Heading to Lake Winnipeg for the first time in late feb. Most of my ice rods are medium, medium light, light. Found a website with G Loomis IMX medium and medium heavy rods for 50% of…so $100 each. Also St Croix has many of their ice rods at a discount around $90 each. What do people like for actions and lengths at Winnipeg and thoughts on the g loomis or St croix ice rods at around $100 per.
IMO – dont overthink it. They are walleyes – just a little bigger than average, and they fight like walleyes. Its not like a 10# eye will test your gear like a 10# trout. Go with tackle that fits the lures/hooks you will use. Just keeping it simple makes for less stress
Not sure if you have a setup with braid but I sure liked running braid with a flouro leader for the first time in South Dakota last weekend for walleyes . Would suck out of the shack though . No input on the rod I don’t have enough big ice walleyes under my belt anyway 
With a 3/4 oz Binks on the end, it seriously doesn’t take high priced equipment/rods. I bought a Black Reign 32 inch for my trip but found it uncomfortably long for my single shack and used my Berkley Lightning rod 24″ the bulk of the trip.
As said above don’t over think it. We’ve done 5 trips up there over the last few years and yes there are big fish but it’s not like people depict it on YouTube and tv shows where every fish is over 28 inches. To me it fishes a lot like Red Lake except with big fish thrown in the mix. I’d focus less on rods and things like that and focus more on being prepared to be the most mobile you can so you can make fast long moves. Good luck out there. It’s something else that’s for sure. On a side note make sure you don’t leave anything in the box of your truck at night or anything of any value in the cab. Theft is a huge problem up there.
I’d be more worried about what type/size of baits you’re using and if the rods support it. I know guys up there use some pretty big rattle baits…like a # 6/7 rippin rap. Some of the medium weight ice rods might not work great for those.
If you are running just standard walleye baits I’d scoop up that Loomis rod and pair it with 10# braid and a 10# fluorocarbon leader. That will horse anything through the ice.
Good info. I picked up a St. Croix Tundra 36 MF and a Skandic Ice 36MH on the Croix factory sale. I’ll put 12lb braid on there and usually run 10 or 15lb seagur flouro leader via a small swivel. I should’ve mentioned that with the rods the size of the baits was the main concern I had, as last week my 32 TUCR Precision handled a 27 inch walleye just fine. Not sure that rod would handle a 3.4 ounce Binks or #6 rippin rap well though.
Just for reference my hot bait up on Winnipeg last year was a Williams Wobbler, its a very light tin spoon. A custom build on 36” thorn walleye sweetheart blank is all I use.
Id run 4 rods total, 2 of each style.
2 – 38″ MH with a fast or moderate action, Pair these with big rattle baits like stated above, Most likely 8lb flouro or braid with a flouro leader, and a 1000 or 2500 reel.
2 – 38″ M or ML with a fast action, Pair this with more finess style baits like jig and plastics, larger (1/4 & 3/8 oz) spoons etc. for sure 8lb flouro and a 1000 or 2500 reel.
These are my go to setups be it Mille Lacs, Red, winni, or local pot holes. I like to have two of each with diferent presentations rigged and ready with the favorites, and a decent size reel with a smooth drag to work the fish. Shimano or Daiwa recommended.
Just for reference my hot bait up on Winnipeg last year was a Williams Wobbler, its a very light tin spoon. A custom build on 36” thorn walleye sweetheart blank is all I use.
That’s an old school good bait up there. Used them 15 years ago.
Make sure to max out the horsepower…
Was wondering for a while if I was still on IDO with the “don’t overthink it” comments!
But as stated – still just walleye. I’ve been thinking more lately about getting up there myself. How do most of you get around? Tracked wheeler/sled, or I’ve seen it where it is wind-blown clean and can drive trucks out.
Small machine tracked vehicle always best option.
St Croix Tundra 36 MF with Daiwa QR750, Clam Braid 15lb, 12lb seagur icex leader with a swivel; big rippin rap
St Croix 36 MH Skandic with Daiwa QR750, Clam Braid 15lb, 12lb seagur icex leader with a swivel; 3/4 Binks
TUCR 32 Precison with Daiwa QR750, Clam Braid 10lb, 12lb seagur icex leader with a swivel; 3/8 northland flutter spoon
JT 34 Gold Digger with Daiwa QR750, Clam Brain 10lb, 12lb seagur icex leader with a swivel; 1/4 to 3/8 tungsten rattle spoon
JT 44 Shiverstick with Daiwa QR750, Suffix mono 10lb, 12lb seagur icex leader with a swivel; Hole Hopper
Yogi Custom 32 M Carbon with Daiwa QR750, Clam Braid 10lb, 12lb seagur icex leader with a swivel; PK Spoon
Frostbite Drench 39 M; Deadstick Rod
That’s the likely lineup to start with, adjust as needed. We will be in a Ice Castle for a couple days, then 1 day likely in a Snobear. If weather cooperates we may venture out from the Castle on our own for a couple hours here and there, maybe…
My favorite rod up there is my TUCR Commander. It’s good to have a fast enough rod to get a good hookset, especially with the barbless hooks. A lot of the lures you use up there are quite a bit bigger than typical walleye lures, so extr power in the tip helps as well. You want to make sure you have a reel with a reliable drag for sure!
Thorne walleye sweetheart, jt gold digger
I’ve done well on Winnipeg with my TUCR Power Precision. It handled size 5 and size 6 Ripping Raps just fine.
Landed some big ones up to 26″ without a problem. Going back this coming March looking for that 28″ plus Master Angler fish.
One thing to consider…it you’re going to be fishing in a Snobear the longer rods get a bit awkward. I wouldn’t go longer than 32″ if in a Snobear.
PS – those Daiwa QR 750 reels are sweet!
I’ve done well on Winnipeg with my TUCR Power Precision. It handled size 5 and size 6 Ripping Raps just fine.
Landed some big ones up to 26″ without a problem. Going back this coming March looking for that 28″ plus Master Amgler fish.
One thing to consider…it you’re going to be fishing in a Snobear the longer rods get a bit awkward. I wouldn’t go longer than 32″ if in a Snobear.
PS – those Daiwa QR 750 reels are sweet!
Good info, thanks. Yes, the 32/34 would be my rods in the Bear. I have converted all of my ice combos (20+ for me and son) to the Daiwa QR750. I clean and regrease/lubricate the reels upon purchase and every other year. Love them. Good drag system, folding handle, great value. BTW, on sale at THorne Bros for $24.99 right now and Scheels price matches 
Thanks for the heads up, I just bought 4 of them from thorne bros
Might need another Daiwa 750 at that price! Thanks!
Food for thought. The Loomis ice blanks are tubular, not solid. Not a knock of Loomis by any means but personally a tubular ice blank would not be my first choice in any ice application what so ever. Cold makes things brittle, brittle things break easier. Winnipeg experience, longer rod with a faster tip helped me personally keep fish pined with barbless hooks. You do not need to break the bank on equipment for Winnipeg because that place chews it up and spits it out like noones business. I use a 32 medium fast st criox that I spent under 75$ on and also have a 36 med light fast cabelas rod that worked extremely well. Also the only reason I bought them was for the added length of rod vs what I used around home, after that 1st year up there I don’t think I own a rod under 30″ anymore, to me it just helps keep fish pinned better
My son just got back from there and they had good luck. He said flouro leaders not needed as the water is dirty like the Miss. River. They lost a few big fish at the hole as they were using barbless spoons.
I just booked my 4th trip up there and I can’t wait. it’s been 3 years since I’ve been up there, but I thought about going every year. It can be a real fun trip with nice weather, or it can be brutal and miserable. Either way you should catch fish. One year we were there for a week we had tee shirt weather below zero weather, a blizzard with 12 inches of snow, and rain another day and fog so tick you couldn’t see anything, it was the worst.
walleye.jpg
Got back last night from a long weekend on Lake Winnipeg, the trip referenced above. So many great experiences and memories made with my son and two great friends.
A lot of walleyes. More than enough “eaters” everyday, and found some of the lakes big fish. Between the 3 of us (our 4th fished 1/2 a day) we caught 13 fish between 24.25 and 26.25. We never unlocked the code to one of the famous greenback 30’s….so I’ll likely have to return. Twist my arm.
Put it in perspective, I’ve been ice fishing for 30 years and my biggest ice walleye to date is 27 inches. The 26’s I caught at Lake Winnipeg were the thickest walleye I’ve ever seen, amazing girth on those fish.
A few firsts and notes.
Slept out a inevitable Lake Winnipeg Wind Storm that closed the lake access for 24 hours. Brutal wind.
Nearly bottomed out an auger with extension trying to punch through. We have about 3-4 inches left and the extension on the Stikemaster 40 was a 12 inch.
The two St. Croix rods I bought worked great! I basically used two lures the entire time. Large green/silver Frostbite Dinner Bell and a 3/8 Pink PK Spoon with a feathered treble. Still blows my mind that I never once put bait on either of these lures.
Fins Icetamer braided line. Strong, supple enough, but as for anything new on eliminating ice build up on the line…not so much. Same old same old, water on braid in cold temps will freeze. When we hole hopped outside one day the temp was around zero with a slight wind. We kept a truck running with the heat on and switched out our ice rods about every 10 minutes to thaw line.
Introduced my son to Tim Horton’s, but no poutine on this trip. Another reason to return :).
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