Ice Rod Build

As many members know I am an avid rod builder,I truly believe there is nothing better than a custom built rod,I have seen several companies advertise ice rods for sale just as a I look for but I wanted to build my own so I sat back and did some research,did my homework and through building rods for others I found the ice rod blank I was looking for in my want add.

NO offence to any of the other rod builders out here, there are some great ice rods on the market,but the satisfaction of catching fish on a rod you built yourself is like no other feeling in the fishing world.One of the best things about doing self built custom is you can do anything you want and make it your own and mostly NEVER see another one just like it again !

So with all that said here is the build I did with the blank I searched out earlier..

32″ DH Al Dente Noodle Blank with split grip,I am sure you wont see another one like it !!

It’s loud and proud !

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Awesome looks unique! What species are you targeting with this rod?

bowtecmike wrote:

Awesome looks unique! What species are you targeting with this rod?

I thinking pan fish and perch but we see how it reacts when I do get out

If you had to guess how much did just that rod cost you in materials and how many man hours did it take to build? Also- what kind of equipment/tool cost did you have to be setup for ice rod building? Rod looks nice!

Cool, I dig the colors.

I’m jealous. I would to try that someday. Looks awesome!

TripleA wrote:

If you had to guess how much did just that rod cost you in materials and how many man hours did it take to build? Also- what kind of equipment/tool cost did you have to be setup for ice rod building? Rod looks nice!

Since I sell rods every now and then I will not disclose the cost factor over the net,since I do build rods already I have had the equipment for 15 years as far as time I would say for this rod start to finish 2 hours while watching TV at the same time.

Building ice rods is alot harder than open water rods due to the diameter of the blank,especially the tip area.

PM me and we can go into the cost further as far as materials and equipment needed if you want,maybe trade phones numbers , have help alot of new builders via the phone

shamus wrote:

Cool, I dig the colors.

competitor wrote:

I’m jealous. I would to try that someday. Looks awesome!

Thanks,I wanted to build something that didnt look like other rods !

TripleA wrote:

If you had to guess how much did just that rod cost you in materials and how many man hours did it take to build? Also- what kind of equipment/tool cost did you have to be setup for ice rod building? Rod looks nice!

its not about saving money, its about having a piece of equipment that is built to the exact spec’s that you want. I started building rods in the late 90’s for a few reasons, 1) I wanted lake trout rods in the 40″ to 48″ lengths 2) walleye and panfish rods in the 30″ to 36″ range 3) as a full time fireman I do have down time at work and rod building was a good project to fill in that time. I did save a little money as I was buying my equipment wholesale not retail but on the other hand, I just bought more equipment and built more rods. I have since let a younger cousin “use” my rod building equipment and he has started building fly rods. He lives in the red wing area and fishes trout in SE Minnesota and SW Wisconsin.

trumar wrote:

Since I sell rods every now and then I will not disclose the cost factor over the net,since I do build rods already I have had the equipment for 15 years as far as time I would say for this rod start to finish 2 hours while watching TV at the same time.

or facebooking! Nice rods Jeff!

Joel VandeKrol wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>trumar wrote:</div>
Since I sell rods every now and then I will not disclose the cost factor over the net,since I do build rods already I have had the equipment for 15 years as far as time I would say for this rod start to finish 2 hours while watching TV at the same time.

or facebooking! Nice rods Jeff!

only you would know that Joel !

Good choice of blank… I’ve tried others and did not like them. Like the baby bears porridge, the aldente is just right. I build my own rods as well and use only them.

WOW, Great work! I hope i can get to that point. I just recently pulled the trigger and jumped into building my first ice rod. I bought an MHX 36″ medium action rod kit for lakers. Its my first go at it, so i thought this would be the easiest way to get going since i didnt know where to start out of the gates. I too had problems finding a custom rod builder who would meet my exact specifications and not break the bank. I now have the utmost respect for custom rod builders as i have faced a few of my own struggles trying to teach myself. My biggest struggle is getting the thread to ride up the beginning of the guide. I thought the knot tying and wrapping would be the hardest part, but for me, it was getting the thread to want to creep up the guide without sliding down or over the other threads. Took me some headache and frustration before i got lucky. Maybe i will post some questions on this forum when i have them. I didn’t realize many of you built your own rods on here.

Andrew Byers wrote:

My biggest struggle is getting the thread to ride up the beginning of the guide. , it was getting the thread to want to creep up the guide without sliding down or over the other threads.

Are you filing the leading edge of the guide foot? Some guide feet are rather blunt. Blunt is not good for smooth thread transition. Filing the leading edge to a smooth taper will allow the thread to transition up and over the guide foot with no hiccups.

Andrew Byers wrote:

My biggest struggle is getting the thread to ride up the beginning of the guide. I thought the knot tying and wrapping would be the hardest part, but for me, it was getting the thread to want to creep up the guide without sliding down or over the other threads. Took me some headache and frustration before i got lucky. Maybe i will post some questions on this forum when i have them. I didn’t realize many of you built your own rods on here.

Like Huntindave said, file the ends of the guide feet to taper to a sharp edge – filing ACROSS the foot so the thread has a surface to climb/hold on to.

You said you thought “knot tying” would be one of the hardest parts of building a rod. Are you tying the thread to the blank?

I did not file the guide foot. I saw how to do that after the fact. Do you use stones or a rat tail file to do that? That is definitely the problem I had. Poor planning on my end.

I definitely didn’t use any knots. Lol. I probably should’ve used proper terminology there; however, I did initially think knots were used before watching some tutorial segments on youtube. When I said “knots” I should’ve said, starting and ending the wrap. That appeared to be difficult in terms of looking intricate and complex. In reality, I found it to be not as challenging.

I really enjoyed building that rod and look forward to wrapping my ultra light noodle. I see some guys are very good and create some really beautiful works of art that match function. My first Rod is very basic and simple. I love it though! I look forward to learning more and growing.

Btw, thank you for the quick response and help guys!

When filing,sanding,grinding ect..your guide foot be sure NOT to leave a burr on the bottom side of the guide the touches the blank ! Even after coating the guide in place on your blank it will move /flex some while using the rod and that tiny burr will cause damage to the blank and eventually it will break right at that guide !

I am more than willing to help anyone in the rod building process in any way I can.. Am I the best rod builder out there ? NO, but I have built some nice looking and functional rods .. I try to build rods that are “light weight and balanced to a certain reel for the most part,it impossible to balance out an Ice rod..

I have borrowed out my rod building equipment to several members and friends so they didnt have to make the investment just find out rod building was not for them !There is a learning curve and takes alot of patience and is VERY ADDICTING !!

If you are in the local(Rochester,Mn) area I will give you a basic rod building lesson for free…I have EVERYTHING to learn rod building from beginning to end !!
Feel free to call me with any questions 507-696-6722 Jeff

Mat Peirce wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Andrew Byers wrote:</div>
I did not file the guide foot. I saw how to do that after the fact. Do you use stones or a rat tail file to do that? That is definitely the problem I had. Poor planning on my end.

I definitely didn’t use any knots. Lol. I probably should’ve used proper terminology there; however, I did initially think knots were used before watching some tutorial segments on youtube. When I said “knots” I should’ve said, starting and ending the wrap. That appeared to be difficult in terms of looking intricate and complex. In reality, I found it to be not as challenging.

I really enjoyed building that rod and look forward to wrapping my ultra light noodle. I see some guys are very good and create some really beautiful works of art that match function. My first Rod is very basic and simple. I love it though! I look forward to learning more and growing.

a dremel makes quick and easy work of guide prep. If you have one, by all means, give it a try.

You can pack the threads upon approaching the guide foot to help keep things straight and neat. If you aren’t happy with how it looks, just spin the thread back off and try again!

Good idea. Thanks for the help!

BTW, do you guys name your rods at all?

Trumar, i love that rod and would name it the “Loch Ness Monster.” The coloring and action fit. lol