Question on ice rod length

[mrth0201]

I was just wondering what others prefer for the length of a panfish rod. I seem to alwasy lean towards a ultralight around 24 inches in length. I was wondering is there any other benefit of using an 28 inch ultralight rod or is it just personally preference.

thanks

[Deitz Dittrich]

To answer your question, it really is personal pref. A longer rod will always play a fish a little better. I feel I can get away with lighter line on a longer rod becuuse the rod can play more as a shock absorber. On the flip side, longer rods are harder to use in portable fish houses.

I myself will usually use the longest rod I can get away with. Many of my UL's are about 27" I think...

[Guest]

My personal favorite ultralight ice rod is an HT noodle type rod that is 36" in lenght. I can actually get a hook into a fish on light line at deeper depths, it plays fish out way better(more forgiving on very light line), and its light enough I dont need a spring bobber. This is not the rod for a cramped ice house.. works great in larger ice house where the hole is furter away, or outdoors.

[Tyler Holm]

Just as Deitz said, its personal preference. I use 24" for the most part in my shack. However the longer rods allow you to steer a fish better. With a longer rod, it seems you can get a little better hook-set, and still have the backbone of the rod to absorb any fierce headshakes.

I don’t like rods any longer than 30” as it puts you too far from your hole and your rod tip. Many times, you need to be able to see if your rod tip moves a fraction of an inch. You also want to be able to see your line. I pay attention to the line tension, and watch for movement. A rod much over 30” and you loose these “sight” features.

You also want to be over-top your hole and able to see down it. If you have a larger fish on, you need to be able to steer that fish up the hole, or at least direct the fish by pulling in the opposite direction that the fish is pulling. The longer the rod, the tougher this is to do.

[hill7410]

I have used my St.croix legend ice rod, it is a 24" but it also has a spring on the end, making it versitile for fishing walleyes and with a hook change i can fish sunfish. I wish i had this rod years ago.

[metrojoe]

My main panfish rods are 28", but I do have a couple 24" rods I use from time to time. As mentioned above, I just like the feel I get with the longer rod. The shorter ones are nice for in the portable and that was my sole reason for buying them.

[Matt Johnson]

I'm with Deitz, I'll try and use the longest rod possbile without jeopardizing action and feel.

Longer rods are great for deep water situations, as well as working heavier baits. I prefer a longer rod when hole hopping for pannies and perch in deeper water with either a larger profile jig or a jigging spoon. But like mentioned, longer rods are more difficult inside a portable fish house.

By a longer rod I mean somewhere in that 27-32 inch category. I use a 29-inch Thorne Bros Panfish Sweet Heart for running and gunning with a size 6 Ratso for pannies. It's a great outside rod that allows me to effectively target roaming and deep water panfish.

However, I also use panfish rods all the way down to 19-inches tipped with a spring bobber when finessing over a pod of pannies. Some rods go down to 16-inches or even a foot in length, but I prefer to stay in that 19-inch range on my low end of things.

24-inches seems to be a good median for most situations, and I personally feel that it's the most versatile length for a panfish rod. It can double as both a finesse rod and aggressive jigging rod. It can also be used both inside and outside of a portable.

And again like Deitz mentioned, it really all comes down to personal preference in the end. What feels the most comfortable for you is what you should go with. Some people prefer the shorter rods no matter the situation, and others prefer a longer rod and spend most of their time hole hopping outside of a portable. It all depends on your style of fishing...

[mrth0201]

Thanks for all the responses, great info