Tow years back, I started building rods. My first rods were ice fishing rods. I learned how to find the spines, and wrap guides. Strong, fiberglass rod blanks are inexpensive, in the extreme. However, after getting premium cork handles, premium guides, and tip top, wrap finish, thread, etc. It's still gonna cost you about $60.00 USD. Why am I telling you this? I used Fuji KL Concept guides on a couple of rods, and Airwave guides on others. I test cast these rods,, with appropriate spin-cast reels for the ice rods. They cast surprisingly well, and with good distance. I tried them on a bay where perch, bullheads, and rock bass hang out. They were a lot of fun to fish. I also tried them on Upper Peninsula Michigan streams, fishing in the thickets that defined small U.P. streams..They were great for flipping crawlers, crayfish, and atrificials such as Meps, and the like. The little brookes, 7 to 10 inch were a lot of fun to fish.

Building on ice rod blanks for fishing everything from steelhead, to buegill can give you a whole new experience in fishing. And fish size isn't an issue. People pull big lake trout from the depths under the ice with these rods.

Just sharing.

Tight Lines, and frisky fish

RJF

Oh, I forgot to tell you, I was able to get 90 to 120 USD for these rods, selling them to peole who knew the value of the uilds. And they reported to me that they loved there rods.

Tight Lines, and frisky fish

RJF

Robert, what a great idea! i make short(about 4') rods for local farm ponds..the rods i use are hollow glass but the solid glass rods sound very interesting..Thanks for posting this..do you have a good source for ice rods up to four feet, maybe solid carbon also..Thanks..

Here are a few links.

[www.anglersworkshop.com]

[www.mudhole.com]

[www.jannsnetcraft.com]

You can also get the hardware, from grips to guides, glue, and whatever else you need for the build from all of these sites.

Tight Lines and drisky fish

RJF

Thanks Robert..

Building ice fishing rods in Florida Can cause old men to dust off trick casting skills and get asked questions like "What is that, and what did you just do with it?

When I am out on the lake - open water fishing, I will often see families with children using the short ice rod blanks for fishing.

I have seen an awful lot of fish caught over the sides of the boat using very short rods to catch the fish. Essentially drop the line over the side of the boat. When the fish bites, reel it in. Simple and effective in the right environment and fish population.

Take care

Ice rods cast well when set up with a good guide train, and are even is good for catching small mouths. They are strong enough for pike, but you woud have to matxh the blank and reall seat for a suitable reel and line weight. That tine, strong blank is great fun when hooking into a big rainbow, or bass.

Tight lines and Frisky Fish

RJF