Author Topic: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod  (Read 2243 times)

Offline thinblueline

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Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« on: Mar 19, 2021, 08:28 PM »
I tend to agree with some of the recommendations to start with a few quality ice rods as opposed to spending money accumulating numbers of lesser quality rods from the get go. I know guys at work who have five gallon buckets full of the next great cheap rod, and I’d rather not go that route.

I was wondering if you guys might share the make, model and length of your favorite panfish rod for feeling bites, and your favorite panfish rod for seeing bites. I’d also be curious what percentage of the time you’re chasing panfish outside of the shanty as opposed to inside, and how that affected your choice in rod length. Thanks in advance for participating.

Offline VTLakers

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #1 on: Mar 20, 2021, 01:30 AM »
I just bought the 13 fishing Snitch #8 this season and it if my go to rod for chasing yellow and white perch now and hopefully crappie soon. It also has a nice orange tip on it so seeing bites is super easy too. I have the 29 inch light action rod which works great for inside and out side of the shanty. This rod held up really well with white perch pushing 2lbs and I felt in control the whole time. Another reason I went with this rod was because it wasnt that expensive and fit into my price range.

Offline zcm_82

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #2 on: Mar 20, 2021, 06:49 AM »
I do almost all of my fishing sitting in my fish house.

My favorite UL for sight fishing with plastics is a 22" Frabill Fenris. You can't really feel bites on it, or even see them well, but it gets really good action on little micro plastics with minimal hand movement. I use it a lot for fishing shallows on days the fish are being really finicky/light biting.

For feeling/seeing panfish bites, my favorite is a Shakespeare Wild. It has really good sensitivity. It is right in that sweet spot between being too stiff and wet noodle.

Offline meandcuznalfy

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #3 on: Mar 20, 2021, 12:34 PM »
Best ones I have are rods I built around a bass khang power noodle and panfish noodle, very sensitive to see and feel the bite, but lots of back bone for larger fish. Both 36" for in the shack or outside of it.

Offline rdhammah

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #4 on: Mar 20, 2021, 12:42 PM »
feeling bites? I do a ot of crappie fishing and often. if not most times, the bite is light. they will also "upbite". Feeling their bite is usually impossible since i am outside and wearing gloves. That's why I prefer a rod with a light tip. I build my own noodle rods for gills and crappie. I got a deal on EBay for 32" graphite rod blanks. Found out that they are 2 pc rods with the top half being solid and the bottom have tubular. soft consistent action from tip to tip. Easy to adjust the rod power a bit by cutting the tip. Just no backbone.

Offline badger132

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #5 on: Mar 20, 2021, 12:47 PM »
I fish perch in 20-35 feet of water, and we use larger baits. #4 rippin rap or similar. My favorite is a 26 or 28 inch Fenwick Elite tech in Medium Light action. Has enough backbone to set the hook, and keeps the line tight so I lose less than with the ultra light rods I have tried. I fish outside and jig, so I am not going to see the bite most days in the wind.

Offline Nysrx

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #6 on: Mar 21, 2021, 05:25 AM »
I use the Fish 13 Widowmakers. They are a step up from the snitch and cost twice as much but the sensitivity of these rods are great. I have 2- 27 inch UL Widowmaker and 1- 29 inch snitch with orange quick tip. I always grab my widow maker first and end up keeping the snitch for a back up. I have both style handles in the widowmaker the reel seat handle and Tennessee handle. It doesn’t really make a difference which one. It would just be  a personal preference.

Offline DR.SPECKLER

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #7 on: Mar 22, 2021, 01:29 PM »
Another vote for the no 8 snitch 25”.it’s my go to for specks and Gills when jigging 3 or 4mm jigs.the tip is super whippy and thats  the only part that bends on the rod.the rest is all backbone.it’s awkward at first due to that.watching the line is more reliable than feeling the bite in any rod.jmo

Offline slipperybob

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #8 on: Mar 23, 2021, 04:15 PM »
It was a long time just the St. Croix Premiere ice rod the 28" ML until I switched up to the Thorne Bros. Panfish Sweetheart.  I wasn't blown away at first but it was when I actually used it.  There was a huge difference from just the feel of the empty rod to the actual performance merit while jigging with a lure and even more so while hooked up to a fish.  For some reason the Tennessee cork handles just never grown on me.  They were functional but never liked the somewhat flex/movement on them with a big fish on. 

Then I decided to get one custom made with an actual reel seat and had additional line guides put on.  I like how that performed so much better, but never really like the pulsation effect of spinning gear on short rods.  Then by chance decided to put a bait casting reel on and poof, it became the best combination for me.  I've been using this one rod combo over 90 percent of the time for my ice fishing.  Catching anything from smelt all the way to catfish.

The biggest influence why I'm happy with the Thorne Bros Panfish Sweetheart rod and bait casting reel set up is that the rod does not torsion roll on the line guides.  I thread my line through the line guides and rotate the rod as in a manner of spline checking and the line guides do not twist over like most other rods.  No spiral wrap line guides needed.  For most use like jigging, it doesn't matter.  However there are sometimes larger fish that will torsion a rod with the line guides on the topside.  The Thorne Bros rod does a very good job at resisting torsion.
For more information read my MN nice journal

Offline ICEHOLE

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #9 on: Mar 23, 2021, 05:49 PM »
I too tried the Widowmaker, after using the Snitch.  The second time out, the tip snapped off on me.  I didn't expect that after spending $100 on the rod.  I called the company and they wanted to replace the rod.  I told them that I would rather have (2) Snitch #8 in the 25in length instead of the Widowmaker, because I didn't have any confidence in them.  The guy says, " you realize that the Snitch is a $30 dollar rod and the Widowmaker is a $100 rod.  I politely told him yes and that I in fact already had (2) Snitches.   He laughed and said ok.  Two weeks later I had a backup set of Snitch #8's, that I will probably never use.  The tips on the Widowmaker are certainly a finer and more delicate tip, but they just don't have the strength of the Snitch.  And if you can already feel and see a fish breath on your jig, why do you need to be able to feel or see them fart on it?  Especially given the fact that the Widowmaker cost you three times more!  Just my .02.
I bought one, a widowmaker. On clearance at a nearby hardware shop for $50. In the parking lot I decided to check it out more and realized the tip was broken off already. Ended up exchanging for a tickle stick that I've only had the chance to jig shiners and it worked great. I was also using a camera so I didn't have to watch the tip

Offline ICEHOLE

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #10 on: Mar 24, 2021, 09:37 AM »
I actually bought a tickle stick before I had purchased my first Snitch#8.  I didn't like it because I didn't think it was sensitive enough.  So, I gave it to my son.  Tanner is 21 and has been ice fishing for quite awhile.  I say that because I don't want people to think that I was giving it to someone who wouldn't know the difference.  He absolutely loves it!  I've said it over and over again, If everyone liked Fords, they never would have started making Chevy's!  A wide array of rods, reels, flip over's, hub's, flasher's, graph's, etc, etc. etc. is what keeps "everyone" happy.  There have been threads on here about the amount of various different ice fishing equipment on the market and the question being asked, why?  This thread is the reason why!  Why is because people like different things and the market fluctuates to accommodate "everyone".
The only rod i have bought that i didnt like was the clam mack medium 38"...opposite end of spectrum. super stiff.. BUT then i used it during an epic day of huge lake trout, and its perfect for that application. not much else
i buy 4 or 5 jig rods every season just out of curiosity
i bought the tickle stick to get away from spring bobbers

Offline NEZ

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #11 on: Mar 24, 2021, 10:13 AM »
I absolutely love my Widow maker UL in 24 inches.  Even the smallest of fish you can feel the bite and will bounce the rod tip.  It is also strong enough to handle a 24 inch channel cat with my Black Betty 6061.  I have 2 of these set up all the time in my sled.  Nez

Offline fishingeek

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #12 on: Mar 24, 2021, 01:10 PM »
St. Croix Avid Glass. I have one in 26", 30" and 34". They are my go to's for when I need to see the bite when they are in a finicky mood. Don't even need a spring bobber because the tip is solight and sensitive. I can see the upbite on crappie too.

Offline wirehairman

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #13 on: Mar 24, 2021, 01:48 PM »
I use a 29" #8 Snitch for feel (graphite) and a 30" TUCR Bullwhip for sight fishing (fiberglass).  Love them both.

I tend to fish small spoons a lot more than jigs and regularly hook into trout or walleye while fishing for perch so went with the Bullwhip over the TUCR Precision Noodle.

Offline HWeber

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Re: Your Go To Feel & Sight Panfish Rod
« Reply #14 on: Mar 24, 2021, 10:09 PM »
Personally wouldn't fish anything shorter than 28" but some folks really like the shorter rods. Lots of good options mentioned. Beaver dam noodle would be another option to look at for a see the bite rod.

 



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