rod setup for Newbie

[ufflmaster]

I have been lurking for a while but this is my first post. I am an avid open water fisherman but new to ice fishing. I purchased a house on a private 5 acre pond last winter and also have access to a couple 10 acre lakes close to my house owned by a golf course I am a member of. All the lakes have excellent bluegill w/ large numbers 8.5" and over as well as great crappie fishing. I currently only have a 32" UL Ice Blue rod and a 30" Frabill QT. All of my openwater rods are over $100 but I am probably not in the market for a $100 custom rod this year. The purchase of a FL18 vexilar and a ice striker ice suit have gotten the CFO attention so probably no new rods over $50 this year. I am assuming the Ice Blue will be fine for a "noodle rod", will this be fine for smaller non tungsten jigs? Will this tip load enough on say a size 12 non tungsten ice jig? Regarding the QT rod, will this rod be fine/load enough for upbites when using say 4 MM tungsten (1/32 oz I believe)? Also, will this rod be enough rod to handle 1/16" oz slender spoons as well as 1/8 oz jigging raps?  I appreciate any advise and if there is a "hole" in my rod lineup I'm fine spending about $50 on another rod. be it either a better noodle rod, second QT, or a slightly stiffer rod. I will be doing all of my fishing outside, no shelter and fairly windy if that matters. Thanks all

[stinkyfingers]

Welcome Ufflmaster. Not too late to spit the hook and find another winter hobby before you're too far in. I'll let others answer your questions since I don't fish those species but please post your location so we'll know where we need to schedule our winter vacations.

[IceholeFisherman]

Those rods will work. I would put more money into good reels with a good drag system first.

[ufflmaster]

Reels shouldn't be an issue. The QT was a Bro series combo and that reel doesn't look terrible. I also have some president 6920 and 6920 limited edition reels I can pull from open water ultralight's that I assume would be fine on ice rods? Obviously I would swap line down to 2 lb on these. I was more worried if the rods I have would cover all the applications I would need them for.

[chukkrok]

Schooley rods!!!!!!! Tried and true,best bargain out there,do yourself a favor and get some schooley's

[Dave R]

Schooley rods!!!!!!! Tried and true,best bargain out there,do yourself a favor and get some schooley's

X2 gotta love a Schooley. Never go out on the ice without one.

[slipperybob]

You've got a noodle rod and a soft tip type of rod.  One can jig with any rod.  If you're into jigging spoons or raps, then all you need is an actually jigging type of rod or you may want one.  Be it an UL or L rod, but if I'm pulling in 8.5" bluegills, I'll go with ML type of jigging rod.

Every rod will have some subtle differences.  Some will be better at lure presentations, while others will do better job at controlling the fish fight.

[Unclegillhunter]

The rods you have should work just fine. I too switch a couple of 6920's form my summer rods to my ice rods. If you just have to got a new rod check out 13 fishing. their tickle sticks go for $50.00
Hope you have a safe and productive ice season.
Keep it safe! JDL

[RyanW]

The striker suit and the flasher just covered most of your basic gear. Good job on that part man! You’re rods sound good too. If you’re just getting into ice fishing, $100 custom ice rods should be least of your concerns.

My favorite jigging rod for small spoons and raps is my 32” rod I built myself using a Sportsmen’s Direct 32” Extreme Taper Fiberglass blank. I built it for around $40-$50 using a diy setup and I purchased an 18rpm drying motor. The action seems to be perfect for jigging those baits. It handles bass and pike exceptionally well too. If I were a walleye guy I have no doubts it would work well for eyes too.




I know I need to vacuum lol If you plan on spending around $50 bucks for a rod, building you’re own is a completely viable option. I think all ice anglers should build at least one rod.

[Foxzyk]

Those rods are fine, x2 on reels with good smooth drags. Learn to watch your line over the rod tip, this year im using light powered rods for more backbone over an Ultra light. The tip sensitivity is less but I watch my line and have out fished my buddies with their ultra fine tips and spring bobbers every time. It's awesome.

[RStock521]

If you're just starting out, make sure you have ice picks.  I see you've got the float suit, and that's awesome, but I had to run over and toss my picks to a guy yesterday who went through with a float coat on.  He just couldn't grip anything to pull himself out of the ice, so he was struggling a bit.  Just a friendly reminder, it was the first time I've seen someone go through in person, so I'm trying to share my experience to help others out.

I don't really think you need a $50 rod, I got a custom rod built last year, but I was running out of gear to buy, so it was more of a luxury thing lol.  I think I'd take a quality reel over a quality rod, but I also don't like to finess fish too often, so your requirements may be different.

Another tip I would give is to buy the best gear you can afford, rather than buy cheaper stuff only to upgrade later.  I've seen buddies make this mistake on a couple things, and it ends up costing you more in the long run.  Cleats, sleds, shelters, augers, reels, spud bar, heater, etc.

This ice thing is very addicting and can be just as safe as open water fishing as long as you take the necessary precautions.  Good luck and have fun!

[Sandcountrylivin]

Quite simply the answer to your question is yes you need one more rod devoted to jigging. There are a million options and they will not break the bank. Ugly stick, fenwick, Shakespeare wild series, clam. Any of them will work, you need to find the action and length that best suits you. Medium light to medium as every company or rod has its own personality and some are heavier or lighter than others. I would find a medium light that seemed stiff enough that the rod tip wouldn't droop under the dry weight of your intended lure but upon getting  bit it would be fast enough you could feel that snap of a bite. One rod I have my eye on is the st. Croix mojo that has a section of the cork handle removed where your thumb of your jigging hand can rest directly on the rod bank, thus making it easier to feel. They come in right at $50 for a bare rod but your presidents will play ice nicely. Good luck!

[Dave R]

Schooley rods!!!!!!! Tried and true,best bargain out there,do yourself a favor and get some schooley's

X2

[Mountain Maggot]

I think your good to go but would add stiff spring bobbers for any rod you are dead sticking.  Crappie are notorious in the winter for biting soft.  Even with wind, you’ll soon learn the difference between wind move and a tap from a fish that otherwise you might not see.  I even jig with a rod that has a spring bobber on it.

On a small pond...a spud to check thickness is a must.