Swivels

[whitefish]

Hey guys,

Does eveyone use swivels with jigs or do you just tie right on to the jig?  I was watching a video on You Tube talking about line twist and how it can spin a jig while ice fishing.

What size swivel do people usually use?

Thank

[hoghammer]

When jigging I never use a swivel but I will use one on a Rap or buck shot jigging spoon.

[whitefish]

When jigging I never use a swivel but I will use one on a Rap or buck shot jigging spoon.

Yeh, I've always used swivels with spoons or a buck shot, but never with a jig.  Likely makes a bigger difference in deeper water when alot of line is let out.

[hoghammer]

I forgot to say I will go with the smallest swivel I can get away with.

[icejunky]

I cant remember the size i use, the smallest I found local was #14, but you can order #20 from cabelas. I always use black, dont want it to flash at all and distract the fish from your bait. this is my second season using them, and i love them (barrel swivel not snap)

some fish will still peck awat at it, and you will see it on your flasher (depending on where your gain is set)

[whitefish]

Thanks guys - any advantage to rolling versus barrel?

[hoghammer]

I agree with the black. Black barrel is all I have in my tackle box.

[Dr.Funk]

Never toss a line in the water without a swivel.

[topcat3820]

Ball bearing SPRO or equivalent swivel at least 18" up joining the braid to the fluorocarbon... then a tiny ball-bearing cross-lock snap to the lure  .

[firefighter]

Smallest black snap swivel I can find. Some lures I simply prefer to tie directly if lure equiped with a ring.

FF

[topcat3820]

Smallest black snap swivel I can find. Some lures I simply prefer to tie directly if lure equiped with a ring.

FF

This minimizes or eliminates twist how, exactly... or you just don't think it matters 

[biggamefisher]

Ball bearing SPRO or equivalent swivel at least 18" up joining the braid to the fluorocarbon... then a tiny ball-bearing cross-lock snap to the lure  .

Some lures require to tie direct for proper action, or a loop knot, it's my preference to never use a snap of any type unless the lure requires it, alot of folks use a snap for ease of changing baits, I'll take the few extra seconds needed to tie direct.........I however, always use a swivel further up the line, using a uni-knot with a flourocarbon leader.

[icejunky]

Just to clarify my above post, I only use barrel swivels and tie them use them to attach a leader, i always tie my lures directly onto the line. I find most baits need to sit a certain way and tying direct ensure this

[topcat3820]

Some lures require to tie direct for proper action, or a loop knot, it's my preference to never use a snap of any type unless the lure requires it

Me either, BGF... but there are plenty with rings that will tie you in knots if you don't use one  . That's also why I specified a quality ball-bearing swivel (not one of the usual "50 count for $1.00" packs). I've watched plenty of fish swim up towards a spinning lure on a camera & leave immediately at a high rate of speed to believe that it doesn't matter, though  . 

[whitefish]

Thanks guys - I`m picking up some smaller swivels tomorrow.

[Svengalli]

Black or dark bronze swivel at the end of braid attached to fluoro of varying lengths depending on lure/depth/clarity and then tied directly to the lure.  High quality swivels are preferred as the others don't swivel too well, they're more of a bind and grind.   

[big b muskie]

I also noticed that fish often check out the swivel. I now use about 1 inch of 30lb test atached to the swivel with a bare hook and a live minnow. Below i use 6 feet of floro with my jig. The bare hook and minnow often produces!

[sled-in]

I'm a braid user, so I have to tie on a leader of mono, between the two is a swivel. I do like a snap swivel at the end too, just makes changing lures faster.

[firefighter]

This minimizes or eliminates twist how, exactly... or you just don't think it matters  

I tie small jigs and perch lures directly to the line with no swivel. Never get "line twist" with small jigs and live minnow while icefishing. Jigging spoons/lures... all those "Live Target" type operations will twist badly, and IMO a swivel somewhere along the system is nessisary.

FF

[whitefish]

I tie small jigs and perch lures directly to the line with no swivel. Never get "line twist" with small jigs and live minnow while icefishing. Jigging spoons/lures... all those "Live Target" type operations will twist badly, and IMO a swivel somewhere along the system is nessisary.

The video I saw talked about twist in the line created by the spool, not necessarily by the action of the lure.  A jig would propellar one way and then back until the twist in the line is relieved.  I would expect that the deeper you go, the more line is let out and the greater the chance of line twist as a problem.  That said, once the twist is relieved, its gone until you wind up the line again.

Action lures like spoons and raps are imparting twist all the time.

As a side note, I've been tieing my fireline micro ice right to the lures.  I think I'm going to opt for tying a fluro leader now instead.

[hoghammer]

I have 2 rods with the fireline ice on them and tried tying direct to the jig and found that I cant set the hook like I would with mono. It seems like I was ripping the jig out of the mouths all the time then I tried just lifting the rod in a slower motion not the big hookset and it works great. Only problem I found with the fireline is it seems to pull off the spool kind of funny. I have 8 lb fireline and think I might try around a 10 or 12 lb. I think the 8lb is to thin.   

[whitefish]

I have 2 rods with the fireline ice on them and tried tying direct to the jig and found that I cant set the hook like I would with mono. It seems like I was ripping the jig out of the mouths all the time then I tried just lifting the rod in a slower motion not the big hookset and it works great. Only problem I found with the fireline is it seems to pull off the spool kind of funny. I have 8 lb fireline and think I might try around a 10 or 12 lb. I think the 8lb is to thin.   

Yeh, I sort of noticed the same thing.  I love it when trolling or casting long in the summer though.  Much better sensitivity.

Picked up two packages of Mustad #16 Rolling swivels - smallest rolling swivels I could find.  Wholesale did have #20 Barrel swivels as well.

[firefighter]

I also noticed that fish often check out the swivel. I now use about 1 inch of 30lb test atached to the swivel with a bare hook and a live minnow. Below i use 6 feet of floro with my jig. The bare hook and minnow often produces!

Kind of like drop shotting. Might be a good idea but 6 feet of line after the swivel would put your live well up into the water collumn would it not? Maybe I misunderstood your explanation though

FF

[big b muskie]

4-6 feet alows you to fish different depths. At chalet if I walk out iy is usually shallow so I may only have two feet between swivel and jig. At Balsam I may go as much as 6 feet if I am in 18 feet of water. And yes much like drop shotting.

[GrandrapidsGizmo]

4-6 feet alows you to fish different depths. At chalet if I walk out iy is usually shallow so I may only have two feet between swivel and jig. At Balsam I may go as much as 6 feet if I am in 18 feet of water. And yes much like drop shotting.

Would the swivel and hook 6 feet from the jig not interfere with reeling a fish close to the top of the hole, especially if you are sitting down? I use Power Pro Ice exclusively, with a small ball bearing swivel and a flouro leader not longer than the rod I am using so that if a big fish turns and makes another run at the top of the hole I dont have a swivel hanging up on my top guide.

I agree with TC, quality ball bearing swivels make a world of difference. Barrel and rolling swivels, made by inserting 2 wires into a barrel, can kink fighting a big fish and then will no longer "swivel" making it a useless piece of junk on your line. Very rarely will a good Sampo or Spro ball bearing fail.

Someone mentioned having issues with Fireline coming off the spool badly. To fix this put enough mono on the spool to cover the spool, then nail knot your fireline to the mono then fill up the spool with the fireline.You will see a huge difference in how the line comes off the reel.

[big b muskie]

At that point if the  higher up I stop reeling and pull up by hand the old fashioned way. Give it a try you may be surprized!

[big b muskie]

At that point if the  higher up I stop reeling and pull up by hand the old fashioned way. Give it a try you may be surprized!

(should have said) If the swivel and jig is higher up say 4 feet or more simply reel up to that point and then pull up by hand.

[GrandrapidsGizmo]

(should have said) If the swivel and jig is higher up say 4 feet or more simply reel up to that point and then pull up by hand.

Sorry, but if a big rainbow or northern makes a power dive while I am hand bombing I will incur blood loss at the very least! Power pro cuts like a knife, we even use it for cutting cheese at our house.Also, the chance of hooks pulling out when hand bombing goes up dramatically as the surging fish has no "give" that the rod provides.

[whitefish]

Very rarely will a good Sampo or Spro ball bearing fail.

Good to know - where do you pick these up?

[sled-in]

(should have said) If the swivel and jig is higher up say 4 feet or more simply reel up to that point and then pull up by hand.

I don't see the advantage of using a 6' leader over a 18" leader, why would you want to hand bomb?

I also would assume your only fishing for walleye?