Trolling for Muskies On Eagle

[MUSKY FLYFISH]

Hey Steve,
I have a question about Trolling rods for Musky. In the past I have been one of those 15 hour a day casters. But, a few shoulder surgeries later, I will be more limited. I am wondering what Length rod? What action( heavy , extra heavy?)is best for trolling. The other big question is that I will probably need a 2 piece rod just because of storage and transport limitations. Any ideas


Thanks,
Larry

[Steve Herbeck]

great question ,the board has been quiet lately with the long cold winter and that damn facebook but spring and the feev is here and coming.
the rod applications as well as line types,reels,leaders,etc. all vary according to types and size of baits being used,depths needed to achieve,speed trolled,where in the spread,using boards or not,etc.
as you get into trolling you will find it be a challenge and exciting as you perfect it as is much more complicated, takes more expertise,knowledge of the water,etc. than casting in most situations.
if you're going to troll through the season using diff sizes/types of baits throughout,using primarily braids and mono lines,and are in or spend time in a multi rod legal state or will have multiple people to make 3-4 rods or more legal you can get by with 2-3 actions. i would recomend glass or composite blanks vs graphite for durability since sensitivity is not an issue as long as the rod tip can tell you is a bait is working or not and weight is rarely an issue,but durability definatly is.
for multi rod set ups diff rod lengths in conjunction with the height the rod tip is set from under the water to above 90 degrees,and the angle it is set at all help to keep baits/lines from tangling during turns, while running structure/contours,once a fish is hooked,etc.
for for bigger and/or deep diving baits,big bladed baits and or with weight added,extreme speed,etc. usually set with rods angled down and close to the stern 7' mh to leaning more towards heavy actions and spinner baits,minnow baits,smaller lipped baits and or baits riding higher and set towards mid boat 8' med and med heavy actions,further up the boat,to keep baits away from the boat and other lines,with planer boards,long lining in clear water,etc 9' mh to heavy rods.
there's a lot more applications,options and choices but that will get you started. there's not as good a selection of musky specific trolling rods as you would think because the #'s of sales just isn't there for most majors.
thorne bros can make you what ever you want,st croix's glass 8' premier is a good trolling rod,custom x makes i believe at least 3-4 diff handle configuration ,lengths,and actions for musky specific trolling applications.
most of these rods will also double as excellent live bait rods also.
I don't think you'll have alot of luck finding 2 piece trolling rod unless they are 9'+.
to really get started,save alot of time and money getting started and on the right track you might be wise to hire a good guide who trolls alot or most of the time for a few days to get the hang of it and eliminate alot of trial and error.ask alot of questions too.
perhaps other viewers could pipe in and give some help with other available options.??? thanks

[MrPike18]

Shimano TDR is an excellent rod for trolling and the price is right, about $30... they come in lengths up to 9`6 ......Ive got about 200 fish from the Madison chain using between 8` and 9`6 in MH and never had a problem ....u can get them at Bass Pro ......... J Glass

[Steve Herbeck]

whew! 30.00 bucks? you can't buy a set of guides for that!
thanks jimmy,looking forward to seeing you this summer.
anyone else got any recommdations?

[MUSKY FLYFISH]

Thanks for the input guys. I did see the shimano TDR.. Hell for 30 bucks probably nice back up trolling rod. Looks like its only set up for spinning reels though....I would assume you are doing your trolling with baitcasters... If so or not which spinning or baitcaster do u recommend
?

[Steve Herbeck]

you can get by with a reg baitcaster/level wind by counting passes of the level winds with a known distance of ea pass and or use metered line like fireline tracer braid but i'd highly suggest to go with a level wind line counter trolling reel.abu,diawa,and most all major brands.iit makes life easier and is much better for accuratley dialing in baits,depths,speeds and being able to duplicate it,be sure all reels are filled to same level in spool.

[Doc Spoon]

Cabela's also has a decent selection of inexpensive trolling rods and reels.;)