ReelWeeds | Sodak ’07

It’s official-winter is now upon us. Time to think positive, as the days will start getting longer and best of all we have ice! Deer season is over, the ducks have followed the retired folks south, and you should have shot your fill of pheasants by now. As a sportsman there is but one pursuit to focus on and that is of course, ice fishing.
As you prepare your gear for the season, there is one item you will want to add and that is a product called ReelWeeds. A one sentence description would be to describe them as: mobile artificial fish attractors closely resembling fresh water weeds. To leave it at this would be an injustice to exactly what they are, their capabilities, and how they can help anglers to consistently attract and ultimately catch more fish.

While the use of permanent artificial fish attractors certainly isn‘t news incorporating the idea into a portable system is. The concept was originally designed to mask the otherwise very unnatural profile of underwater camera cables and camera head by making them appear to be an aquatic plant. This was accomplished by attaching 4 feet of artificial weed structure to the cable via simple clips (Camera Cable Structure). It was quickly discovered that not only did this serve it ‘s intended purpose of reducing spooking and wariness of the cable, but it actually pulled fish in to investigate. Now that it was apparent how effective this arrangement was, the next logical step was to produce more usable pieces of the same structure. If some is good, more just has to better.

Enter the next evolution (Structure on a String). This amounts to 4 feet of the same weed structure, 6 on the Extreme version; attached to 40 feet of 100 pound test cord, and an adjustable ice-free float, all wrapped onto a lightweight, hassle free storage unit. Presto, now anglers have the ability to quickly create their own mini-environment wherever and whenever they wish to. Just imagine if your favorite lake had a spot with a clump of weeds in an area that was otherwise featureless. If you were to able to find this fish magnet, you would guard its location with your life.

My first thought was and I am sure yours is, this is all good and fine but how big of a pain in the butt are they to actually use? The answer being, they are surprisingly uncomplicated and trouble-free to both stow and deploy. This is due to the fact that they come spooled on a foam holder with a designated position for each component: weight, cord, and float all have their place. This ingenious storage device leaves no pieces hanging and absolutely eliminates any concern of tangling or snagging. Unroll the weighted weed portion and drop down your hole, position the adjustable float stop to your desired depth (typically just above bottom) and your set. Storing them is just as easy. Simply roll them back up at the end of the day, shake off any excess water, toss into a storage tote and they ‘re ready for your next outing. Takes no more time than setting up or tearing down a flip over style portable shelter.

If you would like to learn more and see how fish react in real time (really cool video clips), I would encourage you to visit www.reelweeds.com. For a more personal and in-depth discussion of how to use this product to its full potential, I will be on hand to discuss this and as well as many other ice fishing topics at Sodak Sport and Bait all day on the 22nd of December.