Is there any wisdom out there about guide spacing on ice rods? The rod I'm building is 26" long with a 6." handle. It will only have 2 guides and a tip top. I can't really do a static test like I would on a longer rod. I've just spaced them out to where they look right and have a reasonable conformance between the reel and the bend of the rod. Any comments are appreciated. Thanks

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

Steve

Since casting is not an issue, this is what I would do if it were my project. I would take 4, 5 or more guides and tape them in place, step back about 10 feet and look at it. I would try a number of combinations until I found the set up that is the most pleasing to the eye. More guides would distribute the load more evenly along the blank. In the end I wind up with a good looking well built ice rod. I would use the rod and note the pros and cons and make any changes to the next ice rod I make. By the way, I never built an ice rod but this process would be my first shot.

John

Steve,
26" panfish with 5" modified Tennesse grip with inline reel 3 1/2" - #7 7 1/4" #8 12" #12

26" panfish with 5" modified Tennesse grip with spin reel 3" #7 5" #7 8" #10 12" #12 or #16

I like to add more guides. Too big of a space between guides causes a lot of stress as there is no guide to distribute the load and then blank failure when over stressed. With spin reel add more guides as the line takes longer to "tame" due to the coils of cold line.. I do use a static line deflection test simply to get proper load distribution.

Good luck catch a bunch,

Buzz

Actually, I side with your steve.
For such a short rod, I will normally use two or possibly three guides. 0 reason to use any more than that. If you have a 4 inch handle ,you are then looking at 22 inches. Then, go up 10 inches for the first guide and now you are looking at about 12 inches.

Be safe

Thanks for the replys and suggestions. I built two ice rods this weekend and gained a huge respect for you guys that do this on a regular basis. These blanks are so tiny I don't know how you do it. The tube size on one of tips is 2.5, it's like trying to wrap an A size thread around a D size thread. They are on the dryer now and I'll post pictures in a day or two.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2014 11:14PM by Steve Hartzell.

Steve if you ever get to Wisconsin from December through April let me know. Ill be happy to take you out and do some ice fishing with those rods you built. Just guessing but I wouldnt think you will get a lot of hard water angling in Texas
Buzz

Buzz, These are for my brother who lives in Grand Rapids MN. Plenty of hard water up there. Where are you in Wisc? He has a cabin near Exeland.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

Buzz, Are guide sizes different with recoil guides? I have 4 Thorne Bros panfish blanks and 5" cork handles laying around so I've been wondering the same thing Steve asked.

Additionally, I'd like to try fabricating something like the St Croix adjustable spring bobber system. I'm thinking a ceramic guide + grommet on the top of the tip and single foot recoil on the bottom of the tip.

Where do you get the small diameter winding checks?

John Shear
Chippewa Falls, WI

The hole size of the recoil guides will be the same size as the size of the pac bay minima guides, since guides are sized by the measure of the outside diameter of the guide. Since recoil guides have no ceramic ring, the hole size will be larger than for the same size guide that has a ceramic ring.

Be safe

Steve,
Ripon, WI - right in the middle. an hour from lake michigan. 30 minutes from the best walleye ice fishing in Wisconsin.

John, as mentioned before the guide size is measured by OD edge of the guide ring insert. Since recoil guides have no ring the guides look weird side by side to standard press insert guides. i have built a similar spring bobber set up that you mentioned with St. Croix parts. I will take a pic of it today and email it to you. The really small winding checks I get from Angler's Workshop. I have talked to Mud Hole and they will be stocking them soon. I buy them by the hundred and they often only stock once a year so if you need a couple let me know and I will drop some in the mail to you. I also have a pic of a sized recoil guide versus Minnema and standard ceramic and they dont look even close. I will send you that pic also.

Use the picture of the guide comparison to order your guides. You might want to go up at least once size from normal to get the hole size you are looking for in recoil guides.

Buzz

Thanks Roger and Buzz. I have an assortment of Minima guides so I understand what you're saying. I can get a few sizes of recoil based on that.
I appreciate the guidance. But now Buzz made me hungry for some Rippin Good Cookies. ;)

John Shear
Chippewa Falls, WI

I static test my ice rods the same as I do with my full size sticks.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

just a word on recoils for ice rods. They hold a good memory when cold. I got away from using them for that reason and use only the pac bay or single foot fly guides. If your in a shack all is good but if your hole hoping and outside them they will stick in place and not "bounce" back as they do in warmer areas.

Eric (hitting may lakes in the MN area)

Just posted pics of the finished rods. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I decided to go with 4 guides on one and 3 guides on the other after playing around with them during the static test. These configurations just looked right to me. I'll have to get the final evaluation from my brother when he tries them out in Minnesota as there is no ice on my lake in southeast Texas.

[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2014 08:23PM by Steve Hartzell.