After about 20 years of use on my old fiberglass mooching rod, I'm finally thinking about a new salwater downrigger/mooching rod. Anyone have any suggestions?

I have had great luck with fiberglass but would consider graphite. I don't want to spend a ton of money, functionality is my main concern.

WoodinvilleBill

The downrigger rod doesn't need to be too fancy, just long and limber. You're not really detecting soft strikes or setting the hook, all you really need is for the rod to have a nice deep bend when trolling.

Mooching, OTOH, is probably more demanding. I don't really know much about it.

Regards.

Mike
Woodinville

I don't have a lot of experience with downriggers, since I just started to use them this season, but Finegrain hit it-- something limber that will take a deep bend and has the backbone to set the hook on the release. Downrigger fishermen can tell you better than I what works best. I'm currently using two rods, a Berkley 8 1/2 foot steelhead rod in heavy action and a Shakespeare Ugly Stik in medium heavy. Both are good for the purpose, but the Ugly Stik is probably the better. HOWEVER, if you're going to use the rod for both, I would look seriously at the Berkley as it makes a dandy mooching rod. I prefer longer rods for mooching, G. Loomis makes a couple that I really like, but for cost effectiveness, it's hard to beat the Berkley rod.


For the Allstar fans, I picked up a medium heavy 8 1/2 footer recently that might well turn into my go-to rod for mooching. It's a waste to use it on a downrigger, though.

I have a pair of g loomis GL2's. 8 1/2 ft magnum butt/soft tip rods. I use them both ways, downriggers & mooching. Enough backbone that I have landed 30-35 pound kings in Canada & Neah Bay with no problem, yet sensitive enough that I feel every nibble mooching, even from bullheads or other small bottom fish. Great for when those kings are only mouthing your bait. I partner it with a pretty small level wind reel so makes for a light weight combo that can take on all comers. Got mine at Auburn marine as factory "seconds" (cosmetic that you struggle to see) for only $100 each, 3 years ago. Best rods I've ever owned, I was a Lamiglass fan until I got these. Just my two cents worth, many rods will do the job.

Im sure that Salmontackler will have no problem helping you out with selecting a good downrigger rod.

I havent done alot of mooching and very little downrigger fishing but from my short experience I will tell you that the best mooching rods on the market are SAR 1265 GL2's. They are a 10 1/2 10-40# rod and have no problem handling 8 ounces of lead. A freind of mine has landed halibut in upwards up 50 or 60 pounds with these rods as well as 60 pound kings. They are also a tough as nails rod as I watched the abuse these rods take and more then a few times I have wondered why that rod didnt just snap in half. They do load up better with atleast 5 or 6 ounces of lead and its much easier to pick up a light bite with the rod tip loaded up under the pressure of the lead working. Plus, being that these rods are 10 1/2 feet and take the abuse so well, I wouldnt worry about running them off a downrigger although I would still be careful. They retail for $211.

Another rod to consider is the STR 1265 which is the little brother of the SAR 1265. The STR 1265 is a 10-20 10 1/2 footer instead of a 10-40. They are excellent jigging rods and tend to give our coho and pinks and small blackmouth more play then the bigger SAR but they dont handle the lead as well as the SAR does. The STR runs for $201.

They are pricey but they are WELL worth it.

[ 08-30-2001: Message edited by: RPetzold ]

My two personal favorites are my Lamiglass Certified Pro Series FIBERGLASS rods and my St. Croix 10' 6" grafite rods. The extra length with the St. Croix is nice to pick-up the line when it releases from the clip. A nice side benefit is the Lamiglass it's the best plug rod I've ever used in a drift boat.

Ryan, I have a pair of vice grips attatched to my tongue.

Check out the Triton Downrigger Rod in medium
action and the Triton 100 or 200 reel at the
Outdoor Emporium in Seattle. Ya can't break'em, they are affordable and they are notYELLOW !!! Ya don't want graphite for the
downrigger.

DO NOT USE GRAPHITE FOR DOWNRIGGER FISHING.

Sorry to yell but I wanted you to see this. Check with any manufacture and they will tell you to use fiberglass, not graphite. Last trip out I had the displeasure of watching another boat set the hook off of a rigger and the rod snapped. Sure enough, graphite. The way they are designed and manufactured, they do not like the continued stress from the rigger, only to be taken out of the rod holder and popped a couple of times. Look at Outdoor Emp for rigger rods. They will all be fiberglass. The ugly yellow ones work great, are 30 bucks, and will last a long time.

Steve

Why Outdoor Euphoria? I would rather shop at Ted's Sport Center.

I sure as Hell hope you werent being sarcastic!!



[ 09-01-2001: Message edited by: RPetzold ]

Ryan, why would you jig with a 10 or 10 1/2 foot rod? When jigging it is better to use a shorter rod, such a 7-8 foot lamiglas Puget Jigger or a similar model produced by Loomis.
They are correct about those graphite rods blowing up on downriggers, but I still use them....I just know better to try and pop the rigger loose or hookset when the rod is still "loaded" on the rigger.
We do alot of Jigging near Point Evans under the Narrows bridge and a shorter rod will wear your arm less than a longer one, case in point are the short halibut sticks.
I do prefer a longer rod when mooching though, but my longest moocher is a 9.5 foot certified pro Lamiglas. A 10 footer would be okay also.
Now lets not get into Boondoggin....take it easy guys and good fishin.
BTW...was going to head back to Westport, but now they are calling for "Surf Warning" with 13 foot swell, maybe its time to check out the Johns River area instead.

Hey Woodinville,

I have to second the guy above that said to check out the Lamiglas XCF series rods, they're all fiberglass downrigger/mootching rods, really beautiful rods. They come in lengths from 8'6" to 10'6", and line weights from 8 to 25lbs. My fishing partner finally bought one, I'm super jealous, going to get one soon. If you ever go down to Portland, stop in Woodland and check out their factory store, sometimes you can find the rod you want as a second, and save a few bucks.

Second choice would be those Shimano Triton rods, I've had three of them for about five years now, once a newbie on my boat broke the tip off of one (no, don't whack it on the side of the boat, then try to lift that 10lb coho into the boat with the rod) but otherwise, I've been real happy with them... and yes, they are black. We run Penn 310's and 320's on them, they are a good all-around rod and half the price of the Lamiglas.

-N.

I've used downriggers for 20 years and hands-down the Tritan "TDR" (Tritan Downrigger Rod) is the best rod for the money. I have broken a wide range of rods and the Tritan's are as tuff as they get while allowing enough flexibility to play a big chinook, frantic coho and yet detect a shaker take. I have used nothing but them in the past 3 years and have yet to break one. I would recommend a higher quality graphite mooching rod when ya got the extra cash.