5 Reasons Fluorocarbon is the Best Ice Fishing Line

The product recommendations on our site are independently chosen by our editors. When you click through our links, we may earn a commission. 

Professional fishing guide Brad Hawthorne explains why fluorocarbon is his favorite line for ice fishing panfish and even predator fish like walleyes. Like any line selection, you need to match material properties to the environment you’re fishing. For Hawthorne, subfreezing temperatures dictate the use of a line that repels water (hydrophobic).

TACKLE USED

Fluorocarbon sheds water and lays straight through rod guides, even with tiny tungsten jigs — both essential characteristics in bite detection and freeze-up prevention. Lines that absorb water, such as monofilament and braid, suffer from coiling (aka memory-mono) and kinking with braid. So what? Slack between you and the fish mutes bite detection and the action with spoons, jigs, and plastics. Check out more tips for ice fishing.