Recently an ice fishing buddy told me of an experience where his line broke on two separate occasions on the same evening while attempting to land big walleyes. While trying to determine the cause, I queried him about the last time he changed the line on the reel he was using. “Man, I don’t remember” was his response.

My guess is that his line was probably weakened by the combination of time, excess use, etc. Changing the line on a fishing reel is a little thing that, as this instance reveals, can be the difference between ice fishing success and frustration. Here is a look at some other little suggestions that can lead to big results.

The Right Line

Not only is the use of fresh fishing line important, but so is using a line with characteristics that fit the particular fishing situation, “the right tool for the job”.

When jigging in shallow water through the ice, I often use Trilene Micro Ice because it is a low stretch monofilament line that gives me good sensitivity and solid hooksets. Jigging in deeper water calls for even less line stretch. For that reason, FireLine Micro Ice gets the call because this superline has nearly no stretch allowing me to hook and land fish from deep water.

Sharp Hooks

Many of today’s fishing lures come equipped with quality hooks. Similar to fishing line, however, fishing hooks may need to be replaced over time. For that reason, it’s a good idea to check the hooks on the lures you use to make sure they are still sharp and the points aren’t bent or rolled over. If they are, sharpening or changing to a new hook is a little step that can help insure that the next bite results in a fish on the ice!

Regularly checking your hooks is a good habit and one that is especially important when you are catching lots of fish or fishing around cover as those two situations often result in dull or damaged hooks.

Fresh Bait

One of the best fishermen I know made a comment last summer that really hit home, “Just think of all the times you caught a fish just after putting a fresh minnow or leech on your line!” After hearing that, I made a mental note to try to monitor the number of bites my guide clients and I got shortly after re-baiting our lines. Simply put, the results were eye-opening!

Though that was a summertime experiment, it holds true on the ice as well. I often fish a minnow under a bobber “do-nothing” style next to the hole I am jigging in and try to keep a fresh, lively minnow on the line to increase the odds for success.

Jigging lures, on the other hand, are often tipped with a minnow head. While the bait is obviously dead, I think a fresh minnow head emits more fish-attracting scent than one that’s been on the hook for a long time. Therefore, regular changing of baits is important when jigging as well.

Because of the importance of good bait to fishing success, I rely on Frabill bait buckets during all seasons of the year because they’re available in a variety of sizes and styles and do an excellent job of insuring that I’ll have the best in bait for my fishing trips.

Getting the best out a fishing trip is an ice angler’s goal. Paying attention to some of the little things just mentioned can help anglers achieve that goal this winter. As always, good luck on the ice!