Author Topic: Rod for Lakers? (Read 11010 times)

nicjohnsrud · « **on:** Dec 10, 2014, 10:31 PM »

Hey everyone, I'm looking to buy an ice rod for lakers. Last year I went to Green Lake in WI with a friend of mine fishing for lake trout. I'm planning on going a few times this year with him and I hate borrowing gear. I was planning on using 10 lb fireline with a fluorocarbon leader on my summer spinning reel. Last year we fished in water 100' to 140'. Looking for a 36" or shorter rod because his shanty is pretty small, and looking to spend under $50. I was looking at the Clam Dave Genz split rod, but the Heavy rod is 40". Do I really need a heavy rod? I'm not super familiar with Green Lake, but I know he's hooked into some mosters up there. Being a panfisherman, I'm very new to anything over a pound, any help would be appreciated!

Last years takehome:

river rat78 · « **Reply #1 on:** Dec 11, 2014, 08:27 AM »

This is my first time catching lakers through the ice and I can pretty much say you want a Heavy rod. Biggest one that I landed was over 10lbs and gave me a run for my money. Hooked into one that was probably around 15lbs or bigger and fought it for over 10 minutes before it got off at the hole. I would ask your friend since he has experience with lakers.

gorf37 · « **Reply #2 on:** Dec 11, 2014, 02:18 PM »

My 2 cents:

Especially when dealing on the cheaper end of the price spectrum, heavy rods are terrible. In my experience they are so stiff you may as well cut your rod out of a stick (I actually have a hockey stick that catches lakers quite effectively, but I digress…).

Far more important for you is avoiding line break offs. Big lakers will snap off your leader and laugh at you. For that reason, I actually prefer a soft-ish medium heavy rod, or a stiff-ish medium rod. My two primary set ups are a 28” MH Aetos (probably the exact rod I would recommend to you) and a 28” M Ugly Stick. Yes, the ugly stick gets folded-up when fighting a big laker, but at that point the shock absorption for big head shakes comes from the reel’s drag far more than from the rod.

There’s something to be said for using heavy (12-20lb) mono for lakers because it’s so much more resilient against break-offs (12lb mono with 15lb floro leader is my go to), but when fishing deep water braid & fluoro are sure great for hook sets, so I won’t discourage you from going that route.

The most important element of your rig, in my opinion, is max drag, and drag performance in its upper end of your drag range. When catching fish up to 10lbs, your proposed rod and line are strong enough that you’ll be able to fight the lakers without too much of a care, keeping the drag loose-ish, and enjoying their drag-screaming runs. When you get into a hog, especially an energetic hog, they will threaten to spool you, and at that point you’ll have to tighten your drag to stop them. How does your drag perform when that happens? Is it smooth and continuous? Is it easy to adjust on the fly? If it gets sticky, as many drags do, you’ll get broken off. Maybe not during the actual run, but on the next head shake, or when you’ve brought the fish to the hole, but haven’t loosened your drag back-off. I’ve lost fish to both having too little max drag, getting spooled then broken-off, and to tightening the drag down too much, trying to horse a fish in, and getting broken off.

That’s so many words we might have to call it 3 cents! Hope it helps!

river rat78 · « **Reply #3 on:** Dec 11, 2014, 09:11 PM »

Pretty informative reply. I thought a stiffer rod would work better in order to get a good hookset. Especially with their hard mouth. I'm thinking about getting a new rod/reel set up for lakers next year. I'll just have to get by with what I have for now.

Mr.Harry · « **Reply #4 on:** Dec 11, 2014, 09:42 PM »

Definitely DONT use your panfish rod. Lol. I fish the same water you do in NH, and our lakers are considerably smaller than what you're going to get into with your pal in WI. You may not need a true 'heavy' stick, but like the man said, I would look into something med-heavy for sure. I'm not an expert and personal bested with a mere 4.5 lber last year on winni, but I CAN tell you that I got that fish on a medium/heavy stick after losing out on some big hits with a limp medium rod before. On Winni. In maybe 46 feet of water, with a 1oz. Bucktail. Too much flex in the rod to rip a proper hookset. I knew immediately i had the wrong rod. Now, you're talking about 8 or 10lb fish? 100 foot plus of line out?..... You don't need to break the bank on a St. Croix, but you need something heavier than your crappie rod. For sure.

wyoutdoors · « **Reply #5 on:** Dec 11, 2014, 09:48 PM »

I have really enjoyed using the Jason Mitchell rod combo's over the past couple of seasons. Both the 28" Meatstick in Medium Action, and I picked up a couple of the Jason Mitchell Gen7 Elite Series in Medium Action, are great rods for Lakers. I enjoy playing fish on lighter tackle and line, with smaller baits. This photo has the 28" Meatstick Med Action with a 1/4 oz spoon

- wyoutdoors

nicjohnsrud · « **Reply #6 on:** Dec 12, 2014, 09:31 PM »

So much great information, thank you guys so much!

gorf37 · « **Reply #7 on:** Dec 15, 2014, 03:34 PM »

@ River Rat - I thought about this thread some more this weekend, and it really depends on the conditions as to what ends up being preferred.

The main reason I advocate against the heavy rods is that I've yet to see one that isn't so stiff that all sensitivity is lost. Your point about deep water hook sets is well taken, and I agree. To compensate for that issue, I've adjusted my hook sets when fishing deep water. These aren't the twitch of a panfish rod, they are full arm 'cranks' of the rod combined with reeling hard as soon as I find resistance.

My laker fishing is done mostly in 50FOW or less, and mostly in -20C or below, and not in a hut. The temperature alone makes braid totally impractical for me, but if I was consistently targetting lakers in 100FOW or more, I'd probably have to look closer at braid (and a heated hut) because the stretch of mono would hurt sensitivity and hook sets too much.

Homewrecker · « **Reply #8 on:** Dec 17, 2014, 08:43 PM »

Ice fishing Laker Rods with 30 lb braid and 3 ft fluorocarbon leader Average laker targeting is 12 lbs

1) Laker Pro XL 38 inch rod medium/heavy ( bought mine at Cabalas around $20.)

2) Ice Blue Heavy ( great for fishing outside the tent ,has large guides causing less freeze up )

Good luck !

MacksandBows · « **Reply #9 on:** Dec 28, 2014, 08:48 PM »

Something to consider if you're looking to save some money,,, I've got my favorite laker rod (which has landed macks in the 38 to 40 lb. range,) which I made. I took a ugly stick casting rod I bought at a garage sale for 5 bucks, and cut it off a bit above the rod handle. Then put epoxy putty in the handle section, and inserted the forward section into the handle. That gave me a rod short enough for the ice house, yet strong enough to set on those big fish at depth. I'm usually fishing at 85 to 120 fow.
I also agree the drag on the reel makes a big difference on landing those big fish. I like a level wind casting reel for the smooth drag.
I use a braid and a fluorocarbon leader to reduce the stretch at those depths. Otherwise, it is like trying to set the hook with a rubber band. Mono stretches too much for me. Just my thoughts,,,,

350 Mag · « **Reply #10 on:** Feb 06, 2015, 11:35 PM »

I really like Jason Mitchell Mackinaw baitcasting rod and Daiwa Millionaire reels.

Cabelas usually has them on for $35 a couple times per year, the Mackinaws are around 35, great combo, and the roads guides are also spiral wrapped around the tip.

PERSONA · « **Reply #11 on:** Feb 07, 2015, 07:20 AM »

Spend the money and get a custom built rod! Jason Mitchell rods are garbage there isn't a one that has a backbone for a decent hook set on a bigger Mack! Find the length that suits your needs go with a med heavy along with a fast tip and you won't be disappointed!

wyoutdoors · « **Reply #12 on:** Feb 09, 2015, 12:41 PM »

Quote from: PERSONA on Feb 07, 2015, 07:20 AM

Spend the money and get a custom built rod! Jason Mitchell rods are garbage there isn't a one that has a backbone for a decent hook set on a bigger Mack! Find the length that suits your needs go with a med heavy along with a fast tip and you won't be disappointed!

You may spend more money for a nicer custom rod, but the Jason Mitchell Elite Series 28" is one of the best rods for the money. I've taken some very nice lakers with the JM series, and certainly not "garbage" in my opinion. Here's one from the other day.

Hyland33 · « **Reply #13 on:** Feb 22, 2015, 04:42 PM »

I use a 28" medium Shakespeare rod, love having it bend in half when I hook a laker haha

Junior48 · « **Reply #14 on:** Mar 05, 2015, 10:41 AM »

If I could find a rod like the one I have now I would get 3 more of them. It was my dads rod from way back in the day. I think it is called an Brush Ice but i can't remember off hand who makes it. It also has a Penn no 9 reel on it. It is great for fighting large Mac's.

Sprocket · « **Reply #15 on:** Mar 05, 2015, 12:08 PM »

Quote from: Hyland33 on Feb 22, 2015, 04:42 PM

I use a 28" medium Shakespeare rod, love having it bend in half when I hook a laker haha

Shakespeare also makes a 30" ice rod in MH - as a n00b to laker fishing would the M or MH be a better choice? I intend to put a bait casting reel on it.

thx

JJBat150 · « **Reply #16 on:** Mar 05, 2015, 06:00 PM »

I've been running the Shakespeare Ugly Stik USGXICE30MH, and it definitely bends in half when you get a hook-up.

It seems like it's got a bit too much "give" when trying to set the hook, so I just added an HT Laker Pro Series Medium Heavy (LKP-32MH) to my collection, and so far, it's helped with the hookups.

I'm running low profile bait casting reels on them both.

Between the rods and reels, I would say I've got between 50-80 dollars invested in each set-up.

I started out jigging for Lakers with couple of Ice Blue heavy's, but you could probably duct tape a reel to a broom stick with a screw eye in the end, and get the same effect for less money.

BillyGoat · « **Reply #17 on:** Mar 05, 2015, 08:44 PM »

I have a rule I go by. if the fish you expect to catch is 10+ lbs its going to be 30in range . so you want a rod that's longer than the fish you catch because the head shakes are going to pop the hook out because u have no tension . I use a 43" MH Gander Mt $25

yotepounder · « **Reply #18 on:** Mar 05, 2015, 09:15 PM »

I use custom 48" rods. But I have a clam split handle 40" in heavy action that's pretty decent. Clam also makes some 36" med heavy that a guide friend of mine uses for lakers that he likes a lot. Online 20 bucks. If I was buying a clam I'd buy the 40" heavy. Plenty of sensitivity and good backbone. Not a custom rod but best I've come across and we have bought a bunch over the years online to try out only to be disappointed. If ya got the cash have one made. I'd buy the clam over the Jason Mitchell, learned that the hard way. You don't need a real wet noodle end to feel the bite. If you're waiting to see the bite on the pole usually you're gonna be behind. The bite is just a tick and then you want backbone for hook set in deep water. I set the hook like I'm trying to turn em inside out. Think braid braid braid! I switched from flouro this year. Not great outside if it's really cold but sensitive ( zero stretch ) Dont matter what rod ya got if ya have this giant slinky hanging in 100 foot of water. Anyways hope this helps.

BillyGoat · « **Reply #19 on:** Mar 06, 2015, 11:48 AM »

you tube (true monster lake trout finger lakes ) see the rod in action. 36" laker 15 1/2 lbs PB thru ice

Sprocket · « **Reply #20 on:** Mar 08, 2015, 09:56 AM »

JJ. What reels are you using? I'd,like to put bat asters on but I don't have a lot of experience with them so selection has been difficult.
Thanks

Mr.Harry · « **Reply #21 on:** Mar 08, 2015, 02:58 PM »

Quote from: Sprocket on Mar 08, 2015, 09:56 AM

JJ. What reels are you using? I'd,like to put bat asters on but I don't have a lot of experience with them so selection has been difficult.
Thanks

everybody has a preference. ILike to pop one of smaller Okuma open-water trollers off and use that on my jig stick through the ice. Works great. Before I had sonar, I found the line counter to be very helpful in keeping track of where my jig was in the water column. They have great, smooth drags that are pretty quick to adjust. High crank ratio, quick drop on free-spool, lots of capacity. Perfect. Se times I like to thumb the spool to feel super light hits whe I'm jigging before I crank & rip. Works for me.

JJBat150 · « **Reply #22 on:** Mar 08, 2015, 03:53 PM »

The low profile reels I'm running are ones I picked up from the bargain bin at Wally World; they were still in original packaging (it was damaged), so I don't think they were someone's returned rejects. One's a Shakespeare Agility and the other is a Daiwa Laguna. They're nothing spectacular, but they do get the jigs down to the bottom pretty quick, and the drag is sufficient to handle everything I've hooked so far.

When I first started jigging lakers, I tried using a old Penn Peerless 9 that I had laying around; unfortunately, it isn't really set-up to be able to "thumb" the line on the drop, and I ended up with a mess.

TwoLightsKid · « **Reply #23 on:** Mar 09, 2015, 01:48 PM »

Abu Garcia ambassadeur round reels are great. 5500 and 6500 size readily available used on ebay, usually seem to go in the $50-70 range. Just make sure they are lubed with something that works well in cold weather. Great reels for a wide range of open water use too, so you're not just buying something for ice fishing.

Yukoner · « **Reply #24 on:** Mar 09, 2015, 02:10 PM »

Quote from: gorf37 on Dec 11, 2014, 02:18 PM

My 2 cents:

Especially when dealing on the cheaper end of the price spectrum, heavy rods are terrible. In my experience they are so stiff you may as well cut your rod out of a stick (I actually have a hockey stick that catches lakers quite effectively, but I digress…).

Far more important for you is avoiding line break offs. Big lakers will snap off your leader and laugh at you. For that reason, I actually prefer a soft-ish medium heavy rod, or a stiff-ish medium rod. My two primary set ups are a 28” MH Aetos (probably the exact rod I would recommend to you) and a 28” M Ugly Stick. Yes, the ugly stick gets folded-up when fighting a big laker, but at that point the shock absorption for big head shakes comes from the reel’s drag far more than from the rod.

There’s something to be said for using heavy (12-20lb) mono for lakers because it’s so much more resilient against break-offs (12lb mono with 15lb floro leader is my go to), but when fishing deep water braid & fluoro are sure great for hook sets, so I won’t discourage you from going that route.

The most important element of your rig, in my opinion, is max drag, and drag performance in its upper end of your drag range. When catching fish up to 10lbs, your proposed rod and line are strong enough that you’ll be able to fight the lakers without too much of a care, keeping the drag loose-ish, and enjoying their drag-screaming runs. When you get into a hog, especially an energetic hog, they will threaten to spool you, and at that point you’ll have to tighten your drag to stop them. How does your drag perform when that happens? Is it smooth and continuous? Is it easy to adjust on the fly? If it gets sticky, as many drags do, you’ll get broken off. Maybe not during the actual run, but on the next head shake, or when you’ve brought the fish to the hole, but haven’t loosened your drag back-off. I’ve lost fish to both having too little max drag, getting spooled then broken-off, and to tightening the drag down too much, trying to horse a fish in, and getting broken off.

That’s so many words we might have to call it 3 cents! Hope it helps!

That is my experience, as well. More fish lost close to the hole with stiff rods than anything else.

In my experience a medium action 30-36" rod, with a good level wind reel loaded up with 15-20# mono, is the best combination for big trout.

Ted

Mr.Harry · « **Reply #25 on:** Mar 09, 2015, 07:07 PM »

I would never use an open water bait-caster on a jigging rid. You're not CASTING anything. Use a round level wind. Troll reel.

Mr.Harry · « **Reply #26 on:** Mar 09, 2015, 07:22 PM »

iMO, the best possible reel you could put on any laker jigging rid in the med. heavy to heavy range would be the Okuma Cold Water Trolling Reel. Smallest size they make. I have one of them in a larger size on one of my trolling set-ups and its better than my shimanos. I thought about buying the tiny one just for my Laker ice rod but opted to switch out a smaller Okuma I already had because o wasn't in the market to spend over 2 Hundo on 2 reels at the time. BUT, after using the larger ColdWater Troller on open water and appreciating it's function, I'm GOING to buy the small one for my jig stick next year. I'm a shimano guy in almost all reel situations, so if I find something that I think works better, I'm not recommending it out of blind brand loyalty.

Sprocket · « **Reply #27 on:** Mar 12, 2015, 05:41 PM »

Based on the advice here I got a Shakespeare Ugly Stik 30" MH rod - I also got a Shimano AX4000FB reel for it - I think the reel is too much for the rod. A 2500 for the same $$ would have been a better choice - it's my fault for not doing more research but there it is.

Thanks for the advice Gents.

APJ · « **Reply #28 on:** Apr 01, 2015, 10:35 AM »

Cant beat the ugly sticks I Use the medium light 30'' with 10lb fluoro, Caught many 10lb and a 12 lb Laker this winter no problem. I like the fight, not just reel them up..

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Author Topic: Rod for Lakers? (Read 11010 times)