At the beginning of ice fishing season, check your fishing line. Over time, exposure to sunlight and cold temperatures and abrasions and cuts from use can damage your ice fishing line to the point that it is no longer trustworthy. Respooling your reel with new line before you hit the ice helps reduce the risk of losing a fish from a line break, giving you more confidence when fishing.
Line Removal
To remove line that is no longer usable, simply open the bail and strip the line from the reel into a bucket. The bucket will help manage the line as you remove it. When you reach the end of the line, use a pair of nail clippers or scissors to cut it from the reel spool, if necessary. If your area has a recycling program for old fishing line, turn you line in at your local tackle shop or sporting goods store.
Line Choice
Select the line that best accommodates the type of fish you want to target when ice fishing. For example, smaller fish, such as bream or crappies, require a lighter line in the 2 lb. to 4 lb. test range. For larger fish, including northern pike, walleye or smallmouth bass, lines from 10 lb. to 20 lb. weight work well. During winter, when fish are less active, they may strike more lightly. Braided or superline fishing line can help you detect these light strikes better than monofilament line, which stretches.
Knot
Use an Arbor knot to tie the line to the reel. This knot grips the reel spool well and helps you avoid losing your line if a fishes runs the entire length out. To tie this knot, wrap the fishing line around the reel spool. Tie an overhand knot in the tag end of the line and around the main line to form a slipknot. Tie another overhand knot in the very end of the tag end of the line and pull it tight. Pull the slip knot tight to the reel.
Spool Position
When winding the ice fishing reel, open the bail first. Tie the line onto the reel spool and close the bail. Set the spool of new fishing line on the ground in front of you so the line winds off the spool in the same direction it winds onto the reel.
Winding
When winding the line onto the reel, grip the line to the ice fishing rod with one hand to apply tension between that hand and the reel. Wind the line onto the reel, slowly and steadily, to ensure it winds evenly onto the reel spool.
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