Has anyone started ice fishing?

[mcfly]

I think the lack of wire leader could have been my downfall. Seemed like when the pike dived down deep and head shake'd it broke the line. Using light line can make landing a fish harder, but not impossible. I use 6-8lb test mono to catch 25lb+ salmon so I don't really pay attention to line strength as much as how I play the fish.

I think line tension is important, but I don't consider it the issue when I lost the pike. I use a center pin reel which allows me to manually adjust my drag tension instantly with my hands so I did not have too much pressure on the fish.

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose! That's what makes it so much fun!