11-30-2011, 03:40 PM
You can also just take the reels you normally use for soft water and add them on to an ice fishing rod. For the first two years I iced fish, I actually just used my soft water rods and reels and it worked out fine. If you are fishing in an ice tent, the longer rods won't work but if you are just outside on the ice, a 5 ft rod will work for ice fishing. You don't want a long stiff rod of course if you are using small jigs and trying to detect light bites. But the soft water rods, depending on length and action, will work. Just add a spring bobber so you can detect the bites.
I have used some of the cheap ice combos and the reel drags are fairly poor. The rods to me are the most important thing to get as I have a ton of reels I can just take off my other rods and put on my ice rods. A very flimsy rod can make it very difficult to hook fish. You will have a harder time feeling the bite with a short stiff ice rod. So to me the rod is more important than the reel because I know I have missed many fish before I actually knew what type of gear to use.
[signature]
I have used some of the cheap ice combos and the reel drags are fairly poor. The rods to me are the most important thing to get as I have a ton of reels I can just take off my other rods and put on my ice rods. A very flimsy rod can make it very difficult to hook fish. You will have a harder time feeling the bite with a short stiff ice rod. So to me the rod is more important than the reel because I know I have missed many fish before I actually knew what type of gear to use.
[signature]