Jigging Rods: Why Ice Fishing Rods are So Small (& Short)
If you have ever seen someone ice fishing, you know that it usually looks quite different from the fishing styles of open water. It can seem strange to fish with such a tiny rod, and you may wonder what the point is.
Why are ice fishing rods so small? Ice fishing rods are so small because they are designed specifically for use in ice. For ice fishing, you need to be close to the hole, so a standard open-water pole will be too long. You also need a more sensitive rod for ice fishing, so the small size of ice fishing rods helps with feeling the fish.
It might seem silly to use what looks kind of like a child’s fishing rod, but if you want to successfully ice fish, getting the proper type of rod is key. Ice fishing rods are designed for this specific type of fishing, so you are setting yourself up with the best chances for success.
Find out where to ice fishing on a lake.
Why Are Ice Fishing Rods So Small?
Ice fishing rods are much smaller than rods for open-water fishing because they have a different purpose. When you are fishing on open water, you have a much wider area to cast from, so a 6’ or 7’ rod makes your job easiest.
For ice fishing, you are much closer to the water, and many ice fishermen choose to set up a shelter or hut for protection against the cold. A longer rod simply does not fit in those situations.
For a complete breakdown of selecting a proper noodle ice fishing rod and rattle reel, please check out these articles I wrote.
Click here to learn all about ice fishing noodle rods. You may also be interested in how to ice fish with worms.
What Is an Ice Fishing Rod?
Ice fishing rods are much smaller than typical rods. Usually, you will see ice fishing rods that range from 18 to 48 inches long. When you are ice fishing, you fish directly below the surface instead of from a longer distance like you would in open water.
Generally, you can use normal fishing line on an ice fishing line, but there are also lines specifically designed for ice fishing. You can use whatever conventional reel you prefer, but you may have to change the type of reel for different species of fish.
Most ice fishing rods are jigging rods that you move up and down frequently in the water. This movement helps fish see the bait, getting their attention.
Other types are tip-up poles that have flags at the top, which are attached to springs that release when there is a bit on the bait, raising the flag, so you know when you have a bite.
Can You Use a Regular Rod?
If you are not using a tent or other type of shelter, you can use a normal-sized fishing rod. There are plenty of ice fishermen who do not sit in shacks when ice fishing and use a normal rod.
The important thing to note is that using a normal rod when ice fishing will change the type of fish you are going for.
With ice fishing, you rely more on feeling the bite of a fish than you do in open waters. This means that if you decide to use a normal-sized fishing rod for ice fishing, you should be focusing on larger fish.
When you use a longer rod for ice fishing, you also should use braided ice fishing line for extra strength. You also need to be careful about how you pull a line in so that you do not cut it on any sharp ice edges.
Why Use an Ice Fishing Rod?
Like previously mentioned, ice fishing rods allow you to ice fish most efficiently. But what is it about the ice fishing rods that makes them work so well? There are really a number of factors that make the rods’ designs the most effective.
Sensitivity
Fish are much more sluggish when the water is as cold as it is in the winter. This leads their bites to be much weaker, and their subtlety makes it much harder to feel the bites on normal-sized rods.
Since ice fishing rods are smaller and lighter, it is much easier to feel a pull on the line. You also have a more sensitive feel on the rod.
If you were to use a regular rod for ice fishing, you would likely have to try dead sticking instead of jigging the rod. It is much more difficult to see when you have a bite if you are six feet away from your small ice hole than if you have an ice fishing rod.
More Compact Fishing
Since ice fishing rods are considerably smaller than standard fishing rods, you are able to get much closer to the hole in the ice.
For many fishermen, a tent or other form of shelter is used to stay warm during a cold winter’s day of ice fishing. You simply do not have the room for a longer rod in these shelters, let alone if there are several people in one tent.
In a practical sense, ice fishing rods are also easier to transport since they are small. You can easily bring several different rods to accommodate the different species you are trying to catch without running out of room.
When it comes to fishing out of an ice hole where you have to set your line straight down, every inch of rod length affects the control you have. You will likely feel a big difference between an 18” and a 24” ice fishing rod, despite the difference only being six inches.
Fish Are Easier to Fight with a Smaller Rod
You may be used to fighting with fish in open waters, but fighting with a fish under ice is much different. You cannot let the fish go in any direction because the line will be cut on the edges of the ice hole.
Yes, fish in winter waters are usually more docile, but they can still fight, especially as they get closer to the surface.
You may find that you have to use different angles to keep the fish from cutting the line on ice; sometimes, it is even easier to angle the rod, so the whole line is underwater, especially if you have a lighter set-up.
What Size Ice Fishing Rod Should You Use?
Although ice fishing rods are small, you can still reel in a good-sized fish. The size of your rod will depend on what species you plan on catching.
You will need to consider both the length and the power of the rods you want to use for each species you are going for. It is often helpful to bring multiple ice fishing rods that each have different riggings set up.
Length
For ice fishing done inside a tent, using a rod that is between 18” and 24” is easiest. You have control, can be close to the hole, and you can still be protected from the weather without bumping into others.
If you plan on ice fishing from a couple of different holes but still want to be sitting down, rods that are between 28” and 32” work well. In addition to tailoring the rods to fit with the type of fish you want to catch, you should also use the rods that work best for you personally.
Ice fishing rods that are 32” to 48” are best for fishing out of multiple holes without sitting down or under a tent.
Strength & Power
Ice fishing rods can be ultra-light, light, medium, or heavy in terms of power. Like the length of the rod, the power should depend on what kind of fish you are catching.
You want to always be able to feel the weight of your lure at the end of your line in the water. That sensitivity is what the ice fishing rod exists for.
For ultra-light rods, panfish should be your target. Bluegill, crappie, and perch can easily be felt on an ultra-light rod that is between 18” and 24” long.
Light rods are good for perch as well. Longer light rods can usually handle walleye too. Medium rods can also handle walleye and trout.
Heavy rods are best for larger fish like lake trout or pike. You typically want to have a rod that is between 36” and 48” for these species.
Ultimately, your rod preferences for ice fishing will likely develop as you try different techniques to see what works best for you.
