It’s critical to trust that your rod and reel will perform well when you hook a big fish. A good stick increases your odds of detecting strikes and getting a good hookset, and the combination of rod and reel enables you to fight and land fish, especially big fish that test your skill as an angler and the dependability of your rod and reel.

A rod that’s too stiff won’t compensate for head shakes and surges, which tend to cause line breaks or hooks to pop free. A rod that’s too wimpy won’t allow for a good hookset and doesn’t have enough backbone to tire fish quickly. Selecting an ice rod also requires finding one to effectively work the lures you use—a blend that balances well with a line that allows the lure to work properly. Rod length and action also are important factors for setting hooks and landing fish.

Graphite rods remain the favorite, though, glass rods are more durable. Graphite offers the best sensitivity. Tapered correctly, the tip should be fast enough so you can feel your lure and detect strikes, yet the blank ideally stiffens toward the handle and loads up when you set the hook and fight fish.

Admittedly, though, I’ve broken my share of graphite rods the past few ice seasons. A few fell victim to setting the hook too hard with the weight of a big fish on the other end, and a few broke due to the druthers of ice fishing—including some clumsy carelessness. A premium glass blank offers plenty of backbone for hooksets, while doing a better job of protecting line under duress when a fighting fish surges. I use 32- and 42-inch solid glass rods to jig for walleyes and pike. Premium glass rods are sensitive enough to detect most fish strikes, and their durability is a main attraction—they’ve withstood the test of me.

Walleyes—Prime walleye sticks come in several lengths and actions. Some are designed for fishing in shelters, some outside. Some are designed for working large jigs or heavy swimming lures, while others work better for jigging lighter flash lures. Presentation, though, is always more crisp and precise with a fast tip. In most jigging situations with light jigs and spoons, you need a fast stick with a medium-light power. For heavier jigs and swimming lures, go with a fast-action medium-power blank. The heaviest lines and lures, and deep water, might require a medium-heavy blank with the same action.

A fast, medium-power blank in the 28- to 42-inch range rated for 6- to 12-pound line is the best all-around walleye blank. Both ends of that length range respond best with a fast tip, which offers better control through a variety of jigging techniques. Faster, lighter blanks offer the sensitivity to feel finicky biters.

Trout and Salmon—The rods and reels used to catch lake trout, rainbows, browns, and king salmon are the same. The rod needs power and backbone to subdue fish, but just as essential is a flexible tip section and middle section that acts as a shock absorber to protect line and knots. Rods 36 to 42 inches long are optimum, allowing enough length to create a cushion against powerful runs and head shakes, with enough rod left over for backbone.

Pike—Due to a pike’s tendency to surge when it runs, a 30-inch jigging rod works well in shacks. Longer models are ideal for searching outside a shack. Again, you need backbone to tire the fish, but a flexible tip coupled with a smooth operating reel to protect the line.

Reel Knowledge

A reel with a smooth drag is essential, and higher-end reels offer drag settings that are more incremental. A drag that goes from too tight to too loose in a few clicks can cause big problems with big fish. Many anglers prefer small, light reels for ice duty, though a medium spool diameter produces few coils and fewer problems in extremely cold weather.

Backreeling is an option, but using a premium reel that pays out line smoothly due to a dependable drag is much easier—it’s just one less thing you have to do or think about when trying to get a big fish up a hole. For walleyes, a large reel with a big line capacity isn’t that essential, though a reel with a dependable drag ensures that you’re equipped to get bit by a trophy walleye.

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.