Ice reels

[Roghet]

When I first started ice fishing years ago, I bought several reels (South Bend - Klondike) for about $7 bucks. And I've been surprised how long they've lasted and how well they've served me.

But "$7" reel these days is plastic, and the drag is horrible... So, I have purchased others that cost considerably more and have been totally disappointed also. I'm on a tight family budget and have to be practical in what I spend, and I have to believe that there are decent reels out there that are not expensive.

Any very experienced ice anglers got anything they just love and recommend?

Thanks

Thanks!
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[Roghet]

For example, there are some HT reels (Optimax) that are inexpensive, and also some models by Denali. Both are easy to find on ebay.

Has anyone used those?
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[MMDon]

I only use the small level wind type reels. I set the reel drags very lite. Your thumb is the drag. You never lose a rod or a fish!
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[davetclown]

[url "http://www.basspro.com/Shakespeare-Fuel-Ice-Fishing-Spinning-Rod-and-Reel-Combos/product/10203941/96040"][#004400]Shakespeare® Fuel Ice Fishing Spinning Rod and Reel Combos [/#004400][/url]
[#004400][/#004400] [size 4][#990000]$19.99
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this is at bass pro, I have several Shakespears and they hold up just fine.

[Roghet]

Thanks for the recommendation. I LOVE the Shakespeare combos I have also. Though I've gone to 40+ inch custom rods for ice, and I haven't as yet found any Shakespeare reels for sale by themselves yet! []

I have a hard time believing they aren't available SOME where. []
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[davetclown]

they usualy come in combo's The combo's cost less than the reel by it self.

if you are using a 40 inch rod, I expect you are fishing for bigger than pan fish?

if you are looking at ebay, try shimmono quick fire rear drag.. I pull in lots of pike with that one every winter, I use it for summer as well.
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[Roghet]

Yeah, that's a funny thing about the combos...

Yes, I like the feel of longer rods for battling trout here in the Wasatch Mountains. However, if I put on a bite detector at the tip of the pole, I find it effective for panfish. (I just don't set the hook as hard. [laugh] ) BTW: I'm not sold on any bite detectors I've seen. The ones that are just a wire with the bead at the end get all bent up easily. So, I like the flat spring steel types, but they come with a tiny hole guide at the tip that gets full of ice.

Suggestions?

OOooooo.... That Shimano IX-1000R looks worth a try. I've got a larger one just like it and I love it, but I've had to get used to the reel backing up so that trigger lines up. Do you like that? I'm still on the fence.

Thanks!
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[davetclown]

all indicators ice up in fridged weather, most of us just put our mouths over it or fingers to melt the ice.

you can try de Icer like lock, but realy its not that big a deal if you take care of it when you see the build up.

Sitting in a shanty with minimal heat will rid you of ice build up on indicators. a lot of guys get shanties just for that reason a lone. well that and they dont have to clean their holes every 5 minutes. [:p]

Most reels have a leaver that stops back winding, I had spent a week repairing reals for a local kids troup that had broken back winding spring broken. I am not a big fan of back winding, "honestly, I never use that feature, I genneraly set the drag to its lightes setting".

now the best bite indicator I have seen, is the one a guy showed me on the lake, yes it is a wire, and you can buy them at the store, but the best ones are made by hand from gutar strings. it is the highest quality of spring steel available. Make a big loop at the end and use a double wire back to the rod. I will take a photo of the one I made and post it here next week.

as for the reel I recomend, meaning if I were to go buy a new one today, here is a link... this is for the manufacture, you will have to find a store that has one on the shelf near you.

Spirex RG
[url "http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/products/reels/spinning/spirex_rg.html"]http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/products/reels/spinning/spirex_rg.html[/url]

or

Symetre RJ
[url "http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/products/reels/spinning/symetre_rj.html"]http://www.shimano.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/us/index/products/reels/spinning/symetre_rj.html[/url]


note, I put the Spirex up on top, that is because I like the Quick Fire feature for summer fishing, especialy night fishing, you know how fun spin cast reels are at night, the quick fire feature takes out some of that fun.[:p]
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[Roghet]

[quote davetclown]all indicators ice up in fridged weather, most of us just put our mouths over it or fingers to melt the ice. [/quote]

BTDT! [laugh] My custom poles have larger eyelets to prevent them from clogging.


[quote davetclown]Most reels have a leaver that stops back winding, I am not a big fan of back winding, "honestly, I never use that feature. [/quote]

I'm always open to trying something new, but "honestly", I'd agree with this preference! Thanks for the suggestions and links. []

[quote davetclown]now the best bite indicator I have seen, is the one a guy showed me on the lake, yes it is a wire, and you can buy them at the store, but the best ones are made by hand from gutar strings. it is the highest quality of spring steel available. Make a big loop at the end and use a double wire back to the rod. I will take a photo of the one I made and post it here next week. [/quote]

Please do! I understand the principle, but I need the visual. The solution I'd like to know especially is how a custom detector attaches to the pole. A big wad of grey tape isn't my preference... and given the toxicity of the glue, I wonder if it will compromise the graphite on the pole... [angelic]
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[CROSSINEYES]

dave i make my own indacators and they dont ice mutch at all. they also have very litle memory so they dont kink from fighting bigger fish. i will take some picks and pm you on how i build them...[]
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[flygoddess]

What kind of Indicators do you all use for ice fishing?
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[davetclown]

I have used the tape method, hot wax method, glue gun method and the rap and epoxy method.

the last one works best. and because I rap it on the steel and not the rod, I can cut it off any time I like and raplace it.

look at some of your tips, if they have holes in the end, when you hot wax your tip in place, that is the time to insert your wire detector, if your going flat, they have the clip on, "personaly I hate those" next week I will post here two pics of how I did mine.
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[davetclown]

Click to see larger veiws.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/16322/cat/574"][/url]
Bobber made from stainless gutar string mounted with liquid tape from auto supply store.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/16318/cat/574"][/url]
Bobber made from gutar string mounted with a hole drilled though the end of an over sized rod tip from a regular fishing pole semented with a glue gun, heat up the metal tip by holding it to the glue gun befor filling it with glue and slipping it on to the rod.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/16321/cat/574"][/url]
flat steel bobber rapped and epoxied,
it works, but I have to curl the bobber back up almost every time I catch a fish, this bobber is as old as I am, taken from one of my dads old poles and placed on another pole I reconfigured. "I used it yesterday to catch a limit of gills"

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/16319/cat/574"][/url]
Flat steel bober inserted though a hole drilled though the end of an over sized tip from a regular fishing rod. the same as the second gutar string bobber above.

[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/16320/cat/574"][/url]
Jingle Bells and orange duct tape.
that pretty much says it all.

there are the spring incert bobbers, but I realy dont care for them. "Personal Prefferance"

the flat bobbers come with a plastic clip on mount, Those mounts are realy a joke. some times a pain, and an anoance when they dont fit or break.
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[Roghet]

[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]Thanks so much for remembering! These are terrific examples; I had to enlarge the images to full size in your picture gallery to get a close enough look to get a complete appreciation of what you were describing.[/size][/#000000][/font]
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[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]The guitar string examples, affixed with the liquid tape (I didn’t even know such stuff existed) would be simple enough upgrade to what I’m using now.[/size][/#000000][/font]
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[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]I like the flat steel ones[/size][/#000000][/font][font "Arial"][#000000][size 3] because I can bend them all the way back for travel and are ready to go when I hit the ice. [/size][/#000000][/font][font "Arial"][#000000][size 3](But yeah, the clip on for them sure doesn’t work for long, and I dislike the small end holes...) Also, they hold their shape better than just a single wire. But it’s sure easier to use guitar strings and make the end hole larger so it doesn't clog![/size][/#000000][/font]
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[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]I wonder, do the fish care what key the guitar string is tuned to? If you hum a few bars, I can add to the “arsenal of fish destruction” playlist on my mp3 player .[:p]
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[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]The jingle bell version is quite interesting. [cool]
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[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]Reminds me of another suggestion that’s been used in my neck of the woods when people ask what kind of "fish finder" they use.
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[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3][inline "UTAH FISH FINDER.jpg"]
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[font "Arial"][#000000][size 3]Thanks so much![/size][/#000000][/font]
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[TubeDude]

BTW: I'm not sold on any bite detectors I've seen. The ones that are just a wire with the bead at the end get all bent up easily. So, I like the flat spring steel types, but they come with a tiny hole guide at the tip that gets full of ice.

Suggestions?

[cool][#0000ff]I too like the flat steel ones...but hate the tiny little line hole. So I cut off the end and then use a piece of my stainless wire to make a large loop and then wrap it on the end of the flat steel. See pic.[/#0000ff]
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[Roghet]

I remember seeing you post that several years ago - but I haven't seen any flat spring detectors in stores in a couple a years. So, I've remained in denial and came to tolerate other kinds... lazy me of me...

So is that epoxy the way you attached it to the pole?

I'm kinda leery about that solution, wondering if it wouldn't be as easy to remove if a new detector was needed. So the liquid tape, or hot glue mentioned above sound like interesting solutions. If you've tried those methods, I'd love to hear your experience with them.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]There are still online suppliers of those flat metal goodies. They are sold in pairs.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I would be happy to help you wrap a couple. I think I still have a couple or three...plus some rods that I have wrapped them onto the tips. With those on the rods I can fish larger jigs without running the line through the spring bobber...but I can use them when fishing smaller stuff for finicky biters.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]You can use duct tape, electrical tape or shrink tubing for a semi permanent attachment that can be easily changed or removed. Might not be purty but it works.[/#0000ff]
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[CoyoteSpinner]

Guitar strings +1, bigger eyeloop +2, liquid tape +3

I've played with both Electric, and Bass guitar strings. Some of the strings - especially the ones that are round-wound - might tend to be too flimsy.
I've taken some and just bent the nut at the end, you're left with an eyelet much like the original TD replaces.

The medium to heavy single wires seem to be about the right thickness. I add a bead just about the eye-loop - holds it together, plus a bit more visual cue. I have some REALLY out of focus shots of my first attempts, maybe I'll try to reshoot and post them later.

I really like the "[url "http://www.actiontackleproducts.com/abi.html"]Action Tackle Products[/url]" type of spring bobber, though they run about $5 a pop.
One of the things I like is the two wire system gives a bit more stability, so you get more up/down movement and less side/side - especially if there's a wind kickin!
Also they have a bendable clip system that allows you to attach and remove, or if you like - just slide it down when moving around - so you can crank down on your line w/o bending the wire.

I was thinnin on taking some aluminum cans, and trimming a similar clip, then dip it in the liquid tape to round the edges. The stuff ain't super-glue, but it's sticky enough for a job like this. Similar option would be heat-shrink tubing. You can get the liquid tape in a jar, or as a spray. Probably a choice of colors too. Maybe not glow though!

[center][inline abi-springbobber.jpg]
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[CoyoteSpinner]

As for ice reels - if you buy a bargain ice- rod/reel - FIRST thing you should do is rip off that cheap-ass line they come with and reload with decent line.

Some of my most 'economical' rods have really crappy drag systems. Getting your drag right for ice can make a big difference. I need to spend more time lubing mine -inside and out. Got some spray that's supposed to help line run smooth. And no - it's not WD-40!
Though that might help displace the water so it doesn't ice up your eye-holes too bad!!!

[Roghet]

Thanks "CoyoteSpinner," I've seen those before and known one fella that likes them also. Something just like it is easy to make also, I just haven't decided how I wanna to attach to the rod yet. [] I gotta try that liquid tape.

And as to the round wound base strings, I wondered if those grooves would put any friction on the fishing line. The bass strings I've played have got some really funky grooves! (Pun intended) [:p]

I can't speak to the prespooled line on reels, I've never used it and always rip it off first thing! [laugh] And one of the "economical" reels I've tried is sealed and can't be taken a part. Needless to say, that one doesn't get used very often!

Heck, with this warm weather - that means MOST of my reels this winter. [crazy]
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