If you’re a fan of catching panfish through the ice, you’ll want to get a noodle rod. Here’s what can be gained by carrying one of these wispy ice wands during hard-water adventures for crappie, perch, and sunfish. Helps detect up and down bites A noodle rod is made for ultra-light tackle presentations like tiny lead or tungsten jigs. The genius of their design is that the soft tip is always slightly loaded from the weight of the lure below. When a fish strikes, the tip’s bend increases to signal the hit. If the tip unloads and straightens, it indicates a bite as the fish swims upwards. In ice fishing parlance, these two scenarios are known as “down” and “up” bites. A noodle rod’s soft, sensitive tip helps detect both types of strikes with outstanding precision. Parabolic action of a crankbait rod For those wondering, “Yeah, but a rod with a spring bobber also shows down and up bites,” you’re absolutely right. For a long time, I had great results with spring bobber rods. But a noodle rod is still better. In addition to exceptional strike detection, my favourite noodle rods have a parabolic action in the upper half of the blank. This moderate action provides cushioning and shock absorption, encouraging a smooth, non-jarring, powerful hook-set. It also helps maintain line tension and pressure for control, and keeping hooks pinned in a soft-mouthed panfish. This feature of a noodle rod reminds me of the blank action of an open-water crankbait rod. Makes finesse lures dance A noodle rod’s soft yet responsive tip helps impart fluid, tantalizing action to a presentation. Lightly nodding a noodle rod’s tip is all that’s needed to make a finesse plastic, hair ice, ice fly, or other micromorsel flare, pulsate, and move in irresistible ways. This is a go-to maneuvre for triggering fussy crappie, perch, and bluegills. The power noodle Some noodle rod blanks have a slow action, bending through most, if not all, of the blank. Other rods feature a moderate action, bending in the upper half but flexing less in the lower end for greater backbone power. Rods meeting these criteria are sometimes called “power noodles,” but not all carry the moniker. Given a choice, I prefer a power noodle for most scenarios. Length considerations Rods typically span 23 to 44 inches. This range covers jigging inside a tight-quartered shelter to long hole-hopping sticks,
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