How much is to much

[Dark Cloud]

Rods!?!?

Heres a pile that dont get used...

Everyone has thier own opinions and preferences so to each thier own. Heres some of my thoughts...

Sensitivity is a moot point when it comes to panfish ice rods. If your waiting to feel hits your missing the boat. I see all these rods all over the net that are the greatest most sensitive and expensive rod. People pushing Thorne and St croix'x and others( not saying they are not nice rods) that fish twice a year but think they have the best cuz it cost 40 bucks, meanwhile they couldnt catch a crab in Vegas. But I digress...

Im very particular with my ice rods too. I like a soft enough tip to use some jedi force for detecting hits or springs...

A few rods I found that have the action I like are the HT polar golds and polat lites. They have a nice soft tip with backbone also. the Gander series UL from a few years ago with the orange tip is what I believe to be the nicest all around general use panfish rod going. Would love to have some of those blanks. YAD made a very similar rod that I have a few of also. The nice thing is these rods run from 5 bucks clearence to 15 bucks retail.

This year I started useing more springs as I found one I like. Most springs are to soft for me unless fish are on that soft blobby action. The adjustable St'Croix are very nice but I found a spring by South Bend I really like. Its just like the "panfish poppers" but a tad shorter and stiffer which allows me to pound and work a bait and still have the visual hit detection of the spring.

The other option is to sand and build your own action into a blank. An option iv'e done but also a pain in the shin!

Or you can go old school Jedi and do some "jiggy bobbin". I did on C the other day and she worked well. We fish with an old timmer who still hand over hands fish with a little pole with the line wrapped on two pegs while jiggy bobbin - hes as good as any when on fish...

Chef - My take on those rods is this. One persons light action is anothers med.heavy. Some rods I see in stores labeled as panfish rods, I would use for fishing a #3 or 5 rap for eyes...

Hopefully you like em. The other thing that gets me is when a rod is touted as the best most sensitive rod but its got an spring bobber on it? Why bother with the expensive britle graphite blank? If the rod is an action you like for fighting fish then alls good. Your on the 08 list for a custom rod, you to Thunder. I got one here for Timmy and Maki ready to go in the mail...

Im sure I left something out but im also sure there will be more discussion on this...

[Thunderman]

DC,I have one of the old ice blue glass rods that I use for pannies and perch.I have also landed a few waldos on this rod it is one of my favorites and boy what abuse it has taken through out the years.Spring bobbers are nice for slight detection thats why I always use my ice blue if I can't see the bite on it I switch to my st croix with the spring, but I have not had to do that often.A old time buddy of mine Elmer(god rest his soul) always used custom rods open and hard water he use to tell me you have to try a custom rod I did and had a few made for openwater.He had some nice recipes as he would say for ice fishing and I wish to this day I had some of his ice rods.Jay I have seen some of your rods and you take pride in your work they remind me of my buddy Elmer.

[Fullmoon]

Jay,

We met a few years ago through Tim, remember the Ice lure deal? Nice to see you still build the rods. I haven't in a long time and sold off my shop and equipment. Ever build on the Avid blanks? I've still got a mess of the originals. Got to get to them some day. If you ever want any, say the word. I lost touch with the guides, but they were important to how a rod felt and worked, as you know. That gos for open water too. If you fish open water with a casting rod, try a spiral wrapped rod also known as the "revolver" rod. I've got articles on how to build them properly, let me know if you want them.

I agree with what you said above. For me it's especially true with ice rods. Due to my injuries, I don't have a lot of sensitivity in my hands and fingers. Not dead to the touch, but to tie line or sense subtle hits, is another story. I have to rely on my eyes and gut. What I do feel is different from you guys so a rod I like, most might not. I've got something in the works for next year as far as blanks and maybe rods. We'll have to see how it works out but so far... You'll get sample for sure. Rods are now like lures, the retailers and mfgs. catch more fishermen than fish. I've actually done well fishing with rods other people didn't want. Some got mods. others were good enough for me. Conditions dictate with me too. If my hands get cold, they get siffer and a soft tip works a lot better for me to detect bites and get hook sets. Well, I guess I never was "normal"

[Dark Cloud]

Thunder - those ice blues matched up with the old "tiny 20" reels was and is one of the best combos goin. Ice I still use some production rods but open water im down to a modified walley marshal 7 footer. Im just finishing up a 12 foot "float rod" for the centerpin reel - thats a hoot, no drag. If you dont know what centerpin reels are do a search or two on them...

Full - I have built a 6 or 7 ft rod that was an "avid" but never a ice one. If you dig one up i'll check it out. Was it you that got us the mother load of "jammin jigs" a few years ago??? I have built everything from 15inch ice rods to 13 ft float rods but never a baitcaster. Except for Frankie I try not to associate with bass fishing baitcaster type people, lol

[HardWaterChef]

Thanks for all the great info...I have ingested a lot and will filter it as I may.

DC...I truly appreciate your opinion on the questions I had asked you...I look forward to using Timmy's rod you built him(of course he doesn't know it yet) and feeling what you inspired!

Take care guys!

[Fullmoon]

DC,

Yep, the Jammin Jigs was me. I can still do that but with just about anyone and for anything! Open or Ice. Ever see Mick Thill's videos on Float FIshing? He's got a spot on Fishing Chicagoland too. I've got a couple of blanks for that too. Mick still imports blanks from the UK and elsewhere and wanted to trade me a couple high dollar ones for some wrapping. His UK floats are unreal!!! I've got a bunch of the Ice Avids blanks, we'll have to meet and I'll bring you a couple. Got 2 sizes, I think.

[CNY Tim]

Jay if we could only get some more of those blanks. Aaarrghh!!

Theres one thing I love more than anything on Jay's finesse rods is the built in spring bobber. Honestly if you took the reel off completely you can barely feel the rod in your hand, it's that sweet.. Doug until yours is ready your welcome to borrowing it at anytime, what I like about Jay's customs is fantastic on the micro tackle. I can take the lightest of jigs and allow you to Jedi, suttle moves on plastics can make the difference, sometimes they want the willow and not the oak.

There are cheap graphite rods out there but I still stand behind Thorne Bros. Rods and always will... I have had those rods for so long with such success that when I want to pound #10's that panfish sweet heart (Solid Graphite) shaft with short spring bobber has been a favorite of mine for years.. The sweet pea's are sweet too. How do I know that the graphite is solid it's because I left mine on the ice up on L.O.I. and a wind gust came out of nowhere and slammed my tarp down so fast that the sweetheart never had a chance. As a tear welled in my eye I examined my $46 friend and knew there was no saving her, still saddens me but her sister has been with me ten plus years and still is kicking tail which goes to show you that with care you can get great value over the long haul with these rods.

Of course if I fished with Jay's rods from day one I would have saved alot of coin and this whole topic would be mute and we could go on talking about the spring bobbers on the JM's and tell you they make great drink stirrers

[CNYFrank]

Jay, that was one heck of a reponse on information about rods.

[insurance guy]

Hey Dark Cloud, are you going to make some trolling rods next

[CNY Tim]

I knew it was a matter of time before you mentioned trolling rods John next thing you will want to see if he can build custom tip-ups

How's the king coming along?

[insurance guy]

Custom tip ups, now there's an idea I think the King made it through the windstorm yesterday or at least I hope so. I guess there's about 2" of ice or less on the main basin and if it's still there we might be good to go in a couple weeks depending on the temps. The bays are still fine but the fishing sucks for the most part because it's too close to the road and it gets pounded.

[Dark Cloud]

Insurance - I'll start working on the trolling rods as soon as I finish hand carving these cherry and oak tip-ups...

Lee - Sorry your thread got hijacked into a rod thread...

[CNY Tim]

 Originally Posted By: Dark Cloud

Insurance - I'll start working on the trolling rods as soon as I finish hand carving these cherry and oak tip-ups...

Lee - Sorry your thread got hijacked into a rod thread...

For Kyle can you put some reel weeds hanging below his, they really bring the big ones in

[insurance guy]

 Originally Posted By: Dark Cloud

Insurance - I'll start working on the trolling rods as soon as I finish hand carving these cherry and oak tip-ups...

Okay, sounds good. Let me know when they're done Do we have any more pictures of "Tip up Timmy" and his Brown's logo wear on the ice

[CNYFrank]

Hey Jay, I like the plain garden variety . . .

[USMC130FE]

Chef,

nothing wrong withthe Jason Mitchell rods. I have a few and one thing that was mentioned is the spring bobber rod....the spring is WAY to STIFF...period, well at least for my liking! The meatstick is incredable though. Plenty of backbone but the tip will move when a fish thinks about hitting.

Hey Jay, don't forget that Steve starts before the "T's" LOL. I'll try and get my stuff laid out on a table and get a picture or my stuff.....it's almost sick . I make way too much money for a single guy

[Thunderman]

Steve, I hope you aren't putting pics of all your equiptment up just the open water arsonal there isn't enough room on your camera for all of that .

[Scott M]

I know how everybody here feels. I have a billion rods and am buying more. I could outfit a little league team for a day of panfish hole hopping. I started putting my jigs in fly boxes. Each box holds like 110 jigs...I need to buy at least 2-2 more!

I'm at the point where I decide on what species I'm trying for and that's it. I'm not lugging all that extra stuff with...but I have found my new Otter tub holds everything! So for now I'm young and trying to keep in decent shape, and pulling all that junk out with me is helping! Mostly I just stay outside, carry a favorite rod, a bait puck and jig box, and hole hop once they're drilled.

Good luck guys. There is no such thing as too much...I like to tell my fishing buddies we're prepared for anything...and truthfully we are. My buddy used to complain that I brought too much stuff along...now we take my house and there is plenty of room in that Otter and suddenly he's not complaining anymore.

[Fullmoon]

Jay,

ever turn a glass blank down on a lathe? It can be done without ruining the back-bone. Takes time and makes a mess. good ventilation and a repirator are a must!! I think I still have one laying around. We've got meet up and I'll give you a little gift basket. We can talk rods and fish. I don't mind a drive so if you can't make it up here...

[Dark Cloud]

Frakie - there are no common gardens and thank god they are all diff...

FullMOON - Never turned a blank on a lathe but have a few solid glass heavier blanks to try with. I dont have a lathe but my b-day is in a few days and I got a sneaky feeling. Im excited to turn my own handles. I turned a few the other day at my cousins that turned out nice.

Heres a pict of the two

Top rod is a 11 ft 6wt fly rod. Gonna have a enterchangable butts to be used as a standard fly rod, a "switch" rod or a "float" rod...

The bottom is a 12 ft float/centerpin rod. The handle on that is a mix of rubber composit cork, foam rings, red burl cork, cork and woods - the pict dosent do it justice...

Heres a pict of the diff butt ends I may do on the float rod. The fish is cool but a tad too big...

This ones real cool, its the switch handle fot the fly rod made out of some kind of exotic burl wood. The guy I bought the blank off sent it with the blank...

This site needs a rod-building forum bad!!!

Da Chise31 - I have two of the bug luggage and they are nice and organized but kinda a pain for putting jigs back into while fishing. The small one holds 68 and the big holds 146.

Timmy - no drooling on the flies!

I really like the looks of this box I found on cabelas. Its small and compact and hold 380 jig/flies...

[Fullmoon]

DC, Nice work! I miss it and should do some for funand see where it takes me now that I'm feeling better. You can get by with a "hobby lathe", Pac Bay rod lathe or even a small wood lathe, if all you do is cork and blanks and light woods. Son, I have got some photos, articles, experiences and ideas for you that will stoke your fire! Custom grips were a specialty of mine. I've got tips for you. We've got to get together. I'll warn you, it'll be another obsession. Check out http://www.rodbuiliding.org and rodmaker magazine. I know Tom Kirkman and he helped me a lot. He's trying to get me back into it again. I jumped in at a bad time for me. Heck, I've got tons of fly tying gear too and I still can't tie to save my butt. That's either got to go or I need to learn how. $1200 of gear sitting around is crazy. I never do anything 1/2 way. lol Shoot me your email and I'll send you some stuff you might be interested in

[Fullmoon]

DC,

I forgot!!! What do you use to make your bushings? Don't use masking tape!!! You'll be much happier with either the graphite that you turn down or fiberglass drywall tape. It takes the epoxy all the way through and gives you a solid bond to the blank. It will NEVER fail. I've had a lot of guys bring me grips that came loose and all were masking tape. Even the big $ rods! Expecially important on a really light and sensitive rod such as ice or 2-4 wt fly. I used as few bushings as possible and it's safer with the DW tape. Oh! Ever think of learning to do thread weaves on the blanks? Got some stuff on that if you want. It's nice, brings good money but bored me.

[CNYFrank]

Jay . . . you the man! Incredible work. Ray . . . I can see you flipping out and drooling to go!! I don't blame you . . . Truly a talent that any fisherman can appreciate. Nix the common garden . . . and forget about a bird in hand is better than two in the bush . . .now 2 bushes, that's an adventure.

[Dark Cloud]

Frankie -

Fullmoon - I'll take some picts later. Iv'e done some very intricate diamond and cheveron wraps. I atleast put some kind of simple diamonds on anything I make...

The only time ive had problems with the masking tape is if im short on epoxy, only made that mistake once. Most handles need some weight to balance a rod so I dont worry about the extra epoxy weight...

Handle options are endless and realy make a rod POP!

Timmy - Send ray my e-mail so I dont have to put it up on here...

[CNY Tim]

And what is better than fishing with your friends and having a blast?? Well shopping at a ice fishing blowout of course.

Yep I dropped $90 bucks on more gear that was just two good to pass up. It was picked over pretty good when Todd and I arrived but I picked up a 5" lazer hand auger for $49 and with the $30 I saved I purchased some heavy sweedish pimples for the King some different colored Kastmasters, a jig lazer for glowing, a spare set of 7" lazer blades for the power auger and some ice fishing line. Also Ray let us purchase some St. Croix blanks that Jay is kindly making 3 rods out of, Thanks Ray for those. Talk about a full day and a great day!

Ray those short blanks with the orange tips you showed us, well you shouldn't have Your mission now is to find out where you got them pal and lead us to them