"trolling vs "downrigger" rods

[gettum]

As a relative newcomer to trolling I am a bit confused. I saw in Cabela's that they sell variuous types of combo's that all have the same reel, but the rods are labeled as "trolling" or "downrigger" or "dipsy". Could someone set me straight what the diffrences are? I have used the same rod for severalm purposes. Thanks,
gettum

[perchjerker]

Normally downrigger rods have more eyelets, and their action allows more of a "bend" so when you set them up, after you reach your depth you can get crank down on your reel to get a good arch in your rod before it puts too much tension on the release causing your line to pop out.

A dipsey rod usually has more backbone to hold up to the pulling of the dipsey. If you try using a dipsey rod with a downrigger, it may pop out of the release before you get that desirable curve, which help set the hook.

Thats been my experience anyway.

[Sluggo / NY]

I've been trolling for many years, but have often wondered the same thing! I realize that different presentations require different rod characteristics, like more back-bone for dipsy's, more flex for downrigging, etc.. But I've found that I can cover it all with only about 24 rods! Seriously, I think the labeling gimmick is to catch fishermen as much as to catch fish! Good Fishing, Sluggo (Chris)

[bountyhunters]

GET good [not the most exspencive ] med action rods they will do both jobs well. jim

[mudpuppy]

I'm no pro but , Dipsey rods are usually more technique specific . Have to take a lot of pull & heavier line , heavy action , usually longer to get the lure a little farther away from boat & can use a longer leader also . A lot of my other rods do double duty though . Pull boards , longline troll & downrigger . Although some have advantages over the other . Usually rigger rods are longer so you can "load" them while running & take up a little more slack on the release . Trolling rods tend to be a little shorter , & some a little geared towards lighter line . Shorter length can be an advantage in the wind also . Some times I think it's a little bit of marketing to get people to think they "need" a certain rod . Anyway thats my opinion .

[rmitchel]

How about a good "cover all bases" recommendation from Bass Pro. I will be ordering 4 Daiwa LC reels and I will need four poles. Primary use will be for pulling in-line boards, but perhaps also some dipsey's.

I lost their off shore catalog -- I seem to recall a combo with the Daiwa reel, but I cannot find it on their site. Anyone have the catalog number?

Thanks

[Jim Carroll]

Rick- Bass Pro Master Catalog on page 90

Walleye Angler Signature series trolling rods by P/K
7'6" order # 15-120-882-00
8' order # 15-120-684-00 All are $59.99
8'6" order # 15-120-688-00

If you search the archives you will find plenty of info on trollings rods. These are some of the best and I've had good luck with them.

[Boatnut]

Rick,
not sure if bass pro still offers the daiwa 27's as a "combo" or not.
In the past, i've purchased 4 of their combo's with their "gold cup" downrigger rods and love them. I use them for everything BUT downriggin though! They work great as dipsey rods and planer board rods for me. I've since acquired 4 more of them over the years. the gold cup rods they are currently offering look to be just a tad differnt then mine but i'm sure they'll work fine.
I like a lighter pole for my downriggers and use eagle claw rods for those..the yellow ones..407A, i think.
my 2 cents

[gettum]

Thanks a lot. So what I get out of this is that you can use a good downrigger rod quite well for pretty much all chores. That helps, both to my understanding and my wallet!
gettum

[rmitchel]

Just out of curiosity, what sort of reel do people use for a dedicated downrigger rod. I guess I am thinking that it would not be a line counter model, but perhaps I am wrong.

[woodsdweller]

I was thinking of getting a few 8' P&K trolling rods from BPS to go with Daiwa SG 27's. Plan to use them for boards, longlining and even bouncers. Looking at them, was wondering if they might be a little stiff to use with harnesses. Some of the guys I know have emphasized the importance of soft rods for this application. Any thoughts from some of you who have used them?

[rmitchel]

Good question -- I am considering the 8'6" rods. Same question applies, but for the longer rod.

Why the 8' rod?

[perchjerker]

You just need a sturdy level wind, like a Penn 209, etc.
You dont need a line counter, its on the downrigger.

[SUPERTROLLER]

perchjerker, I disagree with you on this one. We run cranks off the downriggers and I want to know how much line I've got out behind the ball so I can gauge the diving depth of the lure. You are not limited to spinners and trolling spoons when running downriggers. By running the cranks we can target deep structures without having to run the downriggerball right down to the bottom and worrying about hanging that up in the rocks or flooded timber. (Those cables don't break quite as easy as Fireline. lol.)

[rmitchel]

Interesting!

So SuperTroller -- Are you saying that you use LC in all situations? I am buying new.

My trolling with downriggers will be limited (for the most part) to Lake Michigan.

[TK_551]

If you are just going to be pulling boards with cranks/bouncers, go with the PK 8'6" Trolling rods by Bass Pro. Also check into the Gander Guide Series Trolling Rods in the same length. I use both and are happy with both. I like the Gander rods because they are 2 piece. The PK are telescopic. They are both great rods though.

Tom
#551

[Walteye]

Anytime I troll,other than bottom bouncers in shallow water, a line counter reel is optimum to duplicate what is producing, whether it is line behind a ball, depth of your dipsey, or line behind a board, not to mention flat line trolling. I agree with the backbone necessity for dipseys, but I have not found a flaw in my BP Power Plus Trophy rods, 8'6". matched to Daiwa SG27 reels. My two cents...
Walteye

[perchjerker]

Super-
Point well taken.
I pretty much run all spoons off of mine.
But then, I mainly use them for salmon. For walleye, Im in the Michigan waters of the western basin, mostly. Pretty shallow stuff there.

[risor39]

Mathman Gander mountain runs a sale on the diawa combo I'm almost positive it was for the27's for right around $90.As for rods I just got the down rigger rods as I fish Mich and winnebago you can use rigger rods for pullin boards the shorter rods don't work so well on the riggers.

[SUPERTROLLER]

Yes, I use a linecounter every time unless they are not in the boat. There are times we switch species or presentations and I don't have my trolling rods in my partners boat. Otherwise, I want to be able to exactly reproduce the settings of a rod that just caught a fish. By knowing how much line out to either a downrigger ball or planer board, I can quickly reset my lines and duplicate the trolling pass. If we get bit again we can then switch other rods/line settings to saturate a depth to zero in on color, size of lure, style of lure, etc. to find the best presentation at that time. Two hours later it's completely different but, hey, "That's walleye fishing".

[rmitchel]

So Supertroller:

I think that I understand, but I will ask the question once more, with a slightly different angle.

I have a new (2001) boat that I am setting up for trolling -- walleye and great lakes. To begin, I have already settled on four Daiwa line counter reels.

But at some point, I will want to purchase additional rods and reels (when I add the downriggers). Are you saying that I should just go ahead and purchase additonal Daiwa LC reels, rather than saving roughly $40 per reel without LC capabilities?

Its only money.

Thanks.

[eleyfish]

Rick look in the 2002 Bass Pro catalogs for their new gold cup line counter reels, they are made by diawa and you can get them with gold cup downrigger rods or walleye angler rods for $80. Cabelas has depthmaster gold combos for $100 but if it was my money I would go with the bass pro ( quite a statement for me because I usally favor Cabelas over Bass Pro)

[SUPERTROLLER]

If you are going to want separate rod set-ups for walleye and salmon fishing you are probably going to want the same capabilities for each set of rod/reel combo's. You will use a lot of the same ideas for both species but want smaller line tests for walleye. Since I'm spending your money, YES!, buy all linecounters. What I have done in the past several years is, rather than re-spooling for different species, I used 30 lb. test Fireline. It's diameter is small enough for walleye fishing. I walleye fish 95% of the time in a muddy or algae bloom infested lake. Also because I'm moving right along trolling crankbaits instead of harnesses or spoons, I feel the heavier line isn't a factor for me. The salmon and trout in the Great Lakes are just feeding machines. It isn't hard to get them to bite. The hard part is finding them and the depth they're at. They are going to eat, you just gotta be WHERE they're eating today. If you want to run mono, buy separate combo's. Get by a lot cheaper and do the same thing for both types of fishing, use Fireline until you get more rods/reels. Could just buy more reels and switch them to the desired rod when switching species.