Trolling Gear Help

Hi, I have been lurking this website for a while and have notice the great responses people recieve. Everybody on IDA is top notch! Well, I have not fished a lot in the past other than from docks and shoreline in the past, but this year I finally purchased my first boat, 14ft 25hp tiller and also purchased a good strong transom trolling motor. I would like to start trolling and I have read a lot of posts here but I guess its a little too advance for me yet. I have tried trolling once or twice with lindys and rapalas and have not had any luck other than northerns, not to mention killing my drag system on my spinning reels. I’ve only tried by letting a decent amount of line out and trolling around 1.5-2mph. I would like to spend around 200-300 on the right gear for trolling walleyes in both river and smaller lakes. I am looking for any advice that can help improve trolling success. What kind of line, lures, spinning rigs, rod/reel, etc… I know its a lot, but any info will help.

I prefer a medium sized linecounter on a 8′ medium hvy rod spooled with power pro 14# line.The crankbait possibilities are endless depending on the body of water you are on.#5 and #7 shad raps are a good overall choice to start with.

I run the Mississippi from pool 4 to pool 6 using a 7 foot medium heavy custom from Mike at Hooked on in Rochester with an extra long handle to fit my fore arm (not big on rod holders), Okuma spinning reel with 10 lb power pro (braided). I’m pulling raps/wally’s from 6 to 18 fow with probably 80 to 100 feet of line out depending on the crank/depth, usually less than 2 mph. Don’t care for lead core as I want to feel more action rather than “drag” something back to the boat that might as well be 5 pounds of weeds. Same thing with the 3 ways…too much weight.
Just my opinion…don’t make it right.

I agree with Deerwoody!!
Welcome to IDA/IDO

Welcome Aboard!

I would recommend getting two Cabela’s trolling combos. The price is right and they are good rod/reel combos for about $60.

I recommend the 8′ medium action trolling rod, with the DM20 reel

Spool it up with 20lb spider wire stealth.
300yard spool will take care of two reels

Then get yourself some rod holders!

Another option is to swing down and visit Dean @ Evert’s Resort. He is a great, experienced fisherman, who also has quality rod/reels on site. I think he even lets people take them out for a day on a trial basis. Plus, you get first hand information of what “everyone” is doing and “not” doing on the river for trolling!

Thanks for reminding me Glen.
Welcome to IDA

There are a ton of choices out there…..but most will agree that have used them, the Daiwa Sealine 17 are the reels of choice spooled with stealth 20# 6# diameter .They are very light and have a excellant drag system and will hold-up over the long haul.St Croix 7’6″ Tidemasters and 10’6″ Wildriver rods are also highly thought of as well for sensitivity and durabilty.Certainly, not the cheapest route by any means,but well proven by many of our IDA folks through the years! Another factor to consider is how many rods and what lengths you want to fish.Good luck with your shopping,and you are more than welcome to try out any rod we have if interested!

I use the rods/reels that gary talked about. I have them spooled right now with 14# mono for trolling lakes, when I head down to the river, I will switch over to either lead core or fire line, not 100% sure. anyway, I would recremend getting one of them rods and then trolling slow like that, also get yourself an updated trolling bible, tells you how much line to let out to get the lure in the depth you want. most of the guys on here pretty much have that memorized or they are pretty good at adjusting. if you have any other questions, feel free to ask away and share with us how it works out for you.

also, welcome aboard!!

shane

You really need line counter reels for trolling cranks. The sealines are a great choice. Dean has some excellent St. Croix trolling rods at Everts on Pool 4, or you can go with a cheaper route and get come Cabelas trolling rods. I also agree that Spiderwire Stealth is the best line for trolling cranks. That stuff is awesome.

For lindy rigs and pulling spinners, a medium action 6.5′ to 7′ spinning rod will do the trick. There’s a ton of options, depending on your budget. For a reel, it seems like the Sedona 2500 gets a thumbs up from a ton of people around here. I was at Cabelas last week and got my father-in-law setup with a Sedona 2500 on a Cabelas IM7 rod for $69 for the combo. I also like the Mitchell Avocet Gold 2000. Make sure you get the GOLD, not silver if you go that route. That, paired with a Berkley Lightning Rod makes a nice combo. For rigging and pulling spinners, I use 10lbs Berkley Trilene XL on the spool. In really clear water, I’ll use a Berkley Vanish leader, 6 or 8lbs test. I’ll use an 1/8 oz to 1 oz lindy sinker, depending on depth of water, and red Octopus hook most of the time (for rigging).