bc style down rigger rod

[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.