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| I have had slush and some ice build up on the line guides when fishing in cold weather but today was the worst. In the past I would just dip the first couple guides and the tip in the water and free up the slush/ice. Today I had hard ice all the way down to the last guide before the reel. Had to break it out repeatedly, even though I was casting a mag dawg. After about an hour and a half, gave up and went to a different rod with a glide bait. Pretty much the same situation and finally ended up just drifting, with the sucker rod in tow. Not sure why so bad today, last day I fished last year was colder than today (27-28 today) and I didn't have nearly the problem. Is there some way to prevent this or at least minimize it? And again, not slush, but hard ice to the point that without breaking it out the mag dawg would not move. Thanks for any suggestions. |
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | I have no solution. When it gets like that , I quit casting and just hold the sucker rod. |
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| 14ledo81 - 11/8/2018 5:46 PM
I have no solution. When it gets like that , I quit casting and just hold the sucker rod.
Yeah, that was what I did too. Still surprised it was so bad. Just didn't seem that cold.
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | I have found that once it gets below about 27 it gets very hard to keep things from freezing. You can spray Pam on the guides by 27 degrees ice will peel right off the line and you really need to keep an eye on the end of your levelwind travel because it will build there first, them break the levelwind. It's a trade-off as far as levelwinds go, the hole type will peel more ice into the levelwind area, the wire guide will bring more water into the spool and freeze the line. Catch a fish and the spool will freeze at 27 degrees. If any moisture gets in the reel it will freeze and break the reel and probably on a fish. Been there for all of that.
Edited by ToddM 11/8/2018 6:19 PM
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| Huh, it was around 20 the last time I went out last November but the sun was bright and maybe that made a difference. Given the projected temps for the next week up here, I think I am done unless I decide to do some trolling. But even now, rim ice formed this morning where wind was not hitting. On the plus side, I hit three of the lakes on the chain where I live and had them all to myself. Well, me and an mature eagle that circled my boat several different times. I enjoyed watching him as he circled until I remember that in addition to fish, they eat carrion. Maybe I looked like his next meal? |
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Posts: 2015
| heat your reels with a propane heater, switch rod/reel every 10 minutes or so...
Edited by IAJustin 11/8/2018 6:44 PM
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 heat reel.png (208KB - 375 downloads)
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Location: Athens, Ohio | use mono. m |
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Posts: 1220
| It was 87 in SW Florida today, and I may never fish in the cold again, but I used to fish until I couldn’t break the ice anymore at the launch, and I dealt with this by bringing every possible useable combo along stored below deck, then use it till you can’t and switch to the next one. If you time running out of rods to the sensation of no longer being able to feel your testicles, that’s about the time to go in. |
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | Another thing you can do if you are not throwing big baits is downsize to 65lb braid. Less water. I have also kept a reel in my coat pocket to thaw while I use another to thaw out and swap as needed. At 31 degrees your line guide will peel off slush. It's not alot water so it freezes fast and less than an accumulated thimbull full can do in a reel. |
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| The propane heater gives me an idea, probably for next year. I have a Mr. Heater propane heater I use for ice fishing. I will make a box, line with foil and at the top have deep grooves to hold the spare rods horizontal and put hinged lid on. Seems like it would be worth a try. Have the heater, scrap plywood, hinges, etc. Just have to remember holes along the bottom for combustion air.
Winter's coming, will put on my wood shop to do list.
Edited by North of 8 11/8/2018 8:29 PM
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Posts: 284
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I have used chap stick on the rod guides to repel the water to some degree of success. |
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Posts: 639
Location: Duluth | Switch over to a fly rod or drag suckers. For real, my fly rod never ices up and ive been slinging on some stupid cold days. Also the effort required to throw sucker sized flies keeps a guy nice and warm. You'd be amazed how well you can still strip set with choppers on too. |
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Posts: 1209
| New line, vs old line. New holds less water, 65 pound for a lot vs 80-100. But pounders need hefty line |
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Posts: 40
| As someone else mentioned, rotate reels in and out. If you have a heater, all-the-better. Vaseline or chapstick can help, but not too much once it gets really cold.
Last year, real late in the season on Big V, my buddy and I broke at least 4 reels. Shimano Tranx 500 was by far the most bulletproof. |
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Posts: 222
Location: Hartland, WI | As mentioned - new line vs old line.
Air temps can be near the same and some days are worse than others for ice build up. If one of the days has more wind and your rod/reel are getting hit with the wind it will
make it worse.
Cold air temps and little wind things are usually fine.
Cold air temps and strong wind things freeze up worse.
That said, other than being annoying you won’t damage the rod. I’ve seen plenty of cold weathereeel issues but never seen a rod break.
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Posts: 612
| Reel Magic helps, spray it on liberally every ~ 15 minutes. A last resort I've stick the rod in the water (front end). This warmed up the ice surrounding the holes to the point I could easily bust it off with my hand. No absolute solution but these tips helped me.
Personally it's just not important enough to me to go out in that kind of weather any more. However I caught some good ones in Nov, when snowing years gone by when younger. |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | It's just about over boys and gals.
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Posts: 246
| Heated reel seats would be great. |
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| Top H2O - 11/9/2018 6:36 PM
It's just about over boys and gals.
Yep, took my boat out today, about an inch of slush on my side of the lake and at the landing. Didn't have to worry about waves pushing the boat sideways when I put in on the trailer. Temp is 17 right now, guessing the slush will be ice tomorrow. |
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Posts: 688
Location: Already Gone | A couple fingers of VO, a dash of bitters, a splash of 7up, works wonders. Set the rod down gently, a slight nod to the skies....
and a quiet Thanks for another great open water season, coming to an end. |
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | C'mon G-Rome it's 20 degrees in fibland and I am on my way to go musky fishing! |
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Posts: 688
Location: Already Gone | Get em Todd. Don't let up. |
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Posts: 19
| Silicone spray lubricant on all the rod guides, can use on the reel also |
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Posts: 639
Location: Duluth | Looks like we will still have a shot on the bigger lakes for at least a week. Was out on Waconia Saturday morning everything was freezing so we trolled and trolled and trolled. Marked lots of bait and muskie on the side scan, no takers. |
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| CincySkeez - 11/12/2018 8:50 AM
Looks like we will still have a shot on the bigger lakes for at least a week. Was out on Waconia Saturday morning everything was freezing so we trolled and trolled and trolled. Marked lots of bait and muskie on the side scan, no takers.
The size and depth of the lake will make a big difference. Driving past Pelican Lake, just south of Hwy 8 late yesterday afternoon, it was open with the exception of some rim ice very close to shore. By contrast, the small lake I live on, part of a small chain, was almost completely covered when I got up this morning. Wind, size of lake make the difference this time of year. |
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| I’ve used a heated blanket over the years. Would typically have two blankets that plug into the AC plug in the boat. One for thawing our casting rods and the other blanket to sit on when moving spots. Have a couple of rod set ups and as one freezes, swap it out for a rod that was heated. The heated blankets do tend to get a little wet by end of day so bring them inside to dry off overnight. |
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Posts: 54
Location: River | Hydrobead- Superhydrophobic spray. |
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Posts: 74
| Silicone spray guides use different line,:30-40mono |
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