If you like catching panfish during the cold winter season, you need to pick up the proper rod for better results. Ice anglers have a common tendency of picking up a heavy rod. It’s a myth that a heavy rod is effective for ice fishing.
When you’re choosing a light fishing rod, you can use all your techniques perfectly on big panfish buddies like crappie. With a lighter rod, you can easily detect little bites. Besides, the best ice fishing rod for panfish makes a big difference when you’re using it for small panfish like bluegill.
In this article, we’re going to share the best options available on the market right now when you’re making a purchase for a panfish ice fishing rod. Our main priorities in these rods were building quality, rod weight, action, and length. You can check out the list at a glance.
8 Best Ice Fishing Rods for Panfish
- St.Croix Custom Ice Rods
- 13 Fishing Widow Maker Evolve Engaged Reel Seat Ice Fishing Rod
- 13 Fishing Widow Maker Tennessee Handle Ice Fishing Rod, 38″ Ultra-Light
- St. Croix Legend Black Ice Fishing Rod
- Fenwick Ice Spinning Rod
- Clam Meat Stick Combo med Action (JMS20MSC)
- St Croix Avid Glass Panfish Ice Rod
- 13 Fishing Tickle Stick – Ice Rod
If you need a panfish rod, you can choose any of these. All these rods are tested by our experts and they are of good quality. These rods are chosen to form a thousand on the market.
So, let’s get into the review section.
8 Best Ice Fishing Rod for Panfish Review
01. St.Croix Custom – The best ice fishing rod
The best ice fishing rod for panfish is the St.Croix Custom Ice Rod. It comes from the famous rod-making Brand St. Croix. If you’re a regular audience of our articles, you know this brand pretty well as they’ve been making rods for a long time now and they make various kinds of fishing rods suitable for different fishing actions and different targets.
This custom ice rod from St. Croix comes up in the market with high-quality building material. This material makes it tough and durable. Besides, the rod comes up with a limited 5 years of warranty so you don’t have to worry about repairing it. This package of St. Croix is made in the USA and tested well for its quality.
It seems to be the lightest ice rod for panfish while it comes with good action and great tip design. The rod blank is also made in the USA. This one is made for extreme sensitivity. The size of this rod is 28”. You can feel the comfort of ice fishing if you purchase this one as your partner. Let’s take a look at,
What Makes this Reel Stand Out
- Ice fishing rod with good action
- Extremely lightweight panfish rod
- Comes with good action
- Rod blank is made in the USA
- Backed up with a 5 years warranty
- 28” ice fishing rod
- Made for extreme performance and durability
02. 13 Fishing Widow Maker Ice Fishing Rod
The second pick of this list is from the brand 13 fishing. This brand is pretty underrated in the fishing sector but this one of them does some good job while the task is ice fishing and the target is panfish. It comes up with every feature you need in a rod to stand against panfish. Let’s take a look at those.
It comes up with a high-performance solid-body construction with Toray graphite blank. The handle on this rod is very special as it has a 5A Portuguese handle made with cork. Besides, the double wire coated guides are smooth and durable. The PC2 tip blank technology gives great action so you can fish in ice with comfort.
The size of this rod is 32”. It comes up with medium-light action which is great to catch panfish. For reliability and sensitivity, this rod has a high-quality reel seat. It makes sure that your reel is safe and doing its job perfectly. This rod is highly durable and it weighs only 12 ounces.
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What Makes this Reel Stand Out
- High-quality graphite blank
- Great medium action rod
- High-performance solid body
- 5A Portuguese cork handle
- Double diamond coated guides
- Good reel seat
- PC2 blank technology
- 36” size rod
- Weighs only 12 ounces
03. 13 Fishing Widow Maker Tennessee – Best rod for panfish
Here’s another one from the brand 13 fishing. This is the 3rd one on our list. It’s pretty similar to the previous 13 fishing rods. The slight difference between these two is their size and weight. This one is a bit longer as it comes up with a 38” size. By the by, this one is a bit light as it weighs only 11 Ounces. The previous rod was 12 ounces.
However, the biggest similarity is the handle. It also comes up with a hand-selected 5A Portuguese cork handle which is great and comfortable. The body construction material of this one is high-quality graphite. It also comes up with a solid Toray graphite blank. This blank can give you perfect action and super flexibility while ice fishing.
This one also features thin wire double-coated guides. These line guides are great and smooth. This rod is made of a high-quality component combination. This also has cutting-edge technology. The one-piece construction of this one makes it solid and durable. It remains tough with this construction.
What Makes this Reel Stand Out
- 38” ice fishing rod
- Ultra-light rod for panfish
- Graphite blank for smooth action
- Sensitive rod
- Solid graphite construction
- 5A Portuguese cork handle
- One-piece solid construction
- Cutting edge technology
04. St. Croix Legend Black Ice Fishing Rod – Best all-around ice rod
Here’s another one from the brand St. Croix. This one is a legend series rod and it’s pretty popular in its category. This one was released back in 17-18. Back then, this rod was one unbeatable one and it could hit the target easily. It comes up with everything you need in an ice fishing rod.
The size of this rod is pretty perfect for ice fishing. It’s 24” in size. It comes up with a spring bobber. The reel seat of this reel is locking and makes sure your reel is safe and sound there. The action of this reel is medium. However, the weight of this reel is pretty light and it weighs only 7 ounces.
The graphite construction makes the rod durable and long-lasting. It’s pretty tough for ice fishing. The blank of this rod is made of high-quality material. The line guides are great too!
What Makes this Reel Stand Out
- High-quality building material
- The great locking reel seat
- 24” in size ice fishing rod
- 1 strike indicating spring bobber
- Highly durable fishing rod
- Made especially for ice fishing
- Action optimized for ice fishing
05. Fenwick Ice Spinning Rod
The 5th rod in this list comes from the fabulous rod maker Fenwick. This brand is making rods for a long time and they’re popular for rods. Other products of them are not that good but they make rods like experts. This one of them comes up with good quality building material and it’s ideal as a perch ice fishing rod.
This one has an interchangeable blank action feature. It means you can customize your rod action according to your fishing technique. It comes up with a TAC handle. This handle is pretty durable and comfortable. It gives you a superior grip all the time. This package of Fenwick ice fishing rods contains a hard tube.
This tube is helpful while you’re traveling with your fishing rod. The Fenwick rod weighs only 7.2 ounces. This is extremely light and easy to hold. It comes up with two interchangeable blanks in order to make sure that you’re prepared for all kinds of situations. This one is highly durable and the reel seat is locking too!
What Makes this Reel Stand Out
- Interchangeable blanks
- TAC handle
- Lightweight and weighs only 7.2 ounces
- Comes up with 2 blanks
- Travel tube included with the package
- Highly durable ice fishing rod
06. Clam Meat Stick Combo med Action – Best ice fishing rod reel combo
This combo package comes from the rare brand Calm Corporation. This brand is pretty unknown in this sector but this package of them is pretty good and it has a huge amount of positive user feedback worldwide. Having the perfect rod size made it one of the best ice fishing rods for panfish. It has every feature and it comes up with a reel.
To reduce weight, this rod comes up with a good quality cork handle. This handle is comfortable and gives a great grip. You won’t feel uncomfortable with the whole fishing session with this handle. It has silver frame guides. These guides are great and soft. So, these can pass your line smoothly.
The tip design is innovative. The action you can get is perfect for ice fishing and your target panfish. This package also comes up with a reel. This reel is made by this brand too! The name of this reel is JMS 600. The size of this rod is 36”. It’s extremely light too. It weighs only 9.2 ounces.
What Makes this Reel Stand Out
- Perfect rod size
- Weighs only 9.2 ounces, lightweight
- Comes up with JMS 600 reel
- P cork handle for reducing weight
- Comfortable grip
- Great action
- Silver frame guides
07. St Croix Avid Glass Panfish Ice Rod – Best ice fishing rod for perch
Here comes another one from the brand St Croix. This one is a bit special as it’s mainly designed for panfish. So, if you fixed your target and you want to land on big panfishes, this one can be your choice. It comes up with every feature you need in an ice fishing rod. This package from St. Croix is designed in the USA and there’s no doubt about the quality.
The size of this fishing tackle is 26” and it’s made for ice fishing. This one comes specially with a solid glass blank. The super-sensitive carbon handle can do its job properly. The fiberglass blanks of this rod are durable. The flexible tips are going to help you cast every time.
It comes up with good quality locking reel seats and a comfortable handle which makes it one of the best panfish ice fishing rods. The kigan stripper guides are light and they can pass your fishing line easily. However, the body material is extremely durable and it weighs a little. With this light rod, you can hit your target easily.
What Makes this Reel Stand Out
- 26” customized rod for panfish
- Xtreme flex fiberglass blank
- Made in the USA
- Flexible sensitive tips
- Kigan stripper guides
- Lightweight and durable fishing rod
08. 13 Fishing Tickle Stick – Best ice rod for the money
The last one on this list is from 13 fishing. If you’re disappointed with all those ice fishing rods described above, maybe this is the one that can go with your requirements. Rely on us and give this one a try. This one comes up with a 27” size and is extremely lightweight.
The PC2 blank construction makes the rod durable and the action suitable for panfishes. This blank construction makes the rod sensitive. This one has a newly designed reel seat. This reel seat is safe and secure for your reel. ALPS thin wire guides are durable and light.
The panfish rod contains a flat tip technology. This is durable and lasts longer than other traditional fishing rods available on the market. The flat tip technology is pretty useful as it easily detects negative and positive bites and helps you at fishing.
What Makes this Reel Stand Out
- ALPS wire guides
- Great PC2 blank construction
- Sensitive lightweight rod
- The newly arranged reel seat
- Detects negative and positive bites
- Contains flat tip technology
How to buy the best ice fishing rod for panfish: A few things you need to know
To buy the best fishing pole for ice fishing, you need to focus on 3 major things. Those things are the length of the rod, the building material of blank and guide, and the handle.
Let’s discuss those!
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The length
Length is an important matter for ice fishing rods as fishing with long rods in the ice is a bit tough. The ideal size for ice fishing rods is 24 to 28 inches. This site gives you the perfect action and flexibility. If your rod is too long, you won’t be able to fish with it. So, always make sure you’re buying a rod that comes up in 24 to 28 inches size.
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The building material
Well, this one is important as it makes your rod tough and durable. Besides, the composition of building material makes your rod light and comfortable. Always try to buy a rod that’s made with a high-quality graphite material, fiberglass blanks are great too! You can take one with metal ring guides or a rod with ceramic guides.
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The handle
If the handle is not comfortable enough, you won’t be able to hold it for a long time. Cork handles are popular for ice fishing rods. These rods are light and comfortable to hold.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions):
Q: What is the best ice fishing rod?
A: According to our ranking, the best ice fishing rod designed for panfish is the St.Croix Custom Ice Rods. There are more than 7 rods that are good for ice fishing. Those are:
- 13 Fishing Widow Maker Evolve Engaged Reel Seat Ice Fishing Rod
- 13 Fishing Widow Maker Tennessee Handle Ice Fishing Rod, 38″ Ultra-Light
- St. Croix Legend Black Ice Fishing Rod
- Fenwick Ice Spinning Rod
- Clam Meat Stick Combo med Action (JMS20MSC)
- St Croix Avid Glass Panfish Ice Rod
- 13 Fishing Tickle Stick – Ice Rod
Q: What are the best ice fishing rod and reel combo?
A: The best ice fishing rod and reel combo in this list is the Clam Meat Stick Combo med Action (JMS20MSC). It comes up with a JMS 600 reel which is durable and made especially for ice fishing.
Q: Can you use an ice fishing rod for regular fishing?
A: Well the answer is yes, you can use an ice fishing rod for regular fishing. The fact is, ice fishing rods come up with features different from other ordinary regular rods. This can make your regular fishing a bit hard.
Q: What depth should I ice fish?
A: 5 or 6 feet is enough for ice fishing. If you’re fishing in 12 feet or less deep water then it’s ideal to fish in the depth of 6 feet or 5 feet.
Q: What makes a good ice fishing rod?
A: A good ice fishing rod comes up with a good quality building material and in size between 24” to 28”. A rod made for ice fishing should have a cork handle and a sensitive blank too!
Q: Are 3 inches of ice safe to walk on?
A: No, absolutely not. If the thickness is 5-7 inches then the ice is safe to walk on. Don’t dare to walk on ice with 3 inches or less thickness.
Q: How long is an ice fishing pole?
A: The ideal length of an ice fishing pole is between 24” to 28”. You can choose a rod that comes up with this length. If you’re choosing a long one, you won’t be able to fish comfortably.
Q: What is the best lure for ice fishing?
A: The best Ice fishing lure is the Makiplastic Craig. But you can choose the same chubby dater or the Rapala jigging rap too!
Conclusion
So, these are our best ice fishing rods for panfish. If you’re thinking of going ice fishing and you need a rod to start with, choose any of these rods as soon as possible. All these rods are tested and they are of good quality.
For any kind of query or question, feel free to leave a comment here or contact us directly. To read other articles and product reviews, visit our website.
Happy fishing!
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