When ice fishing for panfish such as
Perch,
Crappie, and even
Brook Trout, I have found it much more fun catching them on an ultra-light jig pole rather then a
Tip Up or
Ice Fishing Trap. Panfish are generally around a foot long or less and travel in large schools. When you are catching them they come in large numbers but not really large sizes. With the tip-ups and ice traps, you just hand-line the fish in and there isn’t much of a fight or battle. With the ultra-light combo, an eight inch yellow perch feels like a 100 pound tarpon or 10 pound
Northern Pike. Most states restrict the amount of lines a fisherman can fish at one time. Where I do most of my fishing it is either 2 or 5 including the jigging line. I like to set up the maximum number of traps I am allowed minus one for jigging. This keeps me busy and on most occasions produces more fish than the live bait on the ice traps.
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The Combo:------------------------------
This isn’t really a high quality or expensive jigging rod/reel combo but I have found it adequate for the job. Jigging combos usually take a lot of abuse during transportation to the fishing locations in the winter. They get thrown into pack baskets, sleds, totes, buckets and spend a lot of time bouncing around when pulled by a snowmobile or ATV. I have learned over the years to pick up an inexpensive one just in case it breaks or becomes damaged rather than buy a high money one that doesn’t offer much more to the fisherman and can break just the same. Cold conditions make life not only tough on the fishermen, but also on the fishing equipment so I advise you not to spend a lot of money on a jigging outfit. Twenty dollars will get you one that is good enough and won’t make you cry if it gets ruined.
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The Rod:------------------------------
This particular jigging rod is an
ultra-light. It is 24 inches long and is really flimsy. It is made for small fish, light lines, and small lures. You can really feel your jig or lure when popping or jigging it below the ice. A strike is easy to detect with the ultra-light as well. One thing you do sacrifice when using an ultra-light rod is it’s backbone and ability to set the hook. It takes an extra yank when you feel a bite because it is not a stout rod at all. I recommend using very small and sharp hooks for ease in hook setting. Fighting any fish on an ultra-light rod is a blast and if you haven’t tried it yet, give it a try and see.
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The Reel: ------------------------------
The reel is probably the most noticeable quality lacking feature of this combo. It isn’t junk and it does work, but I am accustomed to high money quality fishing reels with a dozen or more ball bearings and I sometimes forget that this is a $10 jigging reel. This reel has one ball bearing and is a spinning reel. One thing I was surprised to see is that you can set the crank or handle on either side of the reel like most quality spinning reels. This is nice if you like to reel left handed and someone else like it right handed. It is interchangeable. The spool is very small and will hold plenty of line in the 4 pound test range or lower but with any larger diameter line I have found it doesn’t hold enough. Remember, it is all about what you plan on using it for.
If you want a combo exclusively for panfish, this is your combo. If you want a versatile all around jigging pole, go with a heavier one and slip on one of your open water reels.
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Durability:------------------------------
These things have to be durable to be in my gear box. I have been accused of being
hard on equipment. I have already noted how winter transportation is also equally hard on equipment. I have seen this combo at the bottom of the sled or pile of gear and wondered if it was broken only to find it just like new. There really isn’t a whole lot too it so as long as you don’t intentionally abuse it you should get several years of good use out of it.
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A little Jigging Tip:------------------------------
Just a little jigging tip here on the side for ice fishermen. If you set up tip ups or ice traps, try drilling an extra hole within a couple of feet of each trap. Over the course of the day use the jigging pole to fish in these extra holes. The flash of a jigging lure or the motion attracts fish and if they are still a little finicky for you lure, they are never too finicky for the live bait on your ice trap a couple of feet away. I can’t tell you how many times I have had a flag go up while jigging next to the trap.
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Other Uses:------------------------------
Every once in awhile when the small run off streams are open and the lakes are still frozen over in April I will walk the brooks and catch a mess of brook trout. The only problem I have encountered is that a regular rod is too long to walk through the woods and thick brush. Too many tangles with branches and broken rod tips led me to use my ice fishing jigging pole. You don’t ever really need to cast too far as the brooks and streams are only a couple of feet wide but they do hold trout and are a ton of fun to catch on an ultra-light jigging pole.
If you get really bored while ice fishing and the fishing is slow and you don’t want to jig, set up a bucket about fifteen feet away and practice casting into it. My buddies and I have traded a lot of money over the years from the casting contests held during slow fishing.
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Price:------------------------------
The total price for the combo is
$20 and I think you can buy each part separately for ten dollars each if you only need one or the other. I think it is a fair price for a durable nice little jigging pole.
©smallmouth 2008
Other Ice Fishing Gear
Eskimo 8 inch Hand Auger
Trilene Ice Fishing Line
Jack Traps ice fishing traps
Big Bob Jack Traps
Heritage Laker ice fishing traps
Frabill Round Tip Up
Life Guard Spikes
Stabilicers 
