ice fishing rod for crappie shooting?

[foodsaver]

I saw a good deal on an ice fishing rod and it looked to be a great little short rod that might be great to shoot jigs under these docks we all like to fish so much. The only thing I can think of is that I won't have any leverage for larger fish.

 

[Guest]

Foodsaver, put some 50# braid on it.

 

[polo-dog]

I really think that it's an advantage to shoot with a long rod. I have a 5 footer and a 6 1/2 footer and the long rod is better for long range. The shorter rod is easier to handle in close quarters with the dock, if the wind pushes you in too close. I haven't broken a rodtip on a dock yet but I have knocked it pretty hard setting the hook. A super short rod like one that is specially made for ice fishing would be pretty tough to shoot very far with I would expect.

 

[Guest]

I have one that I bought for shooting several years ago. It is very accurate but has has a short range. The tip is extremely slow and it has almost zero backbone. Like polo said it is an ice fishing rod. Don't get me wrong this thing is a hoot to shoot and fight a fish on but the fish have too much advantage for me. I am right between polo and DK. My favorite shooting rod is a 5'4" Loomis SJR 6400 GL2 with a Tica Cetus SB 500 reel. Very accurate, reasonable range because of the action more so than the length and it is so light and sensitive that if a fish thinks about hitting your offering you can feel it.

 

[Guest]

I think you might be able to use an ice rod, but only one designed for pike or salmon, not the lighter weight rods for perch and walleye. The ones designed for the larger fish are not really any cheaper than what you would pay to get a fly rod or spinning rod cut down to what you want for shooting. Trim a spinning or fly rod off the butt end to adjust for length and some off the top if you need it to be stiffer in the tip.

 

[drumking]

With my 4'7" rods, I can shoot a 1/32oz jig about 25-30 feet back under a dock. Just how much further does a person need most of the time? I don't rub up against a dock unless the wind pegs me to the dock and I typically stay about 4-6 feet off a dock that I am shooting. It doesn't spook the Crappie to be right on top of them as evidenced by catching them straight down when I dead bait a lure. If I were to stay 15 to 20 feet off a dock, I might go with a 6 1/2 foot rod, but I'm not gonna get that far off unless I find the crappie in front of the dock which happens from time to time. As with everything else in this world, it is what you are comfortable with and like. If you happen to hook a 30 pound catfish under a dock on 4 or 6 pound line, it most likely isn't going to make any difference as it will probably go around a post and break you off anyway. My advice is to go with Polo and then with me and check out our rods. You may not like either one, but we are crappie killers. Buy what you like and fish the hound out of it. emoBigsmile emoGeezer