Ice fishing for lake trout can be one of the most fun and rewarding ice fishing experiences there is. These fish regularly grow over 30 pounds on certain bodies of water. They are toothy, aggressive, super strong, and an all-out blast to fight. That being said, they can be hard to catch and fight, so having the right ice rod to capitalize on every opportunity is essential.
Five Great Lake Trout Ice Fishing Rods
- Clam Jason Mitchel Mackinaw Big Fish Series
- Shimano Convergence Ice
- St. Croix Mojo Ice Spinning Rod
- 13 Fishing Omen Ice
- Tuned Up Custom Lake Trout Precision
1 – Clam Jason Mitchel Mackinaw Big Fish Series
The Jason Mitchel Mackinaw Big Fish Series by Clam is an excellent ice rod for targeting big lake trout. The word “Mackinaw” is another word for Lake Trout, and these rods were designed for one specific purpose. The Mackinaw is available in eight different models, all specifically designed for targeting Lake Trout through the ice. The rods feature an extra-long handle that helps provide comfort when jigging baits but also helps prevent fatigue when fighting fish.
The heavy backbone combined with a sensitive tip help to drive home a good hookset through the tough mouth of a lake trout. The guides on the rod are oversized on purpose to help prevent ice build-up when fishing during sub-zero temperatures. The Extra Heavy action rods feature heavy-duty stainless guides that have aluminum inserts for maximum durability.
Mackinaw Big Fish Ice Rod Sizes
2. Shimano Convergence Ice Rod
This rod features a composite construction, offering the perfect balance between strength and sensitivity. The full cork grip will make it easier when a big laker takes you for a hard water sleigh ride. This rod has a good strong backbone for over half of its length, yet has a good flex to the tip. The Medium Heavy action models feature durable Zirconia guides for added strength.
These two actions also have a seamless cork and carbon reel seat that ensures a secure connection of reel-to-rod that’s needed when fighting lake trout. The Shimano Convergence ice rod is offered in several different sizes, but two of them are perfect for lake trout fishing through the ice. My recommendations are the 40″ and 42″ Medium-Heavy action rods.
Shimano Convergence Sizes (Medium-Heavy Action)
3. St. Croix Mojo Ice Spinning Rod
The St. Croix Mojo Ice Rod was just recently redesigned in 2020. The new model has a blank that’s made out of carbon and features a flat finish reel seat. St. Croix is largely known as one of the most reliable fishing rod manufacturers worldwide. The Mojo Ice rod is an excellent value, with three of the 12 models being good choices for targeting Lake Trout. The 34″ Medium Heavy and 34″ Heavy models feature a full handle that makes fighting and jigging for bigger fish much more enjoyable.
St. Croix Mojo Ice Lake Trout Rod Sizes
4. 13 Fishing Omen Ice
In recent years the 13 Fishing brand has blown up, and for good reason. Their gear is built with quality, reliability, and affordability in mind. The 13 Omen Ice rod has a built-in reel seat for a solid rod-to-reel connection. It also includes Evolve Thin Wire guides and a split grip cork handle, which is something unique when compared to other lake trout ice fishing rods.
This rod has more flex in the front end compared to the other rods mentioned, which can be a good thing for when lake trout make their notorious seemingly endless runs. The Omen Ice rod has 10 different models available, but there are three that stand out as excellent options for lake trout. For the price and the quality of these rods, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a better bang-for-buck option when targeting lake trout.
13 Fishing Omen Ice Lake Trout Rod Sizes
5. Tuned Up Custom Lake Trout Precision
Tuned Up Custom Precision has been building fishing rods tailored to target specific species of fish for years. Their brand has blown up recently, with many big-name ice fishermen choosing to take their rods onto the ice. The Lake Trout Ice Rod is made from fiberglass and features a moderate action, which gives you the strong backbone needed to fight these fish.
This rod features a full cork handle, a built-in reel seat, and spacious guides for those cold days on the ice. This rod is available standard in Spinning or Casting, and 5 different lengths, giving you the ultimate ability to choose what rod-style best suits your needs. The most common sizes are 38″, 40″, and 42″.
TUCR Lake Trout Precision Sizes
Ice Fishing for Lake Trout Tips
- Use a Good Rod: This is obviously number one. Without a good rod that can hook and handle these fish, you could very well end up losing a lot of the fish you hook. Choosing a rod with a good backbone, big guides, and a good bend will greatly increase your chances of landing a big laker.
- Hooksets: Hit ’em Hard: Lake Trout are notorious for having a very bony mouth. It’s imperative that you have a good, strong hookset to really drive the hooks deep to make sure you stay hooked up. This is why you’ve heard me mention time and time again that having a good backbone yet a good bend is essential. The strong blank helps to set the hooks deep, and the flexible tip helps keep them hooked.
- Let Them Run: Lake Trout are some of the most powerful freshwater fish in North America. They are notorious for having vicious headshakes and making relentless runs. This means knowing how your drag is set is super important. I would recommend having the drag set tighter when jigging, and immediately after hooking up, loosen it up a little bit (while using the flex of the rod to keep the pressure on of course).
Complete the setup: Equally as important as the rod choice, is having a good reel and good line around that reel. Spinning reels are a good option because they tend to pick up a lot of line very quickly. One of the most common tactics when ice fishing lake trout is to have them chase your baits up the water column. If you’re using a flasher system and you mark a trout, reel your bait up and you’ll often find lake trout will chase them down and hammer it on the way up. It’s almost as though they think it’s fun!
Ice Reels for Lake Trout
I am a big fan of the Pfleuger President reel. As I’ve mentioned in several of my other blog posts, I have a President reel on every single spinning rod I own. They are super smooth, have a great drag system, look awesome (if you’re into that), and are offered at a great price.
Two other good options would be the Okuma Ceymar C10 or the Piscifun Carbon X. Both of these reels have excellent build quality and reputation, as well as being in a great price point. The Carbon X has 10 ball bearings and is extremely smooth. The carbon build makes it very light and also isn’t nearly as cold to the touch as a metal reel would be in cold weather. The Ceymar 10 has an excellent multi-disc drag system and features 7 ball bearings.
Lake Trout Ice Fishing Line
Having the right line is another important factor when targeting lake trout through the ice. Most lake trout anglers will run braided line to a fluorocarbon or monofilament leader. A lighter / smaller line allows you to work your bait with better action.
I would go with a 10-20 pound braid, down to a barrel swivel, and followed by a stretch of 10 to 15-pound fluorocarbon that is roughly the same length as your rod (24-36″ on average). Both the braid and fluorocarbon are low stretch, which will help set those hooks well and deep.
Suffix 832 or Power Pro Ice-Tec would be good options. I run power pro on all of my trout rods exclusively, I am a big believer in their product.