Best UL ice fishing rods?

Post by **Snag** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:04 pm

I'm wondering what you guys recommend for a good UL ice fishing rod. There's several choices out there and I'm wondering what you use.

The Rapala ones I hear are good and what about the Berkley Lightning rod? etc.

Post by **BBRich** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:08 pm

I just bought a Frabill Panfish Popper after Salmon showed me one last season. It seems like a great rod, really sensitive yet strong, cork handle and best of all it has a spring on the tip which serves as a strike indicator. Check them out, they're really cool and helpful for detecting the really light bites that most rods wouldn't detect normally.

I have a Rapala rod also, and it is a great ice rod but I don't find it to be as sensitive as the Frabill.

Post by **Snag** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:25 pm

Yeah I was checking out the poppers.. Can you take out the spring pobber though?

Cause I know u can just buy the spring pobbers and stick them on other rods.

Post by **mosquito** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 11:38 pm

Frabill Popper is a good rod, but that spring bobber was the first thing I removed. The ice accumulates in the spring very quickly and jams the line solid. I installed instead an indicator made of an old guitar string.
Another good UL rod I would highly recommend is a St. Croix
Primier 24".

Post by **JustinHoffman** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:01 am

Hey Snag,
Hope you are well. As far as rods go, I'm quite partial to HT...(ok, I Prostaff for them, so that could be one reason.lol)
All kidding aside, HT makes an extremely quality product, with many different models and designs for different applications. The Ultralights are beauty rods! I've used many rod manufacturers over the years, and these do rate up there at the top.
Will be getting a shippment in of the new line of rods in the next couple of weeks. If you are ever down at Petrie, come by and say hello. You can try out all the different combos, and see which ones suit you best.
Good Fishing,
Justin

Post by **Manny** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:12 am

I have been using a Thorne Bros for the last 3 years and it's very hard to use anything else. I have compared them with Rapala's and Frabill (never HT though) and there is no match.

Quite expensive though. I got the deadstick ordered for this year, my Xmas gift to myself

.

Manny

Post by **dh99** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 7:34 am

Hey Manny

I have been looking at their rods. What model do you use.

And Yes they are $$$$

DH

Post by **jammer** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 8:46 am

I have tried MANY different icefishing rods and the ones i like best are:

St Croix Premiere
HT Intrigue $19.99 with micro light reel
HT Iceman
Mitchell brushnrod $18.99 meatstick...

For shallow water jigging (perch and pike) i have made some homemade ones from medium rod tips. These are slick... Ask Markus there deadly...

For pannies your best bang for your buck is the HT Iceman $10
For a good all around rod, can handle pike,lakers,whities,walleye you can't go wrong with the St Croix... $69 for the rod and reel combo....

Don't forget the tipups too!!!

Post by **JustinHoffman** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 9:28 am

Hello All,

Here are the models that worked really well on the ice last year for myself. As I said, the new line up of rods will be arriving shortly to my door, so I can't offer advice on those until I give them a good workout on the ice this season..

Panfish

HT Polarlites 24" Micro PLC-24MI
HT Polar Gold 25" Ultralight PLG-25UL
HT Signature Pro Premium Graphite 24" Ultralight SSP-24UL
HT Polarlites 21" Noodle PLC-21N

Walleye

HT Signature Series Premium Graphite 25" Light SSW-25L
(this beauty has a wooden handle that has great sensitivity)

When the new rods arrive, I'll report back on some of the models..

Good Fishing,
Justin

Post by **jbarker** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 10:56 am

Not sure where you paid 70 bucks for your st.croix setup. I bought the premier rod package for 45 and I got an avid (rod only for 30) I don't see the st.croix reel being 40 bucks. Check out allan's bait and tackle in Pembroke those are his prices. As for a panfish rod there is a nice one at walmart. I think it is an ht but it comes with an ultralite reel for 20 bucks.

Post by **Manny** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:16 am

dh wrote:Hey Manny

I have been looking at their rods. What model do you use.

And Yes they are $$$$

DH

I have the walleye sweetheart plus, 28" model. It's a good all -around rod and it's very sensitive. Finished with a 1000 series reel and it makes a deadly combo.

What really helps this rod is that the guides aren't oversized which I find tends to unbalance many ice rods. Popular beliefs is that the bigger guides won't freeze-up as fast which I find to be bologna since you shouldn't have to wait until the guide is completely frozen stiff until clearing it.

I find it's worth the $$$.

Manny

Post by **bottom feeder** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 11:16 am

I still use my 30 year old homemade wooden tip-ups that you hang from a branch or a frame.They are old and ugly but in 30 years they have seen a lot of pike, whitefish and eyes.
HHmmm I think they need to meet some trouties
I also have a few cheap ul reels for the ice so I will set up a wooden as a static line then move from hole to hole w/the ul.
Norm

Post by **Iceman** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:47 pm

Hey snag,

My two cents worth get anything with the Genz name associated with it and as Manny said Thorne brothers. Both have solid tapered graphite blanks, not glass or hollow

blanks.

I have two Thorne brothers blank I made ice rods out of 20 years ago and still have not found anything better, and believe me I buy lots of ice toys every winter (should probably have a garage sale).

I also have some panfish poppers but don't expect to use it out side in a cold day it will ice up very quickly, and they are not the greatest for hook sets, but they are fun when the bite is heavy and they are cheep. You get what you pay for, who would use a $12 rod for summer fishing?

The St. Croix stuff looks great but not enough line guides.

Got a few HT but they are older models with ridiculously small line guides.

Like I said just my two cents worth.

Post by RJ » Sat Dec 03, 2005 12:50 pm

I used a pair of Frabills last year....no complaints from me....

and I ain't Pro Staff...

I did take the spring bobber off as mentioned....I'm not a fan of them anyways as having your finger on the line will do the same thing...

RJ

Post by **Wall-I-Guy** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 1:14 pm

Iceman wrote:Hey snag,

My two cents worth get anything with the Genz name associated with it and as Manny said Thorne brothers. Both have solid tapered graphite blanks, not glass or hollow blanks.

I have two Thorne brothers blank I made ice rods out of 20 years ago and still have not found anything better, and believe me I buy lots of ice toys every winter (should probably have a garage sale).

I also have some panfish poppers but don't expect to use it out side in a cold day it will ice up very quickly, and they are not the greatest for hook sets, but they are fun when the bite is heavy and they are cheep. You get what you pay for, who would use a $12 rod for summer fishing?

The St. Croix stuff looks great but not enough line guides.

Got a few HT but they are older models with ridiculously small line guides.

Like I said just my two cents worth.

Now this, I'd take to the bank