[Walldady]

I am just asking ,,,, What pound test do you use on your ice fishing gear ,,, I need new line ,,,

Walldady

[pezdek1]

Walldady wrote:

I am just asking ,,,, What pound test do you use on your ice fishing gear ,,, I need new line ,,,

Walldady

I'm testing out the Suffix 832 ice braid one one reel right now. In 4lb test. Pretty happy with it so far. I may switch my open water panfishing rods to it as well, actually. The other rods have 4lb PLine Floroclear on them. I don't have any ice fishing rods setup specifically for pike, bass, or walleye, so nothing higher than 4lb.

I've gotten into a few bass on them with the 4lb and they handle it fine so long as I don't have the drag too tight. Haven't taken longer than about 15-20 seconds to bring a bass up through my hole on 4lb, and I've caught a couple in the 14-15 inch range this season. Haven't gotten any bigger than that, though. If you expect to get some 3-4lb bass through the ice wherever you're fishing, may want to up the test to 6lb.

[SMOLERCRAFT-14]

I have Trilene 4 lb cold weather for heavier jigs. I use P-Line Floroice 2 lb for panfish, rig at home,and have spare rods-tough to do on the water,this year has been a very light bite,smaller jigs with plastics working the best.Good spring bobber a must.FYI -Bass Pro in Bolingbrook has a very limited supply of line. You may be better off at Henry's.Haven't tried braid-any opinions ?

[pezdek1]

SMOLERCRAFT-14 wrote:

I have Trilene 4 lb cold weather for heavier jigs. I use P-Line Floroice 2 lb for panfish, rig at home,and have spare rods-tough to do on the water,this year has been a very light bite,smaller jigs with plastics working the best.Good spring bobber a must.FYI -Bass Pro in Bolingbrook has a very limited supply of line. You may be better off at Henry's.Haven't tried braid-any opinions ?

Yeah, I am testing the Suffix 832 ice braid in 4lb test right now on a rod. I like it a lot so far. Only issue I had was some ice in the guides causing a really nasty fray at one point, so I had to trim off about 10 feet of line.

[wsj_outdoorsman]

Most all of mine are 2# except maybe one jigging rod for spoons. I can't tell any difference in performance between the ice line and soft water line since I started my testing of them a few years ago. Run some old fashion stren clear blue which allows me to see the line to retie and has work just fine on the ice or soft water. I am kinda done spending the extra for ice line.

[Crappie Professor]

Got away from the 1 and 2 pound line...not because of performance but the lack of eyesight ...been running P-line in 3 and 4 pound test...works great for me(Bluegill 3 and Crappie 4)...green moss I believe....received a combo from a friend that was from my Buddy "Coach"...Mark picked it up at the estate sale..(thank you very much Mark...means more than you know.!!)...it had a "new to me line"...1 pound diameter with 4+ lbs test..think it was nano-fill..??.works great ....but rigging on the ice was hard to do...use braid when rigging with jigging raps or spoons...6lbs diameter with 10-12 breaking strength...don't remember the brand....buddy gave it to me to try...I'll ask him next time he's back in town... he used it for walleye on Erie..great stuff...

[SMOLERCRAFT-14]

Problem I have is joining filler line to smaller ice line-for me mission impossible. I gave up on it.Pushing 70-fingers don't work that good any more. I just put about 20 yards of ice line on the reel.Reel manufactures must be in cahoots with line company's. No need for all that line reel capacity for ice fishing or open water.

[Crappie Professor]

Hey Smolercraft....,some guys get the spare spool and rotate top to bottom or spool to spool and get twice the use out of line.... might save some pennies for Mel...I know he is very frugal....

[Da-Roc]

Hi Gang!
Been lurking in the shadows just looking at the posts. I used braid nanofil hate the stuff. In very cold 20 or less it freezes up on the spool on the guides and wont unstick easily. The braid is porus and retains water as its used. I use 2 pound stren gold or redcajun 2 pound ice line it has good stretch has no water retain properties. which means it sheds water coming across the first guide. On the 6' leader end I use p-line fluorocarbon 2 pound and its easy for me to tie cause I wear black bibs. that's the only color you can see it against. I also carry a flat black 12" x 12" piece of cardboard to tie lures on it makes it a bit easier cause those hooks stick to everything except hard cardboard. Bigger fish than 24" crappie I use my walleye rig. I have regular bass open face reels rigged up with 6 pound test the same way I have the 2 pound test above. To give you and example any Luc pulled a giant 40 plus incher out of redstone with 2 pound test and a light drag setting it took awhile and the stars aligned just right be he got her thru the hole. ask him about that day. I also us the widest open face reel I can to prevent line twist. Ask Crappie professwor how to rig a Michigan dropper fly I aint that good at it but its a killer presentation for wild red ear. Just my 2 cents worth good luck and tight lines. If you guys ever want a shot at 18 to 24" crappie I can show you a spot but you may never want to go home again. You might even want to move to Indiana lol.
Tight lines
Da-Roc
No guarantees

[i8fish2]

Normally Sufiix Ice mono 2-4 lb Blaze orange and clear.
Suffix Ice braid 2 lb and 10 lb. (tip ups for the #10)

New this year and absolutly love it ASSO 100% fluorocarbon 1lb, 2 lb. and on tip ups 10lbs and 30lb. Best line Ive ever used. hard to see but awesome.

[retired trucker]

I've used the cortland hi-vis green 4lb for years and the color doesn't really show even in clear water, and is easy to see for making knots.

[Howard Sprague]

SMOLERCRAFT-14 wrote:

.....FYI -Bass Pro in Bolingbrook has a very limited supply of line. You may be better off at Henry's.Haven't tried braid-any opinions ?

Thanks for the heads-up! Would have gone out there, assuming they'd have ample inventory. Looked online and sure enough, almost anything I checked was "out of stock" for Bolingbrook. (Some 2# stuff,, but looking heavier for 'eyes, lakers) Hate to go to Dick's, but every once in awhile I guess you have to,... or just use some regular non-ice line I already have.

Thanks!

[pezdek1]

Howard Sprague wrote:

SMOLERCRAFT-14 wrote:

.....FYI -Bass Pro in Bolingbrook has a very limited supply of line. You may be better off at Henry's.Haven't tried braid-any opinions ?

Thanks for the heads-up! Would have gone out there, assuming they'd have ample inventory. Looked online and sure enough, almost anything I checked was "out of stock" for Bolingbrook. (Some 2# stuff,, but looking heavier for 'eyes, lakers) Hate to go to Dick's, but every once in awhile I guess you have to,... or just use some regular non-ice line I already have.

Thanks!

Pretty sure he's speaking strictly in terms of "ice line" in the ice-fishing section, btw. They have their standard selection of all other lines last I was there about a week ago. Most my rods I have 4lb PLine Floroclear, as opposed to any kind of ice line. I can buy 1 spool for $10 and spool almost all my ice rods, as opposed to spending $5-10 on a 50 yard spool of ice line and getting one rod out of it.

I only have the Suffix 832 ice braid on one rod, and haven't been super impressed with it as of yet, though I haven't used that rod a ton, either. It frays with any bit of ice on the guides, as mentioned in my previous posts in the thread.

[gaff]

Suffix 3-4 lbs. test in Hi vis orange,2-4 ft. fluorocarbon or clear line.Tie on a small Fast Snap (Henry's has a good price on them).
https://www.mcmaster.com/5486a5
Attached link is a palm grip Plier made by GC TOOL,Part# 12-216.
With the Fast Snap and these Pliers,only takes seconds to put on a new jig.Pliers are a little pricey,but worth it.Great for removing hooks as well.
Tying lines-Harbor Frieght sells a visor(opti visor,magna visor).5x-7x power,5-15$.Work great for tying line and other detail work.
I like the Hi Vis orange,very easy to see and read for bites in all light conditions-