Mr Walleye® Icepro

The most advanced ice rod, period.

Longer Rods

There is a trend in the industry toward shorter, and lighter rods. It just didn't make sense to Gary. How were you going to land an 8-lb. Walleye on a 20" rod with 2lb line? Simple. You won't. You need a rod long enough and strong enough to work with. In addition, there were no good lake trout or spooning rods, and most of the reels for ice fishing break, crank hard when cold, and aren't made to last.

Gary decided it was time to do something about that. We created Icepro to not only fill a void in the ice fishing market, but also so Gary would have something to fish with. He was sick of using flimsy rods that break so easily, and he wanted his own. Our shortest model is 27", and although we call it a Medium Light, it probably equates to what some companies call a medium. We step in 3" increments to 45", and each one gets successively heavier.

More Rod For Your Money

You see, part of the trend in lighter and smaller in ice fishing is due to cost. It's a highly competitive market, and even though raw materials have gone up year after year, retail prices have stayed mostly the same. What's changed is the product. It's gotten shorter, lighter, and cheaper in quality. If you don't believe us, go find a 10-year old rod off of ebay, and compare it to one from today. Gary wanted to bring back durability and quality to ice fishing. With Icepro, you are getting a much better built product, that will last longer and help you catch more fish in the process. Nothing about these rods or reels are cheap, and while we know our prices are a bit higher than some out there, try one and you'll know why immediately.

Hybrid Carbon Fiber Blanks

The #1 complaint we've already had with today's ice rods is that they break too easily. Solid graphite blanks are brittle, especially so toward the tip. We tested several variations of blank construction, and found that no matter what, a solid graphite blank will break fairly easily under load. So, we looked at glass blanks, which are made of fiberglass, and are very difficult to break. Glass is a very durable material. However the problem with glass is it's not as sensitive as graphite, and it weighs a lot more. Since we were going to have a longer, and thicker rod, this would be a problem. Glass also can't produce the desired action Gary was after. We were seriously in a quandry.

It all changed one day when one of the engineers showed us he could combine the two materials. He had found a way to take a small diameter solid glass core, and wind carbon fiber yarn around it, the same way you'd build a cable. We were skeptical it would even work, but low and behold it did, and the finished product retains the light weight and sensitive properties of graphite, and the durability of glass. It was a true hybrid material, and we put it to the test on the ice.

The Thumb Pad

The Thumb Pad is the exact same one from the Superpro™ rods! It's a fully functional means of transmitting vibration. Since our Hybrid blanks transmit vibration just like a normal graphite blank does, Gary had us add them to the handles, and weld them in the same manner we do on Superpro™. The reason, he says, is because fish are lighter biters in the winter, and you need every last bit of help to feel those nibbles. If you're in a shelter, you've probably got heat anyway, so you're already fishing without gloves.

Real Cork, Longer Handles

Another pet peeve of Gary's was the handles. He wanted something you can grab onto, that doesn't disappear into your hand when you pick it up. Larger diameter, longer, with the flared butt. With or without gloves, we think you'll appreciate it.

Stainless Guides & Wire Flys

Icing is a common problem for ice rods. Everyone who's ice fished knows the frustration of your tip guide icing up, or when the eyelets of the guides are too small, ice builds up fast. Gary wanted guides that will resist icing as much as possible, and also be durable enough to smack against something to clear them off. WIre fly guides in larger sizes do the trick. They ice up less, and you can smack the rod against the snow, ice, or your cooler to clear it, without worrying about the guides bending or flying off.

Professional 4 Ball Bearing Reel

Gary loved his old ice reels he always used , but they were from 1979, and had been rebuilt so many times they didn't contain any original parts. We weren't even sure who had originally made them. Gary didn't want a miniture ice reel, he wanted a 10-size reel, like you'd use on an ultralight, with a full size aluminum spool. Then it had to work good, too. We dressed it with 4 ball bearings and a 1-way clutch. We also use a very special low-temperature grease that we sourced, so the reels work good even well below zero. To top it off, we've coated the body with a soft touch PVC paint, so it doesn't feel cold.