I know this is a bit out of season, but I'd like to build a few ultra light panfish ice rods and I'm not really sure how to do this. Most of the blanks I've found are around.125" and all the cork and reel seat arbors are around .25" inside diameter. How do you make the connection? Also any other tips for building ice rods would be appreciated. Thanks!

Janns has .125 cork...

I find that those thin blanks flex too much, I like to use scrap blanks to sleeve the ice blanks in, and then i can use normal handle materials without having blank flex issues in the grip.

I build tape arbors under the cork.

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Super Tight Lines......Don

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X10 on Andrews idea.
I also think that many of the very light action rods, do not have a heavy or stiff enough butt section for the handle area.
So, I will routinely nest the butt of the rod inside a larger hollow blank before gluing the assembly into the handle.

But, if you do just a bit of searching, there are several suppliers that make 1/8th inch hole - handles available for use in building ice rods.

Roger

Zack,
Get a hold of MudHole. They now have, or will have shortly graphite sleeves that wil fit over the ice rod blank to keep it from flexing under the grip parts. Use tape arbors to build up the blank and then epoxy the blank to the sleeve. Then epoxy the grip parts onto the sleeve and you have a solid connection and still have the flex in the ice rod blank.

Any futher questions shoot me an email.

Buzz

Zack,
we have a new part "IRHT-10" which is a 10" carbon tube 0.250" OD X 0.200" ID. We have had these made for mounting your handle parts on then securing directly to the Ice Blank. These currently aren't on the website but should be up in the next couple of days.

Regards,
Todd Vivian
Mud Hole Custom Tackle

todd@mudhole.com

Thanks Todd, I'll be sure to get a few with my next order.
I'm guessing I'll have to make some modifications to my wrapping jig in order to wrap on the short flimsy rods. What does everyone else do?

Wrapping guides on the very flexible blanks is tough. Get your rod standards/upright as close together as possible. Get lots of sleep before hand, and leave the beer alone till after the wraps. There are no secrets with this wrap. Just take your time. They are very nice ice rods and very popular with ice anglers who do not want to use spring bobbers, they are a challenge to wrap. Stay away from metallic. Make it as easy on yourself as possible and you will have good results.

Buzz

Thats all I build is ice rods. A tip for doing the tops is I use my left hand (index finger) as a guide to hold the tension and my right hand to wrap on a power wrapper. I have a guide I made out of a credit card to guide the top. Real thin and I rest it right on the top. There are some real good ideas on the photos page for tools. Some rods I do I sand the tip down so that it's extremely flexible for either a crappie rod or a light bite perch rod. Just looking at it, it bends, lol. I will use cork rings that have no hole and drill my own and ream them as you would a "regular" rod. I made a jig to go into a drill press that makes for easy set up. I don't have alot of tools. Just some basic tools I made from ideas that I got here. These guys are very knowledgable and are more than happy to share information. Take your time and remember you will have to redo some work. Thats ok.

Thanks for the info chip! I like the idea of creative tools made from from everyday items. Can't wait to get to work on some ice rods!!!