Need expert advice on ice fishing rods

[mnvikingsfreak]

Im looking to get a nice ice fishing rod or two what should I get?...thorne bros or st. croix? whats the difference between the two besides the price thorne bros go for $45+ and st croix go for $28+ any info would be great on comparing the two rods I know they are great but which is better.thanks!

[Northlander]

If you have the money go with a thorne Brothers. They are probably the best over the counter rods made. $45 is a bit pricey for me so I have a lot of St.Croix, JR's, Frabil, Yad, Gentz and Engel rods. If ya want a nice custom rod with your name on it done exactly how ya want it do a search on Rods by Engel. I really like mine and a bit cheaper than Thorne Brothers. If you go to the St.Paul Ice Expo you can get some decent deals on rods.

JR's new ice rods and reels for this year are real nice!

[Seabass77]

The thorne bros. rods are the top of the line. Great actions, solid graphite, not hollow like most. But there spendy, I've purchased one a year for the last 5 years and have put together a nice collection. The st. croix rods are nice too but are not hand made. I do think they are nice rods though. Many folks on this forum use both. Maybe use thorne bros for your panfish rods and st. croix for your heavier things. Personally, other than thorne bros I really like the genz rods.

[IcePro]

Basic Economics

Thorne Rods are hand made in the shop. Therefore the cost to be produced is higher than mass produced rods such as St. Croix and other ice rods that are available. Every rod from Thorne Brothers can be considered custom made.

When talking with Thorne Brothers you will find out that almost every ice rod company has been in their shop and purchased their rods to try to knock them off. The result is ice rods being made that are similar at mass-produced pricing.

Overall I like the Thorne ice rods because they introduced everyone to a quality ice rod. They have researched all components and only use what they feel will make a great rod.

If you are fishing a majority of the time with a bobber and do not need the sensitivity of a quality rod, go the inexpensive route.

Make sure you are comparing the quality of blank, cork guides, etc. when you are looking at price.

Im sure Thorne Brothers can make a $19.99 ice rod but that is not their forte.

[mnvikingsfreak]

How about frabill are they any good?

[Seabass77]

Frabills are good too. I think there are a little heavy and I don't like the handles but the blanks seem nice. There are lots of nice rods out there. Yad makes a nice rod too.

[iffwalleyes]

Thorne Bros without a question for me. The only probablem is once you buy one you will get more. I started with one a year ago and now I have 5 and by the end of this season I will most likely have more.

[hanson]

5 or so years ago, I was snooping around Scheel's in Fargo looking for an ice fishing rod. There still wasn't a great variety to choose from and the quality of most rods was not very good. At the far right end of the row of rods, there were these rods that cost over twice as much as anything else they sold. I picked up one of them and absolutely fell in love with it. The action of the rod was very 'smooth' (for lack of a better word). The tip was soft but there was still alot of backbone to it further down the blank. The other rods all felt like they had the same action from the tip to the handle and just seamed 'cheap'.

Well that rod had a Thorne Bros tag hanging on it. Never heard of them before but figured I'd give it a shot. Paired it up with a nice reel and walked out of the store with my first ice fishing combo I spent over $100 on. I thought I was crazy. Other people thought I was crazy.

I've since added 2 more Thorne rods and plan on adding another 2 this winter to my arsenal. My opinion, you get what you pay for and these rods are worth every single cent.

That said, there are many other manufacturer's making good rods now too. 5 years ago, this was hardly the case. We've come along way in a short amount of time.

[Matt Johnson]

Thorne Bros definitely makes an outstanding ice fishing rod. A very well balanced rod with solid backbone yet a sensitive tip designed for the targeted species. The action of the tip is adjusted for the species. These rods run anywhere from about $40 - $65. I like the Panfish Sweetheart, Perch Sweetheart, Walleye Sweetheart and the Professional.

St. Croix, Genz Rods, JR's Tackle Rods, Mammoth, Cabelas, Frabill and YAD Rods are very similar. I use a lot of rods from this category. You can usually find these running somewhere between $15 - $40 and each brand has a full line of rods for any species you want to target.

You can find cheaper rods by HT Enterprises, South Bend, Shakespeare, etc running about $10 - $25. Although there are models that cost more. I have several HT and South Bend rods that work just fine.

And then you have the Buzz Stick. This is a battery operated rod where by the push of a button causes the rod tip to vibrate immitating micro-movements in the water, much of what plankton exhibits during the winter months.

There are a lot of choices out there for ice fishermen when picking out an ice rod. Thorne Bros rods are custom made and each one is handcrafted to ensure that you are getting the best rod available. This is one of the reasons you can expect to pay more for a Thorne Bros rod. Basically you are getting what you pay for. But I don't believe that you need to have every rod in your arsenal be a Thorne Bros rod. I use JR's Rods, Genz Rods, St. Croix Rods, Mammoth Rods as well as HT and South Bend and all will and have caught fish. Find a rod that best fits what you want to use if for and you don't necessarily have to look at what brand it is first. Everyone has a personal preferrence and my favorites might not be someone else's favorites. The big advantage we have today is that there are a lot of options available to us, and usually there is always something that will best suit you.

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[Tahoe2349]

Started to replace my old rods with Thorne Bros this yaer..

Bought a couple this summer and after playing with them a little on the water and at home, I've since bought two more :0

I guess I'm a transformed Thorne Bros supporter without even hitting the ice with them yet..lol

[joshb]

thorne rods.........after owning one of there panfish sweethearts most of last season, i won't go out for gills without it.

the genz rods are IMO, the best bang for the buck.

i use them for everything but panfish.......and never been disapointed with them yet.

i might try a st.croix if the would get rid of those stupid azz carbon handles.

CUZ A BROTHA CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THAT CORK!

[mnvikingsfreak]

thanks for all the help on buying a new rod it looks like I'll be getting a st.croix and a thorne bros one of each thanks again with all the helpfull info.

[Matt Johnson]

joshb,

St. Croix Premier Ice rods have a cork handle and are very similar to the Genz Rod, and they are cheaper too. I think they go for about $20. The St. Croix Avid Ice rod is the one with the graphite/carbon handle. The JR's Tackle Ice rods are made with like components of the Genz and St. Croix rods and fish the same as well.

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[mnvikingsfreak]

which do you perfer cork handle or graphite handle? is the carbon handle more senative?

[Northlander]

I dont see much of a difference in the handles. I usually always have my finger on the line anyway. Unless bobber or deadstick fishing.

[Matt Johnson]

I prefer a cork handle, actually, I think every ice rod I own has a cork handle. I've tried the St. Croix Avid and I didn't like the feel. Same with the Frabill Amplifier. As far as sensitivity goes, I haven't noticed a huge difference in the type of handle.

Good Fishin,

Matt Johnson

[joshb]

thats the problem they market there avid's as a step up from the premiers............so why ruin a decent blank with that handle?..IMO...........the carbon handles are quite a bit smaller in diameter, the cork seems to fit my hands better.

i just like gen'zs so much because of the way they bend evenly along the full length of the blank, there aren't any flat spots and there tips seem to retain more backbone than most other brands in that price range IMO.

no matter what rods you are looking at, make sure to grab four or five of the same model and load them up to see how the blanks react....they will all be different.

that way you get the pick of the litter.

[mnvikingsfreak]

whats the difference between shaft lengths on ice fishing rods like a 24" compared to a 28"?

[Mr.Seaguar]

MNvikingsfreak, not to be rude but the answer to your last question is 4". I guess i didnt get the ?.

I think the main difference between Thorne Bros rods and others is not the blanks. Its the guides, altho the blanks seem better too. The guides are visibly smaller. I think this makes them lighter and more responsive, sensitive.If every company is buying them to try to copy them, they need to buy some more and try harder next time.

[Corey Bechtold]

About rod lengths, it depends on how and what you fish for. If you are fishing shallow water or panfish mainly I would elect to go with a shorter rod. This gives you some more control with your jig. If you use a lot of floats for deeper water fish then you can use the longer rod to help get you more hookups. As far as brands go I personally like the Berkley Gens series rods. They are cost effective and are very sensitive. I also like the guides they have. Light, sensitive, good backbone, and functional. I fish with a lot of kids and if I had one of those more expensive rods and it got broke it would be hard to take, yet if somehow I break a Lightning Rod I just go out and get another for around 20 bucks. So far I haven't broke any (knock on wood).

Good Luck

Corey Bechtold