tight line-ing

[mich-fish]

i have been reading alot about tight line-ing. anybody know of or use this technique?Looking to try it soon as i get enough ice.Any respose welcome and appreciated.May you all have a great hardwater season

[grumpymoe]

 mich-fish  tightling is basically line watching and with the introduction some years ago with colored line, it made it much easier. see page 9 of todays general chit chat for a post on tightlining. when the bite is supersoft, this method will generally put more fish in your cooler. i personally use it all the time in the shanty with my rod placed in a holder when i'm not jigging. alot of the time, you will only see your line moving in the hole or movement where the line enters the water. it can sure give your eyes a workout sometimes, especially if you do it all day. good luck on the hardwater  grump  

[mich-fish]

thanks grump,
   I do have a couple questions if you don't mind.Do you want a slightly heavier jig to keep the line straight?Or do you want a lighter jig for a little slack?Are you watching the line between the pole and ice or line under the water?Probably no chance you are from s.w. Michigan are you?I know there are some guys just east of me that do this all the time,maybe i'll find them on the ice some day.Thanks for all the help.

[grumpymoe]

mich-fish  no, i'm from manitoba.  i've picked up some things this year that are working extremely well. i have a favorite cheap 24" ultralite compaq rod made in taiwan. its soooo soft that you really have to watch the difference between live minnow action and an actual hit. i watch the line from the tip to the water. take a close look where the line enters the water and you can see how it lifts upward around it. i watch for line movement in the hole (many times the rod tip does not move) and the dimple on the water surface. it can become pretty tedious at times but it sure puts fish on ice or if you want, catch and release. my favorite setup is #2 eagleclaw hooks packaged ready to go, and i add 1 tiny split shot just below a black snap swivel . ohh and 6lb test original stren (my alltime favorite)  hope your next day out is full of  

[Fat Boy]

I know this topic has been worked over pretty good, but I thought that I'd add to it...and also discuss tandem rigs in general.


I've been fishing tandem rigs for years, especially with micro sized baits.  Tightlining is a variation of this where you basically use the line as a bobber (high vis line with fluorocarbon leaders).  When not "tightlining" size 16 marmooskas work well on the upper jig when the fish are more aggressive.  Otherwise, I've done well with bead head nymphs.  Also, a tiny wire hook with a single maggot works well too on that upper one.  Usually my bottom jig is a fish heavy ice jig like a fat boy, Marmooska, or a Genz Worm, but spoons work well too.  Also, 3 tiny jigs worked in tandem work well to load the rod tip.  It's cool when the fish turn on because you can catch 2 at a time or more!

I haven't tried the looselining approach...seems interesting...may try it when all else fails and I know fish are down there.

[grumpymoe]

fatboy er 20lbs to go.  i've watched a pro from kenora ontario when we've been on some summer trips who slacklines or looselines all the time. it works very well, but leaves alot of fish out there that work your bait off; whereas tightlining will nail them. the only fish i looseline on is lake trout. (beer can fishing---another subject)  grump

[Fat Boy]

Thanks Grump!  Tightlining works pretty well for me putting fish on the ice when others are socializing on the ice so I'll just work on what I know for now.  I'm always thinking of trying to get better and reduce my own down time.

[mich-fish]

thanks alot gents, sounds like i just need to get out there and do, do, do.One of those things that just takes time and effort to get good at. Yes fatboy i also use a tandem jig set up and i LOVE the marmooshka jigs,bought a bunch a few years back then didn't see them around for awhile.Then last year i found them again.Yeah you pull up a double and people take notice . As far as tightlining goes i'll probably set up a couple rigs for now just to get some practice.Sounds like a super technique, hope my eyes are up for it.Thanks again to you and grump for all the info.Good luck this season.

[FishDaddy09]

Mich- Fish: If you want to see some expert tight-lining this week-end drive over to Wamplers Lake. It's east of Mich Iter Speedway off U.S. 12. There is a Ice Team Trap Attack there this sunday. Some of the best tight-liners in the country will be there.

[Fat Boy]

Mich-fish, one more thing that I also think is important that flaggggg brought up on a similar thread is to prepare your rig in advance.  It's a lot easier to rig at home than on the ice.  Blood knots are a pain at home but much worse in the cold and a nightmare in the wind - especially with my eyesight these days, and you'll save fishing time, too.  Flaggggg also said that he keeps spare leader/rigs in a ziploc (I think) handy.  I haven't done that but it's a good idea and will make some up tonight.  I'm thinking that also a walleye lindy rig storage system kind of thing might work too...  Gonna fine tune that for me.  In the past, I've always had one or 2 rods rigged up.

[walleyeseeker]

There's a great article in the In-Fisherman 2004 Ice Fishing guide on page 80. Check it out. Good luck!!