Today we turn and take a look at the Rod Rocker 2, sold by Today's Tackle. When it comes to ice fishing gear and the modern ice angler, the angler who utilizes more than 1 rod has a better chance at getting fish on the ice. I have been employing a second rod with a venom float for the past year and went with a 2nd rod and an ice buster bobber before that. And they have helped immensely over the years in putting more fish on the ice for me. In each case a rod holder is almost necessary, as putting your ice fishing reel on the snow and ice is a recipe for disaster when you get that fish on the other end of your line! This is where the Rod Rocker 2 comes into play.
Here the rod rocker 2 is attached to a portable shelter
But to be fair, it is much more than that, as it is mainly meant for dead sticking with a second rod. And when it comes to that, the Rod Rocker really shines. For those that are unfamiliar with dead sticking, it is simply placing your bait at the place you desire (often this will be within close proximity to the bottom, but if you are fishing suspended fish it can be anywhere in the water column) and then having your ice fishing rod free float hanging over the hole. It allows for not resistance when a fish takes the bait. Rather than give a dissertation on dead sticking, I'll just say it works very well, especially for finicky fish.
But back to the Rod Rocker 2. The first impression I came away with was how well made it is(if you read the Today's Tackle website it say "very durable", to me while descriptive this doesn't do it justice how well made this is). It is solid metal and feels like it will last a lifetime. You aren't going to bend this thing even if you step on it. It is that solid. The red portion on the top of the Rod Rocker 2 is a rubber similar to what you will see on garage pegs. It grips the rod, but allows it to rock up and down easily. And I put it through all 6 different ice rods I own and it worked well for all of them. It is kind of hard to describe until you see it in person, but trust me it holds the rod so it won't fall, but it easily affords movement. It is brilliant in its simplicity. And finally, since it goes immediately in front of your reel, it won't let your combo go down the hole when that big northern pike takes your crappie minnow this winter.
Onto the downsides, the main thing for me is that this isn't a ready made solution. In other words there is "some assembly required". You will need to get a drill and place the holes where you want the rod rocker 2 to go. To be fair, that is also a selling point as it is fully customizable. Still, for the fisherman who wants to open the package and get fishing, this one isn't for you.
Final take
Advantages:
Quality materials
Keeps ice rod and reel combo on top of the ice
Allows for full freedom of movement for dead sticking applications
Grips rod combo, but allows for easily grabbing the rod when it comes time to reel in a fish
Disadvantages:
Some assembly required
My final take? I would absolutely recommend this for the modern ice angler. It is inexpensive, quality made, and does what you want it to.
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