Trolling Rods

What do you think is the best in line planer board rod/reel combo for wally

My earlier post I said the rods we like are.the Ugly Stick Cal 1100. I said they are 7 1/2 feet but they are actually 7 feet medium action. They fish longer than they are due to a really short handle which I like. The handle doesn't get in the way as much for opening lids on my boat and you can run the rods more vertical before the handles hit something. I just measured mine and from the center of the reel to the tip of the handle it is 11 3/4 inches. If you lay this rod next to most 8' trolling rods the working part of the rod from the reel to the rod tip is nearly the same. We use these all the time on Green Bay and like them a lot and you can buy them at Wally world for $35 bucks or so.

If nothing else, at least get a couple longer 8' - 8'-6" rods for your outside boards. This will help the outside lines clear your inner boards. I run all 8'6" telescopic rods medium action and have no problems landing/fighting fish solo.

I prefer longer softer rods. When trolling, the bulk of lost fish will come near the boat. A long soft rod acts as a huge shock absorber for these fish that thrash and try to make one last run. Truthfully on 'Bago it probably wont matter much because the fish are smaller but if you want to fish the bay where the fish are bigger you will want plenty of cushion. Ive used rods from 6'-9' and would now go with nothing less than 8'6". When catching fish trolling, they're usually hooked up as well as they're ever going to be within the first few seconds of the fight. This said, lightly hooked fish are going to hold on unless you "rip" them off with excessive pressure near the boat. my .02$ (attached are some trolling 'eye pics including a 29", a solo limit from bago, and a 31")

i've used boards on 8'6" heartlands for trolling off my 16' boat using lead. i agree on the length but never really had a problem. depends on how many rods u run and where u run them too. the extra length is nice for spread especially on smaller boats. i like the ugly sticks too but went with what i could find. don't forget to put your contact info on your boards...i never lost one, but know guys who have and got them back because of that.

The best bang for the money in my opinion is the Ugly Stick Cal 1100. They are great trolling rods for walleye and at only 7 1/2 feet long which is nice when running boards all day. Easier to put boards on and off and easier to winch in fish, weeds etc. I have two buddies that have these also all of us with Diawa reels. Never had one issue on all three sets. I've used the longer rods at times but prefer these to all others especially in smaller to medium sized boats. My buddy with a 619 Ranger sold his 8 1/2' Cabelas to get these after using mine in his boat.

Hi guys, I see some suggestions above, but had a couple of additional questions. I'm looking to get into trolling after buying a nice used 16' Sylvan from a co-worker of mine. I've picked up a few offshore planer boards, and bought two Daiwa line counter reels. Right now, I'm looking for two rods. A lot of the local selection here in Green Bay is pretty slim, as ice fishing season gear is rolling into the stores. I plan to do most of my trolling alone on Lake Winnebago or around Green Bay in 10-20' of water. I'm looking for a couple solid planer board trolling rods, but will admit I don't really know what I should be looking for. From talking with a friend of mine who has trolled a lot, he mentioned I wouldn't probably want anything over 8'. To me, it seems like longer than that would be awkward/cumbersome to land a fish, but have never done it. I did see some Daiwa Heartland trolling rods at the local Gander Mountain, but after looking them up online, they seemed to be designed more for dipsy divers. They do apparently make a walleye rod for use with planer boards, but do not stock them. I've also read suggestions for an Ugly Stick Cal 1100 model. I looked online at Cabela's per some suggestions here. The Depthmaster rods were suggested. I did see one DepthMaster rod suggested for planer boards, model DM-PB-86M. It says it is 8'6", which seems a bit longer than I'd like. I don't mind ordering online, I just want to make sure I know that I'm after the right rod since I can't see or handle it. Also, the 8'6" or longer rods seem "too long" for me, unless I'm just missing something. Any suggestions would be great, hoping to get out this weekend provided the weather holds out.

thanks guys, i did the depthmasters from cabellas. the counters seem a little cheap but for the price.... i think they should last a few years.

I'm gearing up to do more walleye trolling this year. pull bottom bouncer/harness and some cranks. I just ordered 2 of these combos from Bass Pro http://www.basspro.com/Daiwa-Accudepth-Line-Counter-Rod-and-Reel-Combos/product/104141/236226 Reels seem pretty nice. Rods seem a little cheap but I'll see how i like them on the water. Buying the combo works out so the rod really was about 5 to 10 dollars more than just buying the reel so I guess I could always upgrade the rod later.

For the price, I too went with the Cabela's Depthmaster II. Have had them for 4 years now and can't complain about them. Use them for brown trout and walleye trolling.

BPS Walleye Angler Signature Series rod, 8 1/2 ft for planer boards

I'm surprised now one has chimed in yet on this one, so I'll give you my opinion. For starters, you asked for the "best", not what I would suggest. The best rod and reel combo for walleye trolling is probably a Walleye Angler Signature series rod and a Shimano Tekota or Okuma Catalina Reel. But I don't think it's necessary to have that expensive of a package. What do I like? I'm a big fan of Okuma Convector CV-20 series reels at about $89 ea. or on the big auction site for about $50ea if ya shop. They have a nice loud clicker and built very well. Their drag is out standing, which for salmon, in my opinion, is a necessity. But for walleye, if you choose to use a longer rod, say 8'6" up to 12' the rod action will do most of your "drag" work. Therefore a reel like the Convector may not be necessary? But if you're like me, some of my reels pull double duty. Walleye, coho....so I like the Okuma's a lot. compared with a nice...8'6" med. action rod that I can find on sale for....about....$39 and I'm a happy camper. My .02

i personally like the St. Croix eyecon, but depending on if you want to limit your spending. i would definitely get the cabelas depthmaster II, awesome rods, only around $60, but if you regularly check the cabela's website they sometimes have them for 30 or even 45% off. that's when i got mine