walleye trolling rod?

[carll2]

well guys and girls i need some expert advice

 

i will be leaving for 5 months this summer guiding clients on my favorite lake in northern quebec,il primarily be fishing walleye . im finally just starting to get all my equipment togther but i need another rod. i already have a st croix i use for jigging and a shimano 6 foot that i use as a back up, but part of my job will include trolling with clients. so far im looking at fenwick and g loomis. i also want something that will last the whole summer and not just break on me so easily.i want something light weight and durable.. do any of you have any suggestions on any models i can get?also id be using this rod to troll with hj,hot n tot,deep hj,thin fins.also what would be a good reel to go with it at around 100$. well thanks for any tip and or suggestions

Edited February 20, 2007 by carll2

[fishindevil]

well carl2 i have the answer for your question,i have a FENWICK HMX 2PEICE 7FT.WALLEYE IM7 ROD with titanium guides,and its so light and has great backbone,and a nice sensitive tip,and for trolling anything up to 3/8 ounce its perfect,i have used it for 1 year and its by far the best walleye rod i have ever owned,its very good for medium crankbaits and for trolling harnesses and mepps #3,and so on,i have other walleye rods i use for trolling bigger baits and for use with planner boarsds but for average size baits it is the best,trust me on this,for the money you cant beat the price,they are around $110 bucks,you can pay alot more but like i said for the money it rocks...maybe go to their website and you might be able to find it,i think they are new from last year....hope this helps good luck.....cheers

[Spiel]

....Would you be using a spinning reel or a level wind? In most cases for trolling I go with a level wind. I also presume you'd be wanting a 2 piece?

[carll2]

yeah il be using a spinning reel and id like a 2piece rod..thanks for all the suggestions keep em coming

btw whats a level wind? thanks

Edited February 21, 2007 by carll2

[tjsa]

I have been using a Berkley Air IM7 for years now, an 8'6" medium spinning outfit, 2 piece. Has worked just fine for me, but I mostly troll with bottom bouncers and worm harnesses, not hardware. A medium heavy might be better for lures like that. I use crank baits like jointed j-raps every now and then, and they put a bit more load on the rod, but it hasn't been a problem.

[carll2]

just checked cabelas website and the fenwick hmx 2 piece is 84.95$ us.. what would be a good reel for this combo? maybe i can get a good deal this wekend we have a fishing show coming up

also found the berkley air im7 for 84.95$ ..im still open to suggestions

 

what about gloomis or st croix or shimano?

Edited February 21, 2007 by carll2

[tjsa]

Any brand name spinning reel in the 50 buck range will work fine, mine are a Daiwa PG 1350H(have 4 of them).

If mostly landing walleye, you should not need a really expensive reel, unless you find some big pike, then that changes things. The cheaper reels do not have great drag systems.

I have been extremely lucky with my reels, have had them for over 10 yrs. and only changed 2 bail springs, one reel handle(my fault) and one inside gear. The reels were 40 bucks each, so I think I have gotten a good return on them.

BTW, I use these same reels for steelhead fishing in spring, and salmon in fall, and have landed quite a few chinooks in rivers in the 10-15 lb. range without trouble, numerous cohos that have much more spunk to them in rivers, lots of rainbows that have a different attitude in the fall, lol, and use them winter fishing for almost everything I go for.

[carll2]

in the spot il be fishing theres pike in the 5-20lb range and mostly walleye but i want something a little reliable because il be guiding day in and out last thing i need is my reel breaking. il look into the daiwa pg 1350h thanks tjsa

[bucktail]

Fenwick Teckna AV is a nice sensitive and durable rod. I have had mine for years.

[carll2]

Fenwick Teckna AV is a nice sensitive and durable rod. I have had mine for years.

 

 

will this rod be too sensative for the lures or will it put too much pressure? what size rod?

[tjsa]

in the spot il be fishing theres pike in the 5-20lb range and mostly walleye but i want something a little reliable because il be guiding day in and out last thing i need is my reel breaking. il look into the daiwa pg 1350h thanks tjsa

 

LOL, they are an old reel, probably not made any more. Best look for something else, I was just offering experience with using medium priced equipment, and what it has done for me.

 

You should get lots of opinions on more, and probably a lot better, reels for your purpose.

[GbayGiant]

Techna AV are the top of the line for Fenwick, they come in any action you want and life warranty, good rods. There are so many nice rods out there but the most popularly known for quality are, St croix, Fenwick, gloomis, shimano compre are nice, all those guys will have whatever you need email or phone them and they will give you exactly what you need.

 

Also isn't there a Lebarrons in Quebec ? should have whatever you need there if you don't want to deal in the US, shipping rods is costly.

 

My favourite all purpose walleye rod is a 7'2 medium fast gloomis glx, but it's expensive, it can handle pike, bass, walleye and it's super light and durable, sensitive, but I wouldn't recommend one rod for everything.

[bucktail]

Techna Av MF-2 6.6 6-15lbs

I have landed many BIG fish on this to be more then safe you could get the next weight up.

[carll2]

thanks for the tips guys..just trying to get my facts straight before i head to the big fishing show this weekend so the salepeople dont try and sell me junk..i took all the models of rods you mentioned and the prices so i shall try them all out this saturday. im still open to suggestions:)

thanks again

[Spiel]

.....Have a look at these as well. I've been using a few of the origional models for a number of years now with no complaints. I'm also finding that these are of top quality without the high expense. I'd be looking at either the "JR 783 X-Series Length 6'6" Pieces 2" or the "SJR 843 X-Series Length 7’ Pieces 2" for the uses you mentioned.

 

As for "level wind" it's a catch all term for "baitcasters, trolling reels, flipping reels, casting reels" and the like. I typically prefer these types of reels for trolling applications.

[carll2]

hmmmm thanks spiel never thought of the bait casters for trolling.. will have to take a look..but then again what reel would be good for me? for a spinning reel i was looking at the stradic mfga 2500 @ 184$ us .

[Tomcat]

I'd recommend that you look at buying two rods and two reels for the kind of fishing you mentioned.

 

For trolling crankbaits and the like, regardless the rod you use, you should mount a line counter reel on it (e.g. a Daiwa SG27 LCA) and spool it with 14/6 crystal Fireline. You should also get yourself a copy of Precision Trolling 8th Edition - see http://www.precisionangling.com/ This trolling bible provides the dive curves for most crankbaits (amount of line out to achieve specified depths). As an example of an acceptable rod (IMHO) I use a Bob Izumi signature series Shimano rod (model IZC70M). Which rod you use is your particular choice - I just provided my choice.

 

For bottom bouncing, I'd suggest you follow Roy's advice and use a level wind reel mounted on just about any rod you already have that has a little backbone but at the same time has a medium fast tip (again my preference). The rule of thumb for bottom bouncing is 1 ounce for every 10 feet of depth you are fishing. However, chances are that you will never require more than 3 ounces and most times you will require 1.5 to 2 ounces for bottom bouncing walleyes in Quebec lakes in the summer. I happen to use a very old Penn 109 spooled with 14 pound mono for my bottom bouncing.

 

In both cases, you don't need to spend a pile of money on the rods (to buy sensitivity). You'd be far wiser spending your dollars on good reels that will in most cases last your entire fishing lifetime.

[trapshooter]

Fenwick Teckna AV is a nice sensitive and durable rod. I have had mine for years.

 

Agreed. I Absolutely love the Techna AV blank. It has more backbone then the top of the line St Croix (Legend Elite) of comparable specs and is just as sensitive. I know this because I have both and fish with each of them on a daily basis. I also guide and put my gear through the paces for 120 days straight. The Techna AV blank comes in various weights, lengths etc. I would recommend a 1 pc rod. Another great thing about the Techna is the lifetime warranty. Break it, send it back and in a couple weeks you'll have a brand new rod. Another bonus is that you warranty the rod within Canada, unlike St.Croix which has to be sent accross the US boarder. As Speil mentioned a level wind (baitcasting) set-up is traditionally better suited for trolling then a spinning set up. Some folks will tell you that you don't need a sensitive rod for trolling but they probably can't tell when their plug isn't running properly.

 

Since you will be using this equipment a lot, don't skimp and get something cheap, you will regret it later. I tried a Diawa reel, the capricorn (spinning) and it didn't last a month of heavy use before the drag was noticeably less smooth and the bail completely failed. This is all because I tried to save about $50 over the cost of a Shimano Stradic. Since then, I (and practically the entire guide staff at our lodge) use and abuse stradics and they are great reels. I would only purchase and recommend Shimano for all fishing reels. Don't waste the extra money on the Mg Stradic, not worth it. If you do go with a baitcaster for trolling I would highly recommend the Curado but if you can afford the Calcutta, go for it. Also depends if you prefer the low profile casters (curado) or the round style (calcutta).

 

For bottom bouncing I use a 7' MH St.Croix Avid series with a Shimano Castaic reel. This reel has a 'flipping switch' which allows you to engage and disengage the spool with 1 hand. Very nice esp. if you are changing depths a hundred or more times a day. I STRONGLY recommend using a braided line for bouncing, 20 or 30 lb. This set-up can also double as a great casting set up for Pike.

 

Good luck this summer. Have fun and remember how lucky we are to be among the few who get paid to fish. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions. Our lodge is also a walleye/pike camp with some smallies thrown in as well.

 

Cheers,

ben.

[Spiel]

.....Loads of great advice here Carl, I'll second Trapshooters advice on a reel with the "flipping switch".

[carll2]

thanks for all the awesome advice guys

 

a baitcaster sounds very interesting. is it hard to spool up the reel with line? but now im confused whether to get the fwnwick techna/ with a stradic or get a bait casting style rod/reel. i guess i will have to try out different rods, but what scares me with the baitcaster is lets say i try casting for pike and walleye it looks really hard to use?

so saturday at the fishing show il check out the following

-fenwick hmx 7ft(i will check if they have baitcasting models)

-fenwick techna av mf-2 6"6 which i will also check if they have a baitcasting model

 

also trapshooter since this is my first year guiding exactly how much lures do you stock up on? so far i have as follows

5-hj blue orange

2- xrap for pike

4-thin fin black/silver and perch

1- tail dancer silver/black

so i was thinking maybe buy what about 20 more hardbaits and i should be good?

the place i will be in is very deep in the woods and only planes or boats can access it so i gotta think smart and bring as much stock as possible.

 

as for jigs i will order 300 jig heads 1/4 and 3/8 and 300 tails(3inch) white yellow green sparkle

 

think i will need alot more?

Edited February 21, 2007 by carll2

[trapshooter]

Hey Carll2,

 

YOu can get the fenwick Techan AV rod in baitcaster or spinning rod! Definitely look into that rod, you will not be disappointed. If you already have 2 spinning rods for jigging, lindy rigging, throwing smaller walleye sized cranks then you should be good. Get a Medium Heavy 6.5-7' baitcasting rod/reel (eg, Techna and Shimano Castaic reel) for throwing larger sized baits for pike and using for bottom bounching for walleye as well. If I could only take 3 rods those would be them. 2 spinning set-ups and 1 baitcasting set-up. Like I said before I am partial to Shimano reels, Stradic's for my spinning rods and I have a few different baitcasters including the Castaic (the one with the flipping switch) on my bouncing rod.

 

Learning to throw a baitcaster takes about 5 mins or less if you have someone show you how to do it properly. Ask at the show or in the shop where you buy your gear from. It's all about setting the brake properly and you have to adjust it for every different bait you put on (unless the baits are the same weight). Just practice. When I got my first baitcaster I was in the backyard throwing 1/2 oz of lead around before I could get out on the water.

 

As far as tackle goes.... we are spoiled and use a lot of live bait for walleye. Jig/minnow or a spinner/minnow rig when bottom bouncing. Get a bag of power worms for a minnow harness if you can't get the real thing. If they're snapping it doesn't matter if it's a plastic worm and then you won't have to change worms every fish. Much easier.

 

As for jigs, I'll start in the spring using 1/4 or even 1/8 (sometimes finessing them is the only way and I'll downsize to 6lb test mono as well) and work my way up to 1/2oz and 5/8 once we get to fishing 30+ feet and/or it is windy. Not sure how deep your lake is but you might want to consider some heavier jigs. Personally I only use white twister tails if I use them at all but never hurts to try. I like a bare jig with my minnow hooked in his mouth, out the gills then back through the side of the minnow so his lips are kissing the ball head of the jig. Stays on longer and gets the hook point a bit farther back.

 

For walleye cranks the only 2 I really use are xraps (size 10, white/pearl) and Cotton Cordel grappler shads. Lots of other stuff will work though.

 

Throwing for pike, definitely get some large Husky Jerks in varous colours, SUPER SHAD RAP (for sure!), a bucktail inline spinner, spinner bait, spoons, larger baits like jakes or gramma's... typical pike stuff. If they are active they'll hit at anything that has some flash, vibration, movement. Lots of stuff will work so don't take this list as gospel. Spend more time looking for prime spots then switching baits.

 

Also, you'll need your terminal tackle.. swivels, snaps, line (8lb mono for walleye, I use triline XL). I recommend braid on the baitcasting set up if you choose to go that way, 30 lb would be great. If I am jigging with braid I will always use a mono or fluorocarbon leader.

 

Other stuff I can't live with out....

 

Gor-tex rain suit (coat and bib pants)

proper layering cloths to keep warm and dry

Rubber boots

fillet knife and sharpener

SUN SCREEN - anyone remember my pics from my first year?!?! I was a tomato! haha

Water bottle for the boat.

I like to carry a small fuel container for gas in the boat. Use it start shore lunch fires if it's damp out. MEC sells nice little ones from MSR.

A dry bag for valuables in the boat.

Camera

Needle Nose Pliars and/or Leatherman tool

GPS (for marking structure and incase you get turned around)

 

I could go on like this...... Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

Cheers,

Ben.

[carll2]

thanks for all the help ben

i made up my mind finally and will be going with the fenwick techna 6"6 and will be going for the regular stradic.

as for hard baits i have one question. i will be fishing a reservoir thats 250 miles long with all the bays and islands with many deep spots.. ranging anywhere from 1-230feet deep. now only question i have is for summer eyes, i need a crankbait lure that will make it down to 30feet deep .they seem to hold there from july till closing.

any suggestions on deep diving crankbaits? keep in mind the average size wallye are 2-3lbs with some big ones in there.

thanks again

[GbayGiant]

There are a few that get to 30', but if they don't you can just use a 3way swivel and add weight accordingly to reach your desired depth. I also use floating lip-less minnows behind bottom bouncers sometimes.

[carll2]

There are a few that get to 30', but if they don't you can just use a 3way swivel and add weight accordingly to reach your desired depth. I also use floating lip-less minnows behind bottom bouncers sometimes.

can you share with me which ones get to the 30 feet deep range?

i had thought of manns but the baits are huggeee..theres also maybe reef runners? deep husky jerks?

thanks

[GbayGiant]

I really don't know all the names of the baits on the market, but I do make my own crank-baits. Basically you will want the baits with the biggest lips you can find. The angle of the lip, the speed your trolling, your line diameter, and trolling with the wind or against it will all effect the depth. There is no guide, you will have to test each lure your self to know exactly what you need, because sometimes you will have to go slower and use a thicker line and in that case the only way would be to add weight. Hope that helps, no rule of thumb but usually the biggest lipped lures will dive the deepest.