Preferably after market add ons..
I like to use a shorter faster action rod with a spring bobber on the end of it when I’m fishing for pannies.
I bought a decent little affordable rod/reel combo last year from Frabill. It did well for me all winter long. It came with a spring bobber inserted in the top line guide. I believe it was called a panfish popper.. I really liked it.
I’m looking for more options to put on the end of my rods.
Frabil offers those popper spring without having to buy the rod. Thorned Bros offers a similar spring for panfish that I think is a world apart from the Frabil unit. You can get any rod retro-fitted with an extra guide opposite the tip top of the rod so you can use the St.Croix spring too.
I was at Fleet farm today in Rochester and they are getting the ice stuff out big time now. They had a nice selection of spring bobbers.
Tho I install my own spring holder I use the StCroix spring, I feel they are the best spring on the market and price isnt a concern to me.
JMHO Jeff
Hit every bait shop you can. I have seen lots of different styles, strengths and types. They are pretty cheap and I buy them when I find a new style. Weed through them to find the ones that work best for you and your weight of lure.
Toughest part is remembering just where you got the one you use for this or that when you need to restock the box…
that’s why I’m asking 
I know some folks have gone through and weeded out some of the ones that don’t cut it! I like the little frabill one, but it does have a tendency to ice up. a fault I didn’t like.
I can honestly admit I have never used a spring bobber. I need to try them out
Make your own St. Croix clone, very easy to do and best design out there.
1/8″ OD Rubber Grommet from local hardware store
#8 one legged rod eye from local bait shop
St. Croix Spring Fleet Farm or other big box store.
Insert the grommet in the rod eye, super glue the rod eye to the top of the rod tip and let it setup. Now get some good epoxy and epoxy it on good. Insert spring and your all set. You may want to run a 1/8″ drill bit through the grommet after it is in the rod eye, do it by hand and a little at a time to get the corrct fit for the spring. The spring should slide in and out of the grommet but not too easily.
St. Croix is the best in my opinion started with the panfish popper but that one freezes up quicker.
I do like the st croix spring but with the addition of the trip wire that thorne came out with last year I really like that. I broke one of their quiversticks and put a trip wire on it. I have been happy with the way it has preformed since I got it last year.
I’ve always been partial to HT SLAB MASTER SPRING BOBBERS – PANFISH. They are hard to thread and freeze up easily but nothing is more sensitive on the tiniest tear drop imo. They seem to be the longest spring out there. I am used to defrosting often. Takes less than 5 seconds.
Like I said threading them is no fun. I use a small wire to pull line through. Difficult to do on the ice. Why do I use them again?? 
I go with the ht enterprises spring bobber (link below). It’s sensitive enough to detect the slightest bites, but it is also stable enough to remain still on a windy day, because I fish standing outside with long rods all the time. Plus it has a large eye-hole which the line runs through and I have really never had issue with icing up, if it does you can just use you jig to pop out the ice very easily and quickly. Just my personal preference it fits my style of fishing so it’s all I use. Depending on how you fish will shape your bobber choice if you fish inside and/or with short rods i would go with the St. Croix springs, love them for sensitivity but don’t work well in the wind.
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Make your own St. Croix clone, very easy to do and best design out there.
1/8″ OD Rubber Grommet from local hardware store
#8 one legged rod eye from local bait shop
St. Croix Spring Fleet Farm or other big box store.Insert the grommet in the rod eye, super glue the rod eye to the top of the rod tip and let it setup. Now get some good epoxy and epoxy it on good. Insert spring and your all set. You may want to run a 1/8″ drill bit through the grommet after it is in the rod eye, do it by hand and a little at a time to get the corrct fit for the spring. The spring should slide in and out of the grommet but not too easily.
X2 I do just the same, This season I am going to run a TBro’s Panfish rod no need for a spring just grab and go.
I think I am giving the Frabill Titanium spring bobber a try this year.
I like shorter rods, and I fish outside all day too. On a night bite i’ll use the shack and a float,, but during the day it’s running and gunning looking for that hot hole. There is always that hot hole, just need to keep moving until you find it!
So I’m looking for something that doesn’t ice up! Heck I guess even a decent rod that’s sensitive enough, but it has to be short, just my style of fishing I guess.
power noodle, quiver stick are both good choices you see the bite with the power noodle and feel it with the quiverstick. Recoil guides help reduce ice build up.. Its really up to personal preference and what you like though, my best bet would be go to a store and start playing.
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I like shorter rods, and I fish outside all day too. On a night bite i’ll use the shack and a float,, but during the day it’s running and gunning looking for that hot hole. There is always that hot hole, just need to keep moving until you find it!
So I’m looking for something that doesn’t ice up! Heck I guess even a decent rod that’s sensitive enough, but it has to be short, just my style of fishing I guess.
Jim:
I’d work with a custom rod maker to get a shorter power-noodle style rod with the REC Recoil guides. Most spring bobber systems are not designed for outside fishing like you do. With that rod tied up with recoil guides, you should have the bite detection, along with the most freeze-resistant setup out there. I’m pretty hard on mine as well. If they do ice up, just give a flick or a twist of the guide and you’re good.
Both Thorne Bros. and Tuned up Customs will make you a nice rod, but I’d go with the one that can build it to your specs (shorter) and get it to you before ice-up!!!
Joel
If you haven’t looked at DH Custom Rods, I would take a peek. They have a noodle rod that in my opinion, as well as others, is very similar to the TB Powernoodle. You can get the Al Dente in 24″ or 28″ with Recoil guides. They also have the Seven Duece, which is the same as the 24″ Al Dente but with a 3″ handle. If you are looking for even shorter, the Mini Bite is just like the Seven Duece but comes in at 21.5″. Any one of these rods can be built with Recoil guides. The best part is the quick turnaround!
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