Hi guys I am trying to find a good blank to use for ice fishing up at Lake Winnipeg. We will be going for big green backs so I need a bigger rod than the usual ice rod. I was trying to find some thing in the 42 inch to 48 inch rod range with a med heavy to heavy power but I am having hard time finding anything over 36 for that power. Any help would be great. Thanks Justin

Extend the 36 inch blank.

Justin,
What is the lure rating in ounces? How deep are you fishing? Mono or braid? If you can't find an ice blank that suits your needs try a Mud Hole CRB spin blank and cut to size. It will take a blank or two to figure out the action and power that you want but it can be done.

The Ice Blank World is full of panfish blanks but short on big fish ice blanks.
Buzz

Justin,
By far, the most popular blank for that purpose is the Batson 6' solid glass blank, that is trimmed from the butt to be the length that is desired.

[www.rainshadowrodblanks.com]

.385"X.105"X72"

A picture of a happy client :
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Example of a bunch of the Winnipeg ice rods on the dryer. Heavy duty blank, heavy duty guides and handles as well.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

A lot of the folks who fish the big lake are very hardy and fish out of doors with no shelter and need to be able to knock the ice off of the rod, as they use snow mobiles to move across the lake in search of the big fish. Also, the reason for the very large sized guides. i.e. less issues with ice if the guides are large.

Weight of the rod is not part of the equation for these rods.

Same blanks I use for pike and lakers here in Yellowknife.
They are great sticks for the job. :)

I order from Utmost Enterprises and they are nice enough to cut them down for me so I pay less shipping because of length.
I get them to just toss the off cut to save weight. ;)

roger wilson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Justin,
> By far, the most popular blank for that purpose is
> the Batson 6' solid glass blank, that is trimmed
> from the butt to be the length that is desired.
>
> [www.rainshadowrodblanks.com]
> lidglass-saltwater-multipurpose/
>
> .385"X.105"X72"
>
> A picture of a happy client :
> [www.rodbuilding.org]
> /photo/19861/title/lake-winnipeg-lake-trout/cat/50
> 6
>
> Example of a bunch of the Winnipeg ice rods on the
> dryer. Heavy duty blank, heavy duty guides and
> handles as well.
>
> [www.rodbuilding.org]
> /photo/18039/title/ice-rods-drying-on-drum-and-sin
> gle-dryer/cat/508
>
> A lot of the folks who fish the big lake are very
> hardy and fish out of doors with no shelter and
> need to be able to knock the ice off of the rod,
> as they use snow mobiles to move across the lake
> in search of the big fish. Also, the reason for
> the very large sized guides. i.e. less issues
> with ice if the guides are large.
>
> Weight of the rod is not part of the equation for
> these rods.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/09/2016 01:48PM by Dave Orr.

Dave,
Nice that you can get the blank trimmed before being shipped. Since the blank is solid, the shipping weight is about 1/2 - when the blanks are trimmed.

Be safe

48" sportsmans direct extreme taper carbon with 6" cut off the tip will also work

Thanks for all the suggestions guys I really appreciate it. I was also wondering what size guides to I use on a rod this size for 10 pound walleyes do I use the wire guides that are being used on smaller rods or do I just get smaller spinning rod guides. Which ring size should I look for. Thanks

The fellows that I build these rods tend to fish out of doors with no shelter even in very cold temperatures. As a result, the fellows like to have larger guides on the rod to be more manageable in very cold temperatures.

When using spinning guides I use Size 16 match guide for the stripper and then size 12 SV guides with size 10 sv guides to the tip.

If I were building these rods for folks who always used a heated shelter, then I would go down to size 6 runners and a size 6 tip top.

Good luck

Thanks Roger for the help. now I can start to get to getting these rods together.

Hello Justin. Some good points there. I don't build ice rods to that length but as to the guides I like to use Pacific Bay guides down to 8 or 6 depending on the Rod. As for as keeping ice from building on the tip I like to use large size fly tip tops. They work well when out side. I own a guide service on Tobin Lake Saskatchewan where walleye over 10lb are common. Hope it helps.

Hello Justin. Some good points there. I don't build ice rods to that length but as to the guides I like to use Pacific Bay guides down to 8 or 6 depending on the Rod. As for as keeping ice from building on the tip I like to use large size fly tip tops. They work well when out side. I own a guide service on Tobin Lake Saskatchewan where walleye over 10lb are common. Hope it helps.

Thanks Cory I was wondering what length rods do you use for big walleyes? We talked to a guy whos been going up to Winnipeg the last few years and he said they use four foot rods so that's what I was going off of for size. They are outside and hole hopping when they are up there that's why he said he uses a four foot rod.

Justin,
I have made hundreds of ice rods for the Winnipeg group of fishermen.

The shortest rod that I make for them is 40 inches and will go out to 45 inches. Lots of rods sold at 42 inches.

Good luck

Thanks Roger this gives me a better idea on what to do as far as size. I have a few more questions that popped into my head. How long of a handle would you use on say a 45 inch rod and would you use a reel seat. I guess I like the idea of a reel seat but that's my preference. Thanks Justin

Justin,
I am just finishing a rod that I built for a client last year.

In the past, I have built all of these rods with an 8 inch solid cork grip and no reel seat.

However, that particular client - after using it for a while decided that he wanted a reel seat.

So, I just finished it last night. I used a 5 1/2 inch rear grip, a size 17 reel seat that has its threads chopped by 3/4 inch, and a 1.5 inch fore grip.

For myself, I will never have a reel seat on an ice fishing rod. Simply put - why. Plastic is cold. Aluminum is cold. Cork is warm. Tape is neutral. So, by taping a reel to a cork grip, there is nothing to conduct cold and making your hands more cold than they were before picking up the rod when fishing outside when it is -20F.

But, the client is always right and the reel seat will make it easy to swap and or just remove reels when needed.

Be safe

Justin,
I am just finishing a rod that I built for a client last year.

In the past, I have built all of these rods with an 8 inch solid cork grip and no reel seat.

However, that particular client - after using it for a while decided that he wanted a reel seat.

So, I just finished it last night. I used a 5 1/2 inch rear grip, a size 17 reel seat that has its threads chopped by 3/4 inch, and a 1.5 inch fore grip.

For myself, I will never have a reel seat on an ice fishing rod. Simply put - why. Plastic is cold. Aluminum is cold. Cork is warm. Tape is neutral. So, by taping a reel to a cork grip, there is nothing to conduct cold and making your hands more cold than they were before picking up the rod when fishing outside when it is -20F.

But, the client is always right and the reel seat will make it easy to swap and or just remove reels when needed.

Be safe

Here's a few images of handles on my 42" ice rods.

[img.photobucket.com]

[img.photobucket.com]

[img.photobucket.com]

[img.photobucket.com]

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Dave I was curious about the rod in pic number two. I was wondering why you did the guides in this type of layout. Is there an advantage to it or is it just a personal preference. I have never tried this layout before. Thanks Justin

Justin Carlson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dave I was curious about the rod in pic number
> two. I was wondering why you did the guides in
> this type of layout. Is there an advantage to it
> or is it just a personal preference. I have never
> tried this layout before. Thanks Justin


Justin
It's spiral wrapped.
Sett this way torque when a fish is on helps to hold the rod upright when using bait casting reels as the weight tends to let the rod fall over to the side when you tie conventionally.
Not an issue with spinning setups as the weight of the reel is under the rod blank.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details