I see your problem and as an obsessed fly fisherman i think fly fishing holds the answer to your problems firstly there are purpose made indicators for fishing in the ice but i think this might also work, slides easily on fly line
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20431-cat600030&id=0011255320249a&navCount=2&podId=00112 55&parentId=cat600030&masterpathid=&navAction=push &catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat6 00030&hasJS=true
or mouldable loon
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20431-cat600030&id=0011255311976a&navCount=4&podId=00112 55&parentId=cat600030&masterpathid=&navAction=push &catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat6 00030&hasJS=true |