Best Ice Fishing Reels in 2022

Last update: December 28, 2022

Are inline ice fishing reels worth it?

Inline ice fishing reels are definitely worth it! They help you keep your line in the water and prevent it from freezing up. They also help you keep your bait in the water longer and stay on the fish longer.

Can I use a summer reel for ice fishing?

You can use a summer reel for ice fishing, but it's not ideal. The main difference between a summer and an ice fishing reel is the drag. Ice fishing reels have a much higher drag, which helps to prevent the fish from breaking the line.

Can you use a regular reel for ice fishing?

If you want to try ice fishing, you may be wondering if you can use a regular reel or if you need to buy a specific ice fishing reel. The good news is that you can use a regular reel for ice fishing, but there are a few things to keep in mind. First, regular reels are not designed to withstand the cold temperatures. Ice fishing reels are made to be durable in the cold and will last longer. Second, regular reels are not designed for the type of fishing you will be doing. Ice fishing requires a different type of fishing line and bait,

Can you use spinning reel on ice rod?

Using a spinning reel on an ice rod is possible, but not recommended. The ice rod is designed for a specific type of fishing, and the spinning reel can cause damage to the rod and line.


4 Mechanical Fisher's Yo Yo Fishing Reels -Package of 4 Reels- Yoyo Fish Trap -(FLAT TRIGGER MODEL) Review:


These yo-yo reels are excellent for fishing at night. I've used these to catch several catfish and even turtles. To prevent your fish from being taken out of the water overnight, I do advise you to tie a big knot near the end of the rope. Additionally, I've discovered that using a steel leader with a hook makes it easier to unhook the fish so you don't have to take the entire reel with you. Another piece of advice is to use a steel leader rather than the little rope ties they supply to secure it to whatever you're anchoring it to. It makes for an easy setup and provides greater assurance that it won't fall off with fish movement.



6 Mechanical Fisher's Yo Yo Fishing Reels -Package 1/2 Dozen- Yoyo Fish Trap -(Flat Trigger Model) Review:


For everyone who says in their review, "I haven't gotten a chance to use these yet, but they seem to work!" Before you examine a fish trap, catch a fish first. I've used them a lot, and while the most of them have functioned, there are some that don't have the best spring/reel action due to problems with quality control. You might possibly fix this by drawing your own line through them. Overall, there's nothing better than being able to catch fish while taking care of other camp chores, which is exactly what these traps do. Thanks to these, we have enjoyed several feasts of river trout, and at just a few dollars each, they are definitely worth the cost. Just a more expensive, higher-quality version, please. I purchase a couple extras each year because they often don't last very long.



KastKing Summer and Centron Spinning Reels, 9 +1 BB Light Weight, Ultra Smooth Powerful, Size 500 is Perfect for Ultralight/Ice Fishing. Review:


I purchased this in size 3000 to replace my incredibly outdated Ryobi Silver Cloud, and boy am I glad I did! Though it's not completely buttery smooth like those $200 reels, you can tell it's near. The major issue I had with my old reel was snap back, which was caused by the bail never snapping closed on heavy casts. When the drag is lifted, it clicks like a $250 Penn reel—clear but not overly loud. Within my first 10 minutes of fishing, I caught 2 large mouth bass and a shoal bass on this. A little under 8 pounds, the second large mouth fought furiously but didn't appear to bother this reel at all. I tried the KastKing brand because I was so impressed with it, and so far, I'm equally impressed with their Florocarbon range. The best part is that it doesn't appear to twist the line at all, which is a major issue with many other reels.The positive: It looks amazing! When reeling, extremely quiet. No snap-back of the bail closing. similar to other spin cast reels, doesn't appear to twist the line. Nearly as smooth as expensive products. Feels pricey!The crank handle is a touch too small for someone with large hands, which is the downside. Before viewing this brand on Amazon, I had never heard of it.I'm pretty happy with this brand overall. There is no way to beat this for the money; it feels almost as nice as a $200 reel and better than many $100 reels.**UPDATE** After a yearMy favorite reel is still. This year, I've used the Centron in freshwater over 100 times, and the Summer in saltwater over 100 times. The Centron is still entirely faultless. The Summer still functions flawlessly and has no slop, but the drag no longer clicks; however, let's look at its cost, how I've handled it, and its surroundings. Cheapest for its quality. Never, ever have I disassembled it and cleaned it. Everything in Florida is destroyed by the heat and salt air, but not this reel! Hopefully, the reel grease I recently purchased will restore the drag click. If not, I'll provide an update. Still a perfect 5!Updated once moreThe drag click on the Summer is actually broken. The tip of the little spring-loaded component that creates the drag click was broken off after being twisted. I have no idea what caused it to shatter because the piece had no rust at all. It did last for around 150 days of 12 hour Florida salt water fishing, or about a year and a half. Over 1800 hours of abuse, roughly. Very good. Just bad that the portion that failed was unaffected by rust, but it worked flawlessly on a 38-inch Snook.



12 Mechanical Fisher's Yo Yo Fishing Reels (Flat Trigger Model) Review:


I've purchased these twice and put all 24 out for catfish. Anything larger than 1 lb will be exhausted from fighting on the hook unless it can throw the hook, and they will drag anything under that out of the water. There are 2 designated fishing locations; if used for fishing, utilize the spot without the end of the line tied to it. On the image, you can see that a large barrel swivel clip should be inserted into the hole on the left and that parachute cord is then best attached there.For catfish, I set mine at a 6 foot length by fully extending the spring and manually winding till I reach the desired length. This also enhances spring pull. Reduce the strain for the white perch.Hundreds of fish have been caught using these, and there have been no mechanical problems.



Sougayilang Spinning Fishing Reel - Ultra Smooth 13+1 Shielded Bearings, Light Weight Powerful Anti-Corrosion Alloy Construction Body,Non-Slip EVA Knob for Saltwater Freshwater Bass Fishing Review:


Unexpectedly good reel. I've always been a fan of Mitchell, but after a recent incident in which two of my brand-new 300 series reels spontaneously failed, I began looking for a different brand. So far, I've used this reel extensively on three lengthy excursions, and it's holding up rather well. Although it is a little bigger than I had anticipated for the 5000 series, it easily handles 6–10 lb stripers. With enough strength to pull without worrying about stripping the drag, it is also a fantastic surf fishing reel. My only qualms are that it seems louder than other reels when reeling anything heavier than 10 lb mono, but that has no bearing on how I fish, and that the handle form is a little strange at first, but it does get easier to use after about 10 times and seems more natural. I'll likely try the 4000 series next as largemouth and smallmouth are mainly what I target and that size would be more suited, but I'll soon be purchasing another one of them. With these reels, you could troll and easily fish for catfish of a respectable size. And when they claim that it is entirely metal, they aren't joking; although I haven't disassembled it completely, everything that is visible is made of metal.



Sougayilang Fishing Reel Spinning -12+1BB Ultralight Smooth Powerful Spinning Reels for Freshwater Saltwater Bass Fishing Review:


Fishing Reel for Freshwater and Saltwater by Sougayilang with Left and Right Interchangeable Collapsible Handles and 12 1 Ball BearingsI made the decision to order a few Sougayilang Fishing Reels to test if they were worth mentioning in discussions about other excellent reels available. So I could participate in conversations when others talk about their Shimano, Penn, and other more well-known reels. The numerous multi bearing options attracted my attention when I first started looking for a "new" reel to take into consideration. Wow! Better is more. Right? The Sougayilang reels with 11, 12, or 13 bearings must be the best if a reel's quality is determined by one or two extra bearings. Drag out your last, less expensive reel, and we can't give it a shot, though I won't say so now. I currently have reels that are merely planted there and barely turn on a rod that needs to be bent. I've held and fished with reels from the 1000 series previously, and this one is just as durable. However, I'll need to use it for two or three years before I can give it a five star in this review thing. Right now, I'm impressed. I enjoy it.



Eagle Claw In Line Ice Reel Review:


This inline reel is excellent and a great deal. I purchased one for my son and one for myself. It operates just as it ought to. It surely drops a 1/16 oz jig with ease and control, however I haven't tried dropping anything lighter. In fact, we'll be using them in the South to vertical jig with lures weighing between 1/16th and 1/2 ounce, and they have adequate free fall tension adjustment to accommodate anything in that weight range. Prior to dumping a heavy lure, take sure to set the tension properly to prevent backlash. Although it requires some practice, it is manageable. There will be no more spinning reel twisting or problems with spool memory from the small diameter spools of a baitcast reel. Naturally, neither of those reels can be used in place of this one for casting, but it is unquestionably superior to other types of reels for vertical jigging. It's a fantastic value on a nice reel given the performance you receive for such a tiny investment.



Goture Spinning Fishing Reel - Metal Spool 6+1BB for Freshwater Saltwater Fishing Reel 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Series Review:


I had no idea they would be Shimano stradics or Penn Battles when I bought them. I wanted to test if I could find a usable reel in this price range that wasn't just a novelty but would also be of some use. I bought one of the 2000, 3000, and 4,000 series in each case. It seems likely that I'll use the 3000 series the most. I use this reel to outfit the individuals I take fishing who don't have their own equipment as well as a loaner reel for the kids until they learn to appreciate a more expensive reel.In the coastal wetlands of southeast Louisiana, I'm using this reel in saltwater. This review may change as more time is logged on the reel if I finally get a chance to do some fishing with it. For this pricing range, the reel's fit and finish are excellent. It looks more costly than it actually is in terms of finish. I would have chosen cast metal over graphite for the body, but I will take the pricing range into account. I fished with this reel for the first time for three days and only caught speckled trout, so I didn't get a chance to test the drag mechanism or see how the reel would stand up against something heavier like a redfish. On this first three-day vacation, it did not cause me any problems. The reel performed well, retrieving and spooling the line as it should have. I contacted the vendor after discovering that the screw holding the handle fixed from the other side on the first 3000 I received was stripped and would not tighten down properly. The screw was then replaced with one that did not have these same problems. . .......I'd like to use this opportunity to talk on the customer support offered by pisfun.I can honestly say that I have never had better customer service than this. Even though there was a slight delay in the email conversation because they were in China, I assume the response was excellent. When I presented the issue to them, they genuinely sent me a fresh reel without any questions. The woman I spoke with was incredibly polite and helpful, and she took care of everything quickly and efficiently. While traveling from China, my new 3000 actually arrived sooner than I had anticipated. My point is that, in my experience, they truly did stand by their warranty or guarantee if you want to chance and test one of these reels out.Back to the reel we go. The slight rearward slack in the anti-reverse was one thing I didn't like. In other words, when you reel and stop, there will be some back travel or a click before it stops entirely. As opposed to higher-quality reels, you will frequently observe this on inexpensive entry-level reels. But after the reel was spooled, mounted, and used for fishing, this was hardly evident as all—at least not enough to worry or draw my attention. I often fish with a PENN Battle 2, which is excellent, and I can easily see issues like these with less expensive reels. My reel needs more time before I can determine what issues will arise, at which point I will revise this review. Usually, once a big fish has used up part of the drag on less expensive reels, I will start to experience a gritty or binding sensation when reeling in. I'll be looking around for this as well. Additionally, after some time in saltwater, it starts to feel gritty and loses its smoothness when reeling in. If I run across these problems, I'll let you know.In conclusion, do not expect a $100 reel here, but instead, let's see if it is not functional enough for those on a tight budget, as a loaner reel, or as a reel for kids that can genuinely land fish. My initial impression is favorable at this price range. When I bought my 3000, it was 15.99, but it is now 16.99. Since the price was the deciding factor in my decision to try it out, I don't think I would be willing to pay more for another. However, if it holds up well over the long run, I wouldn't mind spending an extra dollar or two. Time alone will tell. In essence, I'm thinking it will be comparable to the 23-29 dollar entry level deals that all the top brand manufacturers sell, but more affordable. BTW, there are a lot of fake reviews here that were posted by who knows, so don't expect to learn too much from the reviews till the numbers are up. The fake reviews are simple to identify if you look at the strange titles given to the reel, the lofty claims made about it, and the inaccurate nomenclature that genuine fishermen would never use. In order to determine whether or not you should choose this inexpensive reel, I'm trying to give an honest evaluation to individuals who actually fish by someone who actually fishes.



13 Fishing 2015 Black Betty Fishing Reels Review:


Pros: Free spools 1/32 weight jigs in a flawless free fall, maintains a perfectly straight line, has a smooth drag with a sizable adjustment knob reminiscent of a bait caster that you can turn while angling, and a retrieve that can keep up with a fish that rushes up after hooking.Cons: This reel prevents pencil gripping without having your palm touch the spool.I've experienced instances where the line abruptly jumped off the spool and began wrapping itself around the spool tightening knob.If you're not careful, you can accidently cross the line.



Vivoice Fishing Reel Small Spinning Reels Ultralight Spinning Fishing Reel for 200 Review:


These reels are flawless; there have been no complaints. I purchased a red one as a replacement; I liked it so much that I then purchased a blue one. Friendly customer service that appears to value its clients extremely highly recommended reels. They meet my demands and are affordable to purchase. Being from abroad poses no problems because tracking is reliable; all that is required of you is patience. I would suggest this vendor to anyone. Additionally, the quality is excellent, with smooth casting and delicate drags that are simple to adjust to nearly ideal.


Do you need a special rod for ice fishing?

No, you don't need a special rod for ice fishing. Any rod that is comfortable for you to use will work just fine.

Do you need ice fishing line to ice fish?

No, you don't need ice fishing line to ice fish. You can use any type of fishing line, as long as it's strong enough to hold the weight of the fish you're trying to catch.

How do you hold an ice fishing rod?

In order to hold an ice fishing rod, you will need to purchase an ice fishing rod holder. There are many different types of ice fishing rod holders available on the market, so it is important to choose one that is comfortable for you to use. Some ice fishing rod holders are designed to be used with one hand, while others require two hands. Once you have chosen an ice fishing rod holder, you will need to determine where you would like to place it. Many people prefer to place their ice fishing rod holder near the edge of the ice, so they can easily reach their bait.

How long should my ice fishing rod be?

Most ice fishing rods are between 24 and 36 inches long. The length of the rod you choose should be based on the type of fish you are targeting and the type of lure or bait you will be using. For example, a longer rod is better for trolling or using live bait, while a shorter rod is better for jigging or using artificial lures.

Should you braid with ice fishing?

Some anglers believe that adding ice to the water can help improve the chances of success when fishing. One way to do this is to braid your line with ice. There are a few things to consider before trying this method. First, the ice can add weight to the line, making it more difficult to cast. Second, the ice can melt and cause the line to become slippery, making it more difficult to handle. Overall, whether or not you braid with ice is a matter of personal preference. Some anglers find it helpful, while others find it to

What are inline ice reels for?

Inline ice reels are designed for ice fishing. They are smaller and more compact than traditional ice fishing reels, and are mounted on the rod below the handle. This design helps to keep the reel and line from freezing up in cold weather.