to run your rattle reels!!

Put about 10-20' of black tip up line on the rattle reel. Tie a clothespin to the end of the line.

Hang the line down about a foot.

Put your rod in a rod holder on the floor near the hole. Run the line up to the rattle reel line. Attach the line from your fishing rod into the clothespin. Open your bail. When the rattle reel goes off, get up, unhook the line by opening the clothespin, close your bail, reel up slack and set the hook!

Now you can fight that big fish in the middle of the night with your normal rod and reel!!!

ONLY way to do it, in my opinion!!