I am going to build some ice rods soon and I was thinking about using carbon fiber tubing for the handles. Has anyone here used it and if so what size tube would I be looking for? Thanks as always. Mark

Mark,
I just want to ask you one question.

What is the temperature for the person holding the rod when one goes ice fishing?

The answer is pretty simple ---- REALLY COLD.

So, if you want to make an ice rod, you might consider using material that does not transfer heat or cold and feels warm in the hand.

A cold handle on a cold ice rod can make for a really long day.

In a word, there are two simple answers that take care of both making a nice handle as well as not transferring heat and feel warm in the hand.

1. Foam - either EVA or Hypalon

2. Cork - either natural or synthetic.

3. A 3rd option that actually works very well is the use of soft wood.

For making fishing rod handles, including ice rod handles, I generally go for a handle that is about 7/8th of an inch. This size seems close to perfect for both ice rods as well as for soft water rods.

There are some suppliers out there that sell shaped cork one piece handles with small diameter thru holes for the rod blank. Also, there are suppliers out there that do the same for EVA grips.

I have built literally hundreds of ice rods over the years and have never found a need, by myself or my clients to spend a lot of either time or money on an ice rod handle.

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A google search that reveals suppliers of such handles as well as many of the sponsors on the left of this page.

[www.google.com]

Thanks Roger. I am an avid ice fisherman and I am always looking for an edge and thought a carbon fiber handle would help. Never thought about it transferring the cold.

"I just want to ask you one question.

What is the temperature for the person holding the rod when one goes ice fishing?

The answer is pretty simple ---- REALLY COLD."

Roger this is not always the case, inside a hut with a heater the temps will get over 60 degrees even on the coldest days. Several years ago there was an article that Tom (perhaps he can tell the back issue) published, can't remember the author, but they were using carbon tubes and putting hand warmers inside the tubes to add heat. That would make a much warmer handle than wood, cork or EVA.

Mark,
Read and understood.

Good luck

If the rod is for you, whatever is most comfortable. I would go with smallest tube that feels good.

What are you planning to use for bushings/arbors.

The issue is how small the rod butt diameters.

The advantage of carbon fiber is weight and sensitivity but, you may loss that with tape arbors.

Making your own arbors with expanding foam maybe your answer for arbors.

I only use CF.

See you on the water, Doug
Captain Paddlefoot

Hello Mark.

Steve Gardener added them to his "Vibronics Tennessee" handles, in Volume 11 - Issue 2 - Page 10, March-April 2008.
The harmers in the picture were "Hothands-2" up to 10 hours of heat.


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Mark,
With a cork grip and a handle length and reel placement such that you can keep a finger tip on the blank, I find that it is tough to beat the handling, comfort and sensitivity of such a rod.

Also, in recent years, I have gone to ice rods that had at least 3 inches of the tip or so be very soft so that the rod tip can translate the bite into a visual cue.

Good luck.

Thanks everyone. I have my wheels turning on ideas.

Mark,
If you have not tried it before, take a spool of line, a couple of hooks and a few split shot, a bucket of minnows and go to the lake and go fishing.

Find an open hole, tie on the hook split shot and bait it with a minnow. Drop the line down the hole, and when your sensitive fingers feel a fish on the line, hand line the fish out of the water and through the ice.

Total rod cost - $0
Total reel cost - $0

Total tackle cost - $1.
Total cost of bait - $3.

So, this is one extreme of fishing. You can go from there.

But, believe it that an awful lot of fish have been caught from waters around the world over the years using this exact technique.

Be safe