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Whether you’re a beginner to the game of ice fishing or a seasoned angler, everyone wants that one ice fishing rod to deal with a number of species. These versatile ice rods are delicate sufficient for sunfish, crappies, perch, and small trout, whereas being highly effective sufficient for the occasional bass and hopefully scores of small-to-midsize “eater” walleye.
I put a number of of the most effective ice fishing rods to the take a look at all through my dwelling state’s exhausting water season. After thorough testing, listed below are my picks for versatile ice rods that can deal with a wide range of species and methods.
Testing the Best Ice Fishing Rods
With the assistance of my buddies and children, all the ice rods have been examined for a number of months on multi-species waters starting from metropolitan fisheries to the lakes of West-Central and Northern Minnesota.
I additionally talked with the producers, among the designers, skilled anglers, and ice fishing guides who use these rods day by day.
All rods have been outfitted with a Daiwa QG 750 spinning reel and every reel was spooled with Sufix Elite 4-pound monofilament. For panfish, we used Northland Fishing Tackle Tungsten Mud Bugs and Tungsten Gill Getters in addition to Custom Jigs & Spins Tungsten Chekai Jigs. Each was rigged with a micro-plastic and often one or two Euro larvae to supply some bite-inducing scent. For perch and walleyes, we fished an assortment of spoons tipped with a minnow-head or a chandelier or wax worms or larvae. Fishing an assortment of baits and lures for a number of fish species helped us discern every rod’s strengths and weaknesses.
What follows is a information that will help you select that go-to, do-everything ice fishing rod. Believe me, every product that follows has distinctive options and deserves; it’s only a matter of sorting by them to find out the most effective stick for the place and the way you fish.
The Best Ice Fishing Rods: Reviews and Recommendations
Best Overall: St. Croix Custom Ice (CCI) Perch Seeker
Key Features
- Rod Length: 32 inches
- Medium-light energy, extra-fast motion
- TCG (tubular carbon and glass) clean materials
- Green tip part for wonderful chunk detection
- Double-duty as jigging or deadstick rod
- MSRP: $150
Pros
- Designed and manufactured in Park Falls, Wisconsin, USA
- 32-inch rod size for fishing inside or exterior bigger transportable shelters or exhausting homes
- Sensitive and robust rod
- Green tip part helps you see bites whereas jigging or lifeless sticking
Cons
Personally, I personal 5 St. Croix Custom Ice “Perch Seeker” ice rods and have spent two full exhausting water seasons fishing them. Prior to the acquisition, I did a whole lot of analysis for that one rod that does all of it, and that is the place that analysis led me.
Don’t let the title “Perch Seeker” idiot you. These rods are good for lots greater than perch fishing.
I’ve caught crappies, bluegills, walleyes, bass, and even small- to mid-sized northern pike on this rod with none hassle. And, after all, the Perch Seeker is a good jumbo perch stick, if not the most effective one I’ve ever fished.
When concentrating on a multi-species fishery—particularly these spots like weed edges the place you possibly can catch absolutely anything—that is the rod mannequin I like to recommend my household and buddies use.
The St. Croix Custom Ice line (CCI) gives a collection of technique-specific rods with excessive efficiency blanks and supplies particular to every of the 16 fashions. Across the household, there are 5 distinct clean platforms in strong and tubular configurations, every engineered particularly for ice rods and geared up with premium-grade parts. While my favourite is the Perch Seeker, all of them are high quality ice rods.
Best Combo: CLAM Outdoors Katana Combo
Key Features (Rod)
- Rod Length: 28 inches
- Medium-light energy, quick motion
- Oversized fly guides and stripper information
Key Features (Reel)
- 6 + 1 ball bearings
- 4.8:1 gear ratio
- Holds 100 yards of 4 lb. monofilament line
- Combo MSRP: $89.99
Pros
- Affordable
- Designed to be as mild as potential whereas nonetheless in a position to deal with fish
- Easy-to-grip rod deal with, even when moist
- Line flows seamlessly by guides
Cons
- Reel attachment bands generally tend to return unfastened
I used to be instantly impressed with the standard of this ice combo from CLAM Outdoors. The very first thing you discover while you decide it up is its cheesy, mushy Tsuka deal with, which provides a snug and safe grip.
According to CLAM, the Katana collection was designed and constructed to supply extra anglers a strong graphite rod with sufficient finesse to fish smaller species but in addition deal with larger fish.
The reel isn’t a bit of junk, both—like what you discover on a whole lot of ice fishing rod combos. The reel incorporates a light-weight body, easy 6+1 ball bearing system, and really succesful, proprietary SF Drag System. I had no points preventing fish with this reel. The drag was easy and stored the fish buttoned till topside.
At the worth (and high quality), the Clam Katana is certainly an important possibility if it’s worthwhile to buy a number of multi-species ice rods for household and buddies.
Best New Rod: DAIWA Kage KAG28L
Key Features
- Rod Length: 32 inches
- Light-power, extra-fast motion
- Seaguide eyelets
- MSRP: $119.99
Pros
- Securely holds reel in place
- Quality eyelets
- Green tip part alerts bites when jigging or deadsticking
- 5-year guarantee
Cons
The new Daiwa Kage took Minnesota ice head, Jeff Allen three years to develop. The Daiwa Kage ice rod has a slim clean that gives the power and sturdiness of a a lot thicker rod whereas sustaining finesse. Daiwa accomplishes this by utilizing a cloth that requires much less heavy resin.
The Kage’s inexperienced rod tip is ultra-sensitive but sturdy and preferrred for mild bites from panfish or walleye. The KAG28L additionally options Fuji Tangle-Free Guides with Alconite Inserts which are sturdy and assist for a trouble-free drop of your lure down the outlet.
Although a departure from what most ice rod producers are doing, the KAG28L gives a Crafted Cork Handle with a screw-in reel slot and hand-shaped reel seat. That means no want so as to add electrical tape.
Best Balance: JT Outdoors Products Shiver Stick
Key Features
- Rod Length: 32 inches
- Medium-light energy, extra-fast motion
- Solid carbon clean
- Split-Grip Handle
- MSRP: $120
Pros
- Hand-built in Farmington, Minnesota, USA
- Lightweight and intensely balanced
- Cold-weather (-30 rated) rebounding titanium line guides
- Available in a number of deal with choices
Cons
After speaking with JT Outdoors proprietor, Joe Bricko, he stated he sells extra 32-inch Shiver Sticks as multi-species rods than the rest in his in depth line of ice rods. Especially for fishing exterior, he recommends the Sure-Grip deal with, which stays cheesy and simple to deal with when moist. And the 32-inch is ideal for fishing in exhausting homes, bigger portables, and positively exterior hole-hopping.
Designed and engineered as the proper rod for ice anglers concentrating on walleyes and perch, it additionally interprets properly to panfish, which we found throughout our testing. Combined with a Daiwa 750 reel, it’s tremendous mild and likewise completely balanced.
The strong carbon clean options rebounding titanium guides, which stop breakage in chilly temps and when stowed with different rods in circumstances or inside a 5-gallon bucket.. I discovered the rod delicate sufficient to detect slab crappie or perch upward-inhaling a bait. Its quick-responding quick motion additionally put steel within the maws of walleyes, instantly. Those traits make the Shiver Stick top-of-the-line ice fishing rods.
Most Sensitive: Tuned Up Custom Rods FUSION
Key Features
- Rod Lengths Available: 28, 30, 32, 34, and 36 inches
- Medium-power, light-action
- Carbon-fiber, graphite clean
- Slower motion in tip transitions to strong spine
- MSRP: $139.99
Pros
- Hand-built in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, USA
- Offered in straight-grip or split-grip
- Cork or EVA deal with choices
Cons
- Some anglers may not choose the softer tip
My first expertise with Tuned Up Custom Rods was nearly 10 years in the past, throughout these preliminary years when proprietor and rod-builder John Burback was constructing highly-specialized panfish rods for a number of skilled ice anglers. A decade later, John and his increasing crew are nonetheless at it, and Tuned Up Custom Rods now gives every thing from ice panfish rods to heavy-duty lake trout sticks, in addition to open-water rods.
When I requested what his hottest multi-purpose rod was, he was fast to answer the 32-inch FUSION. On his skilled suggestion, that’s what I examined.
The Tuned Up Custom FUSION works properly for panfish, jumbo perch, and walleye anglers. It incorporates a strong carbon-fiber clean for many sensitivity and really feel. The tip of the rod has a slower motion than most Tuned Up Custom rods, but it surely transitions to the spine step by step, permitting the fish extra time to get the bait into its mouth. There’s loads of energy within the spine to land fish of all sizes.
Best For Bigger Fish: Thorne Bros. Perch Sweetheart
Thorne Brothers Custom Rods
Key Features
- Rod Length: 32 inches
- Medium-light energy, fast-action
- 6-inch full cork, Tennessee-style deal with (different choices avail.)
- Recoil guides
- MSRP: $99.99
Pros
- Affordable customized rod
- Hand-built in Blaine, Minnesota
- Numerous information sorts obtainable
- Numerous deal with configurations obtainable
- Handles large fish with ease
Cons
- Not preferrred for mild lures. It’s greatest for 1/8 ounce spoons or and heavy tungsten jigs for panfish
The Perch Sweetheart was conceived as the proper ice stick for jumbo perch, which options the identical ultra-fast tapers because the Panfish Sweetheart and Walleye Sweetheart however with an motion that falls between the 2.
But it’s much more than a perch rod. The guys within the Thorne rod store says it’s one in all their hottest walleye ice rods for 1/8-ounce spoons and when fishing heavier tungsten jigs for large panfish. As their web site says, “To put it simply; if you can only bring one rod for every species, you bring this one.”
The Perch Sweetheart is obtainable in quite a few deal with and information choices, and so they’re additionally completely happy that will help you construct precisely what you need in case you don’t discover the choices on their web site.
I went with the 32-inch Outside mannequin with Fuji guides and a 6-inch full-cork Tennessee-style deal with. The rod does every thing it purports to and I discovered it nice for large crappies, perch, and walleyes. It’s a great all-around ice stick and has the stones to land larger walleyes, too, which I came upon on Lake Winnibigoshish earlier this season.
How to Choose the Best Ice Fishing Rod
First factor it’s important to take into account is rod size. Will you be fishing exterior or inside a transportable or exhausting home? Personally, I’ve by no means had too many difficulties with a 32-inch rod in any of those situations and take into account it an all-around good size. But, if quarters are cramped, you may wish to dimension all the way down to a 28- to 30-inch rod.
Next, most multi-purpose ice rods ought to fall within the medium-light to medium-power designations. As properly, extra-fast or quick actions are really helpful. Also take into account your most popular grip materials and elegance when selecting a rod as a result of it must be comfy sufficient to carry all day lengthy.
FAQs
Q: How a lot ought to I anticipate to pay for a multi-purpose ice fishing rod?
While you possibly can definitely go cheaper, costs for a high quality multi-purpose ice rod vary anyplace from $80 to $150. But bear in mind: You get what you pay for, particularly with ice fishing rods.
Q: What dimension spinning reel ought to I take advantage of with my multi-purpose ice fishing rod?
For essentially the most half, you’ll wish to persist with dimension 500 or 750 spinning reels, which don’t weigh a lot, maintain sufficient line, and provide good drag programs for many multi-species fishing. We used the affordably-priced Daiwa QG 750 for our testing, though there are additionally high quality reels obtainable from Shimano, Pflueger, Okuma, and Abu Garcia. For deadstick or set-line functions, you could wish to take into account the Okuma Ceymar CBF-500, which incorporates a distinctive bait feeding system that enables anglers to disengage their spinning reel spool and permit their bait (and the fish) to run freely earlier than participating the drag lever and preventing the fish at regular drag stress.
Q: What take a look at and kind of fishing line is greatest with my multi-purpose ice fishing rod?
For our jigging testing we used 4-pound Sufix Elite monofilament, an acceptable line-test power for many multi-species forays. We’ve landed 5- to 8-pound pike and walleyes on 4-pound take a look at with the drag set just a little unfastened. Fished as deadsticks, we alternated between 6-pound Maxima Chameleon and 5-pound CLAM Frost monofilament (made by Sunline).
The good factor about monofilament is it resists freezing up when used exterior in sub-zero situations; secondly, it gives stretch to permit bigger fish extra play and fewer alternative for hooks to unsecure whereas preventing them; lastly, monofilament is cheap, is available in a wide range of colours to match water readability situations and is simple to handle and tie.
How ought to I connect my reel to ice rods with out screw-in handles?
While you possibly can go the time-tested route of attaching your reel to rod handles with electrical tape, we’ve found a greater answer in JT Outdoors’ Sure Grip Reel Tape, which stays mushy and cheesy even in sub-zero situations. Unlike electrical tape, it’s not slippery within the palm.
What ought to I take advantage of as a rod holder when deadsticking?
Fishing old style, it’s nonetheless exhausting to beat setting your rod on the highest of a 5-gallon bucket with a easy rubber band on the prime of the deal with, by which you loop the road loosely with the bail open. That manner a fish grabs the bait, pulls the road loop out of the rubber band and also you allow them to run till it’s time to set the hook.
But there are different programs on the market—and we’ve tried all of them. HT Enterprises’ Lift N’ Hook Rod Holder is one cheap possibility, which folds up properly for straightforward storage. And there’s JT Outdoors’ Rod Holder that folds up like an accordion and permits varied rod angle orientations for sticks between 28- and 42-inches. What we’ve found with tremendous finesse bites is orienting the holder, so the rod sits completely horizontal can yield extra impartial to unfavourable fish.
Final Thoughts on the Best Ice Fishing Rods
While there are anglers who carry a number of circumstances of rods on the ice, you actually solely want one high quality multi-purpose ice fishing rod. The greatest multi-purpose ice fishing rods will enhance your complete fishing expertise by limiting the quantity of drugs it’s worthwhile to deliver with you. With a few of these fashions, you may wish to buy two—one as a jigging rod and one as a deadstick.
If you’re interested by including one (or a number of) of the most effective ice fishing rods to your arsenal, try one in all these prime choices.