Targeting Crappie, Bluegill and Perch Through the Ice.
The St. Croix Rods Mojo Ice 28 inch Medium Light rod is perfect for light line and smaller lure finesse applications. This rod was a pleasure to fish with and handles all panfish species and perch extremely well.
01. Sensitivity
One of my favorite features about this rod is the open blank design at the top of the grip. I typically wear fingerless gloves and pistol grip when I am ice fishing, so my index finger fits comfortably on the open blank. This made the rod incredibly sensitive, allowing me to detect even the slightest of nibbles.
02. Action
I have been using the Medium Light model, specifically in the 28 inch length. The blank has a super soft tip which makes it easy to keep a subtle cadence when jigging. The rod has enough backbone to stick a solid hook set and flexes deep into the blank so you can use extremely light line without breaking off on a larger fish.
03. Specs and Build
The specific rod I used was the 28 inch, Medium Light model. The blank has a carbon dust finish which gives it a great texture, look and feel. The handle is an EVA foam split grip with a custom reel seat that exposes the blank. This reel seat comes standard across the entire Mojo Ice series and is my favorite feature because of how comfortably it fits in my hand.
04. Bait and Tackle
I used this rod for fishing smaller tungsten jigs and Clam Outdoors Pinhead Minnows tipped with maggots or wax worms. The soft tip of this rod made it easy to keep a specific cadence with subtle movements which is important when targeting finicky fish.
05. Species
I would recommend using this rod for light line applications when targeting crappie, blue gills, perch and other panfish. It is perfect for jigging light tackle, but you will want to bump up to a heavier weight if you are jigging heavier baits for larger species. This is a fantastic option if you are looking for an all around crappie setup.
Conclusion
The rod is comfortable, sensitive and looks awesome. It does everything I need in a panfish rod and is a pleasure to fish with. If you are looking to get a panfish rod, don’t hesitate to pull the trigger and pick up the Medium Light Mojo Ice rod by St. Croix.