best ways to detect light bites

[fishboy2]

after my recent trip to the lake. i realized that mabye i am not that good at detecting light bites, and i wondered what your ideas were about the best ways to detect a light bite were. thanks for the info in advace guys,
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[BearLakeMack]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Get a wire strike detector. You'll see most of your bites that would otherwise go un-noticed. Even with a strike detector, a real light bite is still hard to see and just as hard to react to. I suggest holding your rod and paying close attention. Just like a cat at a mouse hole because by putting it down on a bucket or rod holder you just might miss those one hit wonders. [/size][/font]
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[Hellsangler69]

Holding that rod or even the line can make a big difference . I seen it where some of my fishing buds say they are not getting any bites and I have grab there line and held it to feel the bites and hooked fish on them . Bobbers rigged with a bobber stops can be real senitive on the line in the ice hole so you watch it for any movement and set . With the spring bobber you want it to bend just enough that it can show you the up lift of some bites . The deeper the water the more you want your line to be straight with no coils because you might see the hit to late for them light biters . I like to use bait casting reels for less memory in the line and I think it helps a lot . I even try to straight out my line as I drop it to get rid of coils in the line .Best of luck to you
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[gshadow]

a wire strike indicator is one of the best ways, but if you shake like I do I have to set my pole down or it never stops moving. I have wire indicators on all my ice poles, I also have used hot glue to attach them to the pole so they stay right where I want them to. with hot glue you can heat it up and remove them if they need to be replaced.
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[hashbaz]

has anyone tried a pair of goggles and a snorkle?. If you're in shallow water, use the smallest bobber that will float, and just pull up the line by hand. The small, small bobber will be very sensitive (until the surface water freezes). This is a lot easier without a tent. I also like the wire strike indicators but I also have to set mine down on a bucket or something. Good luck.
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[Kent]

[size 1]"This is a lot easier without a tent." Huh? [/size]
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[fishluvr]

Obviously there is no sure fire way to detect all the bites but I have to second all the other posts that have been written so far. I started using a wire indicator this year and it has made all the difference in the world. I also just hot glued my wire to the tip of my pole to hold it where I want it and it has been a lot nicer the past two trips. I just learned the spring bobber trick where you put a loop through one of the clips and then it pops off when you set the hook. I haven't tried it yet and can't wait to give it a go.

I wrote a post once about lying on the ice and watching down the hole. I have watched at least a dozen fish suck in and spit out my bait so softly that it wouldn't have registered on any indicator, even the ones that will rise up when the bait is picked up. So far I have caught two of these fish by grabbing the line and setting the hook. If I hadn't been watching in the water I never would have caught those fish. Of course there is the down side that lying on the ice is cold even with some plastic below you but it is cool to see how the fish react to your jigs.

Practice, practice, practice. In some things that is a bad word but in fishing I call it an excuse. I just claim I have to practice and it helps to get me more fishing time. The more practice you get in watching your line the better you get at reading it and knowing what is happening below the water by knowing what your line is doing above the water.
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[HFT]

2 or 4 lb line, watch the dimple were the line meets the water far more sensative than any thing you can buy.
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