What is the best ice fishing line?

Ice fishing boots. Check.

Ice fishing reel. Check

Ice auger. Check

Ice fishing rod. Check. Check.

Ice fishing line. I will just use my regular fishing line.

Have you ever found yourself having the above conversation before embarking on a fishing trip? If so, you are going to enjoy this post. In this article, we are going to discuss what is the best fishing line for ice fishing and tips to keep in mind when searching for the best option. Let’s begin…

What is the best ice fishing line?

Here is a quick preview of what I would consider to be the top 6 ice fishing lines:

• Berkley Trilene Micro Ice Fishing Line
• Berkley Fireline Micro Ice Fishing Line
• Berkley Trilene Cold Weather Ice Fishing Line
• Sufix Ice Braid Fishing Line
• Sufix Ice Magic
• P-Line Floroice Fishing Line

More on each one individually later in this post, but first, is it really that important that I use ice fishing line over regular fishing line?

Ice Fishing Line vs Regular Fishing Line

Just what is the difference between regular fishing line and ice fishing line? Some ice fishermen may claim to use regular fishing line while ice fishing and have success doing so, but is it worth the risk? You may get away with it today, but what if one day you lose a big fish because of poor line selection?

For that reason I recommend you use a line that was specifically designed for ice fishing.

8 points to consider when choosing which ice fishing line to buy:

Line coils: Fishing line can coil much like a slinky. This can lead to all sorts of problems. In fact, you may find yourself spending more time untangling your line then fishing. Worse yet, it can cause you to miss out on bites. To avoid fishing with a slinky, choose an ice fishing line that has low to no memory.

Line Strength: As we know cold weather can take a toil not only on us, but our equipment as well. This is no different when it comes to our fishing line. Fishing with regular fishing line in cold weather over time can cause the line to become brittle. What are the chances of landing a fish with brittle line? Highly unlikely. Also, don’t forget you will be fishing around ice. Ice can be sharp and can easily damage or even cut your line. While ice fishing we want to choose a line that is strong enough to handle these harsh conditions.

Sensitivity: Yes, it is important to have a line that is abrasion resistant especially when ice fishing. However, don’t sacrifice durability for sensitivity. In the end if you can’t feel the fish biting, it may just cost you some fish. Make sure to find a fishing line that has a nice combination of both durability and high sensitivity.

Fish become spooky: Burning a crankbait in the open water is much different from ice fishing. While using a crankbait, the fish may not have much time to examine the bait. In fact, most of the time we may rely on a reaction strike, meaning the fish have little to no time to look at the bait. However while ice fishing, fish have more time to examine the bait. If anything looks suspicious they will avoid the lure. For this reason while ice fishing it is also important to choose a line that has little to no visibility while in the water.

Resist Line Freeze: Some new ice fishing lines come with a hydrophobic water-repellent coating. This coating is designed to actually repel the water, thus preventing your line from freezing up. This is a great way to protect your line from the harsh climate. One such line is the Sufix Ice Braid Fishing Line, but more on that later.

No stretch means more fish: When shopping for a good ice fishing line, you want to look for one that has little to no stretch. This means that it will be easily for you to set the hook. If you have better hook ups you will catch more fish.

Best Ice Fishing Line

Berkley Trilene Micro Ice Fishing Line |Best Invisible Ice Fishing Line

Are you losing bites because of finicky fish? Berkley Trilene Micro Ice Fishing Line maybe just what you are looking for. Available in two different colors, clear steel and red. The red works great while above water to be able to see your line against the snow and ice.

However, if you are fishing with fish that spook easily, the clear steel is what you want. This line also features little stretch properties giving you more control of your lures and better hooksets.

Berkley Fireline Micro Ice Fishing Line |Thinnest Ice Fishing Line

Another great ice fishing line that is nearly invisible underwater is the Berkley Fireline Micro Ice Fishing Line . One feature that contributes to its low visibility is its thinnest. It is even thinner than monofilament. However, don’t let its thinnest fool you. This a very strong fishing line.

Strong enough to bring in larger fish. It has very low memory meaning you will not have to worry about fishing with a slinky when out on the ice.

Berkley Trilene Cold Weather Ice Fishing Line |Best fishing line for cold weather

Another to add to the list of best fishing line for ice fishing is the Berkley Trilene Cold Weather Ice Fishing Line . As we had mentioned before cold weather can do funny things to your fishing line. That being said you will notice no difference fishing with Berkley’s Cold Weather line in cold conditions.

In fact, it is just as flexible in 32 degrees as it is in 70 degrees. It has very low memory meaning no more line twist. It is available in blue making it very easy to be seen against the ice and snow.

Sufix Ice Braid Fishing Line| Strongest Ice Fishing Line

Not only can fishing in cold weather affect your line, but also fishing over ice can damage your line. Thus is it important to choose a line that handles well in the cold, but also one that is durable.

One such line and perhaps one of the strongest ice fishing lines on the market is the Sufix Ice Braid Fishing Line.

Made from Dyneema fibers makes it both durable, but highly sensitive at the same time. On top of that, one added feature that I really like is the hydrophobic water-repellent coating that helps to prevent you line from freezing.

For more information take a look at the following video:

Sufix Ice Magic | Best Line For Ice Fishing

Another great line worth considering, also made by Sufix, is the Sufix Ice Magic . This is a monofilament line meaning it will sink rather quickly. This is exactly what you want to use when fishing over deeper water.  Its low visibility and low memory make it very easy to work with.

Like the Sufix Ice Braid, this line also has a water-repellent coating to avoid ice build up.

P-Line Floroice Fishing Line |Best Ice Fishing Line

P-Line Floroice Fishing Line is neither copolymer nor fluorocarbon, but rather a copolymer line with a fluorocarbon coating. The fluorocarbon properties really help to make this line nearly invisible when underwater.

Also the perfect combination of the two materials helps to prevent it from freezing and becoming brittle. This line also has low memory, making it very sensitive to bites, and yet very manageable.

Insider Tip: How to avoid line twist?

There is nothing more frustrating to be ice fishing and have your lure spin due to line twist. In fact, many fish will outright reject your presentation. How can this be avoided? Even after choosing the best ice fishing line you still may occasionally experience line twist.  One easy fix is using an InvisaSwivel . This Invisa Swivel can allow you to attach another line to your main ice fishing line. This maybe a small tool, but it can be very effective in making you a more effective ice fishmerman.

Now it’s your turn. What do you think is the best ice fishing line? Please leave thoughts in the comments below.

(If you enjoyed reading this article, you may also enjoy reading: What is the best ice fishing reel? )

Enjoy the following links on ice fishing:

Ice Fishing Line Tips
Beginner’s guide to ice fishing
Ice Fishing Myths