Old School !?!

[NorthwoodsIce]

So I jig with poles that are the type with the plastic reel or with no reel at all and use knobs to hold the line.  Am i old school or do others still fish this way?  I look at Gander at all the fancy open face reels and wonder if they are all that better than what i have been using.  I figure as long the fish are looking at my jigs and not my pole/reel that is all that really matters.  What are other peoples feelings on remaining old school?

[DRabbit]

I use a poles with the plastic reels on, have the newer open face too. The new ones are difinetely nice, but the bottom line is if it works you may as well keep using it.

[C.C.]

I feel that there is nothing wrong with old school but new school is much nicer and easier. I was using the old jigging rods with the plastic reelsand the little handle that you couldn't get a hold of with gloves on The last couple of years I started acquiring some up to date rods and reels and it is allot more convenient now.
      Jim

[Haywood]

those are modern.  I still have a few with the 2 pegs that you have to wrap the line around and the spike in the bottom so you can stick them into the ice. 
I also made a couple of "Green Hornets" from Grumpy Old Men, but I keep giving them away. 

[Iceshanty]

There are things you can do with those rods that CANNOT be done with a rod and reel. I catch 100's and 100's of fish with them every year. I prefer the HT econo rods with the wooden handle used with a small float. I will use them up to 16' deep without any trouble, I don't bother with the reel just hand over hand the line in. In the right hands those rods are a deadly weapon and don't let anyone tell you different. Lots of people will laugh at me until they see me in action. When I have some free time I plan on doing a write up of my el' cheapo rod methods. Some companies want you to believe you need the best eqiupment, to me it's not what you have but how you use it.







-Scott

[NorthwoodsIce]

Ice shanty- I am the same as you.  I was taught by a guy a few years ago to fish with what was simple rods and reels.  I have found that when fishing next to people with open face reels and i am hand over handing the fish I can get my bait back to the fish faster and more accurate than them, just my opinion.  Ironically i just had a buddy donate a open face rod and reel to my collection but i think it will get limited use.  Now Iceshanty- how much line do you put on you reels, i have had a problem withthe line just comming off i wonder if i put to much on?

[hali-man]

I've always been of the mind that one should use the best equipment one can afford.
That applies to everything.
I don't have all the "bells and whistles" that some do, but if new (better?) technology exists, why not take advantage of it?
JMO

[Iceshanty]

I only put on 30-40' of line and since I am only fishing panfish and not all that deep with this set-up. Of course unless I have some finicky buggers that require the finesse of this approach Ill go out as far as 25' after that though I bring out the rod and reel. Very low memory 1-3lb test limp line is the key to not having the spool off problem.


-Scott

[big big rdg]

I have never used one of those type jigging poles b/c most of the time i am goin after bigger fish than perch and such. Do those type poles work well on larger fish such as bass or trout?

[icejunky]

My Buddy still uses the old plastic spools his has the double jigging tip and a line counter to let him know how deep he is. Seems to work well for him, and since he only gets out once or twice a season he does feel he needs to upgrade.

[Iceshanty]

Haliman, I guess I am kind of like Tred Barta and like to do things the hard way! 

I've always been of the mind that one should use the best equipment one can afford.
That applies to everything.
I don't have all the "bells and whistles" that some do, but if new (better?) technology exists, why not take advantage of it?
JMO

Not something I would want to try but I am sure it's quite possible.

I have never used one of those type jigging poles b/c most of the time i am goin after bigger fish than perch and such. Do those type poles work well on larger fish such as bass or trout?

-Scott

[camo_fish]

Heck I really only started jigging last year, NAD42 then BigRed got me started on jigging up lakers. I had to use my trout reel with 12#vanish.  And I also used my little ultralite spinning reels for some awesome crappie fishing along with my son's little tigger pole and reel.
I can see were these plastic spool jig poles would work great for panfishing and perching in less then 20-30 FOW, but for now, I'll stick to my little spinning reels.  8)
Fish On!

[richstick]

I think it's hilarious when guys argue that old gear is just as good as newer stuff.    The advantages of ultralight spinning gear are many, the drawbacks are few, imagined, or easily overcome.    The sport has moved forward, get on the bus....

[Iceshanty]

You're not getting it Rich.  Those rods are just another part of my arsenal, don't worry I have plenty of spinning rods and reels of all different types for each situation I may run across. When you close your mind you can't learn new things.


-Scott

[Fish-Doctor]

along with my son's little tigger pole and reel.

Jig pole arsenal consists of a couple ultra-lite open face spinning, couple w/ plastic spool and my son's Scooby-Doo & SpiderMan rod/reel.  I think Scooby and SpiderMan get the most use.  The rods are just the right length and the reels are as easy to use as any others.

[OTIS]

Scott, whens the clinic?

[Iceshanty]

Otis, I spill my guts about this in the chatroom most mornings or evenings whether anyone wants to listen or not 


-Scott

[mullen2525]

those HT econo rods are awesome when you hit a school of pan fish just keep your line at the same depth pull up by hand re bait and instantly at the same depth.

 

I have never used one of those type jigging poles b/c most of the time i am goin after bigger fish than perch and such. Do those type poles work well on larger fish such as bass or trout?

i've caught a few bass on these older style jig rods but nothing to brag about, nothing over 2 pounds.  i'm sure they could handle a decent size fish but a large fish? i'd be skeptical

[curtis_rak]

I've got a couple nice little ice spinning rod setups that I use, just to keep up with the times  . However, I have about a half a dozen 14" long pieces of hockey stick, notched on both ends with about 50' of line wrapped around the length of the stick, from notch-to-notch.

Since I was about 4 years old I have been using these. Now, I use them in conjunction with my more modern setups. They work great for jigging for Perch or pulling Trout through the ice. Throw a bobber in the line and jamb one end of the stick into the snow and walk away.

I still manage to catch fish with them and they are cheap and very reliable!

[akdg]

Just noticed this thread and thought I'd post a pic of my favorite old jig stick.  I made it about 25 years ago and have caught many perch with it.  It's a bit shorter than it began because every few years the line cuts it's way through the tip and it needs to be redrilled. If the perch are really bitting I get this stick out and can out fish guys with reels because I can "windmill" the fish up pretty fast.  Once you get the hang of it, it is really fun.  I pretty much use spinning reels any more, but when we find a good school and things are happening this is my favorite way of doing it.

[farmer ted]

I have to agree with the guys using the plastic reel jigging rods. I use the schooley rods and plastic reels for panfishing. The spinning reels tend to tangle and freeze while fumbling around with fish.  With the little jiggin rods, you just pull the line up and thats it. I prefer the spring bobber over a float. As far as walleye,crappie and bass, I stick with the spinning gear.

[jacksmelt71]

hell i caught lakers last year on alder branches w/30lb mono just the way my grandfather did. you freeze them in the ice at a 45deg angle with the tip over the hole .put a small slit in the tip for the line to run through. then you tie a 30ft section of line to the branches base. find your depth with your bait then pinch the line in the notch in the tip firm enough to hold it there. loosely coil the excess line near the hole. i then tied a 12in section of orange engineer tape to the tip so you can see the bite better.the excess line slides through the notch in the tip till it his the end. youll see the branch bouncing up and down . you then know hes on. even if your hole freezes the mono still can slide through the ice no problem. i made these tip ups to show these guys that were talking crap that you dont always have to have the best to catch fish. me and the boy had a blast making them too! caught a bunch of 3-4lb lakers on them.

[empty hook]

So I jig with poles that are the type with the plastic reel or with no reel at all and use knobs to hold the line.  Am i old school or do others still fish this way?  I look at Gander at all the fancy open face reels and wonder if they are all that better than what i have been using.  I figure as long the fish are looking at my jigs and not my pole/reel that is all that really matters.  What are other peoples feelings on remaining old school?

  I have two friends that are great gill fishermen and they still use the rods like yours.  How ever they fish mostly in 6'-12'of water.  When they jig for for Mr Walley they use open face reels.

[Phoenix]

My buddy