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So I'm going to be hitting the Gorge quite a bit more this ice season and am looking to get a good braided line for some deep lakers. I was up there last year and ended up missing a lot of fish with the stretch on my mono so I figured its time to try out some braid. I've never used a braid for Ice and know that there can be problems with the line freezing so any advice on a good line from you guys and gals is appreciated. Just to clarify I'll be fishing in very deep water right at the bottom with a 5ft mono leader to help absorb a little shock.
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This always just cracks me up. "Missing fish because of stretch." How the hell did we ever catch anything in the 70's, or 80's, or 90's??? Must have been all luck. PLEASE.
Line doesn't stretch until there's a force on each end. By the time there's a force on the hook end, the fish is already hooked. I catch macks from water deeper than most anyone ever even considers fishing at the Gorge, with 12 pound mono. Not braid. Not fluorocarbon. Not steel. Just plain old mono. Doesn't freeze or hold water near as bad as braid either.
This whole line stretch BS that's put out there by the line companies and Big Bubba Basser is one of the biggest scams int he tackle industry. There's reason to use braided line, but preventing stretch isn't one of them. I want my line to stretch, stretch like mad, because that means there's something on the other end of it!!!
Again, you can't just hang a lure down, say, 100 feet, and stretch the line without the hook already in something.
As I always say on my boat. Let me pull out 200 feet of "stretchy" mono line, stick a hook in front of your toe, or head, and let me jerk on it about 3 or 4 inches. You'll jump and scream like a baby. That hook is going in there. Every time. Right now. The line won't stretch until the hook goes in.
Use mono. That's whats on every reel I own from now until late April.
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Jim's right. Braid in the cold winter temps is tuff to keep from freezing up. Unless your in a shelter with heat inside, it's pretty much gonna freeze up. I've heard of guys spraying Pam cooking spray on their reels to help prevent this.
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Sharp hooks. Short, fast (not hard) hook sets. Maintain smooth control after the set, not jerky. One hook set. One. Let the rod do the work afterward. Avoid stiff (fast) rods. Smooth and tight. Hook stays in.
If your fish are "wiggling free" after a few seconds, you're probably tearing the hook out of the mouth. Trout have soft tissue where the hook normally ends up. Stay smooth and easy. Braid only increases hooks tearing out, so stay with mono.
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One thing that has helped me increase my catch rate is to use a syckel hook especially with lead headed jigs. The shape and sharpness just don't let go.. I get them from t.j.crenshaw on eBay..try one and your hooked, brad or mono.
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I get my lead heads from Tommy too! He pours mine with Owners.
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Do you know what his seller ID is? There are lots of sickle hooks on ebay.
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tjcrenshaw Just like I typed it. No periods.
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