If you're fishing for browns on Lake Michigan, I would use a H action ice rod. Some of those browns can grow to a mamouth size and would easily snap a smaller ice rod. I had an encounter with this giant last year.
I know there is some perspective distortion, but the log on the lake bottom is about 10 feet long. I was fishing in about 12 feet of water. The fish was about 6 feet below the ice. It took a real close look at my jig and then swam away.
