Anyone remember those spring loaded hook setters? You stuck them in the sand and set the line in a trigger assembly. You very rarely missed a fish. Also they made a distinctive clang when they sprung.
I’ll bet one could be designed for ice fishing. I’d buy one…Maybe ironworker could make a prototype.
Slayer
Hey Slayerace,
Is this one of those rod holders you mentioned ?
[inline “Spring loaded rod holder.JPG”]
I think this one was designed and built by some guy in Richfield - at leat that was the story I got when I purchased it some years back.
Here is an interesting design - I got from DaveTClown last year.
[inline Slammer.JPG]
Also, here is a description from a thread on the Icefishing board - also supplied by Dave.
with a five peices of pvc and two fortyfive degree elbows one T all one inch. cut
three peices of pvc to 8 inches two peices to 3 inches.
take your T and glue an 8 inch in to the leg of the T.
glue the three inches pecies in to the arms of the T.
glue one 8 inch peice in to each of the elbows.
set the elbow on to the three inch peice but dont glue yet.
sit down on your bucket and set the stand down beside you. the leg of the T should
be pointing upward direction you will have a “V” sitting on the floor.
set your rod in the leg of the T
trun the leg of the T to the disired angle and pratice grabbing your rod.
when you are sure it is in a comfortable position then you can finish glueing you
stand together.
you may want to even cut a peice of the top of the leg off once it is glued in place
for quicker retrieves.
Thats the one…I think I may take one of the ones I have and try to modify it.
Slayerace
Luvr I have some pvc rod holders very similar to those and they work great as rod holders. I do not have my rod permanently attached to the holder. The rod slides down into a section of pvc pipe. But it also slides out easy. I don’t like the pvc section hanging on there while I am fighting fish or jigging. I had one fish tip the holder over and the rod started sliding out of the holder as I grabbed it so in their current state they are still not very secure. Maybe if i could build some sort of a quick release into the system so while the rod is just sitting there it is locked in and then I can release it to slide out from the holder… Hmmmmm, note to self… work on quick release locking mechinism for current ice rod holders… thanks!
Maybe just notch the pvs so the rod sits deeper in it than run a peice of felcro over it so it is in front of the reel.
This is the “quick grab” rod rest I made last year. It sits at an ideal height, beside my chair, and I can grab that puppy in a hurry. Plus, with the drag properly set, a big fish can take line without pulling the rod out of the holder. It has been challenged.
I’m just going to use a tip-up in one hole and give my full concentration to the rod in my hand. If my tip-up catches more fish than my rod hand then I know to switch something around. I think tip-up’s count as a “rod”
I have a friend at work who builds rods. I used one for the first time last year. They have a very lite tip and I didn’t even need a strike indicator.
The rod worked good inside the ice hut or just out on the ice.
They shouldn’t go down the hole.
If anyone is interested in one, I can put you in contact with him.
I ice fished in Idaho this spring with BrianID. He had 5 poles in the water and so I put in the 3 poles I took. Talk about a fun circus running back and forth when the bites came. We never lost a pole, but tried to support them behind something like angled over a tackle box to make them harder to pull into the hole. Acey
Unless you’re setting your pole on slick ice with nothing between your pole and the hole, loosing a pole is unlikely IMO. I often build little snow mounds and/or use my gear to prop poles up on and keep them from going down a hole. When a large fish hooks itself, it just pulls out line until I get there. I haven’t lost a pole yet with this technique. I’ll admit I did loose one about 7 or 8 years ago, but I didn’t put anything between the rod and the hole to prevent a fish from pulling it down.
I have hits on more than one rod all the time. Having all 5 poles getting hit in less than a minute can be a little nerve racking [crazy](and exciting) but I’m not all that worried about loosing any poles. If I do loose a pole it just gives me an excuse to buy a new one. [;)]
On several occasions I’ve saved my pole when it was pointed strait down the hole and the only thing saving it was the top of the reel caught on the ice on the edge of the hole. I know a guy that lost 3 poles in just two trips. He was placing his rods on slick ice with nothing between his pole and the hole. When there is no snow on the ice and it is slick, I’ll place a pole/rod of some kind across middle of my holes. The shaft of an ice auger, ice scooper, or any thing else will work. If a fish pulls the rod, the reel will get hung up on the rod so the fish can’t pull the fishing pole down the hole as easy.
I hope all of that rambling makes sense.
I use the Dickey Rod Savers. They run about $5.99 or so. When a fish pulls the rod toward the hole, the spring loaded leg pops out and the holder then becomes too wide to go down even a 10" hole. They really work!! I’ve tested them!!
I’ll add pics later today when I have more time. They’re slick!
I just bought one of these and hope it works out this next year. This would be my suggestion for anyone worried about it.
I thought this was going to pop up under the post with the Mr. Jigger picture. That’s what I’m talking about.
