Are ice reels really needed?

[Duckbutter]

Reels? HA! I have found, on hard water, that fish come through in schools, and when you have one down the hole, you want to get your line back down the hole, back to the the same depth you were before. I have stopped using reels unless I have a big fish on, usually I just set my rod down and bring the fish (usually perch) in hand over hand. Once I'm at the right depth, I don't ever adjust anything on the reel. I can bring perch up faster, and drop my bait back down faster, precisely where I need to be and can get fish back on almost immediately. I have a spin reel on my rods, but they only hold line for when I'm not actually not fishing, or if I have a bruiser that needs a little tlc.
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