Field Report: Finesse Saltwater Line for Ice Fishing???

Hobie-Wan Kenobi

The date of the fishing trip:

February 2022

Location:

Lake Wanna Whom, Gwinn, Michigan

Target Fish:

Panfish

Fishing Style:

Ice Fishing

Tackle Information:

• • Rod: Mags Custom Rods Power Noodle
  • Reel: No. 8 Tackle Inline Reel
  • Line: VARIVAS Ajing Master Blue Moon fluorocarbon, 1.7lb
  • Lure: Eurotackle Plankton, Eurotackle Micro Z-Viber

Looking through VARIVAS America’s online selection, I saw there weren’t any ice fishing specific lines. I hoped to find a thin fluorocarbon line to ice fish small tungsten jigs for panfish. The availability of ‘in between’ sizes allowed me to choose a line that fit in the middle ground of the age-old enthusiast panfish debate between 1 lb or 2 lb line. After narrowing down my choices, I decided to go with Ajing Master Blue Moon in 1.7 lb.

First thing I noticed when getting out on the ice was the lack of memory Ajing Master Blue Moon had. Usually fluorocarbon, especially in cold weather, can have issues with coils that often lead to knots and other frustrations when fishing. The line remained straight when jigging even the smallest jigs. Using a line that retains coils when fishing small jigs can reduce the amount of feel you have with your jig, as fishing line has the most sensitivity when there is no slack.

The small diameter paired with the SP-F coating greatly reduces ice buildup, even in temperatures well below freezing. The small diameter also resisted the wind moving the line, contributing to keeping a positive connection to my lure.

Often times with thin line, the fragility of the line makes the angler overly cautious about breaking their line. Many times, setting the drag too loose can cause soft hooksets and fish are able to peel too much drag when headed toward cover during the fight. The more I used Ajing Master Blue Moon, the more confidence I gained to control fish darting under the ice.

The high specific gravity (density of line compared to water) allows the Blue Moon to sink faster than most fishing lines, which I noticed when fishing ultra-small jigs for tight lipped crappie in deep water. This also helps the line transmit more vibrations from bites up to the rod. I had no issues feeling light bites that mid-winter crappie are known for.

Another area the Blue Moon excelled was knot strength. I first noticed this when I went to change rods and I needed to break my jig off to move the reel to another rod. It took a surprising amount of force to break (I do not think the line is rated wrong, either).  Additionally, I never felt I broke off due to knot strength. I had one or two breakoffs from unknown reasons–could have been a pike or me not re-tying my jig after many fish. Of course, a few of those ‘quick rod load up to line breaking’ feelings you get from a pike cutting your line happened; but that is expected to happen from time to time using such small tackle for panfish.

I will say that I was intentionally being neglectful of the line in order to truly test how it would perform in the harshest conditions. I did not retie after many fish; and kept a tighter than usual drag to see how often I would break off. I even used very budget, off-the-shelf, ice combo for a while, just to test the manageability of the line. Ajing Master Blue Moon exceeded my expectations in every test.

I can say with all honesty that this is the best line I have used ice fishing for panfish…period.

Hobie-Wan Kenobi

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