Dream season might be an understatement! Jumbo might be an understatement too! Awesome fish.

So far I am pleased with my 6061. Free spool feature is super smooth.

Only complaint I have about the reel is when my hands get wet and I go to depress the free spool button when the temps are low enough my thumb freezes to the button. Similar to the dumb and dumber tongue on a metal pole effect.

I’ll probably put some tape on it.

“If your woman can’t find you handsome…”

I modified an existing clam box, and one of the free boxes I received at the Wausau Ice Show. Simply used what I call goop, blue sticky stuff that I’ve always used on posters, to attach foam to the lids of the boxes. Hot glue would look more asthetic, but this was a cheap solution. I like the idea of adding an elastic band too.

I purchased an 8″ Nils a year ago and couldn’t be happier with it. It is a breeze drilling holes. I was also in a situation where I planned on getting a power auger at some point down the line as well. I bought a power head for it this year and once the ice gets over 10 inches I will remove the handle and replace it with a power head.

The following are a few of the advantages that I can think of while using a free spool feature on an inline ice reel.

1. It allows you to simply press a button instead of stripping off line manually. If there isn’t any ice on rod or line it should drop a jig as fast if not faster than a spinning reel. The spool spins very smoothly.
2. If your jig or spoon is heavy enough you could easily fish in 20+ feet of water. It should allow me to stay in the strike zone longer than having to strip line to get down to the deeper water fish. The multiplier will allow you to reel it up that much faster as well.
3. It also allows you to keep your drag set while fishing. When I used an inline reel without the free spool, to make stripping line easier on both my arm and the fishing line, I would loosen the drag all the way. There was a few times that I got a bite while the lure was dropping, and I wasn’t able to set my drag for a decent hook set.

Glad I was able to help at least one other person. It took me longer to write this post than to actually fix the problem. It probably takes longer to read it too.

Get an “i fish pro”, best of both worlds.

http://www.ifishpro.com/

Thanks for all the tips. I won’t be sleeping with my heater on, I was more implying that If I did get cold during the middle of the night I could always flip the Big Buddy on for a few minutes and have the shack toasty. I will probably try and squeeze a cot in there with a sleeping bag.

Most of the lakes I will be fishing will be quite a drive away so I was looking to save money and maximize my time spent fishing at the same time. Once the ice is thick enought I will be able to use my truck as a back up, but I like the idea of waking up to a rattle reel better than sleeping in my truck or in a tent.

I am sure I will know wheter or not it was a good idea after the first night on the ice. I’m only young once right? And this is only a temporaty solution until I win the lottery and buy an Ice Castle.