Ice Fishing line combo

I was wondering wht the best line combo to use for ice fishing for walleyes?

6-8 pound suffix 832 main line to small swivel with a 18″ 4 pound fluro leader.

Where are you fishing and mostly inside or out of shelter?

Don’t see the need for a no stretch high sensitively line in ice applications unless fishing deep or primarily bigger fish(Erie, Lakers, etc). Typically smaller hooks are used which IMO the more play is needed with your line since the rods are so short to absorb fights. You literally have the amount of line out as deep you’re fishing, so hooksets and the stretch of softer lines shouldn’t be an issue.

I had really good luck on 4# sufix flouro on heavily fished metro lakes last year. Probably lost my biggest fish on a hookset on mille lacs last year when the bobber went down and I set to hard to nail the 1/4oz fireball jig into er and snapped the line. Bobber rod now gets 6#, and can’t think of a single fish that came unbuttoned all year with the 4#. 2 cents

Been using 6lbs test Berkeley since that’s what I’ve always had and most that I know have had. Only line break I remember was crazy ex uncle setting the hook on his rattle reel like he was deep sea fishing. He had a knack for spassing and line snapping

4lb for when I am targeting smaller eyes 13-17 fish.
I will go to 6lb when fishing bigger eyes.

I just don’t see a reason to go much higher for my fishing needs.

tucrs wrote:

4lb for when I am targeting smaller eyes 13-17 fish.
I will go to 6lb when fishing bigger eyes.

I just don’t see a reason to go much higher for my fishing needs.

Well…I guess that’s good advice John, I think? Or, I don’t know. When I’m ice fishing for walleyes I never know what size is going to bite. I’ll usually play around with the size of the spoon or jig weight depending on the mood of the fish, aggressive or negative if they are, but I wonder how you would target walleyes by size? Anyway, I have most all spooled with 6lb test.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

I wonder how you would target walleyes by size? Anyway,

You can target fish by size by the body of water you’re on. Some lakes have very strong year classes so you “pretty much” know what you’re going to catch. That’s “pretty much” so there is almost always a chance of a lunker.

That said I just can’t bring myself to use 4lb line in the winter. Getting a mid 20″‘s or bigger fish turned up a hole on 4lb can be tough. I use 6lb line on my spinning reels and 8lb on my set lines.

Tom Kolinski wrote:

I was wondering wht the best line combo to use for ice fishing for walleyes?

I use Suffix 100% fluorocarbon 6 lb for 95% of my walleye fishing. I will also keep a rod rigged up with Suffix 832 and fluoro leader that I will use in deeper water when if I’ve had trouble losing fish. The low stretch of the 832 helps for hook sets especially on days where they are just nipping at the bait.

Thanks for your recommendation. I enjoy watching the episode’s that your in.

Tom Kolinski wrote:

Thanks for your recommendation. I enjoy watching the episode’s that your in.

Thanks! I don’t want to jinx myself but with my boys getting a little older and becoming slightly less of a handful I’m sure hoping to be able to make it out at least a couple times this season

I copied Will and use 832 braid and a fluoro leader. Been happy ever since.

I have outside rods rigged from 4#-8# floroice p line, 4 and 5 are on perch/ walleye rods, 6 is for medium walleye rods, 7 and 8 for the medium heavy for the larger baits/ fish, indoor rods are all 10# 832 ice floro leader depends on target, normally 8# for walleye, unless fishing smaller lure. I will fish indoor rods outside and vise versa, but when it gets cold, you don’t want braid outside.

A lot of lakes seems to have the year class kind of set.

More of a finesse presentation I should say. Couple of lakes I fish we call cookie cutter lakes, stocked walleye lakes. Each fish is literally the same 15″ fish. I go with 4lb then. I just have better luck down sizing on those bodies of water.

Andy I totally agree with you I don’t target by size.

Walleyestudent Andy Cox wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>tucrs wrote:</div>
4lb for when I am targeting smaller eyes 13-17 fish.
I will go to 6lb when fishing bigger eyes.

I just don’t see a reason to go much higher for my fishing needs.

Well…I guess that’s good advice John, I think? Or, I don’t know. When I’m <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>ice fishing for walleyes I never know what size is going to bite. I’ll usually play around with the size of the spoon or jig weight depending on the mood of the fish, aggressive or negative if they are, but I wonder how you would target <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleyes by size? Anyway, I have most all spooled with 6lb test.