DIY rod sock

[BKToad]

Made some rod socks for my ice rods out of braided PET sleeving.  Very easy process.  And can make a dozen sleeves for the cost of a pair from the store.  Not the best pictures, but they work pretty darn slick.  Just need to buy the Flexo Pet sleeve material and some 3/8” heat shrink tube.

[jchunter]

Very cool. I've been thinking about doing this. Where did you order from?

[esox_xtm]

Yep. Done that. Ordered off eBay. Very cheap and quick to make.

[BKToad]

Very cool. I've been thinking about doing this. Where did you order from?

Amazon.  I got a 25’ spool of 1” sleeve.  The manufacturer/seller is Alex Tech.  About 40% the price of the Techflex brand.  But super limited color wise.  The 1” fits my spinning rods pretty well.  Could maybe use 3/4”. But the 1” fits tight enough to hold securely, yet slide off super easily.

Used a soldering iron to cut the material.

Hardest part is folding the reel-side into itself.  You have to make a 1/4” fold into the sleeve, then a 1/2” fold over that. 

25’ spool can make about 13 sleeves.

[jchunter]

Thank you. Going to look it up.

[esox_xtm]

Watch and learn. This is where I learned...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAagfH11HB8

[maddogg]

I roll the butt end over it self on the out side. I then expand it so it's large enough to fit over all the guides and the handle and i coat it with liquid electrical tape. This makes it really easy to slid over the rod.

[IrishnId]

Awesome! I'll be making a bunch of those up soon. Thanks.

[GottaMark]

Sweet idea!

[slipperybob]

Nice!

More projects for me in the future.

[openingact]

Didn't realize it would be this easy to make. Wish I hadn't bought the ones I did.

[esox_xtm]

I roll the butt end over it self on the out side. I then expand it so it's large enough to fit over all the guides and the handle and i coat it with liquid electrical tape. This makes it really easy to slid over the rod.

My procedure for this is a little different. I don't have the fancy heat thingy in the video so I cut with a sharp blade and touch the ends to a steel piece on a hot plate to keep ends from unravelling

For the "trumpet" end I fold to the inside, insert a tapered piece of wood (a section of old table leg) to expand as far as it goes and hit it with the heat gun. This will reset the memory and stiffen that end just a bit to make it easier to handle.

I believe I got some 3/4" material but on rods with higher/larger guides you will need at least 1" or so.

[cleveland]

Do you still put your ice rods in a rod bag or is this instead of using a bag?

[BKToad]

Do you still put your ice rods in a rod bag or is this instead of using a bag?

I have a heavy duty “tote” in my flip over sled that fits my rods and pretty much everything else short of an auger.  Doubles as my seat.

[rundrave]

those of you who tried this, can anyone follow up and report how well this has worked? Any pros or cons or anything you would do different than what has already described in this thread?

Meant to do this already but wanted to revisit this thread to get any more suggestions or ideas to try.

[PoleJerker]

Really easy to do just make sure when you cut the flex sleeve not to to use scissors.  I learned the hard way. 

[esox_xtm]

those of you who tried this, can anyone follow up and report how well this has worked? Any pros or cons or anything you would do different than what has already described in this thread?

Meant to do this already but wanted to revisit this thread to get any more suggestions or ideas to try.

The procedure for making the slicks is easy. The more you do the easier it gets. One thing I have found I do not like is if I leave a jig on the rod and slide the slick home. If that hook gets snagged up on the inside it's a bear to get out, even in the warmth of your home. Doing it with cold fingers? Yeah...