New Frabil Ice Rod with built in Spring Bobber

[rickl1968]

Missing

[SINX53]

Did you see the other rods behind Jacek. Looks like a longer staightline combo.  Also the other rod looks like a "bro series" with a baitcaster reel???

[ice pig 121]

Should be some neat stuff, picked up my first Bro series last year and i'm sold.  As far as a combo set up goes the reel is awesome and the rods are very nice.  Cant wait to get my hands on that weird spring bobber thing called an ice rod!

[da man cave shack]

Looks pretty good. I kinda want one.

[shake]

Very cool. Would like to try it out. Also, if you check out the other videos on that channel there's a nice looking spring bobber they're coming out with as well.

[lundin-loading]

Looks like a marmish on steroids

[surflizard]

That would be a blast for shallow water panfish, it pretty much jigs it's self, but it would mean a lot of hand lining in water over 10 feet.

[Gamedog1]

New from Frabil, but those rods been around a long time. Awesome in shallow water. Lots of fun. Nice drag sytem

[SINX53]

Video about new Frabill combos for 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWDC6TTdGo4

[Dark Cloud]

Nice stuff! Just hope the drags are good...
Im really interested in that fly reel with the gear ratio. Hopefully it will be avail as just the reel...

[dkfry]

It is a stillfish rod. That type of rod/reel setup has been around for decades and are made by several manufacturers. Nothing new here except Frabil is now making one.

[Bull Giller]

I missed the rod. I was watching Laura too much.

[Skipper]

My opinion of that video... I will buy anything Laura Schara tells me to.

How are you gonna thread line through that monstrosity when the tube is icy? No thanks.... The coil spring bobbers on the end of that thing are tough enough to thread, but also a 30"+ tube? I'd have to see it done.

If I'm taking that route, I'll stick with the Marmish.

Plus, how are you gonna see a slight tap on a spring bobber that far away? If you ain't looking for light bites, a spring bobber is a waste of time. Looks like a recipe for a sore shoulder from holding the reel way off to your side or behind your back. IMO, spring bobber rods should be short and stout, absolutely no longer than 24".

Besides that, Laura Schara is very photogenic....
 

[Bull Giller]

The big gills and crappies I fish most of the time they inhale and spit the bait so fast that you won't detect that in a spring rod.

[Skipper]

Springs work, they just have to be good ones and close to your nose. That's why my spring bobber rods are only 14'' long. I haven't found a better way to get those pesky deep crappies yet. The line has to be straight too, any coils will wreck it.

My biggest crappies last winter were 30-35' down in 50 fow. It was tricky! I thank lindy for making 2lb ice line that will pull straight under the weight of a tiny jig!!! Now I just gotta figure out why it never made it into full release and now seems to be discontinued....

Russian guy calls it a crappie rod, so I'm just gonna call it a fail.

Bull Giller, You watch with camera?

[Bull Giller]

No camera, just feel the bite.

[Skipper]

I gave up on feeling crappies a long time ago. Sometimes the only indication of a bite is a 1/4'' lift on the spring, I can't feel that. Call me an amateur, but I just can't feel half the weight of my jig going away. I think of all the fish, crappie can be the most pesky. 

[dkfry]

Plus, how are you gonna see a slight tap on a spring bobber that far away? If you ain't looking for light bites, a spring bobber is a waste of time. Looks like a recipe for a sore shoulder from holding the reel way off to your side or behind your back. IMO, spring bobber rods should be short and stout, absolutely no longer than 24".

My biggest crappies last winter were 30-35' down in 50 fow. It was tricky!

I know what you mean. On one lake I fish on if you want to catch fish (especially when it is light out) you have to be in 30-40 fow on the bottom or a couple feet off it. Even with 1lb fluro line a 2mm, 2.5mm or 3mm wolfram jig on my Legend UL strikes can be very hard to detect. You just will not catch them otherwise, especially the larger ones.

Th elength of that "new" Frabil rod is better suited for outside but you can't fish a rod like that outside in below freezing weather, it will be an ice nightmare. Most of my rods are well under 28".

[Rebelss]

I think of all the fish, crappie can be the most pesky.

I haveta vote for those stupid little sunnies. *nibble*peck*ZOOM   
(Yes, I know 'gills are a member of the sunfish family...not counting them!)

[Skipper]

If I get into them, I'm pulling the starter rope on the snowmobile!

[UFCreel]

Guys on the NAIFC trail have been using them for years. Tell those tournament winners. Long rods with spring bobbers don't work. They will smile all the way to the winners circle. I will tell you this. There is a learning curve. Usually two crappie up through the hole. The deepest i fish with my long rods is usually no deeper than 10 feet. One would be surprised how many big crappie are in the weeds shallow. Use your camera to find-em.

[markjsolomon]

THe Marvish looking one is very long I can only see that practical when its a nice day as I can't see that fitting in any shelter

[bassbull]

Those rods are meant to be fish in shallow water. We have a lot of people in my area that use that type of set up for years and that is all they use. I have some and use them off and on. We don't reel in the fish we catch at all .Just set the hook and lift them out of the hole. It is a great rod to use on water that is 10ft. our less. Hole jumpers up here swear by them for crappies and gills. They are not that hard to make either, I've made about 10 of them. I will say this though since I've bought a flasher I have also dropped down in rod length to about 28 inches with a spring bobber and a fly reel. It's a deadly combo for sure. Every one have a good winter. STEVE