I really like Steve Fellegy’s article and am a high end rod guy with some presentations and others mid-low range. Let me share a couple of examples:
Nightcrawlers and leeches live bait rigging: one of my favorites is a 9′ Sage custom fly rod blank with a Tennessee Cork handle, which allows me to balance my reel on the rod. The action is moderate, which is perfect as the pick up is realized with a dip-bow in the rod tip, the reel in a closed bail position. When the bait is picked up I drop back then pull back to set the hook. Due to the moderate action at the pick up the fish never feels it. Again I fish closed bail with these baits. Open bail my experience the fish will feel when the finger lets the line go and drop before the hook set in small salmon egg style hooks
Minnows live bait rigging I like a 7’0″ to 7′ 6″ medium light extra fast action. A high end rod like a St. Croix Avid-Elite. I feel putting that tip out there it helps to have a extra-fast action to feel the minnow, a bite and get a good hook set.
Jigging Raps: I like a 6’9″ to 7′ rod medium light extra fast action. Allows for a good snap on the rap and hook set and feel.
The high end St. Croix Rods like 8’6″ walleye tournament series weighs 3.11 ounces compared to the same low end rods which weigh in at 7.1-8.0 ounces. Light weight rods balance very well, have less fatigue on the hands, wrists and are more sensitive.
Trolling crankbaits and spinners less expensive rods works well, the bite is detected by the dip-bend in the rod. Actually prefer telescoping rods.
I side drift steelhead on the Northshore, I like to have both feel of a medium light extra-fast action tip and the tip that dip or bows to the bite. So a more expensive rod is my choice
For trolling suspend walleyes during the cisco bite I like 12-14′ rods, these range in price of $50.00 to $75.00 and the bite is detected by the tip bowing back, the rods are in holders. Spread the baits without the use of planer boards.
A rod worth a look is the Thorne’s Elliot Rods. The synthetic rod handle and light blank and Thornes’s ability to balance a rod so well and use even lighter blanks then St. Croix is a plus. Some of these models weight less then three ounces.
One more point about long rods 7′-6′ to 9′, they add sport, forgiving and while cumbersome at times I like to for back trolling. Particularly when working around a fishing partner in the seat towards the bow on turns. I feel a longer rod can be a advantage on the clear water lakes I fish and fish light pound test lines such as 4#-6#. Casting leeches for example, easy with a soft swing, rarely flip the bait off the hook.
Landing fish with 8′ or longer rods, do what fly fisherman do. Simple pull the rod straight up and back the fish will end up just below in range of short handled net. Ever see a stream steelhead fisherman with a long handle net? Watch them net a fish with their long rods, will see what I mean
Last point my reels, do not weigh over 5 ounces, wider spools for casting or when quicker line pick up is desired and narrow spools for the live bait rigging rods.
Thanks for reading…
