Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pond ice fishing basics

My best advice for beginners is not to use an open faced reel while ice fishing. Been there done that and absolutely hated it. Too many tangles will occur in real cold temps. Best reels to use are old bait casting reels or now, all I use are fly fishing reels. Great dependable reels for ice fishing and never any line tangles even for youngsters and novices. Install limp heavier line as backing and the last 40-80 ft is light monofilament 1 - 6 lb with 2 to 4 lb most common.