Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

[BULLWARKS]

Would like to know what you guys think is a decent set-up for inshore, bay and lake trolling for Stripers, Trout, etc.<br /><br />What length and action rod? What Real ratio?, Line wt./cap? type drag?<br /><br />Looking to get a nice set-up for Christmas.<br /><br />Between $250 - $500

 

[dingbat]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

Generally speaking I think you'll find that they use much lighter tackle when freshwater fishing than is used in saltwater. There is also a big different in the equipment used when trolling with downriggers and such when compared with flat lining. so <br /><br />I fish stripers mostly inshore and the Bay and I use 6’ long -IGFA 30# rods with Penn 330 GTIs loaded up with #80 Power Pro line (@ $450 a piece)which is as good as it gets for my application but I wouldn’t need nor want to use this type of equipment when trout fishing. <br /><br />You need to figure out which method you’ll do the most off and center your attention to that method.

 

[BULLWARKS]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

Just got the boat this June.<br /><br />I'm using a downrigger but having problems with the releaase (either to tight or to loose).<br /><br />I'm intereted in Salt waterr info here. I posted a question regarding Freshwater on the other thread.<br /><br />Is $250 - $500 not realistic for salt water trolling?

 

[dingbat]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

Where are you fishing? Methods vary greatly from location to location and the tackle to do so varies dramatically also.<br /><br />. In my case I choose to go custom because I wanted to “tune” the rods to my liking other than use a factory setup but you shouldn’t have any problems finding a suitable set up for $200 -$250

 

[BULLWARKS]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

Hudson River, Sandy Hook Bay, & Inshore Sandy Hook

 

[gst]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

Bulwarks<br /><br /> I fish close offshore in the Gulf of Mexico,<br /> for King Mackerel.<br /><br /> I am not sure what size fish you are talking<br /> about but for 12 to 50 pound king mackerel,<br /> which are extermly fast and hard fighters<br /> this is what we use here.<br /><br /> Most of the fishermen here that troll use<br /> Penn 112H or Penn 113H reels, matched with<br /> a 5 or 6 foot Medium/Heavy action rod with a<br /> quick tip, and spooled with 40#-50#<br /> monofilament.<br /><br /> The reels can be had for $80 to $110, the<br /> rods for $30 up to $100, depending on what<br /> you want.<br /><br /> In my opinion the Penn 113H, its called a 4/0 <br /> (four ought), is one of the best resonably <br /> priced reels I have ever owned.<br /> They have a dependable "star drag" system,<br /> and are easy to work on at the end of the year<br /> for cleaning and lubing.<br /> They do not have a level wind on them but<br /> there are other Penn reels that do, if you<br /> require that.<br /><br /><br /> Gary

 

[Zerex]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

Here on the West Coast of Canada (Vancouver Island) trolling off the downrigger for Chinook salmon (5-50lbs), I use cheap Walmart combo's.<br />My 2 latest were $79 Penn rods with Daiwa M-One reels. I spool them with 30 lbs Berkley Big Game.<br />I like Mooching reels because u actually have to play the fish properly to land it.<br />If u got lots of bucks buy 1 of these<br /> http://www.islander.com/images/MR2_BLOWUP.jpg

 

[Boatist]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

I guess I am fishing on another planet than these guys. For Striper and salmon trolling I like a Abu Garcia 6500C3, 245 yards of 14 pound test, gears 5.3 to 1, level wind $70. I also like Penn 320GT-2, 320 yards of 20 lb test, gear ratio 4.3 to 1, level wind, list for $93. Both are fine reels. The Penn 320GT-2 has the same drag as a Penn 113H. Line I use 20 lb test spectra. Inland bait fishing we use 14 lb test and Shimano BTR3500B Baitrunner spinning reel. I like a long poles 8.5 to 9 foot and line weight rateing of 15-30. I have some rated 8 to 20 but trolling just have to much bend and not enough hook setting power. <br /><br />For Saltwater I perfer E-Glass but for inland I like graphite but either are fine. Trolling inland lately we have been useing the Abu Garcia 6500-C3 with 30lb test spectra line and a 25 lb leader. Reason is water we fish is very muddy river with lots of snaggs but to catch fish must be within 3 foot of the bottom. Heavy line and leader is just to give you a chance to clear your lure from the snags. Mouching in the ocean we use 20 lb spectra line with a 20 lb 6 ft florocarbon leader. Out here in the ocean for Salmon must use barbless hooks but in the last 10 years we have only lost one fish. That was a double hook up so rushed the smaller fish and my son only put light pressure on the larger fish and he shook the hook. I have always worried that Wife and sons would not keep firm pressure on the Salmon but with the light long rods has been a lot of fun and no problem. <br /><br />I should tell you I have over 40 Bait Casting rods and reels and over 35 spinning poles and reels. I Know crasy but fishing it is what we like to do and the right gear for the right conditions doubles the fun and aids in catching more and bigger fish. We like to use light line and poles and have only lost one Salmon from broken line. That was when I tried Spider line. Nice Salmon 30 plus jumped 3 times and the line broke useing 30 lb spider line with a 20 lb leader and a 9 foot E-Glass rod and drag set to 10 pounds. After that did a lot of testing found 30 lb spider line would not break 20 lb Floro. I have for more than 30 years tested lines and I have a book with a sample of lines, diameters, and at what point it breaks. Sider line is the only total failure of any of the line. I will never use it again. My fishing friend has a 19 foot bass boat with Super Glue all over it from a guy useing Spider line and glueing the knots to keep them from sliping.<br /><br />I have all the heavy 113H 4/0 reels but hate useing them. However if your fishing 450 feet deep with 2 pound weights or Bluefin Tuna Fishing then that the right gear. For Stripers in open waters even 20lb test is over kill. Just set the drag at 1/3 the pound test of the line with the pole at 90 degrees to the direction of pull and you can land a fish at 5 times the weight of the line. 20lb equals 100 lb fish. Add weeds and snags then it is a different story.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

In the summer when the small fish are here we are running small trolling spreads we will use the lighter tackle you described, but when the big boys come to town in the spring and fall we start pulling big spreads with big baits.<br /><br />Right now I’m pulling 12 lines behind using a mix of umbrella rigs, tandem rigs and mojo/umbrella combos (see attached link) to give me a total of 24 baits. When pulling these types of rigs, long rods and small reels are not an option. You need right around 10 lbs. of drag just to keep the umbrellas from pulling drag let alone a visit from bubba. <br />A Penn 320 is marginal at best just pulling an umbrella rig.<br /><br /><br />lures

 

[Boatist]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

That is way different than the way we fish for Stripers. Out here can only have one rod per fisherman with a max of 3 lures. Limit is 2 fish over 18 inches. Largest fish for the year 30 to 40 pounds. If the larger fish do not take a lot of line I do not find it much FUN. Most pull a single rebel or hair raiser in rivers and lakes. In the bays and ocean a few pull a rebel and hair raiser or some other kind of waited jig. Slow troll under 3 MPH or some just fast enough to get good lure action. I can see where you would want much shorter heavier rod and reel. <br /><br />Do you fish for fun or to load as many fish as posible?

 

[dingbat]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

We are mostly fishing migratory fish and only gt a real shot at them for about 4 weeks in the spring and then another 4 weeks or so early winter. While some are certainly meat fishing, most like myself take the opportunity to try and catch that fish of a lifetime. <br /><br />In the spring the limit is one fish per person/day with a 28” minimum and in the winter it’s 2 fish per person/day of which only one can be over 28”. In the spring the average size fish is probably somewhere in the mid-30” range with fish in the mid to upper 40” showing up regularly with some 50” plus being caught here and there. In the winter the average size fish is much smaller but the large fish are much larger (50” fish are getting more common all the time) and getting bigger every year. <br /><br />Last fall the Virginia state record fell twice in a 4 week period and it’s only a matter of time before the Maryland record falls also. A couple of years back a charter caught and released a fish (estimated in excess of 80#) that would have shattered the current world and rumors of some even bigger fish surface from time to time amongst the local commercial guys. <br /><br />The general consensus is that the next world record will come from these same waters in the next few years so the possibly of catching a world record fish is taken very serious around here. <br /><br />As for pulling drag, have you ever had a striper hit so hard that you had to back off the drag to even get the rod out of the holder? Been there done that more than once. They don't call them "Bucket Heads" for nothing.<br />

 

[Emtypckts]

Re: Help with selecting Trolling Rod & Real

About 3 yrs ago I was out on a charter boat out of Deale and got a 27" stripper after several crab pots then the next guys turn he got a 48" stripper and what a fight it took two guys to land him and that sucker could have sallowed mine hole. What a mouth it had. I am still trying to catch mine that big or bigger I am using a nice baitcasting reel by Okuma it seems to have all the things on it I want and them ungly stiks are great and them unbrellas sure run a constant heave drag on everything. but when that Fish is ON there is nothing better.