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some of you may know this will be my first year ice fishing but have been fishing open water for 30+ years....what is a good line for ice fishing? I will be fishing for panfish...
Fill the bottom half of your ice reel spool with the lightest MONOFILIMENT line from your open water reel. Then add 2/4 lb Fluorocarbon line (pick a brand, what I like is "subjective"! HA!) to that "backing" line.Best knot to tie? Make a loop in the backing line, consider it the same as a "jig/hook eye" and tie your most comfortable knot. Slide the new knot down (but not FIRM) and then tie the new line to the "eye" that line is passing through- the same way. WET the lines/knots before tightening. "Wet" is IMPORTANT! Some lines (mono/braid) absorb water, some (fluoro) do NOT. That fluoro needs wet because it may get "hot" when cinching, making it "fragile".This "suggestion" is because you said you are "new" to ice fishing, and because you will soon be HOOKED on ice fishing and need to save some $$$$ NOW for all the stuff you will thimk you need "down the line'! HA!
As you have found from your active open water experiences, there are lines available for many different applications.I used your "first year" ice fisher, and one "fishing for panfish" comments as a reference to my recommendations- for the BEST success opportunity for a "newby"!Fluorocarbon Line is as "invisible" as you can get. It doesn't absorb water, meaning less build up of "ice crystals" above and below the waterline like a braid or mono are known for. Most new icers are sitting on a bucket "in the open" where iced lines can be a royal pain! Even in my Otter, mono can pull a deposit to my top guide! VERY LITTLE stretch, helping you recognize light hits with a matching rod/lure set-up.As for the "warden", I DO have a 2-man Otter Wild I'd loan you if needed, and a Buddy Heater as well. Worked good for me when I made the mistake of comparing my fishing expenses with the racks of shoes in her closet... lmao! yeah... I know not to go down that road! EVER!! lol!! I wont be sitting on a bucket in the open unless its very nice outside, I don't do the cold and that's probably most of the reason ive never ice fished. I have a buddy heater and a clam hut/shelter/flip hut?? not sure what you would call it but a few weeks ago when it was -20 windchill I took it out side with the heater and it got warm enough to sit inside with jeans and a sweatshirt... ive already got more ice gear than I know what to do with so im pretty sure im hooked already!!! gonna be in trouble soon when my vexilar shows up at the door that's replacing my HB 55 off my boat that well, lets just say it grew legs and walked away... anywho, yeah I cant wait to come home from work and get the "look" from her :-) hopefully her "look" will help the water freeze up faster lol!
Low and no stretch lines like fluoro and braid (especially) have a tendency to "spin" on the spool unlike mono which will "lock down" when the loop and knot are "stretched tight"!One could use a piece of double stick tape (been there, done that!) but mono works GREAT, is usually on hand - not to mention even on those small spools, one rarely lf ever sees the bottom third of the line on the spool.Plus, I am a tight-wad and can't imagine wasting expensive line when I can use a cheaper mono that I likely took off a reel I re-spooled! Edit to add: Most ice reels have a smaller diameter spool because, as a rule, they are spooled with much "thinner" line!