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I love to ice fish - and spend alot of nights sleeping in the house with one ear open waiting for the sound of a large fish taking out line. Rattle reel fishing is not new and is not the most productive way to catch fish on ice. That being said - this form of fishing is the most used in fish houses today. Maybe it is because you can spend time doing other things, like sleeping, and still have the opportunity to catch fish. Below are just some interesting additions to this type of fishing I have seen and use myself.

The Reel - Pretty basic - the reel lets out line as some bells in the center hit each other and make noise. Well - here is a little idea I have added to my reels that has made a difference. I had many time were fish let go of the bait because they could feel the line coming off the rattle reel - so - I took my rattle reel apart. They are pretty basic tools - you have a round reel covered in line, some bells in the center to make noise, and a bolt holding them to the wall or brace. To assure that my rattle reels would let out line with the most ease - I took off the bolt and covered the threads that are under the rattle reel itself with a thin plastic pipe. I then cut the holes ( were the bolt goes into the rattle reel ) to the next size up plastic pipe and glued this on to the rattle reel. This makes a bushing style set up and allows the reel to spin allot easier and is harder for the fish to tell they have been fooled !

The line set up - I have used pretty much every line out on the market! I have found for me that simple black cloth style line works the best. It fits into the point system on the alarm ( covered below) very well and is visible on my floor. I load the reel up with as much line as the reel will take. I use a slip bobber system almost always on these lines and will tie a snap swivel under the bobber on the black line. I then use a 4 foot long mono line with a swivel on one end and hook or tackle on the other. By keeping a few of these 4 foot mono lines on a lindy keeper - I am able to change the set up with out rechecking to see if I am at the correct depth. If a fish breaks a line, all you do is take off the broken one and add one from the lindy keeper POW you are back at it!

Noise - one of the more important things a rattle reel can do is let you know when you have a fish on - this allows you to do other things - sleep, play cards, some even watch TV. The sound of a standard rattle reel is enough to grab the attention of almost any angler - however - if you are one of those sound sleepers and need a little more than a couple little bells rolling around to get you running for the line. Well - then add an alarm! I got this idea from a good fishing buddy and it works - now he hard wired this into his house but I am sure with a little thinking you can make something to fit your house.

The wake up alarm system - Here is what you need = 12V, set of points, 12V alarm, on-off switch and a 12V light (optional) . The idea is pretty simple - run the main 12V power line to the set of points - connect the alarm to the other end of the 12V point. Place this anywhere between the water and rattle reel. When you have your rattle reel all set up - place the line between the point connections and turn the switch on - now any time a fish pulls the line from between the points - the 12V will flow to the alarm. Now - if you want to go a little wild here - you can add a light. My fishing buddy has his set up so that a alarm ( different sounding on at each hole ) and a light over the hole come on at the same time when the line is pulled from the points. Having spent a few nights in this house, I can tell you that having an alarm and light come on in the middle of the night gets your attention! The other nice thing is - you are not stumbling around in the dark looking at every hole - you know as soon as your eyes are open - what hole has a fish on.

The jigging - OK - a moving bait catches more fish than one just sitting doing nothing, this is the basic reason jigging catches fish. So do you jig a sitting slip bobber rig? YES! I will not try to cover all of the jigging options here - just one of the more interesting ones - Auto Jig - that's correct - jigging without jigging as a friend puts it! The auto jigger is a 12V unit that moves your line up and down for you. Currently these systems are available for purchase at sporting goods stores and I have seen some home made units that do the very same thing. Do they work? YES - but so does lifting the line up and down by hand!! I will be testing a auto jigging system in my house this year and will let you all know if it catches more fish.

With the ice season coming soon - this is a good time to look at how you ice fish and make changes to your house now. Its much easier to install or take out items when the house is next to the garage ( and all your tools ) than when its 30 below. I hope your ice fishing season is a safe and enjoyable one! See you on the ice!

Enjoy the experience,
Randy "Randy Man" Johnson
JustNorth Outdoors Columnist