Can't Locate 1lb. Line For My 'Gills

[frankenberry]

First time on the site and 3 hours later, I still can not pull myself away!! Amazing!! My question: I am new to blue gills and rigged my reel with 4lb. test. After reading some other threads, I would like to try 1lb. but can not locate. Any recommendations on a brand and online store?
Thanks!!   

[Chancer]

First time on the site and 3 hours later, I still can not pull myself away!! Amazing!! My question: I am new to blue gills and rigged my reel with 4lb. test. After reading some other threads, I would like to try 1lb. but can not locate. Any recommendations on a brand and online store?
Thanks!!   

Try " www.htfishing.com", they have it, its called Polar ice line, also they have 3/4 # line, but I dont use it because i cant see it very well.Good Luck

[fishingking]

I think ive seen it in Gander mountain the trilene micro ice brand  I normally use 2 lb whats the advantage with 1 lb?

[bigdave1018]

if you go any lighter then 4 lb test invest in a quality reel that has a very good drag on it or else youll hear more snap then gills on the ice. a very flexable rod that bends easy to absorb the shock will increase your catches. been there done that. a small knick on 4 lb test line has a little forgiveness but 1# and 2#,get use to retying alot.

[kerosenecounty17]

Frank,

Try 2# first.  Most often, 2 is light enough.  It sounds weird, but the difference between 1# and 2# is huge compared to the difference between 2# and 4#.  1# can be a real b!tch, so only use it when you have to.  2# is available at most places, including some of the better stocked Wallmarts.

kc17

[ICE LUNATIC]

I only use 4lb test line.I have never had any problems!

[billybono]

I only use 4lb test line.I have never had any problems!

i have noticed that gills(excpecially bigger ones) tend to get line shy and 2 pound test will make all the difference in the world

           billybono

[gasman707]

I know a guy who goes to the local fabric store and buys the nylon sewing thread for drapes. He claims it is about half pound test and way cheaper. I had used his poles several times and seemed to work better than mine with the four pound. I'd forgotten all about that till I read this post, seeing  I've just recently gotten back into ice fishing. Wish I would have remembered before I bought that $9 spool of ice line.

[Gibby]

I use 2lb. main line and clear sewing thread. About three feet of thread will give you some stretch. I change the thread every third time out. You will need a lite action rod and a good drag on the reel. Has worked great for me fishing the deep water gills.

Gibby:)

[reelbigfish]

As we have no ice I was shopping for Mormyshka jigs at Nisid.com last week.  I
bought some tiny gold,silver, and copper jigs a new pole with lite spring indicators,
and some 2#, 3#, special ice line from them.  This line is super limp and fine as baby hair.  The shipping from Wash. state was only 2$ and the products are awesome.
Can't wait to get back on the ice to check them out.






Ted

[bigredonice]

i have noticed that gills(excpecially bigger ones) tend to get line shy and 2 pound test will make all the difference in the world

On some of the lakes around here, the gills are so aggressive that you could use 8lb test and catch just as many big ones.  Other lakes though, gotta go down to 2lb test and size 16 and smaller jigs for big gills.  I have not yet seen an occasion where I needed to go less then 2lb test.

[billybono]

gets that way here at times too....ive had em so aggressive they were smashing into the aqua vu!!!! but about 7 years ago i was fishing one of my usual spots one day, fishing the hell out of it with no luck. an older gentalman asked me if he could fish the holes i was just in. i said sure and he was pulling slab gills out of each hole.    he was jigging simular to how i was and had almost he exact jig with spikes. so i watched this for about an hour, finaly swallowed my pride and asked him...what are you doing that im not? the answer...2 pound test. so thats all i ever use now. even when jigging for pike...havent lost one yet ::knocks on wood::

        billybono

[frozenstiff]

yea I have had the best luck with 2lb couldnt imagine going lower than that. but if the bite is hot then it doesnt matter. thats how it is around here.

[crappieloo]

The advantage to 1lb. or oz.rated line is hugh. Most guys fish ''easy'' fish and can use 2lb. or heavier line on dumb aggressive fish. My fishing for gills over the years has gone from being skunked and frustrated to good catches.
I use ''blue ice'' line  in 1# (which i can't find anymore) for my micro noodle set ups and 1&1/2# for a heavier noodle rod.
Reels. Very important but you don't need to spend a lot of $$ for a great reel. Shakspeare trigger spin for around $17 has a smooth silky drag. Also theres a red triggerspin( under $ 10) at Wallyworld that is silky smooth and will handle oz.rated line.

[Gibby]

Crappieloo, I see you have paid your dues too.  Micro rods and light line. And you don't have to wait for the bite. You make things work for you.  When things get really touchy I will use a #18 fly hook and ultralite split shot to get a slow drift down, looks natural and normally won't spook a hard fished fish.

Gibby

[crappieloo]

Yes Gibby. We have had many a day when we were skunked Actually 2 lb. was too heavy to entice strikes, and it doesn't have to do with visablilty either. I learned this method with help from the DEC one day when we looked at their fish take report. The lake we were fishing was not producing squat. We had caught 1 fish between the 2 of us and we knew it was a tough lake. ALL other reports on the sheet were 1 fish,0,1,1,1,0,1,0,2,0,`1,0 and 12 fish!
I asked where was the guy with 12 fish. He pointed him out and said he was finesseing them. Come to find out he had scaled down to 1lb.,micro rod amd tiny jigs.
We been doing that ever since.
crappieloo

[bigredonice]

Yes Gibby. We have had many a day when we were skunked Actually 2 lb. was too heavy to entice strikes, and it doesn't have to do with visablilty either. I learned this method with help from the DEC one day when we looked at their fish take report. The lake we were fishing was not producing squat. We had caught 1 fish between the 2 of us and we knew it was a tough lake. ALL other reports on the sheet were 1 fish,0,1,1,1,0,1,0,2,0,`1,0 and 12 fish!
I asked where was the guy with 12 fish. He pointed him out and said he was finesseing them. Come to find out he had scaled down to 1lb.,micro rod amd tiny jigs.
We been doing that ever since.
crappieloo

I am so glad the big gills around here are never that fussy!  WOW.  Do you think they are fussy from fishing pressure?

[crappieloo]

OH YA. Thats why people that brag about ''outfishing'' people really bugs me. Most the places guys fish the fishing is''easy''. I wish i had it so good.
Extreme presure. These gills have seen every type of lure,endured a lot of noise too. I quit daytime fishing about 5 or 6 years ago because its a little easier at night. Some day time gills have turned a little side ways (in day) to ''look up'' the hole.
I could bring some ''expert pros'' to certain lakes and they would be baffeled.

[gasman707]

I made the post about the sewing thread for fishing line. On my next trip to walmart I picked up a spool of EZ Quilting Invisible Thread . It cost $1.37 for 500yds & the thickness is .004".  To test the stregth I used a spring scale for refilling fire extingushers and six times it broke just after the 1# mark. I've only had it on the ice once but was getting two gills (small to medium size) to everyone elses one (this also could be the jig or jigging technique). The only issue I had with the the line was trying to see it on the ice to get it back down the hole as to it being so fine. Once you found it there was no problem getting it to go down in the water unlike the $8 2# ice line that I bought that floats on top with out a sinker above the jigs.

[crappieloo]

Thanks i'm allways looking for line. My ''1&1/2'' lb.line is fly line tippet which i think is .004 and rated at 2.2lbs. Its true break strengh is 1.5lbs. because i checked it quite a few times before using it.

[mcully]

Try fluorocarbon it sinks.

[crowkiller]

i was at gander yesterday they have 1# trilene micro ice . dont know how much ,i use flourocarbon