I'm new to trolling and was going to check out Cabelas for line counter reels. Then I wondered if I needed a special rod for trolling. Do you need a special rod for downriggers or will any trolling rod work? I have a manual downrigger but haven't put it on the boat yet. I do have an 8'6" Lamiglass Kenai pro baitcaster rated for 30# line and 2 oz lure. Is that suitable? I'd appreciate any suggestions for an outfit that would be serviceable for a newbie without breaking the bank. My neighbor works there and gave me a discount coupon that needs to be used by Sunday...so I better get on it. Thanks for any help!
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Originally posted by Garyak View PostI'm new to trolling and was going to check out Cabelas for line counter reels. Then I wondered if I needed a special rod for trolling. Do you need a special rod for downriggers or will any trolling rod work? I have a manual downrigger but haven't put it on the boat yet. I do have an 8'6" Lamiglass Kenai pro baitcaster rated for 30# line and 2 oz lure. Is that suitable? I'd appreciate any suggestions for an outfit that would be serviceable for a newbie without breaking the bank. My neighbor works there and gave me a discount coupon that needs to be used by Sunday...so I better get on it. Thanks for any help!
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Yes, they make specailized rods for downriggers, no they are an absolute, but the right tool for the job makes it easier. Lots of guys, myself included use or have used the Steehead/Salmon river style casting rods with great success, which is what you have there. With riggers there's no need for a line counter. So yes, what you have there will probably work just fine, I use to Run kenai Specails rated for 10-20lb line that were 8 1/2 foot. Now i'm running the Lamiglass CG90DR's and love them, matched with Diawa 47H's loaded with 20lb mono and never had a problem with Kings upto 70lbs in the salt.Life's too short for an ugly boat
Blaze N Abel Charters
Kodiak, AK
www.alaska-fish.com
https://www.facebook.com/BlazeNAbelCharters/?fref=ts
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Gary, I've use very similar rods when I use downriggers. They'll work just fine. The line counter reels probably aren't much help for downriggers (assuming your downrigger has it's own depth counter)...but the line counter reels can be very useful when mooching for silvers (getting back to a depth you've been catching fish at, or trying to hit a target from something on the fishfinder).
For a downrigger rod, I really like ugly sticks...not only for their price but because you can bend them way, way over and when they release the rod snap helps take up slack asap."Fishing relaxes me. It's like yoga, except I still get to kill something." --Ron Swanson
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Yup on the rod, but I kinda question the line counter reel unless you'll be using for lots more than downriggers. I relish our linecounters (Diawa Saltists), but for mooching and trolling off the rigger. Nothing sezz you can't use them on the rigger, but you won't need them. I'm using plain levelwind Saltists for the downriggers.
Heck, long as I'm talking I'll go on to my preference in rods. Got the Lami everyone else likes on riggers, but they're just soft for me, both for controlling big kings and for riggers. I'm using graphite rods (9' Loomis) on the riggers. They crank down real tight with a heck of a bend in them on the rigger, as far as Lami fiberglass for sure. But when those things pop free with a fish, they really come up with some authority. Our hookup rate jumped noticeably when we gave the Lami's to a friend who likes em and went back to the Loomis we use for trolling without the rigger, too. Different rods for different boats for sure, but that's what you'll see on ours."Lay in the weeds and wait, and when you get your chance to say something, say something good."
Merle Haggard
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Thanks for the ideas, guys! I've resisted mounting the riggers as my extra wide gunnels make a perfect landing for my shrimp pots and I didn't want to mess up that situation. The other reason was that I couldn't figure out how the drag adjusts on either of them so basically just blew the whole thing off. I just now have discovered that its all in the handle...DOH! One is a Big Jon, the other a Cannon easy troll. Any thoughts on which is the better unit? I also have one of those removable Scotty bases. I guess if the rod I have would work ok, the 6501 Abu reel should, too. Sounds like I might be close to set up if I mount one of the riggers.
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I've used the next step up manual cannon (the Uni-troll?), and always liked it. While the mag-troll, powered units always made me envious...the manuals are much lighter and easier to stow away when you're not using them if you have limited onboard space.
If you have flush-mount rod holders in your gunwhales, you can get downrigger mounts that fit into those:
http://store.cannondownriggers.com/p..._Gimbal_Mounts"Fishing relaxes me. It's like yoga, except I still get to kill something." --Ron Swanson
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Originally posted by MRFISH View PostI've used the next step up manual cannon (the Uni-troll?), and always liked it. While the mag-troll, powered units always made me envious...the manuals are much lighter and easier to stow away when you're not using them if you have limited onboard space.
If you have flush-mount rod holders in your gunwhales, you can get downrigger mounts that fit into those:
http://store.cannondownriggers.com/p..._Gimbal_Mounts
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Originally posted by Garyak View PostThat was another main concern as I am a one man crew. Kind of hard to reel up 2 things at the same time...Experience is a hard teacher because you get the test first and the lesson afterwards.
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Originally posted by kodiakbound View PostI do it all the time, not a big deal. Just keep the motor in gear to help keep tension on the fish while you get the rigger up
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Yup on the in-gear if you have other lines out, as in extra anglers. Of course, you can always kick it out of gear and just stop cranking on the rigger if you need to gain line on the fish for a moment or two. If there's a breeze or any chop, I also like to turn the boat broadside with the fish on the upwind side so the breeze and chop help you. It's also an advantage because it keeps your boat from running over the top of the fish in the last minutes before netting it.
I've watched charters around here that just never stop to fight fish, leaving all the gear in the water and continuing to fish it, counting on the boat's forward motion to keep the fish back a ways until it tires and comes up on the surface. I hate that, but everyone has to run their boat their way."Lay in the weeds and wait, and when you get your chance to say something, say something good."
Merle Haggard
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Originally posted by Garyak View PostYo, BrownBear...would you happen to know the model# of the Loomis rod that you mentioned earlier?"Lay in the weeds and wait, and when you get your chance to say something, say something good."
Merle Haggard
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