12-10-2010, 02:55 PM
I never use a short pole unless I am in an ice house. My first trip to strawberry was with a friend and some other fishermen that I did not know. I am from Idaho and I have been ice fishing for 20 years or so. For whatever reason they thought it was funny that I used a long pole. It was not long before they quit laughing since I caught a lot of fish that day.
The bottom line for me is that a long pole helps you set the hook, take up slack and control the fish better, so unless you are also purchasing an ice house or you are going with someone who has one, just use the long pole.
I may be a little extreme on this point and I am sure there are other opinions out there (and far better fishermen), but I am such an adherent to the principle that I make my own ice rods for the inside of the ice house to make sure they are as long as I can comfortably use in the ice house.
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The bottom line for me is that a long pole helps you set the hook, take up slack and control the fish better, so unless you are also purchasing an ice house or you are going with someone who has one, just use the long pole.
I may be a little extreme on this point and I am sure there are other opinions out there (and far better fishermen), but I am such an adherent to the principle that I make my own ice rods for the inside of the ice house to make sure they are as long as I can comfortably use in the ice house.
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