Author Topic: Best ice fishing rods (Read 10944 times)

Thearcher1340 · « **on:** Aug 09, 2015, 09:47 AM »

Hey guys new to the site, just getting back into ice fishing. Went at end of season last year with the wife and are little guy, at 15 he's 6'2" and 235. Yes he's designated to pull the sled,lol. All my gear was old, so bought new auger the jiffy propane lite, got a new hut for mama, clams 2000 I believe. Well rods were old and lost one due to a fish that thought he was a freight train, as mama said, she lost the pole and reel,oh boy. So looking for some new poles this year, any suggestions and what about inline reels versus spinning reels?
Spent last 2 days reading some fine fishing tips. The site is awesome be spending a lot of time here, catching up on tricks and the how to's. Thank u for the help guys and oh yeah awesome sponsors.
I am from northeast PA , will be updating profile soon too

ifish4fishwithteeth · « **Reply #1 on:** Aug 09, 2015, 12:13 PM »

I like 13 Fishing. But, that's just my opinion I'm sure you'll get a lot more. There's also St. Croix, Fenwick, Thorne Bros just to name a few. All depends on what you're fishing for and the thickness of your wallet. Lots of options out there.

Thearcher1340 · « **Reply #2 on:** Aug 09, 2015, 12:25 PM »

Be fishing mostly panfish, looking to go a little further north this year for some bigger fish Browns lake trout
Saw the tickle sticks and have been looking at the st croix Any opinions on these 2 rods and any other rods that are used by a bunch of the guys on here that it's like the must have rod. Like I said guys I have been out of the ice fishing thing for about 20 years and just getting out the little I did last year has started that itch all over again almost like having poison ivy lol

fishinchiro307 · « **Reply #3 on:** Aug 28, 2015, 02:16 PM »

I have both the Jason Mitchell Meat Stick and the 13 tickle stick. Both have inline reels and I love them both. I do tend to gravitate to the meat stick more frequently as the eyelets are slightly larger and don't ice up as quickly. As far as the inline reels, I love them. I have a couple of the eagle claw and a couple black betty and the 2 are very similar. BB has better drag, but is also way more expensive.

Lyontyl · « **Reply #4 on:** Aug 28, 2015, 02:28 PM »

Tough to answer as you will probably get the same type of responses as common "what is the best flasher" questions.

I have tried a lot of different brands and a few custom brands. I currently own a mix of Clam, Frabill, 13 Fishing, Tuned Up, St. Croix, and others mixed in.

I would have to say that every company has a rod that can match the rod of someone else but the one company where I literally dropped everything else I was using and went to it was Tune Up Custom Rods. I know there are a lot of custom rods makers but the owners are super nice and easy to work with and I swear on everything holy that I catch more fish because of the rod. They have the perfect amount of backbone and a sensitive tip to see the bite. Try a friends if you have a chance. Jason Mitchell Meatsticks are great although in super cold conditions the eyelets freeze much easier. St. Croix's are good simply because of the spring bobber attached to them, you won't find a better spring bobber in my opinion.

3300 · « **Reply #5 on:** Aug 28, 2015, 05:04 PM »

my best, may not be your best, but i use what i am using now because its the best for me and what i like.

Pflueger Trion Spinning Reel
http://www.pfluegerfishing.com/pflueger-reels-spinning-reels/1313958.html

ASSO SUPER HIGH TENACITY 2# gray
http://www.yourbobbersdown.com/assosht.html

13 Fishing Wicked Ice Rod
i like the19" UL for pans

tungsten jigs

frabill titainium strike indicator, for sure the best wire you can find any where! can pull your jig thru it while its tied on too.

slipperybob · « **Reply #6 on:** Aug 29, 2015, 03:18 AM »

Inline/flyreel is pretty fun. Awesome for finessing moody fish...well picky biters who don't like spinning jigs.

Then there's this set up...light baitcasting reel. That's my best or favorite way to fish. It's slower than open face spinning reels but it more than makes up for the ease of pulling up fish.

UFCreel · « **Reply #7 on:** Aug 29, 2015, 09:22 AM »

Check out the Snitch rod relatively cheap with great sensitivity. Or an ice blues rod by ht.

Thearcher1340 · « **Reply #8 on:** Aug 31, 2015, 06:40 PM »

I think I'm going to try a tune up rod, and try a custom rod maker from Lehigh Fishing Co. Anybody happen to have one of the LFC rods, would really like to know what u think. I have spinning reels to go with these rods, but I've been looking at the inline reels. Had a eagle claw last year, sent back was junk. IMO. The wife's is an eagle claw and works great. Are any of you guys seeing any new reels yet? Is the advantage of the inline reels all about the twist compared to the spinning reels, and have you guys noticed any difference in more bites from one to the other?

Thearcher1340 · « **Reply #9 on:** Aug 31, 2015, 07:03 PM »

Just checked out the snitch rod, pretty impressive. I need to probably get 6-8 new rods. So I think I'm going to break it up a little, like most of you guys said, it's a personal feel. So I'm going to give a couple a try until I decide.

Cantgetenough · « **Reply #10 on:** Aug 31, 2015, 08:56 PM »

I have from Thorne Brothers with a wicked 13 ice reel total cost$115.00 all the way down to the $10.00 HT noodle rod with a $5.00 Frabil reel. For pan fish KISS keep it simple stu---d, dont need to spend tons of cash. There are some great combo's out there that wont break the bank and as you go along upgrade as needed.

Spider1 · « **Reply #11 on:** Sep 01, 2015, 08:46 AM »

I agree. I grabbed 4 HT combos a few years ago and they have worked fine for pan fish up to some fat pickerel and a few nice bass. I'm down 2 rods, one got sat on and the other was eaten by mice. One of the reels stripped on me and another I lost the handle screw down a hole while reeling in a big perch. So now I have 2 left, but they were cheap and I knew it. I'm looking at a couple inline combos, probably gonna settle on one of the eagle claw inline combos. Not too pricey and they get a lot of good reviews.

Lyontyl · « **Reply #12 on:** Sep 01, 2015, 10:14 AM »

I will add to the people that have 13 Fishing Tickle Sticks. I heard a lot a bad stories about the tips breaking on them last year. Enough that it had me call into question the quality of the flat tip they make. Based on the online stories and personal experience of my friends I wouldn't recommend unless I knew for a fact the made some improvements to it in the last season. I know guys on here probably didn't have problems but I heard more complaints about that rod than any other rod last season so it makes me wary.

Thearcher1340 · « **Reply #13 on:** Sep 01, 2015, 08:07 PM »

Spider tried an eagle claw combo last year, was a bust, the reel was a pain in the butt. I did more untangling than anything. Bought the wife one and it worked great. The drag was horrible and the free fall couldn't be adjusted. I don't remember the reel model number,but it did get a lot of bad reviews. Going to stay away from the tickle sticks, spider u hear of Lehighfishing.com he has a nice custom panfish rod for around 60 bucks. Seen it on the outdoor channel. C what you think, let me know.

Spider1 · « **Reply #14 on:** Sep 02, 2015, 10:01 AM »

I saw the same show. Didn't think much about it at the time (Don Jacobs has that effect on me). I just went to the site and saw that they are a disabled veteran owned company. I think I might just have to pick up one of the light rods. Thanks for the heads up. Now I just need a new reel for it

Thearcher1340 · « **Reply #15 on:** Sep 20, 2015, 08:33 PM »

I hear ya about the host.lol. Spider as soon as you start talking to Scott, you'll hit it off with him. I was on the phone with him a good 45 min or so. I'll let you know how I like the rods as soon as I get them. I've been really busy the last couple weeks, was crazy but finally catching up. Just trying to get everything in order so I'm ready for first ice. Just ordered some jigs fromCJS. I think it was like 2 days and I had them, great turnaround time. I'll give ya a holler when the rods show up.

Legend Boats · « **Reply #16 on:** Dec 02, 2015, 11:22 AM »

Choosing a new rod and reel combo can be an ominous task when you are faced with so many options! I have a large variety ranging from St. Croix & Fenwick to 13 Fishing and Frabill. I personally prefer the St. Croix for larger game and 13 Fishing's "wicked ice" for panfish. When you are choosing, be sure to pick a rod with larger eyes as they won't freeze up as quickly especially if you fish out in the open, and one with a solid back bone. Choose one that feels comfortable in the hand with a reel that is properly sized with a smooth drag. I personally started using ultralight tackle last season even when I was fishing for Lakers (15+lb'ers) and had a blast feeling every tail twitch...I also found it was healthier for the fish as I wasn't tempted to "horse" them in!
Cheers Becky - Legend Boats

Dave R · « **Reply #17 on:** Feb 08, 2016, 03:23 PM »

Everyone has their favorites. But no matter what you wind up with, get yourself a couple of Schooley outfits. They're simple to use and have a very sensitive spring bobber. Along with my spinning outfits, I always have a 21" & 26" Schooley with me.

Adkrs · « **Reply #18 on:** Feb 08, 2016, 03:33 PM »

Tucr are the way to go if you can afford 100$ for a rod. They'll handle any fish and last a life time. Fenwick makes a good rod, as well as 13 fishing. Depends on your wallet and what you usually catch

bigredonice · « **Reply #19 on:** Feb 08, 2016, 03:56 PM »

LOL the money some people have to burn on panfish rods!

for panfish I use ice blues and riversiders (30") - both can usually be picked up for under $10, pair them with a spinning reel with a one way anti-reverse and decent drag, and you have a great combo for under $35

not buying into the inline reel fad - overpriced gimmicks

For bigger fish, I am a big fan of st croix premier rods (usually $19-$29) with a decent reel (pfleuger trion, shimano sedona, etc)

BowHunter1527 · « **Reply #20 on:** Mar 11, 2016, 10:36 PM »

LOL its not that we have that much money for rods or that one is that much better than the other. Its that we love to do this sport and when we find something we like we tend to fork over the money to get it. Now for the rods anything 13 has been a great product for myself. Even the Tickle sticks ive seen others on here bad mouth have been awesome rods. Ive got a 23 UL and just ordered another one. If you store them the way they show in the vids most of the issues will go away. The issues that dont I wonder if its just the user being careless. Ive caught eyes N of 5lbs on them with no issues. These past few weeks ive been crappie fishing with them. Great all around rod. On a windy day the flat tip is much easy to see when outside the shack. I also just ordered a new wicked rod bc those have been great as well. Waiting on the inline CGI I just ordered. Not sure if its a gimmick like the last guy talked about or not, but I do know the line twist is a pain in the ass. My #8 manual rods go straight down no issues but they're very slow with a light jig. The funny thing is unless you're getting the BB the rest of the inline are no more expensive then the Trions which was brought up as well.

News:

Author Topic: Best ice fishing rods (Read 10944 times)