Ice Rod And Reel Options

Drag becomes even more of a factor with lake trout, salmon, and pike. Trout and salmon reels need a little more capacity and a smooth drag to compensate for long runs. Lake trout tend to make long runs. And just when you think you have a big pike whipped it surges out with another 15 to 25 feet of line.

Though the classic approach, especially for lakers and pike, is to spool up with 10-pound monofilament, lighter 6- to 8-pound lines may be required to fool big browns and rainbows, especially in clear water. In general, choose a reel with a trusty drag and at least 150-yard capacity for 10-pound test.

Select Predator Rods

My favorite Shakespeare rod for walleyes is their 28-inch Solid Ice glass blank. It’s stout enough to get a good hookset, yet flexible enough when fish make runs. Their Synergy Ice Combo comes with a Synergy 200 spinning reel and a 27-inch IM-7 graphite medium-action rod with aluminum oxide guides and a cork handle.

HT’s Signature Series carbon blanks taper nicely to match their action. Each rod has a cork handle, a top-lock fixed reel seat and HT’s E-Z out guides. Their 28-inch Signature Series (SS-28MHSC) medium-heavy action should be a dandy for jigging lures and landing walleyes and pike.

For outside duty, Thorne’s 42-inch Pro Graphite Plus spinning rod has a fairly fast-action tip and enough backbone to handle most predator fish. Their 42-inch Pro Graphite Plus baitcaster model is surely a favorite for lakers. Durability is the main attraction of their Pro Glass series, but the rods are sensitive to feel lures and detect strikes, and have enough backbone to fight big fish, too.

Last season I used Berkley’s 30-inch medium-action Dave Genz Series Lighting Rod, which features a fast-action blank, ideal for lighter lures, and it has enough backbone to tussle with predators like walleyes.

Frabill’s 32-inch UltraIce medium rod, which should be a good walleye stick, features stainless steel oversized ice guides that promote smooth line flow and reduces freeze-ups.

Select Reels

Shakespeare’s Catera front-drag and rear-drag spinning reels feature five ball bearings, one-way clutch anti-reverse, a large-diameter titanium line roller, and a six-disc drag system. It also has an aluminum spool and a comfortable counter-balanced handle. The Catera 4530 model has a 200-yard/6-pound-mono spool capacity.

Daiwa’s Emblem Z-IA features their Advanced Ballistic System (ABS) spool, which offers increased drag performance and longevity, and reduces line tangles. The bigger spool creates larger line coils, which reduces the tendency of line to spring off the spool. The large spool also allows for bigger drag washers, to better disperse heat friction. Because of little change in the diameter of the spooled line, the drag is fast starting and continuously smooth. Oh, it would probably be a sin not to mention Daiwa’s SS Series (SS700, SS1300, and SS1600), dependable workhorses for ice duty.

Fin-Nor’s Megalite reels are made to saltwater specifications to match wits with hard-fighting bonefish, tarpon, and redfish. Even a head-throbbing 10-pound walleye or a 20-pound surging pike are no match for this drag system. The Fin-Nor’s Mega Drag features a completely sealed, large, lubricated cork drag system that quickly disperses heat and runs smoothly under high pressure.

The Penn Prion body and rotor are made of durable lightweight graphite, the bail and line roller coated with gold titanium nitride for extra durability against nicks that could damage line. Five stainless steel ball bearings increase the reels smoothness, and a titanium-lipped spool offers line protection.

The Shimano Stradic features gears and drive train support for increased strength and smooth operation under extreme drag pressure—a waterproof drag system for consistent, surge-free performance. A one-way bearing prevents handle backplay, and a titanium-coated roller reduces line twist.