Mike Thorson of Batson Enterprises designed these blanks, so there's a lot of knowledge behind it. "It's 38 inches long, has a split grip for sensitivity, and recoil guides that shed ice easier. "We designed it for big greenbacks on Lake Winnipeg and for guys going north for lakers," Audettel says. And these are solid carbon blanks - very durable with slightly oversized guides to help prevent freeze-up."Īdam Audettel, president of Tuned-Up Custom Rods, says the most popular big-fish stick he ever created is the Commander ($119). I've always been a proponent of maximizing feel, and the split reel-seat design keeps fingers in contact with the blank. I like a little give in that tip so fish can't shake free. "But for heavy lures and fish, the Mojo MIR36MH in spin, or MIR36MH ($49.99) in casting style would be right. "We have new 48- and 50-inch models," says Rich Belanger, promotions manager at St. Croix responded to the call for longer rods with a new series of Mojo Ice Rods. Ice anglers tend to use fewer actions than open-water anglers, and that shouldn't be the case." With lighter lures, you need a light tip and the lighter the better. You have to balance the rod with the lure. We needed a rod with enough power through the tip to present those lures. It was amazing how well walleyes reacted to lake-trout spoons 3 to 4 inches long. "On Lake Winnipeg last year we used big spoons to catch 10- and 12-pound fish with these rods. Walleyes are notorious for being finicky eaters with a hard mouth, so even when downsizing you need a lighter tip to both detect bites and sometimes feed line, but I like aggressive lures that get lunched. You need a perfect butt length for balance and maneuverability when fighting big fish. "With a split handle, it's lighter and balances nicely in your hand. "You get better balance with a long rod," he says. Wright & McGill Tony Roach Ice Magnum RodsĪ 36-inch rod is short for Roach, but he uses them at times. They throw slack into the line, while a longer rod keeps the line tight better no matter what the fish does." It's hard to go back after using 42- to 50-inch sticks because shorter rods lose fish. There's not a lot you can do with a 24- to 30-inch rod, but you can blend forgiveness with stiff backbone into a longer blank. You can build more actions into a longer rod. "I was calling for longer rods for a while because that's how I fish. He designed Tony Roach Series Ice Magnum rods ($29.99) with big lures and big walleyes in mind for Wright & McGill (WMTR150PIMC-WMTR150P). It comes with a deep spool for heavy fish and a shallow spool for light line."Īnother Minnesota guide, Tony Roach, famous for "trolling on ice" tactics, rarely uses shelters. It has a graphite blank, cork handle, aluminum oxide eyelets, and contemporary design, and it comes with a Bro-Series Spinning Reel with a smooth drag, and foldable handle that works great with braid, fluorocarbon, and mono. With big walleyes and pike, it's designed to drive hooks home through bony mouths. The backbone is great for monster hook-sets, even down deep after lakers. There's nothing worse than hearing your reel go 'plop' into a hole. It has a reel seat that locks down tight. "Medium-heavy is nice for 1/2- to 1-ounce tubes or spoons for big fish. "I use a 28-inch medium or 30-inch medium-heavy Frabill Bro Series Rod ($39.99)," he says. Minnesota Guide Brian "Bro" Brosdahl goes the other way. It makes a big difference, giving the angler more control, wearing out the fish, and getting it to the hole." I'm a fan of longer rods for the leverage to fight big fish. I live in Ontario's Sunset Country, where we have big fish of all three species and we can catch them all in the same day, so its convenient to pack a couple models of the same rod when I head out for the day. "I use the same rod for big pike, walleyes, and lakers.
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