# Are ice reels really needed?



## tye dye twins (Mar 8, 2011)

What is wrong with using a regular spin reel instead of a ice reel while ice fishing?


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Not a thing, I have used regular reels for years, I first just used cheap reels but always had issues so now the reels on my ice rods are as nice as my regular reels.
I'm spoiled now and have a hard time using a cheap reel on anything.

I used to switch reels from regular poles to ice poles but just decided to buy enough reels to leave on the poles.


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

Graphite Reels can be nice in cold, wet weather. They don't freeze up as bad and warm up with your hands.
Other than that, use what ever reels you want to use.
I like small reels loaded with 4# test mono. I add about 3' of 4# fluorocarbon and attach my jigs to that.


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## wbb (May 28, 2009)

Nothing wrong with spin reels, just don't try the spin-cast reels they ice up bad. Also test your reels in the cold first (over night in the freezer) even some good ones can become very stiff in the cold best to find out before you try landing a fish on a reel that won't turn.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

with those fish you're catching out of Lake Mary, I doubt the kind of reel you are using really matters. heck, you could probably just wind some string on a stick and call that a "reel", and still have a function piece of equipment that would be sufficient for the job.


Here's my free advice to the twins: KISS. Keep It Simple, Stupid. Fishing doesn't need to be complicated. If you're reel is turning into a frozen block of ice while using it in sub-freezing temperatures -- THEN STOP DROPPING THE **** THING IN THE WATER!!!


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

I've found my bigger "conventional" reels ice up a lot easier compared to the smaller "ice" reels, but that's it. And PBH did provide the solution for that.  

Some of the reels on the so called ice combos are pretty cheap and have inferior drags, which is a consideration if you are trying to catch bigger fish, so I've occasionally switched them out for a conventional reel when necessary.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

You don't need a reel at all. A hand line is fine.


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## wbb (May 28, 2009)

PBH said:


> THEN STOP DROPPING THE **** THING IN THE WATER!!!


Gee never thought of that solution. :roll: No offense PBH, I have dunked-frozen reels before. Reservoirs can be a little tricky when the water level is coming up after the freeze, makes for a rather cool morning sinking up to your thighs right next to the main ice. 

But that's not quite what I was talking about. I have a mid range quality Quantum spinning reel I bought a few years ago. It normally works beautifully, smooth drag, cranks smooth as butter. The first time I used it ice fishing the thing froze up, it never touched the water, the ice-n-easy handle keeps the reel out of the snow, poles and reels rode over in the cab of the pickup. After that trip I pulled it apart, cleaned the grease out of he gears and re-lubed it. Next trip it was a little better, but still unusable for ice fishing.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

I've noticed that it doesn't really matter what reel you use, they can all get pretty bad if it's cold enough.

Maybe the really expensive ones have a better system to avoid it, but I've noticed that my anti-reverse stops working sometimes and I don't notice until I'm trying to set a hook. That doesn't end well.

This has happened with a few different reels, from super cheap to mid range "better" reels. 

Maybe it's just the wind blowing tiny frozen particles into every nook and cranny. Maybe I just need to replace some old reels.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

This ice fishing "reel" never let me down and I still use it from time to time:









Simpler times:


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## Briar Patch (Feb 1, 2010)

You can tell from that picture that Goob is a SERIOUS Mushroom hunter ..... :lol:


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Ah, ha, ha, I get it. I just used the ammo box to prop up the icefishing rod.

Geeze, I still have a handful of wind-up icefishing rods somewhere in the storage shed.

Back in the day they had those snap-on bent wire thingies that you snapped on the wooden handle of an icefishing rod and then wrapped your icefishing line on it. The line was usually black dacron; the fish didn't mind. After the icefishing season was over we'd take the thing off the icefishing pole and snap it on our 3-pc cane (not bamboo, cane) fishing poles. 

great times


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