legend ice rods

Are these worth the cost and if so are people going with the light or ultra light sensitivity for panfish

They are more sensitive than the Avid IMO. I use the light action for crappies/bluegills. You want the lightest(weight) most sensitive rod you can get.

For me it’s all in the built in strike indicator. IMHO, it is the best strike indicator in the industry.

I would almost rather fish with a broomstick with one of those strike indicators on them then fish any other rod without one.

1. They are easily and instantly adjustable.
2. They are built into the rod already so no screwing around with mounting.
3. They are easily replaceable and there are 3 different spring stiffness (which as I said in #1 are each individually adjustable).
4. If you adjust them like their directions say, you have what I would call a no load point of reference that would allow you to see if there is more or less tension on your line then normal.
5. They are nice quality rods.

I use the avids but as I said before, I would use about any rod with that spring bobber. Some spring bobbers come close but none I have seen have everything like St. Croix’s.

NSD

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They are more sensitive than the Avid IMO. I use the light action for crappies/bluegills. You want the lightest(weight) most sensitive rod you can get.

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I like mine….after trying all 5 New Legend Series Ice Rods…. …..I settled on the Lite and Medium Rods with some different springs…..

At this point I’m still a litttle more comfortable with my 99 cent SpringBobber I rigged up a few years back.

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there are 3 different spring stiffness (which as I said in #1 are each individually adjustable).

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I have 4 different springs pink, orange, green, yellow. and there may be a fifth?

In my opinion spend your money on a good reel and go with low end rod for ice fishing. But that’s just me.

I agree with Suzuki. If I was a rich kid, I’d love those st. Croix rods…I’ve stated this millions of times…As far as panfishing needs, A 20-35 dollar combo is great for me. the most expensive combo I ever bought was 30 bucks and It broke one day. i was angry, but not as angry as I would have been with a 50+ dollar rod. Ice rods are very small and sensitive, and also very easy to break unintentionally of course…Maybe st. croix are more durable, but obviously not indestructable. I love using a spring bobber and that expensive st. croix one looks great, but spending time on the flasher and watching them on the camera, you could almost catch all your fish handlining them anyway…It has become more of a electronic sport for me, and I hardly have to worry about sensitivity of my spring bobber or extreme quality of the ice rods I’m using. Hope this helps. and sorry for not agreeing with the many

I’m a huge fan of the frabill panfish popper rods and spring bobbers, the spring bobbers are sold seperate too, so you can put them on any rod.

Though I doubt you wouldn’t like the croix rod, I just can find myself spending that much on a ice rod.

exactly. I’m an owner of a frabil panfish popper rod and springs…love them!

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I’m a huge fan of the frabill panfish popper rods and spring bobbers, the spring bobbers are sold seperate too, so you can put them on any rod.

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I have one those also it doesn’t work outside so well it’s just like the Thorne Bros system the line goes through the spring and it can ice up quickly outdoors.

I do like using it inside especially for 1/80th oz jigs.

Handling vs Springbobber…..

I like the FRABIL spring bobbers and rods,I purchased rods first. This year I purchased the separate springs and converted six more old rods.I had alittle trouble threading line thru but came up with a way to overcome it. My eyes are getting old.

I wasn’t serious about the handlining thing, but electronics can make it seem almost that easy…
My method for putting the line thru the spring bobbers is working it in and then spinning the line to keep it moving without going through the sides.. works pretty well. As far as icing up, I too fish in zippered doors alot, so its not a huge deal, but i usually just put my lips on the spring and suck the ice out/melt it.

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Are these worth the cost and if so are people going with the light or ultra light sensitivity for panfish

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If you are in the area,or know someone that is coming this way….I will let you demo it for a day or two…..then you can decide if it is worth it to you.Not every product is built for everyone out there,but it is great to have a choice especially on a higher dollar investment like the legend.Good luck either way!Which action?Try them both and you can decide!

I forgot to mention, I NEVER use spring bobbers. All my St.Croix and Thorne Bros Sweetheart rods are spring bobber less.

You can get by with a cheap rod around these city lakes, but overall, your going to improve your catch with feeling the bite instead of watching a spring.

Example:

I was fishing a lake in Grand Rapids last winter for slab crappies. I was fishing with a guy that was using the Legend with a spring bobber. He could not buy a fish. I was even pulling fish from his own holes with my non-spring rod.
A spring adds weight to your rod tip. The spring can also absorb feeling. Your better off learning and watching your electronics and feeling the bite. I’ve always believed springs were a gimmic. But if they work for you, that is great..

Just my $.02

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but overall, your going to improve your catch with feeling the bite instead of watching a spring.

Example:

I was fishing a lake in Grand Rapids last winter for slab crappies. I was fishing with a guy that was using the Legend with a spring bobber. He could not buy a fish. I was even pulling fish from his own holes with my non-spring rod.

A spring adds weight to your rod tip. The spring can also absorb feeling. Your better off learning and watching your electronics and feeling the bite. I’ve always believed springs were a gimmic. But if they work for you, that is great..



Just my $.02

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Couldn’t disagree more a spring detects a bite like no other method.

If the feed bag is on it won’t matter much but if it’s tough bite the Spring has a huge advantage especially with Finicky Pannies that barely inhale and lift, when that spring goes up and you set the hook on a slab it’s the greatest feeling in the world and a fish you will miss most often on other setups.

It’s not a coincedence or a gimic that the guy’s who Won the $10,000 first prize at the North American Ice Fishing Championship last weekend on Lake Carlos along with every other top ten team were using Spring Bobber set ups exclusively, along with no electronics, no power augers or meat.

You’ll come around on this…….

Just wondering where you got your info from…as this is direct from the iceteam website-

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In the end, hard-fishing brothers David and Scott Neubert of St. Cloud, Minnesota, topped the field with 15 fish and a total weight of 6.78 pounds. While most teams scattered across the bay, the Neuberts hid in plain sight of the landing, dropping size 8, green-glow Lindy Pounders and Fat Boys tipped with three to 11 maggots.

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The reason they used hand augers was to not spook this fish, but where does it say they didn’t use electronics?

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Finicky Pannies that barely inhale and lift, when that spring goes up and you set the hook on a slab it’s the greatest feeling in the world and a fish you will miss most often on other setups.

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If you can see your line go slack- as in when a spring bobber goes up- you should be able to detect that without a bobber, I know I can. When fishing finicky panfish, 90% of the time, I am setting the hook on line movement only. But whatever works to put them on the ice right?

I feel I’m pretty much limited to fishing inside a shack with spring bobbers as well. With swirling winds shaking the spring or ice on the line trying to get through the spring. I have a knack for feeling those snifer fish. If I’m sitting on fish they need that much attention, I usually bail and find some real biters..

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Couldn’t disagree more a spring detects a bite like no other method. If the feed bag is on it won’t matter much but if it’s tough bite the Spring has a huge advantage especially with Finicky Pannies that barely inhale and lift, when that spring goes up and you set the hook on a slab it’s the greatest feeling in the world and a fish you will miss most often on other setups.

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Hey Gary-

No sweat off my back if these guys think a spring bobber is a gimic, just leaves more fish for the rest of us to catch.

I fished for years being ignorant of spring bobbers. I believe my comments at that time also echo a lot of what I’ve read in this thread. Then I swallowed my pride, tried the spring, and a whole new world of fishing was opened up to me. You can actually catch bluegills & crappies when everyone else is really struggling with traditional methods.

I would also add that spending extra money on high quality ice rods, whether they are Thornes, Croixs, whatever is absolutely worth it. You can’t tell me that there is a $25 ice rod on the market that can do everything a Thorne rod will, you can’t. And if you believe that, you better sell off all of your St. Croix & Loomis open water rods as well.

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Couldn’t disagree more a spring detects a bite like no other method. If the feed bag is on it won’t matter much but if it’s tough bite the Spring has a huge advantage especially with Finicky Pannies that barely inhale and lift, when that spring goes up and you set the hook on a slab it’s the greatest feeling in the world and a fish you will miss most often on other setups.

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I agree completely. You’ll see things on a sensitive spring bobber that you would never have the chance to feel on a rod.

If you’re good at watching line, I would imagine that it could be better than a spring bobber but not as easy, I’m sure. Not all of us are on the ice long enough to be that zen like with our equipment.

And I’ll state again, St. Croix’s spring bobbers are immediately adjustable, stiffness wise. I don’t think any others do that…

And the spring bobbers that you fit in your rod tip like the Frabil ones don’t give you a no-load point of reference or at least one that is easy to recognize.

What if your hands are too shakey and you cannot tell if you got a bite or not with a spring bobber?

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I’ve always believed springs were a gimmic. But if they work for you, that is great..

Just my $.02

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That’s ridiculous. My .02

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What if your hands are too shakey and you cannot tell if you got a bite or not with a spring bobber?

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Then you need to get off the juice!

J/K
I think there’s a lot of room for subjectivity here, I’m just debating the technical merits…

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I’ve always believed springs were a gimmic. But if they work for you, that is great..

Just my $.02

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That’s ridiculous. My .02

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Gary and I will be hitting my metro lake x on tues. Some of the hardest gills to catch on ice. I’d be more than happy to put my pole up against your spring pole.

I’m going to use explosives!
THEN I can outfish everyone!

I just got my first Legend rod this year and have got to use it 1 time. I loved it!!! I felt like the fish didn’t have a chance. My cousin used the same rod on that trip and forgot the sping at home for his. Guess who caught more fish? (I didn’t have a vexilar either!)I can see Derek’s point on wind or ice on the line. That’s why I have the option to switch to a different rod for the situation at hand. Being versitile is a big help!! Just my $0.02!

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The reason they used hand augers was to not spook this fish, but where does it say they didn’t use electronics?

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What Dave and Scott said in their radio interview was they turned the flashers off so they would not spook the fish in the shallower waters they were basically sight fishing without looking in the hole they watched their SPRING they even leave the slush in their holes so the fish can not see them or their shadows.

I have no doubt Derek could catch more fish on an anchor rope then me on my spring bobber…….but I’ll drum Cade’s arse…… ……kidding…..

Ah…ok- I was just reading the article on the website- I didn’t hear the interview..Sorry!

I thought when you said that, that you meant they didn’t use electronics at all. I understand now. They were using them to locate the fish, and then shut them off to fish for them.

Derek,
hmmmm. Tue might me tough. Headin home from inlaws at Brainard. Man Id like that friendly competition. Me and my spring. Cool. I do well on gills and would really like to see how I match up. I will work on on getting home early. Maybe you could PM me some details like when you’ll be there and your phone number. If its afternoon I have a chance. I would force my wife to leave early to make this minnie tourney. Plus it would give me enough reason to possbibly share my lake x or lake y with you next time.

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