Table of Contents
What type of rod is best for ice fishing?
- St. Croix Mojo – Our Pick!
- Berkley Cherrywood HD.
- 13 Fishing Tickle Stick.
- 13 Fishing White Noise Ultra Light.
- Shakespeare Ugly Stik.
- Shakespeare Wild Series.
- Fenwick Aetos.
- Fenwick Elite Tech.
What is the best rod length for ice fishing?
A standard length is approximately 28-inches with a fast-action tip. A medium-action rod is tailor made for walleye, small trout and pike, and will work well as your second combo. Look for a rod of around 28 to 30-inches in length, with a solid backbone throughout the lower 2/3rds.
Are Longer ice rods better?
Fishing Rod Length Longer rods tend to be more forgiving. They absorb headshakes, hard hooksets, and give anglers leverage when fighting fish.
How do you pick an ice fishing rod?
Why are ice fishing rods so small?
Ice fishing rods are so small because they are designed specifically for use in ice. For ice fishing, you need to be close to the hole, so a standard open-water pole will be too long. You also need a more sensitive rod for ice fishing, so the small size of ice fishing rods helps with feeling the fish.
What pound test should I use for ice fishing walleye?
For regular sized walleye lures and live bait, 4-6 lb is ideal. For large swimbaits, rattle baits and extra large live bait, you can go up to 8-10 lb. Choosing the right pound test line for walleye can be extremely important, especially if you’re fishing in clear waters that get a lot of fishing pressure.
Do you need special rods for ice fishing?
Any conventional reel will work for ice fishing. It is important however, to match it to the type of fishing you plan on doing. Since you are not casting, an ultralight spinning reel is ideal for most species like walleye and panfish.
Are shorter fishing rods more sensitive?
A longer fishing rod has a lot more material in the backbone (non-tip) section, and this material absorbs and dissipates the vibrational energy. The shorter RG-42 travel fishing rod has much less material due to its short length, so there isn’t much dissipation of tip vibration. The sensitivity is extremely high.
Where should I put my fishing rod guides?
What depth should I ice fish?
In my experience, I’ve found that most of the best ice-fishing action comes in water from 3-to-20 feet deep. I like to set up my traps so that they cover a variety of depths. Areas with rock piles, weed beds, or dramatic contours are all good spots.
What is the best bait for ice fishing?
For ice fishing live bait, try wax worms (bee moth larva), maggots, spikes (fly larvae), wigglers (mayfly larvae) or minnows. You can drop your bait and leave it alone, or you can slowly jig to attract the fish. Ice fishing jigging also works with artificial ice fishing bait.
Do you use sinkers for ice fishing?
Do you use a leader when ice fishing?
In order to be able to safely land your ice pike, you either need a strong fluorocarbon leader of about 50-60lb or a titanium wire leader of about 25-30lb. Both leaders have excellent abrasion resistance and will be able to handle the ice hole’s sharp edges, even under hard pressure.
What kind of line do you use for ice fishing walleye?
What is the pound leader for ice fishing?
The best ice fishing line for targeting larger species, such as largemouth bass or walleye, is ice fishing line in the 8 to 10-pound test range. You may also want to use a fluorocarbon leader that will be less visible in clear water when fish are more finicky while offering more abrasion resistance.
Can I use a regular reel on an ice fishing rod?
Can you use a regular fishing reel for ice fishing? Yes, you can use a regular fishing reel for ice fishing. Many anglers swap out their ‘summer’ time or year-round fishing reels and put them on ice fishing rods during the hard ice season.
Can you cast farther with a longer rod?
A longer rod will give you a longer cast. It’s really that simple. If power and action are the same, generally speaking, a 7-foot rod will cast the same lure farther than a 6-foot rod. Now if the lure is light, like 1/8 ounce, it can be a little more managable on a softer shorter rod than a longer rod.
What are 7-foot rods good for?
A short (6 feet or less) rod is ideal if you want to make short, accurate casts. When pinpoint accuracy is less critical, a long rod (over 7 feet) is the way to go. Dingy or dirty water and heavy cover are two situations where short-range accuracy is part of the recipe for success, and a shorter rod can really shine.
What is the advantage of a longer rod?
Is it better to have more guides on fishing rod?
In a nut shell, by having more, and smaller, guides on your fishing rod – line slap will be reduced when traveling through the guides, and distributes stress more evenly along the entire blank. The end result is generally longer casts, improved sensitivity, and more overall power from your rod blank.
What is the little loop for on the bottom of a fishing rod?
Thus preventing tangles and helping to keep a rod together as a single unit. This part of the rod is usually the smallest and the guide that’s most likely to break off.
How many guides should a fishing rod have?
Generally speaking, there should be a guide for every foot of rod. A 6′ rod should have six guides, possibly seven, plus a tip guide for example. Spacing between fishing rod guides is wider at the butt end with the distance reducing as they move closer to the tip.
What is the best time of day to go ice fishing?
The best time of day to ice fish is during the first couple of hours after sunrise, and for about 2 hours both before and after sunset. These are the times when most fish are heading to their feeding grounds, and when most species are active.
Is 3 inches of ice safe to walk on?
As a general rule of thumb, ice is safe to walk on when there is 4 inches or more of clear ice. It is important to understand that different types of ice varying in their strength. Clear blue or black ice is the strongest. This ice is formed from the lake water freezing.