Recycled Rods

[billditrite]

i have, in my garage, half a dozen openwater fishing rods that i dont use anymore. im thinking of cutting them down and making ice rods with them. i have a couple ice rods that i like but some of these rods have some great action. anyway i was wondering if anyone has made their own rods using old rods in this manner, and what did you like dislike about them?

[ice dude]

Are they fiberglass or graphite? and what do you plan on using them for?

[billditrite]

they are graphite. i will use the lighter ones for crappie and the heavier ones for lakers and pike

[rendo]

 did it to one rod cut off the rod at the handle then drilled a hole the same size as rod tip section inserted it with superglue now have a short lite action ice rod

[hali-man]

I made my first ice rod this summer, but I bought the blank and just used the guides and handle off of old rods. It's a fun project and I'm sure I'll be making more as this one could use some improvement. 

[jcb554]

I have made many rods that way. Straight cork handles are the way to go. I have even used corks from wine bottles, makes a nice slim handle. Or you can buy ready made UL grips. Add a strike indicator and they work as good as any store bought rod and better than some.

[bigdave1018]

most are tooooo stiff but then again havin a stiff rod aint so bad after all? lol

[buzzbomb]

I've done it a few times and it's a snap.  I took the guides I wanted off other scrap rods and wound them on and glued the windings fast.  It's a good way to make a slightly larger ice rod for burbot and pike.  The first one I made I only used my Swiss army knife and some glue since I didn't have electricity!

[LoneWolf]

I had made my first ice rod about twenty five years ago. The sport wasn't that big and I couldn't find any in my area ..... this was before online ordering. I took a broken fly rod and used the forward section. I had cut an old broomstick handle and drilled a hole in the center of one end. I cut the fly rod tip to the length I wanted and epoxied it into the broomstick handle. I stained the handle and I had an ice rod. The snake eye guides also worked well in eliminating ice build up.

[Doubles Shooter]

Defiantly, have at it. Its a great way to give new life to an old rod. My favorite rods are hand made. I used 8" sections of broom handle for rod handles. very sensitive when you tape on a reel. Have fun

[bigdave1018]

dowling from any hardware store works well to. catching any fish on your homemade rod: priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WartHog]

I have a couple ice fishing rods that I made from broken open water rods.  I cut the tip section down to size and epoxied it into the cork handle that I also cut down.  The rods are graphite and were originally light action rods with soft tips.

[FingerLakesFisher]

During the spring and summer I keep an eye out for broken rods disgarded by fisherman.  I use these to make my tip downs.  I take a dowel fron the local lumber yard, cut it to length, drill a hole in it.  I cut the broken rod down to desired length and glue into hole drilled into dowel. I then drill aonther hole through the dowel perpendicular to the rod.  I insert a smaller dowel all the way through, making a see-saw type of a rig.  I then screw onto it a plastic reel that I usually buy from any store that has ice-fishing gear for about $2.  I then make my base out of a 1x4 and there you go.  Home made tip downs.  I have about 15 or so that I have made over the past year.  They work great and I didn't have to spend but a few bucks to make them all.

[NickP]

Where are you finding the reels? The only circular ones i see are like 6.99

[FingerLakesFisher]

I purchased some small black plastic reels with a white plastic back that has a contour shaped like a semi-circle that fits perfectly over a small broom handle or a dowel.  I got them at Bass Pro last year for no more than $2-3.