Is it customary to place tube-style tip top guides are ice rods? I have a .75mm tip on 2 of mine. It seems it would be easier.

Thanks

I put tube tip tops on all of my ice rods. I have only built about a dozen and don't plan on building more. I know some guys use line guides at the top. I had a hard time finding small enough tubes to fit the tips but found them. I wish I could remember the company. They're out there tho.

I've used both tube style tip tops and wrapped on a fly guides. Either is fine.

My preference is to wrap on a guide. A wrapped on fly guide weighs less, they always match the rest of the guides,and they ALWAYS fit - no searching for tube guides that are often too large or small for a perfect fit. Some people also don't like the abrupt transition/stress point of having the long hard metallic tube on a tiny delicate ice rod tip.

With tube tip tops on ice rods I use Rod Bond Quick Bond or other epoxy adhesive to glue them on. It's easier and more secure than the melt glue stuff, and don't let the "but it's hard to get them off if you have to change a damaged tip top" argument concern you - any trauma significant enough to damage a tip top on an ice rod will DESTROY the blank, so the ability to change them is a non-issue. Glue the tip guide on first making sure that air trapped in the tube doesn't push it back off, and wrap the rest of the guides to align with the tip.

Maybe I'm just ignorant or maybe an idiot...possibly both but I don't get all of the "lighter" argument. How much difference is a "lighter" tip going to make while fishing through the ice? I am in Utah so don't fish small perch or other smaller fish. Even with the wind blowing I can see when a fish is messing with me and my bait. Also, I have said on here a few times about the glue specifically made for tip tops from flex coat and possibly other makers. Not the white crap...use the yellow stick. It drys fast. Don't need to worry about it pushing off because of too much glue in the tube if you just push it on and hold it for 10-20 seconds. Maybe I am too simple and maybe people think and try too hard. I have never had a tip problem after I switched to the yellow stick.

If people have a problem with a few grams of weight while fishing, perhaps spend a little time in the gym. I also bike a lot...the pedal kind not the Harley kind. There is a difference with pounds while climbing hills. Even so...1-2 pounds won't be overly noticed while riding a couple hours. The Tour riders I'm sure can notice it over a couple weeks of 100+ miles a day.

So can someone explain the real reason of using or not using one or two more guides due to weight issue? Thanks from an old, naive, ignorant Italian dude.

On small fish an what they call a light bite it counts a lot with a light tip ,. saying that I want a light tip but not as light as some people want, an go to extreme measures to get it .,
PS SMALL fish , I want large fish , YES ,

William Sidney
AK

Todd - we're all ignorant about some things, but only the smartest among us admit it and channel that "ignorance" into curiosity to learn more about those subjects!

My statement about the wrapped on guide weighing less wasn't as clearly written as it could have been. The weight I referred to is not a perceptible amount of weight that someone will feel in their hands, but it's less weight on the tip of the rod that will cause the tip sag. The tips on some ice fishing "noodle" rods are less than .030" and very easily flexed to provide "visual bite detection" and heavy guides/wraps make them sag.

Thanks Dan! I have fished all of my life but only been building rods for 10-15 years. Things have changed over time. One of those being one piece rods "because they are much more sensitive" as people say. I tried a couple one piece rods and could not tell a difference. Only difference I noticed was that the one piece rods were more difficult to transport and more easy to break by rolling them up in the window (which I did). My rides don't ride in the back of my truck...they ride inside with me. When I hear people say how one piecers are so much more sensitive it makes me think, "I must suck because I can't tell a difference." I'm not convinced about all of the weight and sensitivity issues. Sure...a good graphite rod will most likely be more sensitive than a Walmart special...no argument with me on that. But one piece to two piece on same material, built the same way, I'm just not good enough to sense that. Thanks Dan.

Hey Bruce

Try Bass Khang. A lot of us that build ice rods use their stuff. They carry tips for noodles that have made my life a lot easier!

Chuck

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