bc style down rigger rod

[Crunchy]

I am working on my bucket list and one thing is a new bc style downrigger rod that I intend on pairing with an islander reel for this years salmon season.  Looking for input on rods if anyone has one.

[fishngamereaper]

Look at the Loomis Imx pro/ BC mooching...10'6....

I messed with one in Canada and it was pretty sweet.
If you can find one look for an older Sage 3106. Awesome rods.

Lot of guys in Canada run Fenwicks and seem pretty happy with them.

Currently I go back and forth between my Lamiglass and a couple Shimanos I really like. All older models not made anymore.

[Crunchy]

good ideas.  I fish a lot alone and was thinking maybe a 9.5 footer make it a little easier to net.

[MADMAX]

I loved my old noodle rod and steelhead reel off the downrigger
Id have that sucker arching with the tip skipping the water

[Crunchy]

I loved my old noodle rod and steelhead reel off the downrigger
Id have that sucker arching with the tip skipping the water

haha I can picture that.  Was just looking at Prolite rods.  Not familiar with them but they might have what I am looking for if that brand is good.

[MADMAX]

I loved my old noodle rod and steelhead reel off the downrigger
Id have that sucker arching with the tip skipping the water

haha I can picture that.  Was just looking at Prolite rods.  Not familiar with them but they might have what I am looking for if that brand is good.

I’d buy a lamiglass and save a few hunnys

[Mfowl]

My brother uses a Shimano Convergence in 10'6" on his center pin setup. I've caught a few fish on it, it works well and has held up for years now.

[wadu1]

Not new but a Hardy 10-10 is a great rod for that. I would top it off with a Hardy Longstone reel but that's me old school.

[Encore 280]

I have all 3 rods for my Islander MR2 and Diawa and Shimano reels. The Loomis is a bit light but feels good. The Convergence is a good pair with the Diawa and Shimanos. The ProLite is pretty beefy. I'm thinking about sanding the butt and upper cork down a bit. Not sure which one the Loomis is, I'll have to get the number off it. Right now the Islander is on the Loomis. Get a hold of Chris at ProLite and he'll build a center pin rod for ya.

[hunter_sean08]

I loved my old noodle rod and steelhead reel off the downrigger
Id have that sucker arching with the tip skipping the water

haha I can picture that.  Was just looking at Prolite rods.  Not familiar with them but they might have what I am looking for if that brand is good.

Picked up a Prolite for my dad as his retirement gift. Not the Canadian mooching style but just their Takedown downrigger rod. Excited to put it to work on the boat this summer. It's well built and has some great feel to it. Might have to pick one up for myself although my old Fetha Styx set up would be hard to replace.

[Crunchy]

I have all 3 rods for my Islander MR2 and Diawa and Shimano reels. The Loomis is a bit light but feels good. The Convergence is a good pair with the Diawa and Shimanos. The ProLite is pretty beefy. I'm thinking about sanding the butt and upper cork down a bit. Not sure which one the Loomis is, I'll have to get the number off it. Right now the Islander is on the Loomis. Get a hold of Chris at ProLite and he'll build a center pin rod for ya.

Good thinking.  I may reach out and see how much $$$. 

[Houndhunter]

One of prolites best sellers is what you're looking for, I'd contact them  .

They are island dealers as well to go with the rod.

[blackpowderhunter]

I loved my old noodle rod and steelhead reel off the downrigger
Id have that sucker arching with the tip skipping the water

haha I can picture that.  Was just looking at Prolite rods.  Not familiar with them but they might have what I am looking for if that brand is good.

I’d buy a lamiglass and save a few hunnys

i don't have direct input as im too poor and lazy to run knucklebusters butttttt.
i wouldn't spend a dime on a lamisnap, i mean glass anymore.
the new ones are garbage and their "warranty" is even worse.

[Crunchy]

One of prolites best sellers is what you're looking for, I'd contact them  .

They are island dealers as well to go with the rod.

Already exchanged a few emails with them today dialing in what I want. 

[Crunchy]

Well custom rod on the way   Naming it after my best fishing buddy Little Carl who passed away last September.

[Houndhunter]

Well custom rod on the way   Naming it after my best fishing buddy Little Carl who passed away last September.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

Its just a big, over priced fly rod. If you catch a lot of kings, maybe an islander is worth it. Otherwise, for coho, buy a Lamson 10wt fly reel, a cheap 10' something mootching rod, load the reel with 20lb braid backing and put a mono top shot on it and save yourself $600. Unless, that islander bling is a must on deck. For 12lb and less fish you dont get the fun out of that big reel.

[metlhead]

Fishing solo with those rod n reel combos is a PIA come net or release time.

[WSU]

I don't own one but have fished with these setups in Canada.  My hookup to landing ration was great using them and mono mainline.  I kinda think it's the giant rubber band effect?

[Crunchy]

Fishing solo with those rod n reel combos is a PIA come net or release time.

Haha yes that is why I went with a medium heavy 9 1/2 footer.  It's always a cluster when I am by myself.  Lots of lost big ones right at the boat. I can't wait to get it.  Was told 30 days roughly.  Give me some time to find the reel I want I guess.  Those aren't easy to find either.  Thinking Islander MR3 or a Coast DR3. 

[Encore 280]

I've fished Willapa for 20 plus years. Last few years have been solo and with 2 pole endorsement and with the MR2 and the Shimano with 10' 6" rods. I love it! If and when one pole starts dancing around, I reel in the other one and stow it out of the way. If the other one is still dancing around then it's game on. I never jump and grab the pole out of the holder right away. If the fish comes unbuttoned during the match I blame it on the damn barbless hooks. It is a bonus if someone else is along to do the netting as long as they're experienced.

[Night goat]

I've caught a LOT of fish on my Shimano Convergence all over WA BC and Alaska and have been very happy with it for the money 

[Crunchy]

I've caught a LOT of fish on my Shimano Convergence all over WA BC and Alaska and have been very happy with it for the money 

I have always heard those Shimano's are a decent rod especially for the price. 

[2MANY]

I love fighting fish on a long and limber rod and a direct drive reel.
But
On high number days wrist, arm, shoulder, back can get sore and it gets old having the fish turn away from the boat/net time after time.

I will say just talking about it makes me wanna go fishing!

[Crunchy]

me too.  I have been thinking about bottom fishing opens soon.  Well lings and seabass.  I need to buy stuff to pour my own downrigger balls, pipe jigs, and 2-4lb cod weights.  Any of you guys got molds or best place to buy?

[Night goat]

I've caught a LOT of fish on my Shimano Convergence all over WA BC and Alaska and have been very happy with it for the money 

I have always heard those Shimano's are a decent rod especially for the price.

Nice thing about the convergences is that you can outfit your entire boat for the cost of a single super expensive rod and won't cry if you break one but they fish so well you won't notice a difference.... you could spend hundreds more chasing something only the pickiest 5% of fishermen will ever notice

I stopped buying expensive rods years ago- they all die the same or get stolen... yeah there's some really nice gear out there and nothing wrong having that "special occasion" rod/reel

If I could have it my way, I'd get a convergence blank and send it off for a custom build

There's a guy in Juneau Alaska that makes the coolest craziest most awesome looking custom rods I've ever seen, I got his card in my boat somewhere, but pretty easy to find, just call the Ace hardware in Juneau and ask for the fishing desk and ask em about the local guy who makes all the cool rods- he lives in town and has a display rack there and everybody knows him

Anyway, I'd just get a custom wrap/grip/paint job done on a convergence blank and toss on an islander reel and you'd have an awesome killer personal customized rod combo around. Fill the reel to the gills with 50lbs braid and away you go- if you start with a blank get the super good ceramic guides so the braid doesn't wear a groove in the guides. I think my mooching reel has 600 yards of braid on it.... once the hooks are set very rarely do I lose a fish

It doesn't have the lifting power for big bottom fish but will take bass/rockfish, small-medium size lingcod, and the occasional chicken halibut

About the lead pouring, the sailboat junkyard in Lynden for a while was scraping old sailboat keels and pouring em into down rigger balls and ingots and it was cleaner lead than old wheel weights, don't know if he still is doing that though if anybody needed to source lead

[hunter_sean08]

I’d love to use a knucklebuster more often but much prefer using a conventional reel when there’s tons of other boats around, which sadly is the reality of most salmon fishing in WA these days unless you’re on the coast somewhere. Too many clueless morons running over your line or getting too close not paying attention. I like the play I can get on my tekota while also knowing I can get my fish in much quicker than with the knucklebuster.

[Night goat]

I’d love to use a knucklebuster more often but much prefer using a conventional reel when there’s tons of other boats around, which sadly is the reality of most salmon fishing in WA these days unless you’re on the coast somewhere. Too many clueless morons running over your line or getting too close not paying attention. I like the play I can get on my tekota while also knowing I can get my fish in much quicker than with the knucklebuster.

You haven't lived til you hook into a big coho or angry king in the river on a mooching rod/reel! You better be lightning fast on the reel and be ready to run after that fish... casting is a totally different mechanic and can be done if you know fly casting, it's usually light gear, small jigs, floats, heavy flies etc but wow lol it's a totally different experience. I've only tried it on the samish river and my 11 foot moohching setup is the only rod I'll use there, you get some goofy looks until you hook up but it's a total riot once you do, but imagine the coastal rivers would work well too. I've got everything from 20lbs kings and fat cohos to even snagging a beaver and last year I got into a 4-5 foot sturgeon on the mooching rod.... when that drag starts screaming and that rod is bent in half, there's nothing quite like it, it's a very unique way to fish but wow is it a riot with all the pieces come together and ya connect with a fish. It won't cast like a bat caster or a spinning reel, basically for wading rivers and smaller rivers with deep holes where you can get a drift and a swing in your gear, but if you get a chance to try a mooching rod in a small river....it's insane

[2MANY]

Buy a noodling rod.

[Encore 280]

Mid 70's I was stationed at Pt No Pt Light Station. Got to know the locals there and a lot of them used a Winona knuckle buster mooching reel, stainless model. The aluminum model was for steelheading in the rivers. After I tried one the first time I never went back. Found one for sale and bought it, $25 and still have it on a Wright McGill 8 1/2' rod. The drag is the main shaft and ya use your thumb and forefinger or your palm in case thumb and finger get blistered! When ya set it in the rod holder ya take a round turn on one of the handles. Doesn't have a release lever, just free spool if a let go. Caught lots of kings and winter blackmouth with that reel. Mostly fished by myself in a 14' smoker craft.

[2MANY]

Direct drive reels are the bomb.

[Crunchy]

Direct drive reels are the bomb.

never used them but had a few that I got rid of back in the 80s.  Regret that move.

[Night goat]

Direct drive reels are the bomb.

never used them but had a few that I got rid of back in the 80s.  Regret that move.


There is a learning curve for sure, but wow, once you get over that hump, it’s all you’ll wanna do. One trick I use is I’ll “slap” the reel to get it spinning for super fast retrieves because turning it one crank at a time takes forever, but a full reel will retrieve faster than a reel low on line

[Encore 280]

Here's the Winona

[Crunchy]

that is old school 100%

[Encore 280]

Bought those in 1974 I think it was. I think I got the rod at Pay Less or whatever it was back then for $18. Bought the reel from the sports writer for the Bremerton Sun back then for $25. I would still be using the reel for mooching at the Point but it's not fun when a seal grabs your fish.  That's the main reason I quit fishing there.

[Happy Gilmore]

A good Islander will run you $5-600