data-csrf="1711620927,6d5f9a3a4942052745d7ebbe228fa3e2" Downriggin rod help | As Real As It Gets

Downriggin rod help

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Boys need a couple downriggin rod and reels for trout and kokanee. I dont have the foggiest about this stuff. They will probably only get used a handful of times a year. I am partial to shimano reels. Lay it on me fellas.
 

Chesapeake

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2010
1,287
14
SW Washington
Lamiglas cg70 or cg80 rod.

I run Diawa sealine line counter sg17lc.

A shimano tekota 300lc would be a bit big.....The Calcutta is good but no line counter.

I find the line counter indispensable.

You can go more expensive of course on the rod and reel, but not much reason to do so.

While your buying pick up a few arrow flash flashers. Gold with moonglow and silver with moon glow. Then Rocky Mountain tackles cotton candy squid 1.5”.
 
Last edited:

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Yeah i have a calcutta on one of my trolling rods and love it but was thinking id like a line counter. Looked at the 300 tekota today seemed like it wouldnt hold a lot of line and would prefer the handle on the left side if possible but i could go either way.
 

Chesapeake

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2010
1,287
14
SW Washington
They make the new-ish Tekota HG in a right hand (lefty) line counter, but the 501 is the smallest one.

I use one for salmon. It’s only a skosh bigger than the sealine 17 I use for Kokanee. 6.3:1 gears and lefty line counter.
Might be what your looking for.
 

Chesapeake

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2010
1,287
14
SW Washington
Shimano is known for their large reel feet so I checked. It’s a little bit of a squeeze but my 501hg fits in my Lami CG70 reel seat.

As my pard says “add to cart”.
Or as Larry says “don’t pay to linger”.
 
Last edited:

Big Stick

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
42,650
465
Paradise
The Tekota 300 line counter will hold 250yds of 30# PP braid,which is quite a bit.

You gotta go all the way to 700 sizing,to increase drag power.......................
 

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Yeah the spool on it looked really narrow compared to most of the other reels i looked at. I kinda like the looks of that lamiglass cg80. Does the 70 bend alright in a rigger being that short?
 

Chesapeake

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2010
1,287
14
SW Washington
Both the 70 and 80 can pretty well fold in half.
Choice would be personal preference, boat size, who’s fishing the rod, ect....
I run the 70’s but most of my Kokanee trolling is with kids on a 17’ boat.
It’s easier for getting fish to net, getting lines deployed and into down rigger clips, getting rod and flashers under controll while baiting up, ect.

I run 10 or 12 pound mono, or 30# braid for a main line. With any of the above mentioned reels you’ll never feel need for more line. Kokanee and trout aren’t exactly drag burners.

If your going after lake trout in 300 foot of water you’d need a salmon trolling setup.


What lake and what size Kokanee? You might want the 80 if getting 18”+ Kokanee.
 
Last edited:

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Probably Koocanusa, flathead, and kooteney lakes. Fishing out of an 18’ kingfisher. The rod will possibly pull double duty for walleye as well. Daughter caught this one on flathead last summer.
8
9
 

Chesapeake

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2010
1,287
14
SW Washington
You might like the greater backbone of the 80. The 70 is pretty soft right down to the reel seat.

I drag bottom walkers or plugs for walleye so couldn’t say how the rods do for that. They are too soft for dragging bottom walkers and plugs.
 
C

Calvin1

Guest
I am diawa saltist. Last twice as long as the tekota reels. Berkeley air rods are good too. Haven't broke one yet.
 

Big Stick

Well-known member
Nov 18, 2007
42,650
465
Paradise
I've got a bunch of Berk' Salt rods.

Been up since 3:00AM tying Freshwater Riggin' and getting ready to roll...................
 
C

Calvin1

Guest
In the winter they pretty much give the air rods away if you watch amazon and catch it at the right time. Looks like they are back to normal prices now. I loaded up on the ones I use on my charters for around $50 each.
 

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
The 8’6” medium action air rod may do it. Ive had a couple berkley spinning rods over the years that treated me pretty well. For $20 more i could get the lamiglass cg80 though. Any thoughts on comparison between the two?
 
C

Calvin1

Guest
It's been awhile since I had lamiglass. Last few broke where the rod contacted the flush rod holder while trolling. Shattered a few too. We used to run Loomis and lamiglass exclusivity but as warranties changed and new rods showed up we stopped using them. I know some guys are very happy with diawa and okuma rods too. Sounds like okuma reels don't suck either anymore. They use the coldwater line counter reels which are more economical than the saltists and tekotas.
 
C

Calvin1

Guest
Ive used these cheap okuma downriggers rods on my personal boat for years. I caught countless kings and 50-70lb halibut on them. Downrigger rods, sometimes cheaper is better. They just stay bent still you get a bite.

 

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Yeah only thing i wonder about is you guys are fishing salmon and i will be targeting freshwater 15 pounds would be a big fish, id be really lucky to get anything over 20. Im thinking the salmon rods would be too heavy. Ive wondered about okuma reels as well but havent read much good about them.
 

Chesapeake

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2010
1,287
14
SW Washington
Okuma coldwater is what you buy if you cant afford a tekota. They work, but that’s about it. Like a Kia.

The lami rods we’re talking about are glass, not graphite. Totally different than a buzz rod.

I like the glass for downrigger rods. If your doing something else, then the CG’s aren’t the rod.

Diawa, Okuma, lamiglas, Berkeley and the other Chinese graphite rods are all pretty good. Just pic the one with the action and hardware that you like and go fish.

A steelhead plugging rod rated 8-10 makes a damn good walleye rod.
 

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Ive been looking pretty hard at the st croix eyecon rods i think that paired with a c14 would make a pretty incredible walleye setup. So what do glass rods offer over graphite? I dont think I have ever owned a glass rod before (maybe when i was 5 years old but couldnt say for sure ;)
 

Chesapeake

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2010
1,287
14
SW Washington
Glass has the slow action that gets you the deep parabolic bend you want running downriggers. Graphite tends toward a fast action.

Graphite is light and sensitive. Attributes good for hand held fishing.
Glass is heavy, slow, and less sensitive. Attributes that aren’t a hindrance in a rod holder and help with downrigger fishing, or trolling with rods in the holders.

Some rods are blends, glass in the tip and graphite in the but. An attempt to get glasses slow action in the tip, a semi-parabolic bend and also graphite’s light weight and fast action that gives a rod that solid backbone.
 
C

Calvin1

Guest
I have an incredible amount of time with the Tekota reels. Until they get their bail lever and frame corrosion issues figured out I cannot recommend them especially at the premium price they want. If you use them a few times a year I am sure they are fine but everything else is too.
 

Chesapeake

Well-known member
Aug 24, 2010
1,287
14
SW Washington
This guy is looking for a lake fishing setup. Pretty low odds of corrosion issues.

Has anyone up there put a season on the new Tekota’s?
I sent one up a few months back to my dad. Will be interesting to see how it fares.
 

MontanaMan

Well-known member
Nov 28, 2007
716
7
On the Great Lakes with downriggers for salmon, LT, & steelhead, I've used 7 & 8' Ugly Sticks for years, usually with a Diawa line counter SG47LC3B or whatever size suits you. They're reasonably cost effective enough for rough usage & breaking one once in awhile.

MM
 

Oatmealsavage82

Well-known member
Nov 15, 2011
1,208
52
Alberta Canada
Rod and reel are purchased ended up going with the 501 lc tekota and a 10’6” shimano medium heavy, fast action. Talked to the fella at the shop and he seemed very tuned in to the lakes i wanted to fish and the methods. If the rod dont pan out as intended i can always try again, fuck is that tekota ever a nice reel.
 

Norm 66

Well-known member
Dec 14, 2007
146
0
PNW
This guy is looking for a lake fishing setup. Pretty low odds of corrosion issues.

Has anyone up there put a season on the new Tekota’s?
I sent one up a few months back to my dad. Will be interesting to see how it fares.
2 seasons no issues. New reels have the corridor issue solved. Totally different reel than the previous models. Including reel foot size, gear size, and body size.
I’ll not fish before I’d use an Okuma. Rod or Reel. Fucking garbage.
Rod wise look at the St Croix stuff or go Diawa. Shimano makes a number of rods that will work but if you want refinement I’d go St Criox. Lamisnap import shit might as well be an Okuma.
 

Calvin

Well-known member
Nov 17, 2007
4,145
58
Visit site
2 seasons no issues. New reels have the corridor issue solved. Totally different reel than the previous models. Including reel foot size, gear size, and body size.
I’ll not fish before I’d use an Okuma. Rod or Reel. Fucking garbage.
Rod wise look at the St Croix stuff or go Diawa. Shimano makes a number of rods that will work but if you want refinement I’d go St Criox. Lamisnap import shit might as well be an Okuma.
You would be surprised what guides are now using okuma. Apparently the new stuff is pretty good but the memory of how bad they were lingers on.

Glad shimano got their act together.
 

Calvin

Well-known member
Nov 17, 2007
4,145
58
Visit site
They are undoubtedly the smoothest out of the box. We just haven’t discovered the secret to keeping them that way. In fairness, mooching in saltwater is brutal on reels.