Thank you for reading our post, please rate this article at the end.
Last Updated on September 10, 2024 by Paul Clayton
Table of Contents
The Best Inline Ice Fishing Reels
For most of us, winter signifies the time to put away the rod and reel for another season. However, if you live in a part of the world where the temperatures drop, covering lakes and rivers with sheets of thick ice, there’s still plenty of opportunity for a spot of fishing.
Key Takeaways:
-
- Inline Ice Fishing Reels are ideal for ice fishing due to their lightweight design, straight-line spool action that prevents line twisting, and ease of use for jigging.
- Top Picks:
- 13 Fishing Black Betty 6061: Known for its solid build, smooth action, and reliability for jigging in deep water. However, it’s more expensive than other options.
- Eagle Claw Ice Reel: A budget-friendly, durable option with a smooth spool release but has issues with fine-tuning drag on lighter lines.
- Frabill Straight Line 371: This product is great for left- or right-handed users and offers good durability in extreme conditions, though its drag system lacks precision.
- Drag System: While inline reels offer a basic star drag system, they are less refined than spinning reels, making handling larger fish more challenging.
- Simplicity vs. Complexity: Inline reels excel in simplicity but may not have the advanced features or drag systems needed for more demanding situations.
Ice fishing, of course, requires ice, usually a lot. You’ll also need some specialist gear, know-how, and the capacity to shrug off the cold recklessly. If you tick all of these boxes, you can have much fun fishing on the ice.
If you have everything apart from gear, we can help. Ice fishing requires a specialized rod and reel; your regular spinning rod and reel might work, but it’s far from ideal.
We understand that it can be difficult to get recommendations from trustworthy sources that aren’t just out to make a quick buck from affiliate commissions. That’s why we created this website: to improve the industry.
In this article, we’ll examine some of the best inline ice fishing reels, discussing the criteria we used to rate them and what makes a specific model better than another.
The table below provides our recommendations for the top-rated inline ice fishing reels without all the additional fluff. It will help you make a quick decision.
Related content you may be interested in reviewing.
How To Select An Inline Ice Fishing Reel
Lightweight Design
If you have any experience ice fishing, you’ll know a few things already: It’s cold, and you fish through a hole in the ice.
Because it’s cold, we avoid the worst weather using huts, tents, or any other shelter. This means there’s limited room for setting hooks.
Additionally, as we’re fishing through a hole, we do not need to cast our bait.
Due to the reasons mentioned above, we want to keep our rod short and manageable in cramp conditions. If we also need to factor in the sluggish responses of nearly frozen fish, we’ll want to keep our gear light.
The lighter the rod and reel are, the more likely we are to feel even the slightest of nibbles from fish in a cold-induced stupor.
That’s why you’ll find the majority of ice fishing rods to be very short.
In addition to short rods, we’d expect our reels to be very lightweight and coupled with light lines.
This light gear approach to ice fishing will maximize our chances of fishing success.
Inline Ice Fishing Reel
Inline Ice Fishing Reels (also known as Straight-Line) have one outstanding feature that makes them a must-have kit. They’re perfect for jigging.
The design of inline fishing reels forces the line out of the spool in a straight line, preventing many of the issues experienced using very light lines, such as twisting and corkscrewing.
These issues make jigging challenging, as lures tend to behave unnaturally in the water, which is off-putting to fish. An inline ice fishing reel allows you to avoid this unnatural behavior of the lures altogether.
Another upside of inline ice fishing reels is that the design is rather simplistic. Like many simple mechanisms, they are less prone to issues, especially when the temperature drops.
I’ve also found them to be easier to use over extended periods. Your hands will naturally fall into a comfortable pistol-like grip that is less likely to produce repetitive strain when jigging for any length of time.
Of course, they are not without their downsides. One of their biggest strengths is also one of their biggest issues, which is their simplistic nature.
If you’re looking for advanced drag characteristics or something you can use in other situations, an inline reel is probably not for you.
Why The Drag System is Important
A good ice fishing reel needs a decent drag system. Since we’re using light lines and gear, it’s very important to adjust our drag, especially when we’re looking to catch more powerful prey
such as walleye and pike.
We need to have a bit of give, but not enough so that we’re likely to lose our hookset during a fight. You want the drag to offer enough resistance to overcome the fish’s fight and muscle it into a catch, but not so much that we risk breaking the line or tearing the fish.
Unfortunately, this area is where inline ice fishing reels fall flat compared to other reel types. While inline ice fishing reels do offer variable drag, it’s not as advanced or refined as spinning reels or other reel types.
Inline reels generally use a Star Drag system. They work by increasing or decreasing the friction placed on the spool. This is a pretty basic setup for inline reels, which will rarely offer very fine adjustments, but it will generally do the job for most people.
The Best Inline Ice Fishing Reels
13 Fishing Black Betty 6061 Review
- Gear Ratio: 2.7:1
- Drag System: Star
If you’ve already researched inline ice fishing reels, you’ve probably come across the 13 Fishing Black Betty 6061. It’s frequently referred to as the best ice fishing reel available, not just the best inline ice fishing reel.
We especially like the solid machined aluminum body; it gives the impression that it’s a solid piece of kit. If you’re planning on jigging, which you probably are given that you’re ice fishing, then this reel will meet your needs.
It’ll accommodate a 1-pound mono line and up, so we can keep our gear nice and light. The reel features a free spool button to help your jigs descend quickly. Its action is very smooth, and even the lightest weights will pull the line down quickly.
As with all inline reels, the large spool completely avoids any issues associated with line memory or twists. The drag works well enough to be usable on an inline reel. It’s not as good as a high-end spinning reel, but as far as inline reels go, it’s more than up to the job.
If you’re looking for the best reel for ice jigging, this should be at the top of your wish list. You can’t get anything better. Our biggest gripe with the reel is that it’s a bit expensive compared to other reels that look similar on paper.
What We Liked
- Excellent gearing, which makes jigging in deep water easy
- Smooth, free spool button
- Adjustable drag
What We Didn’t Like
- Not as cheap as its competitors
Eagle Claw Ice Reel Review
- Gear ratio: 2.6:1
- Drag System: Star
You’ve no doubt encountered the Eagle Claw brand before. They make some of the best hooks available. But does their proficiency with hooks translate into quality ice-fishing reels? The answer is yes.
Eagle Claw produces a very budget-friendly inline ice fishing reel from robust nylon.
As with the Black Betty, the Eagle Claw’s larger spool completely prevents line memory, twisting, and tangling, making it an excellent choice for ice fishing.
Given the reel’s significant spool capacity, you’ll be able to use more lines than you’re ever likely to need. You’ll find the gear ratio will make quick work of any deep water jigging you choose; bringing the line up will be fast and efficient.
The reel features a spool release button to ensure you can get your jig into position as quickly and seamlessly as possible. The action is smooth, and it only takes a small amount of weight to quickly allow the jig to drop.
However, the reel is a budget model you can feel when setting the drag. Unfortunately, it’s demanding and ineffective when you’re looking to fine-tune the settings with a very light line. It’s possible this was just the model we saw, but be wary that using a line under 4 pounds may be challenging.
What We Liked
- The price
- The useful gear ratio for fast jig retrieval
- The free spool button for quickly dropping the jig into position
What We Didn’t Like
- An awkward to use drag
Frabill Straight Line 371 Ice Fishing Reel
- Gear ratio: 3.7:1
- Drag System: Star
Frabill has been around for several years, and the straight line 371 is one of their more popular products.
The reel itself is made from composite materials, which makes it immune from corrosion caused by saltwater conditions. This means that it will continue to work seamlessly, even if the temperatures really begin to dip.
The gear ratio means you’ll be able to muscle fish without problems, but retrieving a jig may be slightly slower than with the other inline reels mentioned above.
When we need to let the line drop quickly, the free spool button effectively drops the jig smoothly and with little weight required.
We found it easy and comfortable to use, even with gloves on.
What We Liked
- Usable for left or right-handed users
- Works in all conditions and temperatures
- Inexpensive
What We Didn’t Like
- The drag wasn’t as sensitive as we would have liked
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to AnglingBuzz
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking to be the jigging master of ice fishing, then there’s no doubt in 
my mind that you need to get an inline fishing reel. All of the reels listed above will deliver outstanding performance.
The Black Betty 6061 ticks every box we can think of. It has no tangles, is easy to use, has an excellent gear ratio, and has a well-built, finely-tuned drag system. Its simple design and machine aluminum fishing means it’ll last through all weather conditions and should see you through a lifetime of use.
It’s put better than its competitors and will perform better in almost any situation. The drawback is that it costs a lot. The eagle claw or frill are great choices if you want something cheaper.
Home page
Back to top of page
