Home made ice rods

[redneckchromer]

Got any broken rods laying around? Either give them to me or do this with them LOL There is a few different ways you can turn broken rods into ice rods, The first is to simply trim down the top section of a rod so its anywhere from 24-28 inches long. Duct tape or electrical tape a reel on there and there ya go you can target anything from panfish to hammer handle pike to smaller walleye to small backlake trout. If you have a bottom piece to a rod at your disposal you can also build an ice rod with a proper reel seat. Just rip the blank out of the handle, fill the hole with some sort of glue and then place your trimmed top section into the hole and let the glue dry, i like to wrap a bit of tape around where the rod and handle meet to ensure it stays put lol remember if your using a reel seat to keep the rods total length under 28 inches if you can! If you dont have a bottom section you can take a cork, bore out a small hole and stuff your rod tip inside and glue it for a "fighting butt" as shown in the pic with the red reel. You can use parts from ANY rod and reel you have whether its from a float rod fly rod or split grip bass rod!!! Inno the rods aint the prettiest but they have all handled splake, pike and perch and for the price I cant complain lol

as for reels, you dont need an ice reel to ice fish any reel will do!!

 

[miles]

Great post!

This is a great option for anyone looking for some cheap ice rods.

Good point about Keeping them around 28", I made a few that were wayyy to long for the hut :lol:

I also found it really easy to cut the graphite with a file, I think a hack saw would work well too.

 

[redneckchromer]

Great post!

This is a great option for anyone looking for some cheap ice rods.

Good point about Keeping them around 28", I made a few that were wayyy to long for the hut :lol:

I also found it really easy to cut the graphite with a file, I think a hack saw would work well too.

yep when i first made em they were WAY to long aswell ! haha so annoying to rip em outa the glue and then glue em back together lol For cutting the rods a hacksaw worked well a vise will make it alot easier too!

 

[BackwoodsBassr]

Awesome post! Thanks for sharing.

 

[fishermandan420]

try cutting the graphite with a cutting/grinding disc on a dremel. works for me. if you want a more sensitve way of fitting the tip in the handle, cut the blank flush with the handle, and epoxy the tip section in there. sometines you need to fit another section of blank inside the handle that the tip will still fit it.