SCHOOLEY TYPE REELS AND ROD

[welderhillbilly]

I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THESE TYPE OF REELS. HOW DO THEY WORK. I HAVE READ THAT THE DONT PUT ANY TWIST ON THE LINE AND ARE A OLD STAND BY FOR SOME PEOPLE. HOW DO YOU "CAST" OR RELEASE THE LINE AND DO YOU "REEL" THE FISH IN WITH THE KNOB OR DO YOU DO SOMETHING ELSE. THESE LOOK LIKE A VERY SIMPLE LOW COST IDEA. I HAVE A COUPLE OF 24" HT RODS THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT MOUNTING THEM ON. WHAT DO YOU THINK?
THANKS

WELDERHILLBILLY

[davek]

We use schoolies a lot in water up to 6 -8 feet of water for panfish have caught bass and a northern or two with them. I do not use teh reel once i have set the depth they do come with a pin to loch the reel also the nut on top will set it, when you hook a fish you just stand up and pick up the line. They are cheap and i have about ten of them all with different jigs so it is easy for me to change. Theyre great for working with kids. Dave

[welderhillbilly]

I GUESS IT WOULD BE GOOD TO HAVE SOME OF THESE AND SOME SPINNING REELS TOO FOR DEEPER WATER.

THANKS

WELDERHILLBILLY

[pig puncher]

don't know if you could easily mount one on an ht rod. the reels don't have a "foot" to fit into the "seat" on the rod. the reel is basicly a spool with a peg for a handle. the rod has a stud that the reel fits on, held with a knurled nut. no drag, just turn the spool, ("direct drive"). pull the line out by hand till you get the depth you want, put the peg in the hole in the reel. stops the line at the same depth every time. like davek says they worh great in shallow water, just handline 'em in. you can use the reel in deeper water, but being direct drive, gotta use your thumb for a drag if needed. they are simple, well made, inexpensive setup that has put tons of fish on the ice over the years. i get mine out from time to time, just for old times sake.

[slabslayer]

Schooleys are great for shallow panfish.  I'll go up to 10-12 feet sometimes with them.  The peg stop is why they are nice, you can set the depth and return to the exact depth with no guesswork, especially if you are fishing without a flasher.  They won't work on a regular ice rod, though.  They typically are sold as a unit, rod and reel, but they are inexpensive and work very well when the fish are more aggressive, when the bite is very light, sometimes it can be hard to see or feel a bite on a schooley.  You can get around that though by purchasing add on spring bobber kits for them, they're only a couple of bucks for 2 spring bobbers.  They last forever, too.  I still have some schooleys that are 20 years old from when I started ice fishing, and I still use them every season.

[welderhillbilly]

I HAVE SEEN PICS OF THE HT JIG REELS AND THEY HAVE SEATS ON THE BACK OF THEM THAT LOOKS LIKE IT WOULD FIT ON A ICE ROD.HAS ANYONE TRIED THIS BEFORE. THEY HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM FOR SALE ON EBAY RIGHT NOW. THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR INPUT.

WELDERHILLBILLY

[slabslayer]

You're right.  I typed in ht jig reel and they came right up.  I'd buy one or 2 of them, they are only roughly $5.50 each with shipping.  That's a pretty good deal, and you're right, they have reel feet.  That's the first time I've seen them with a reel foot.  Thanks for posting that, always eager to learn something new.  Those reels would be great for the panfish, and with the reel foot, you can use them on a deadstick rod or whatever you want.