I have a few questions about HT’s ice rigger. I own one and just want to see if anyone else uses them and if they use them the same way. I just got two brand new frabil rods with shimano saharras for christmas i also received a new ice rigger as i only had one before. the rods are a little long for my liking 32″ but they will work perfect in combination with the reels. i have traditionally used 20# fireline with a 15# terminator titanium leader. size 6 treble hook and greys or golden shiners. it been alot of fun hooking into some nice fish and fighting them with the jig rod but it being set like the traditional tip up. however i have run into some problems the line is obviously running from above ice into the water so on cold days the flag will not always trip because the line gets frozen in the hole also i have been missing some fish on i. which does not happen often with my tip ups with 60# Dacron and 30# titanium leaders. i Have been setting the ice rigger with the spool closed on my rod so just like on the Milwaukee harbor ice episode the fish hit and the rod sets the hook. i feel like i have the right hook to bait ratio. considering i haven’t lost a fish on a tip up yet this year and only lost 2 last year with the same bait to hook ratio. I just don’t understand it when i get a fish on i get them in it just seems like i walk up on the dang thing and ten feet before I get there my rod goes limp. I’m also not a fan of waiting long to get to my lines so i feel like there may be something i’m overlooking in all of this. If anyone has had similar experience and knows any tricks to getting a better hook up ratio please inform me. I know just using a tip-up would fix my problem but I really enjoy using the things.
On a different note does anyone have any tricks on making it colder it’s Christmas in northern Michigan and i am still struggling to find much more than 2.5 inches of ice. I thought this was going to be a cold winter. im tired of walking around with the ice picks and the spud bar. its time for the four wheeler and the strikemaster
R.I.P AP’s Acl why can’t Minnesota ever get a break.
