ice reel

best ice reel for Jm meat stick rod? if fishing for perch

There are quite a few threads on this subject and you will get a lot of different replies.

My preference is a reel that works out of the box and I don’t have to remove grease and add grease and do these things every year just to have a reel that works the way it should. With that said IMO that eliminates the Pfluegers and Shimanos. I’ve used many of each and all have failed me.

My vote is a Tica 500. They work in extreme cold. They reel smooth and have smooth drag in any condition. I’ve never added grease or done anything to them since they were new years ago.

I’ve heard good things about the Okuma reels too, but I have no experience with them.

“Ice” reels marketed towards ice fishing are mostly garbage. Pretty much any size 500/1000 reel from a reputable brand (pflueger, Shimano, Okuma, Tica etc.) should work just fine for what you want.

As for relubing your reels, well, it’s not that hard of a process (it’s actually very simple) and you get the satisfaction of learning how to service your own reels. If you can service your own reels, then all you really need is a reel that’s structurally sound. Which is a majority of them now a days. If you fish inside (especially with a heater) relubing may not even be needed.

Having said that, I use Abu Garcia SX 5’s/10’s, Shimano Sienna 500 and Sedona 1000, a Tica Libra 3000 (which still needs a lube job for freezing temps), and a newly acquired Okuma Avenger abf 30 (hasn’t seen winter yet). I service all of them each season. HotSauce oil in the winter and HotSauce grease in the summer. With the oil, I can crank the handle just by using centrifugal force in temps down to at least -14f. A good way to test your reels for ice fishing temps is to put them in your freezer for 30-60 minutes. That will tell you if they need serviced or not.

Every reel I bought failed the freezer test out of the box.And passed once they got the Hot Sauce treatment.

Joe Scegura wrote:

My vote is a Tica 500. They work in extreme cold. They reel smooth and have smooth drag in any condition. I’ve never added grease or done anything to them since they were new years ago.

I’ve got a couple and I agree 100%. However, I quickly realized that the location of the backreel switch doesn’t work for the way I like to hold the rod. Switched to Presidents and Trions and haven’t looked back after hot saucing.

Pflueger Trion 20 has been a great reel at a great price for me.

I personally run shimano sienna 500s on my panfish rods. I bought a okuma ceymar to add to the mix this year.( haven’t cold tested it, but sure itll be great)
And I run shimano Saharas on my walleye rods

Much cheaper than the Ceymar and every bit the reel….slightly different handle
https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/okuma-stratus-v-spinning-reel-15okuustrtsv10spnree/15okuustrtsv10spnree

Last week they had free shipping on $25 or more

Bearcat89 wrote:

I personally run shimano sienna 500s on my panfish rods. I bought a okuma ceymar to add to the mix this year.( haven’t cold tested it, but sure itll be great)
And I run shimano Saharas on my walleye rods

I bought the Ceymar C-10 last year and it works great even when it’s “overmatched” with a bigger fish (Walleye, Pike etc) No problems with it in the cold either, would recommend 10/10. Am also looking at purchasing the Inspira ISX-20R for some Lakers

I use to use crazy expensive reels like the Steela 1000S and 1500S, Twin Power 2000S and 2500S. Smooth as silk in the extreme cold and the one-way roller bearing held its ground and worked in -25F and below for me.
But in the last 3 winters ago, I went to the 13 Fishing Black Betty 6061. I have to admit that I had to pimp out the drag washers with some High Quality Home Depot Stainless Steel washers. But these reels had worked probelm free for me till this year and that 4 years going already with the reels being kicked around on the ice and falling out on the rod holder from the sled going over some bumpy snow drifts on the frozen lakes.
I would highly recomment the Black Betty 6061 to anyone out there, but its alitle pricy at about $79-$90.

Tight Lines to ALL!!!!

one 3 descent. great reels

Much cheaper than the Ceymar and every bit the reel….slightly different handle

Purchase one of these to try it out. Seems reel nice. Where does one purchase hot sauce reel lube? Cabela’s is sold out and can’t find it online?

John Timm wrote:

Where does one purchase hot sauce reel lube? Cabela’s is sold out and can’t find it online?

Apparently their plant burned down so it has not been available anywhere except maybe random forgotten locations.

Shimano Sienna and Pflueger Trions have done me well. And it gets darn cold up here in Canada.