Just curious. Any other LONG pannie ice rod users around?

Everyone should always go by their own preferences and I’ll stand behind every one’s right to do just that.
That said, it’s near a waste of time for me to look at ice rods for sale for panfish. It’s either make my own or look for one of the old timer rods one can scrounge up for sale occasionally but at my age, I’ll not need any more than the 6 or so I now have.

I watch the shows and guys on the ice, often kneeling or bent over their rods and just watching makes me hurt. LOL Yep. I’ve tried a few 28 inch rods……..and they now sit in the corner just in case I go in a shelter, but that too is rare. Using them I feel like I’m about to dislocate a shoulder trying to set a hook…….and watching others on the ice that isn’t something exclusive to just me.

The ease of setting the hook with a flick of my wrist being able to also flip the tip of a long rod a couple feet and the “battling power” of a long, soft action rod just has been my preference for over a half decade. Standing or sitting I can fish several holes without moving much and kneeling just isn’t ever going to be in my SOP again. Not at my age and physical condition.

Interesting enough, it’s only here in the N. IN area that I see NEW long rods for sale, always custom built but even then, not a lot of them.

As you would imagine, wind plays H with long sections of line out but 80 percent of the days its not a big problem for me but I can fish up to near 10 feet deep without changing a thing on the amount of line out. A buddy prefers stiff long rods, I prefer soft actions

So Curious. Any other old timers still like their truly LONG ice rods?
The light weight hollow glass rods I have are about extinct it seems but if you find one, give it a try if you’re up to experiment. I’ve loaned out rods while on the ice but I stopped doing that because SOME just are unwilling to give it back and insist they are buying it.

Again, NOT a criticism of anyone’s choice but offered as “my 2 cents” for fellow ice buffs.
God Bless

Photo is poor but the standard sized baseball bat gives you a good idea of what length my go to 3 rods are.

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Son, be careful of who you calling old. I know some very elderly guys on this site

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Randy Wieland wrote:

Son, be careful of who you calling old. I know some very elderly guys on this site

Ya…I have a 4’6′(tube Grahpite) also

shark, what took you so long to respond

I see the real long rods as being more of a hindrance than a good 28-32″ with my preference at the “32 length. Why do I want to be that far away from the hole? IMHO

I may be completely wrong here but I’ll give my .02. I am still a “youngin'” but I have ice-fished lakes all across the ice-belt from southern Nebraska to the Gullrock chain in Ontario. I have seen a handful of fishermen using 4’+ rods on the ice, but only in the southern portion of the belt. I struck up a conversation with a gentlemen in Nebraska about it when I was there. He mentioned to me how short their ice season was and that they used rods of that length so they could also use them in the summer when jigging for Crappies.

Now i’m sure that isn’t why you use them, but that is my experience with a long rod. I have a 44″ rod that I use every now and then for crappies on light-wind warm sunny days, it is a ton of fun. I still prefer my rods shorter than 30″. Heck, I even have a couple 18″ rods I use for sight fishing pannies.

Im a “hole hoverer” when it comes to panfish so I decided long ago my panfish rods would always be short. Really short. My current favorite (for the last 3 years) is a 19 inch wicked 13. I would like to get another because its perfect for me but unfortunately according to their website it is no longer offered. I can see a longer rod being easier to fish in an ice house when I am sitting further from hole.

It’s big in southern Michigan. I have a custom patriot 54″ with a schooley reel. I love it for shallow water pannies. Lift it over your head and flip them on the ice. Wind plays hell, but when conditions are right it is the cat’s pajamas. Deeper than 10′ and I switch to a spinning reel.

At 64 I feel well qualified to be in the “old” guy group on the ice. My brother is 10 years my senior. I’m hoping both of us got a decade or two left LOL

I simply like the ability to stand erect and fish. Good sunglasses and a highly visible spring bobber makes being close pointless (for me). Hopping holes means no more than lifting my arm and walking a few steps. When the bite is on, I feel I’m way ahead on getting the fish on the ice and the jig back in the hole.

I’ve spoke with guys on the ice, politely asking why they want to be on top the hole. I get various replies. Works for them. That’s all the reason a person needs.

My three in the photo are two 54 inch and my main rod that’s 69 inches. As said by someone else, they DO make great over the side of the boat jigging rods too but I’ve not done that for years, which means I need to again LOL.

In a nutshell, I’d have to say that it’s just physically less taxing for me to fish using them. Kudos to those who can use any and all rods and positions.
I hope that ability stays with you for many decades.

If another has back and knee issues, I only hope this offers an option they might not have recognized right off the bat. I’d not be able to fish at all if I only had short rods.

Fish on!
God Bless

THANKS to all who have replied!

Steve, physical ailments have really taken a toll on my mobility. I run a lot of 42 to 54″ rods and I’m seldom in a shelter.

I got hooked on them about 30 or so years ago. I have shorter rods and use them pending the application. But it’s so easy on my back, shoulders, and arms. Easier to have the tip at the hole, super easier on hole hopping, and super ideal for first black ice. Many times in skinny water and thin ice you need to back away from your hole.

I’ve also noticed I’m more affective fishing flies and plastics with a longer rod. For me, much easier to get a nice jigging cadence with less effort.

Btw, welcome to the old man’s club

Steve Sr wrote:

At 64 I feel well qualified to be in the “old” guy group on the ice. My brother is 10 years my senior. I’m hoping both of us got a decade or two left LOL

I simply like the ability to stand erect and fish. Good sunglasses and a highly visible spring bobber makes being close pointless (for me). Hopping holes means no more than lifting my arm and walking a few steps. When the bite is on, I feel I’m way ahead on getting the fish on the ice and the jig back in the hole.

I’ve spoke with guys on the ice, politely asking why they want to be on top the hole. I get various replies. Works for them. That’s all the reason a person needs.

My three in the photo are two 54 inch and my main rod that’s 69 inches. As said by someone else, they DO make great over the side of the boat jigging rods too but I’ve not done that for years, which means I need to again LOL.

In a nutshell, I’d have to say that it’s just physically less taxing for me to fish using them. Kudos to those who can use any and all rods and positions.
I hope that ability stays with you for many decades.

If another has back and knee issues, I only hope this offers an option they might not have recognized right off the bat. I’d not be able to fish at all if I only had short rods.

Fish on!
God Bless

THANKS to all who have replied!

Good point. I don’t know how much longer I can kneel to fish. I’m already sore for a couple days after fishing.

Steve Sr wrote:

At 64 I feel well qualified to be in the “old” guy group on the ice. My brother is 10 years my senior. I’m hoping both of us got a decade or two left LOL<p abp=”428″>

<p abp=”429″>I simply like the ability to stand erect and fish. Good sunglasses and a highly visible spring bobber makes being close pointless (for me). Hopping holes means no more than lifting my arm and walking a few steps. When the bite is on, I feel I’m way ahead on getting the fish on the ice and the jig back in the hole.

<p abp=”430″>I’ve spoke with guys on the ice, politely asking why they want to be on top the hole. I get various replies. Works for them. That’s all the reason a person needs.

<p abp=”431″>My three in the photo are two 54 inch and my main rod that’s 69 inches. As said by someone else, they DO make great over the side of the boat jigging rods too but I’ve not done that for years, which means I need to again LOL.

<p abp=”432″>In a nutshell, I’d have to say that it’s just physically less taxing for me to fish using them. Kudos to those who can use any and all rods and positions.<br abp=”433″>
I hope that ability stays with you for many decades.

<p abp=”434″>If another has back and knee issues, I only hope this offers an option they might not have recognized right off the bat. I’d not be able to fish at all if I only had short rods.

<p abp=”435″>Fish on!<br abp=”436″>
God Bless

<p abp=”437″>THANKS to all who have replied!

This is spot on! Keep the rod tip right at the hole and you’ll notice the bites. No wind effect on the line either.

I’m 37, but have been ice fishing panfish with a 48″ noodle rod for 20 years. It always saved my back a lot of pain to not be hovering over a hole hunched over all day. I will agree that windy days can be a pita with a long rod like that. I also like to jig the entire water column in shallow water. The 48″ rod lets me effectively jig a lot more water.

Some might say it’s overkill, but I like the noodle rod paired with a spring bobber for ultimate sensitivity.

I am in the over sixty category and prefer to stand because of my back. I use a 48″ St Croix Legend with the St Croix spring bobber. I really the fact that you can adjust the bobber and that it won’t deform when you store the rod.

This thread just gave me an idea. This past summer I unfortunately snapped a rod in half that I’d had for 10 years. Because of it’s demise it’s now gone to the big fishing pond in the sky…….unless I use it ice fishing? Anyone ever done this? I have ice rods so this would be a backup that I probably wouldn’t need very often. Anyone ever taken a broken rod/reel combo and used it through the ice?

I have taken a broken fly rod and converted it into an ice rod. I had an old ice rod handle that I keeped for a couple of years for no apparent reason. Until my younger brother broke his fly rod by stepping on it down near the handle. His fly rod was a 2 piece. I drilled out the handle of my old ice rod handle and added some gorilla glue to the hole. I then just pushed the end of the fly rod into the handle. I will admit its not the best rod in the world but it makes for one hell of a nice deadstick. I use it for perch deadsticking a 2in minnow.

Dan wrote:

This thread just gave me an idea. This past summer I unfortunately snapped a rod in half that I’d had for 10 years. Because of it’s demise it’s now gone to the big fishing pond in the sky…….unless I use it ice fishing? Anyone ever done this? I have ice rods so this would be a backup that I probably wouldn’t need very often. Anyone ever taken a broken rod/reel combo and used it through the ice?

I do it all the time. It may need to have a guide or two replaced or adjusted to tweek the action, but a cost effective way to have some outstanding ice rods. Just made a Falcon Cara Laker rod. Started out as a McClelland Micro Spinning $259.00 rod…..ooopppps

Time flies, but fishing skinny backwaters (like 2-3 fow under the ice) along side of Dave Koonce @ecnook at the PDC get together, Dave turned us on to the long rods. If you were hovering over a hole, forget about getting bit. You needed to get back away from the hole or those fish would spook. There is a time and place for the rods longer than 4 foot for sure!

-J.

Jon Jordan wrote:

Time flies, but fishing skinny backwaters (like 2-3 fow under the ice) along side of Dave Koonce @ecnook at the PDC get together, Dave turned us on to the long rods. If you were hovering over a hole, forget about getting bit. You needed to get back away from the hole or those fish would spook. There is a time and place for the rods longer than 4 foot for sure!

-J.

I know what spot you are talking about. Chappy showed BK and I his long rod technique there.

These guya are absolutely right! !!

Those long rods aren’t going to get the job done !!!

That’s why I bought a 6 footer last season

Dave Koonce wrote:

These guya are absolutely right! !!

Those long rods aren’t going to get the job done !!!

That’s why I bought a 6 footer last season

I was wondering why you hadn’t chimed in Dave

I’ll also chime in on this conversation. I think you can attribute this long rod phenomenon to multiple reasons which I will get to. First and foremost I fish in Northern Wisconsin and have my entire adult life (yea I’m young at 24) but I made the decision pretty quickly based on style and application.

First of all my dad, uncle and grandpa were the ones who took me fishing, being avid anglers who tended to cover a lot of ground they favored the long rods as they often stood and jigged for pannies. Lots of upside there in terms of battling fish etc. These men also liked traveling light and from lake to lake in each day, chasing the next hot bite as it were. Accordingly they never invested in portable shanties or in permanent shelters due to their preference. They instead investd heavily in high quality outerwear which for the time was somewhat uncommon. Today I am spoiled with a fantastic array of “wearable shacks,” as I call them, so again no need to fish in a shelter. Therefore they had little use for the short rods.
IMHO there are three reasons to use a short rod while fishing outside. First, if you are a hole “hoverer” and like to look down the hole in shallow water that it great. Secondly if you have issues seeing your flasher from a distant you might want to be closer to the hole or protect your rod from being blown by the wind. Third and finally the short rod allows you to fish kneeling a bit easier.
I fish like my dad, uncle and grandpa. I invest in great outerwear, stand up 95 percent of the time and can see very well yet at this point. Thus I do not own a rod under 40 inches. Most sit from 42 to 54. My latest favorite has been my 13 fishing set-up featuring the 42 inch widow maker with a homemade spring bobber (so think about 44 total inches) and a BB 6061 from a year ago. This combo is versatile enough to be fished standing and kneeling outside.
Very interesting to hear the different sides and rationales, bottom line is there is no right way, just the way that feels right to you.
Good Fishing!

When hole-hopping I like a 48″UL. I keep the tip right by the water to beat wind.

I try to use all long rods for any species. The only time I dont is when it gets so unbearably cold that I need to be in my shelter. Otherwise I prefer to stand and hole hop with long rods that have considerably better action than short ones. Just my preference. I know some short rod users that are much more skilled than I ever hope to be.