Baitcaster Ice Fishing Rod, Where do you find one?

[Agronomist_at_IA]

Looking for a baitcaster ice fishing rod, where can a person find one?

[mww24]

Jason mitchell has some big rods for lake trout that have baitcast reel seats. Thorne bros. also has a 32 inch professional plus available with a baitcast reel seat.

[Steve Foss]

You should be able to find a handful of ice baitcast reels at any major outdoors store this time of year. There are a half dozen solid manufacturers. If you can find a spiral-wrap model, that's the ticket!

[Esox_Magnum]

Got one sitting in the corner unused, didn't care for it... 30 or 32" MH I think

[Steve Foss]

Got one sitting in the corner unused, didn't care for it... 30 or 32" MH I think

Sounds like a good lake trout stick.

[Esox_Magnum]

I'll bring it to V next Aug and give it to you if you want it Foss....unless your comeing down south again this winter... Correction it's a 36" MH

[Steve Foss]

Correction it's a 36" MH

Yeah, I'm up for that!

Do you ever get to southern Minnie for ice fishing? If so, I gots a fella you prolly know who you could drop it off with who's coming to Bside this winter.

[Twins Guy]

St Croix has a new line of reasonably priced ice rods about $20/ including at least one MH or heavy baitcaster rod. Think it was about 36" but might have been only 32". It is not a spiral wrap design like the Jason Mitchell Mackinaw. The big c store near town had both. If I didn't already have the Mack I would have been all over the St Croix for lake trouting. I suppose I could use more than one baitcaster but all the lakers I caught last year came on spinning gear.

tg

[Steve Foss]

TG, if you do most of your lakering from shacks, the 36-inch rods are great. If you're out on the open ice, however, the 40-45 inch rods are even better. I think the Mackinaws, at 36 inches, have too much butt and not enough rod. I like 40-45s on that length butt. With a 36-inch baitcaster, I'd very much prefer a shorter butt than what's on the Mackinaws, like what's on the older Berkley 36-inch MH sticks.

I basically have two length classes of rods: 30-36 for shacks/flipovers and 40-50 for outdoors.

It's all personal preference in the end.

[Esox_Magnum]

I fish with a few southern MN boys, guessing you mean Eric, we can work something out I'm sure...And your in luck this one is a Berkley

[Steve Foss]

I fish with a few southern MN boys, guessing you mean Eric, we can work something out I'm sure...And your in luck this one is a Berkley

You are one smart fella.

[Twins Guy]

right on steve-most of my laker fishing has been outside of shacks right on the ice in/near the bwca. i will keep my eyes open for something a lil longer.

also looking at the St Croix rod HSOforum i realize that the premier ice series is NOT new but i had only ever seen the legend rods in stores before this year. the big c store had the baitcasting handle models priced at about 1/2 MSRP apparently.

tg

[Esox_Magnum]

Steve tell him to pm me and we'll get it to him for ya... enjoy...

[Steve Foss]

EM, you're over your PM limit.

[Gunflint Guy]

I also find that the Mitchell Mack doesn't have big enough eyelets and freeze up quickly when fishing outside. Does anyone know what the size of the eyelets are on the St. Croix Premier 34" MH baitcaster?

[muc33]

Esox, I see him often in town.

[Esox_Magnum]

I'm on your FB pm me there

[Steve Foss]

I'm on your FB pm me there

How? I don't have any FB friends named Esox_Magnum.

[Esox_Magnum]

I'll pm you then....

[candiru]

Check out Thorne Bros - they have a HSOforum. I love my baitcasters for Walleyes as well as Lakers. They at least used to put a baitcaster handle on any rod they make. I also have a couple of el-cheapos - rods that are blue and orange. They might have come from FF. They work pretty good for bobber rods.

I love being able to hit the free-spool on my jigging rod while I tend to something else so my rod doesn't get pulled into the lake if a fish grabs it. My bobber or dead stick rods are left with the free spool on so a fish can just take line rather than have it coiled up in the hole. I prefer to fish outside when conditions permit.

[Fred_Bear]

I've tried 3 different baitcasters for lakers and had the same problem with each one... The anti reverse does not work when fishing in cold weather outside of a shack. Do you have this problem Steve? I absolutely loved using them in warm March weather, but when it was cold they really weren't an option. I have never set up a house while fishing lakers so that is not really an option to consider for me.

[Steve Foss]

Unless it's a spiral wrap baitcaster, I've switched my personal preference to spinning for lakers. But not by much. They each have their advantages and disadvantages. A lot is individual preference, and I keep half a dozen of each style rigged up so clients can suit themselves.

It's easier to rip line off the reel on a spinning reel when it's a bit iced by just sweeping the rod up. On a baitcaster you often have to pull on the line with your fingers if there's icing. The antireverse on my baitcasters (mostly Ambassadeurs) seems to function well, though I have it set lighter than during summer because cold weather tends to thicken the lubricant inside the reel.

Another advantage to spinning reels is you can use bigger mitts and still reel with them. That can matter when it's -20 and blowing.

But with big fish, I prefer the rock solid performance and feel of baitcasters. Most of my baitcasting rods have been the Mackinaws or the Berkley rods already mentioned. I did pick up a 50" Scotty's custom spiral wrap baitcaster last year, and I have two more custom spiral wrap baitcasters (45 inchers) coming from a buddy by the time laker season rolls around.

Inside my flipover, which I sometimes use depending on conditions or location, it's always the 36-inch baitcasting rigs for me.

[Fred_Bear]

Haha for my rod I use an extendable one called a PAK stix. It's super cheap but around 45" long and I really like the action of it with a soft tip and good backbone. The best part is since it's extendable I can make my own spiral wrap with it! Looks goofy but gets the job done.

I tried the heaviest SC premier baitcaster rod and thought the same thing as you did Steve... way too much handle and not enough rod. The Jason Mitchell looks to be about the same and also not the kind of power I'm looking for.

[Steve Foss]

The two 45 inchers I've got coming are built on the Mitchell Mackinaw model, but are of course longer and fiberglass. Should be much more well balanced that way, and with enough rod to do the trick. I like the longer handle for jigging outdoors with heavy mitts. They'll by MH. The Scotty's is an H.