Walleye Rig Rod

[minnphatts]

I'm looking for a new Walleye rig rod. I thought I would ask opinions about what rods/features/brands people currently are using, and are happy with. It seems like the trend is to go longer (7'6" and ex-fast action)

I read the debate about expensive brands, and their worthiness. I haven't yet decided how much I want to spend, but I haven't ruled out some of the nicer St Croix or Loomis walleye or hotshot series. The majority of my current rods now tend to be middle of the pack sorts of rods IM7-8, of varying brands.

Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks.

[Guest]

You can't beat a Loomis or the higher end St.Croix. How much you fish and what you want to spend will decide what kind of rod you will get. As far as length a 7 footer is an all around good riggin rod.

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[This message has been edited by D-man (edited 02-21-2002).]

[slick2526]

If you are looking for a good rod for cheep take a look at Fenwicks, Cabelas, and bass pros. I use a Fenwick EagleGT in the ML action for one of my rods for jigging. Really sensitiive to but I also use braided line. I also Picked up a Cabelas PlatinumZX innercast spinning rod last year too. I think its about the lightest, most sensitive rod I have even layed my hands on. Just some food for thought. Cabelas also has about the best return policie in the market too.

[Guest]

Fenwick, loomis, and St. Croix. I like Fenwick alittle more, probably just personal prefernce. I own all three and don't have any complaints.
Good Fishing, Matt.

[Guest]

I have to agree with d-man on that st.croix or loomis the best you can get,and the long rods 7ft+ are nice. If you fish alot you might want to try the real lite rods for sheer fighting fun the liter you can go the funner,but you still got to get something that will bury that hook for your style fishing Good luck

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[Guest]

ST CROIX the way to go. A 7'6" Avid series runs $160 and weighs only 4.25oz made of high modules graphite for fast action and superb sensitivty!!! This is a rod that you'll have for years and always go to first!!!

[Guest]

Hold on now!
The length of the rod depends on what kind of tackle you use the most, the longer rods are more for live bait, the length helps you to handle a long Snell when you have a fish close to the boat, and the light tip is good if you happen to not notice a bite right away, the fish wont feel much resistance, and won't drop the bait. So the ultimate live bait rod would be a 7'-7'6" medium, to medium light, and fast to extra fast. (The specifics depend on the brand of rod; light power for a St. Croix may not be the same for a g-loomis)
Now the longer the rod the less the sensitivity, and since you will want more sensitivity for a jigging rod, the better choice would be a shorter rod, something from 6' to 6'6" I probably wouldn't go any longer than a 6'6" for a jigging rod. And again medium-to-medium light, with fast to extra fast action. Also you will want the increased sensitivity of an IM-8, wear as an IM-7 would work just fine for a live bait rod. Also more guides, and the placement of the guides help sensitivity, the closer the guides are to the blank the more sensitivity.
oh, and smaller guides are better.

So my advice would be to get two St. Croix avids, one for live bait and one for jigging, both of them together will cost you just a little more than one St. Croix legend elite.
or If you don't want to get two rods, then I would suggest a St. Croix avid or legend elite (depending on how much you want to spend) in 6'6" medium light power with fast to extra fast action. As for reels I like shimano, and wouldn’t go with anything less than a Sahara, it will run you around $60.00, the next step up would be the symetre for around $85.00. And if you want to spend the extra cash the next step up from that would be the stradic for around $115.00. And for size I would go with a 1000 or a 2000.

Hope this helps.

~Ryan

[This message has been edited by Osprey (edited 02-22-2002).]

[Beerbatter]

I also use long rods when I fish out of the back of my boat because I have a tiller stear. I prefer it if the others in the boat use shorter rods because it allows me to make tighter turns backtrolling. Sometimes this is necessary to stay on top of the fish. Those of you who have had your lines tangled with someone in the same boat will know what Im talking about. Just something else to think about when picking out rods. I bring a good mixture with me.

[Guest]

osprey, I used to use the shorter rods for jigging also.I found alot more fun and I didnt lose any sensitivity with the longer rods. I now use a 7 ft. loomis 842 for jigging spooled with 4 pound fireline and I will say its the most sensitive outfit I have in my boat.jsut alittle something for you to ponder.
Jason

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fishing fever guide service
fishingminnesota.com/fishingfever/
phone 218-327-2191
e-mail [email protected]

[Guest]

As for reels, $100 seems to be the point where reels get dependable for the avid fisherman!! Those sixty to seventy dollar reels seem to only last two years and they are through. Now I know people still have reels that they paid only fifity bucks for, after five years they will say that they are still using. But you can't tell me they still have the same smoothness they had when you took them out of the box. The bail needs to be closed manually?? The drag seems to need adjusting more often?? The handle has gotten a little lose?? Spend the extra forty bucks and get something that will last longer!!

[Guest]

Fishing fever,
I don't Doubt that your 7' loomis is your most sensitive rod, but as a general rule of thumb, a shorter rod is more sensitive than a longer rod of the same quality, simply because the vibrations have less a distance to travel from the tip of your rod to the handle. Also the Fire line you said you used, increases sensitivity quite a bite because of the low stretch. If I where going to use a longer rod for jiging, I would also use a braided line of some kind, but since I prefer mono for walleye, I consider a shorter rod my only option.

~Ryan

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[Mille Lacs Guy]

As for rods I would suggest either St. Croix or Fenwick. I have two of the Avid models and 1 Premier and they are great. If you don't want to spend too much money get a Premier, which is a really nice rod for the price. I also have a bunch of Fenwick Rods, I would suggest the HMG model, but there is a HMX model that is really nice for around $60. As for length I would go 6'6" ML fast action if it is going to be your main walleye rod. This rod will allow you to rig, jig, and cast cranks. I personally prefer a 7'0" medium/medium light fast action for rigging and casting cranks, the light tip allows "load" similar to a fly rod for casting the small crank baits. I use a 5'9" Fenwick for jigging, I prefer a shorter rod for jigging, but its personal preferance. If I were you I'd buy 2 rods, get a 6'0" for jigging and get a 7'0" for rigging and casting. You could get 2 St. Croix Premiers for the Price of 1 Avid and I'd rather have two rods instead of one.

As for reels I really like the Shimano Symetre. I have some that are 6-7 years old that I use 2-3 times per week in the summer and they still work great. Just grease them and take care of them and they'll last a long time. Otherwise I would recommend the Garcia Tournament Series T-5, this is also a nice reel, but I heard they quit making it last year.

[Guest]

Hey, Minnphatts
Have you ever thought about a custom rod? I use both GLoomis and St.Croix rod blanks. Both are very good blanks. Each maker has several different grades of quality and not all rod lengths are carried in each different grade. Look at the web sites of each of these companies and they will tell you which rods they have, as far as length and power.
Email me if you have any questions or can not find their websites.
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