Best line for ice fishing for lakers??

[DonInDenver]

I'm curious what type of line and what lb. test people like for ice fishing for macks. I use 14lb. fireline in open water but I'm wondering whether it will soak up water, freeze and get stiff at temperatures below freezing. Am I better off to just go with 8 or 10 lb. mono and fight the big fish carefully (assuming I'm lucky enough to hook one)? I would appreciate your collective wisdom on this one. Thanks.
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[polokid]

This 9 lb mack was caught on 20 lb fire wire with 15 lb florocarbon leader, through the ice yesterday.
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[MrLipripper]

Is Fireline visible to fish? If you added leader, wouldn't that make the tensile strength less? Should you add leader? Do I ask too many questions?[crazy]
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[aquaman]

if you say use 30# fireline ( which i think is more visable in water )and add a lighter leader say 20 flouro you will of course need to set your drag for the lighter line also i prefer no swivel which takes two knots i like to tie my leader together using a blood knot

do i try and anwser to many questions?[crazy]

sorry neal couldn't reseist
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[RipNLips]

Your weekest line in the chain is the limiting factor as far as strength. Fireline with a fluorocrabon leader is great for ice fishing for Lakers. It doesn't absorb water much compared to the woven lines (e.g. Spider Wire) so it doesn't freeze up, become stiff, or gum up in your spool as much. There's virtually no stretch like mono and fluorocarbon. That gives you the ability to feel every nibble and give a great hook set when it's time. Also, it will not be cut if it rubs the edge of the ice hole during the fight.
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[polokid]

BLM taught me a huge thing yesterday about fishing for bigger fish. Find out the size limit of the hole you can have on the body of water you are fishing and utilize that, definitely with a power auger.(like bear lake is 18 inches) Cutting 3 holes to make one big hole, definitely makes it nicer to manuever a bigger fish.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][blue][size 1]Nice looking fish, PK. Did you have to have the surgically removed from your face?[/size][/blue]

[#0000ff][size 1]You keep scoring on those macks up there and you will have to change your handle to mackkid.[/size][/#0000ff]

[#0000ff][size 1]Good on ya...and glad to see you got the pic to post. Ain't technology wonderful?[/size][/#0000ff]
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[Curtisfish]

I agree with Polokid. Your arm gets mighty cold trying to drag a 34" laker through an 8" hole. It was done, but my buddy went well past the neoprene gloves he was wearing to get ahold of the fish.

As far as line goes, I've usually just stuck with mono 10-14lb. I have missed a lot of strikes too. This year, if I can get up to the Gorge, I am going to use 24/12 Fireline and flourocarbon leader, probably 12 or 14lb. I like either the surgeons knot or the blood knot for joining two different size or type lines. Either one retains 95+% of the line strength and either of these will slide right through eyelets.

If you have a metal spool on your ice fishing rig, you might want to put 20-30yds. mono backing on the spool before the Fireline. I have had Fireline slip on a cold metal spool on spinning reels. Makes setting the hook or trying to reel in the fish a real pain. If you are using a levelwind, you most likely would not have this problem, but might want to put a little mono on just to be safe.
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[Kent]

Good looking mack Polokid! It must have been a thrill to pull that through the ice.
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[DonInDenver]

[] Thanks guys. I appreciate the help. I think I'll give the 14# Fireline a try this weekend. I already have it spooled on a couple of baitcasters. I also use a fluorocarbon leader of 10 or 12# test. I do think it makes a big difference. I join the Fireline and fluorocarbon with a back-to-back uni-knot. It's easy to tie, is strong and slips through the guides easily. Thanks again for the help.
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[Kent]

I prefer to use a quality swivel -- rather than merely using a blood knot. Jigging for macks through the ice or otherwise is done with larger jigs than one uses for typical ice fishing. I have watched these jigs through an AquaVu camera and they invariably always turn the same direction every time they are jigged. After awhile, it is easy for your line to become twisted if a swivel is not used.
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[DonInDenver]

[] I just wanted to say thanks for the responses. I used 14# Fireline and a 12 # fluorocarbon leader this weekend and the combination really worked well. Lots more sensitive than mono and I had no trouble recognizing those hits where the line just slackens slightly. Didn't catch anything of any size, but good numbers and a nice day. Thanks again everyone. This has to be the MOST helpful group of fishermen anywhere!
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