Winter Ice Fishing: Line Integrity
As the temperatures plummet and winter weather pounds those in the Northwoods, many anglers are still plotting to brave the cold and snow-covered lakes in search of a hole to drop a line. As ice fishing is prevalent in much of the Northern, lake-filled parts of the United States, it makes sense to touch on some of the topics that affect ice anglers. One such topic is fishing line integrity. Over the years, generational anglers pass down the knowledge of ice fishing from the elders to the youth, imparting the ways, hows, and means of catching your Friday Night Fish Fry fresh from the pond. Though they impart the knowledge and teach the setup, equipment is constantly changing, so anglers can surely expect to learn new information each season, like a feather in the cap.
For ice fishing aficionados, we can step into the trappings of shanties, tip-ups, tip-downs, ice rods, ice reels, cold weather suits, and gear. All of these things are important to anglers, but most importantly isn’t the method you use but, honestly, the line that drops your bait down into the depths. As everyone has their preference, developments in line technology might surprise even the most knowledgeable ice angler.
Line integrity is affected by many factors, but we’ll jump off with exposure to UV rays. So, when you are putting together your ice pack, make sure you are pulling from the line that has been stored in a dark or low-light setting. It’s best not to choose the line that was rolling around all summer on the deck of a boat. All of this is because UV exposure causes the breakdown on a level undetectable by the eye, with microscopic fissures and cracks becoming prevalent. This decreases the overall strength of your line and increases the chances of mortality in larger predatory fish that might tangle with your bait through the ice.
Another factor in choosing your fresh line is temperature exposure. Dramatic temperature swings greatly affect monofilament and nylon-based lines, less so fluorocarbon, but they are still affected. When you are getting your ice gear together, make sure you are pulling line from the shelf in your closet or basement. Fishing line stored in a hot garage all summer near the window will definitely not make the best choice and could peg you as a fish loser all winter long.
Extreme temperatures become even more important when choosing which line to use when the mercury plummets. Though nylon, monofilament, and fluorocarbon are most resistant to water intrusion, a braided line is the ultimate in defense when it comes to super cold temperatures. Though anglers prefer a line that can’t be seen, fluorocarbon has been known to become brittle in subzero temperatures, commonly experiencing breakage at the knot. Monofilament tends to be more stable in subzero temperatures but doesn’t always feel safe unless it’s strictly panfish biting. Honestly, the safest to use is braid for subzero temperatures, but some anglers feel that the presence of braid scares away the fish. So, this information might leave you with a bit of a conundrum.
Some guidelines might be to choose mono if you are fishing in an area that doesn’t see a healthy presence of toothy predation. Choose a fluorocarbon leader if you want to make your line a bit stronger or more indistinguishable for larger targets, like walleye, but prepare your leader in a temperature-controlled setting to reduce knot failure. And if you are fishing in subzero temperatures, where you could get a nip from a pesky pike or wayward musky, bite the bullet and set up with braid. Remember, braid does come in colors other than green that can be a bit more concealed under the water; try a light blue or even light pink. Also, when choosing mono or fluoro, choose a dedicated “ice” line, as they hold up better in low temperatures. And when using braid in super cold temperatures without a shanty, give it a little spritz of line conditioner to prevent ice formation.
Line integrity can be a major setback when it comes to ice fishing in the North. It always makes sense to store your line well or buy fresh line each season. Losing a fish to breakage is always a disappointment to all anglers, as causing delayed mortality is not on anyone's bucket list. So, as always, check your line and make sure you are keeping up with new methods and products that will help you have more success this ice fishing season.