How Many Lines?

In the sport of ice fishing, the old way and the new way sometimes get in each other’s way as you search for the best way to maximize your odds.
It’s legal to fish through the ice with at least two lines in most places. Naturally, it’s not hard to find ice anglers who assume if it’s legal to fish with 50 lines, they should put out 50 lines. If it’s legal to fish with four, they should put out four. If it’s legal to fish with two, they should definitely have that second line down there.
“Some of the those rules,” says Dave Genz, “were set in the old days, when the equipment was crude and we couldn’t move around like we can now.”
As counterintuitive as it might seem, Genz believes you are often less efficient and less successful with multiple lines.
“Mobility is not usually enhanced by setting out more lines,” he says. “In most situations you actually cover less water because you don’t pack up all those lines and move if the fish aren’t biting, because it’s too much work.”

Consider the Situation
Genz backs off a bit to acknowledge that there are situations in which multiple lines can, indeed, be an advantage.
“You might want to put out more lines,” he says, “at prime time, like evening or early morning, when the fish are moving and looking for something to eat. Then you can camp on a good spot and do well by letting the fish come to you.”
It’s difficult to make general statements about fishing, because there are so many possible exceptions to every rule of thumb. But Genz believes strongly in the power of “one hole and one rod” for the lion’s share of his ice time.
“I do an awful lot of my ice fishing in the daytime,” he says. “On most lakes, most of the time, fish are not as active during daylight hours. They sit there fat, dumb and happy, so you have to go find ‘em, sit over ‘em, and make ‘em bite.
“You have to fish where the fish are, and a lot of times it takes a number of moves before you find them. If you put out this big field of tip-ups (or other lines) at the first spot, you aren’t going to catch much if the fish aren’t down there.
“A lot of times, I don’t use any rods while I’m searching for fish. Especially if I don’t know the lake, I team up with other people and we’re drilling holes and looking down there with the Vexilar. We’re moving down the lake, using our electronics to check spots. When we see fish we fish ‘em right away, but it’s with one rod in our hand so we can control the presentation and find out what the fish want.”

One is a Handful
To reinforce his case, Genz stresses that it often takes his full attention to fish well with one rod in his hand, preferring not to split his attention with a second rod, which has to be baited and monitored.
“Fishing with one rod works best for me most of the time,” he says. “Ice fishing is all about covering water and being efficient. It takes my full attention to concentrate and handle one rod well. I feel like I can fish more holes in a day if I just have to reel up one line and move to the next hole than if I have to deal with two or more.
“Sometimes, even after you find the fish you still have to move from hole to hole, because there are only so many biters. And people think they’re going to move enough when they have a bunch of rods out? Most people don’t move as many times as they should even if they only use one line.
“During that golden hour, when the sun is hitting the trees, the fish are moving. Now is when you can sit still and let them come to you. At that time, it can pay off to set out more than one line. But most of the time, your energy is more efficiently spent trying to find biters rather than waiting for fish to show up, or trying to get sniffers to bite.”
When you do fish more than one line, Genz feels that you should have lines that offer the fish distinctly different presentations.
One rod can be a deadstick, referring to a presentation where the live bait creates any movement, because the rod is typically held by a device, such as the Arctic Warrior. One can have a minnow or minnow head, another one a wax worm or a number of maggots. Some rods should be set up with vertical baits, others should be horizontal presentations, such as the Fat Boy, Genz Worm, or Flyer.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to ice fishing, don’t just assume your best bet is to put out the maximum number of lines allowed. Consider the possibility that one well-tended rod, given your full attention, might keep you moving efficiently until you find willing biters. At the same time, take advantage of prime times and prime locations to set multiple-line traps for fish that are actively seeking food.
Note: Dave Genz, known as Mr. Ice Fishing, was the primary driver of the modern ice fishing revolution.