You’ll want to select a downrigger rod that is at least 8’6″ in
length longer rods
allow faster line pick-up when the clip releases, aiding hookset. Anywhere in the 8’6″ to 10’6″ seems to be a pretty popular sweet spot for
downrigger trolling
for salmon.
What is a downrigger rod?
A downrigger allows you to fish a lure or bait at a specific depth accurately behind a trolling boat A downrigger contains a
rod holder
for storing your downrigger rod when it is actively fishing. The
cannonball weight
is deployed to the selected depth and allows the lure or bait to run at a specific depth.
Can you use a spinning rod on a downrigger?
Spinning reels tend to twist your line when used for a trolling reel. Which is why a person uses a quality ball bearing swivel. And Yes spinning gear is fine and the baitrunner feature makes using it on the downrigger very easy.
What kind of rod do you use for trolling?
Rod type: Both spinning and casting rods work for trolling but a casting rod paired with a level-wind reel is far better for most trolling techniques.
What are the best trolling rods?
- 1: Okuma Classic Pro GLT (best trolling rod) Pin.
- 2: Avet SXJ 5.3:1 Single Speed Reel (best trolling reel) Pin.
- 3: Shimano Scimitar 9’6 Trolling Rod. Pin.
- 4: Ugly Stik USCAWAL762ML Rod And Reel Combo. Pin.
- 5: Shimano TLD 2-Speed Conventional Reel. Pin.
- Sturdy
- Type Of Fish
- Roller Guides.
How much line do you need behind a downrigger ball?
5′ depending on your speed If I fish at a depth of 40′ or more I only run my set-up 5′-15′ in back of boat. Like to stay within the black box range of 20′ around the wire. When useing ball trolls, I run the dodger 2′ in back of trolls and 4′ up.
How fast can you troll with a downrigger?
Most people troll at 1.5 to 3.5 mph How do you know if you are at the right speed? Sure, you can look at your GPS speed over ground readings, but you see your downrigger lines are almost straight at 2 mph.
Can I troll with a spinning rod?
What do I need to know, to use them for trolling? Yes, trolling offshore for species like tuna and mahi can be done with a spinning reel —if you know a few basic facts. Naturally, when offshore trolling you wouldn’t want to use a reel, even a high-quality reel, that’s sized for stripers—like a Shimano Stradic C3000.
What are the four basic accessories needed to fish with a downrigger?
The downrigger consists of a mounting bracket, a spool for the stainless steel cable, a boom of fixed or varying length to allow the line to clear the boat’s gunwale, a clutch/brake mechanism to control the weight deployment and retrieval, 100 – 300′ of cable and, in many cases, a rod holder.
What’s the difference between casting and trolling rods?
Action and weight are two differences. A casting rod comes in a much wider array of power, weight and action than a trolling rod will That is because you need to have different types of power, action, and weight to feel and handle fish of different sizes. A Trolling rod is specialized and has a limited application.
Is a conventional rod the same as a casting rod?
Conventional or baitcasters are going to use a casting rod , these are usually longer and heavier. You’ll see a lot of people using ultra-light spinning rods when fishing creeks for bass and when on a lake where they need to make longer casts, they’re using casting rods with baitcasting reels.
What is a trolling rod?
Trolling rods are designed for fishing with one or more lines baited with lures or baitfish Whether it be behind a moving boat or slowly winding the line when fishing from a static position, these rods will withstand the force of the water and help battle against larger fish.
What rod action is best for salmon?
10’6″ is ideal for float fishing, but 9’6″ will work in many conditions and is more optimal for drift fishing. 9’6″ will also work well for fishing with spinners or jigs. Rod action – ML as in Medium Light is a great rod action type.
What rod is good for salmon?
The best salmon rod for casting lures is the 9’2 Lamiglas Infinity and for the best economy rod for salmon fishing, it’s 9’6 Lamiglas X-11 Salmon rod or the 10’6 Fenwick HMX Salmon & Steelhead Spinning Rod. The best float rod for salmon fishing is the Lamiglas “The Closer” Centerpin Rod.
What kind of rod do you use for salmon?
Typical drift fishing gear includes an 8 1/2- or 9-foot rod rated for 15-30
pound line
, and either a bait casting reel or a spinning reel. For larger fish, like Chinook salmon, use 20-25 pound line. For smaller fish, like pink salmon, use 10-15 pound line.
How heavy should a downrigger weight be?
Six to eight pounds is typical for most moderate depth freshwater applications and ten pounds is typical for saltwater (see Weight Table). The amount of weight needed on a downrigger is a function of the speed you are trolling and the depth you are fishing.
Do spinning rods have triggers?
Many casting rods will have a “trigger” on the reel seat, although this is not always the case, especially on saltwater models. Uniform guide sizing is another big tip-off. Spinning rods will almost never have a “trigger.”.
What size rod is best for trolling?
The length of your trolling rod is a key feature to consider. On a boat, the longest trolling rod you’ll probably want is about 7 – 8ft Most likely you’ll cap out at 7 ft, but you could push to 8′ in a large boat. Longer rods can be used for your wide lines in your spread.
How do I make my lures deeper when trolling?
If you need to go deeper, just let out some backing until your target depth is reached On the lure end of the line, remove a short section of lead as before and tie on a size 18, or smaller, barrel swivel. Now use a 10 to 15 foot mono or fluorocarbon leader to tie on the lure.
How far behind the boat should I troll?
Bait Position and Distance Behind Boat Proper distance for most boats will be anywhere from 20 feet to 150 feet behind your boat. Whether you have inboard diesel or outboard gas engines, your power dictates the distance you troll your baits and lures.
How long should a walleye trolling rod be?
Walleye trolling rods such as the Shakespeare Ugly Stik should have a few key features: They should be at least 7 feet 6 inches, but by far the most popular lengths are 8 to 8 feet 6 inches.
What action rod is best for trolling walleye?
For us there can be no doubt that the Okuma Great Lakes Combo is best walleye rod and reel combo for trolling. With it’s length of 7’6″ it’s a great all around trolling rod that can be used either with planer boards, or for flat line trolling.
Can I use braided line on a downrigger?
I like braided line for downriggers much better than the wire line because it is quiet in the water, strong, and doesn’t rust over time This downrigger line is a little more expensive than other wire line and even some braided lines out there but it will last you a long time.
Can you use braided fishing line with a downrigger?
Yes, it gets worn and needs replaced But mono grips better in the release clips and I like having a little forgiveness in the system when I’m downrigging. I use braid for most other applications. Inexpensive Berkley Big Game (25 or 30 lb) works great in the downriggers.
Can you run braided line on downrigger?
This custom manufactured microfilament braid offers the ultimate in strength, consistency and durability. The use of braided downrigger line helps combat electrolysis around your fishing gear and outlasts stainless steel cable. Includes Terminal Fastening Kit.
How fast do you troll for chinook salmon?
Two mph is a good trolling speed for coho salmon, but a speed of 1.5 mph is a better speed for chinook salmon, and you will be fishing even deeper at the lower velocity.
What is a good speed to troll for salmon?
Trolling Speed for Salmon Anywhere from 1.8 to 3 mph is the best.
How deep can downriggers go?
The deepest I have used them in the ocean is about 150 ft There is a book out called the trollers handbook which has lots of information on depth vs speed by downrigger weight. Amato press has it.
Are downriggers worth it?
Downriggers are an efficient way to put live bait and lures in precise zones of the water column , and all anglers know that being in the right depth leads to more fish in the box. Downriggers are consistently used to target king mackerel, amberjack, cobia, grouper, among others.
What speed should you troll?
The best trolling speed depends on several factors including the type of fish, water conditions and lure choice. In general, trolling speeds between 1.5 and 2.5 mph , as measured by GPS, are a good starting place for most species like walleye, trout and salmon.
Do longer fishing rods cast further?
A longer rod will give you a longer cast It’s really that simple. If power and action are the same, generally speaking, a 7-foot rod will cast the same lure farther than a 6-foot rod. Now if the lure is light, like 1/8 ounce, it can be a little more managable on a softer shorter rod than a longer rod.
Can you troll with a jigging reel?
There are plenty capable of that If you don’t mind star drags for trolling look for any lightweight small jigging reel. If you must have lever drag for trolling there are still quite a bit of smaller lever drag jigging reels. Jigging reels will generally be small lightweight compact reels with a lot of drag.
References
https://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/threads/spinning-reel-for-downrigger-rod.166764/
https://johnssportinggoods.com/product/rods-reels-acc/fishing-rods/lamiglas/lamiglas-redline-hs94hc-salmondownrigger-rod/
https://www.tacklehaven.com/okuma-classic-pro-glt-rods-choose-your-size-model/
https://www.ticaamerica.com/fishing-tackle/fishing-rods/downrigger-rods/