When you put the Ice Team together you not only have incredibly talented ice anglers, but you have creative and innovative thinkers. Always trying to achieve perfection, this group asks a lot of their equipment and they aren’t the type to settle for anything but the best. Clam is pleased to introduce five new models in the Ice Team Professional Series available in 2015. Matt Johnson, Dave Genz, Keith Kavajecz, Zippy Dahl and Ross Robertson each spearheaded a particular rod in the series, designing and tweaking performance for the way they fish and the action they need. Lucky for all the anglers across the ice belt, these high-end rods will be available to everyone.
To Order – http://stores.clamoutdoors.com/index.php/clam/rods-reels.html
Ice Team Manager Matt Johnson loves to dial in the crappies. His 25” Light Action Crappie rod is tipped with a Nitinol spring bobber and is perfect for getting on some serious slabs. “Crappies can be a sophisticated fish at times, so having the right rod to both control the jig and detect a bite is vitally important,” said Matt Johnson. Made of Hyper Modulus solid graphite rod blank with Pacbay TiCH single frame fly guide with TiCH Twist stripper guide and a spring-bobber tip. The reel seat is Pacbay IPS with premium cork handle and rubber cork trim. “This rod provides a sensitive enough strike-indicator to notice those infamous up-bites, yet is powerful enough to deploy a tungsten jig and drive home a solid hookset. Couple all of that with high-quality components and you have the ultimate crappie weapon.”
He’s designed a lot of rods before in his career, but having the freedom to weigh in on a high end rod was a dream come true for Dave Genz. He immediately knew what he wanted—a Light Action Blugill 26” rod. “This rod is built with a bit more rigidity and sensitivity while still being a light action,” said Genz, who has long preached fishing a cadence of feeling the lure and when something changes from that feel, that’s when you know you’ve got a bite. “This helps to keep the small fish from biting so you have a better chance to trigger the big fish with a more aggressive response.” The Hyper Modulus solid graphite rod blank boasts Pacbay TiCH single frame fly guides including a TiCH Twist stripper guide. The reel seat is Pacbay IPS with premium cork handle and rubber cork trim. Genz suggests pairing it with the Legacy smooth-drag reel for professional-level success.
Keith Kavajecz is thinking of walleyes day and night AND throughout winter and summer. When asked to put his ideas into an Ice Team Professional Series rod it was an easy decision—a 26” Medium Action Walleye Rod. Made of Hyper Modulus solid graphite rod blank with Pacbay TiCH frame Minima guides, this high quality walleye rod has a cork handle and rubber-and-cork trim. “I spend most of my time on the ice in a Clam shelter, so I wanted to have this rod be as long as possible but still be able to set the hook without banging into the roof,” said Kavajecz. “The good thing is this rod is super sensitive, allowing me to feel even the lightest bite of a walleye sucking in a bait. It also has a powerful back.
When you think of dialing in some nice big perch, one of the first names to come to mind is Perch Patrol angler Zippy Dahl. Zippy likes long and light, so he designed a 28” Light Action Perch Rod. “We fish for a lot of deep-water perch here in Devils Lake and need a very sensitive rod that bends in all the right places,” said Dahl. “The quick tip on this rod will help you feel the bites but see them as well. You get what you pay for, and this one accomplishes everything we Big water ice anglers see winter through a different lens. Just ask Ross Robertson who guides and hosts television shows on Lake Erie and prefers a Medium/Heavy Action 36” Great Lakes Walleye rod for his days on the ice. “Big walleyes often require big baits and a rod that can handle both,” said Robertson. Made of Hyper Modulus solid graphite rod blank with Pacbay TiCH Twist guides and cork handle with rubber-cork trim, Ross is excited about using this rod for big fish on big ice. “This is a fast-action rod with that handles larger lures without sacrificing sensitivity and we built in a responsive tip with less bounce.” The insert-free, light-frame guides won’t get damaged when using swivels or terminal tackle moving up through the guides. “I like the guides—they’re lighter. The open style reel seat makes it much easier to change reels.” This rod also does a great job ripping big rattle baits for those giant Lake Winnipeg “Greenback” walleyes.When you put the best on ice to work dreaming about quality rods, the Ice Team Professional Serues is what you get. MSRP on each of the Ice Team Professional Series rods is $99.99.
For more information on Clam Outdoors go to http://www.clamoutdoors.com