How long should a salmon trolling rod be?
You'll want to select a downrigger rod that is at least 8'6" in length. Longer rods allow faster line pick-up when the clip releases, aiding hookset. Anywhere in the 8'6" to 10'6" seems to be a pretty popular sweet spot for downrigger trolling for salmon.
Trolling rods tend to be longer than your average fishing rod. More specifically, trolling rods tend to measure between 5.5 and 10 feet long with the perfect length depending on your specific conditions and angling skill.
Rod length – 9'6″ allows you to mend line in both float and drift fishing applications which are the most popular techniques for salmon fishing in rivers. 10'6″ is ideal for float fishing, but 9'6″ will work in many conditions and is more optimal for drift fishing.
Fly Rod Length
Depending on what you plan on fishing for and where you plan on doing it, get something from 8 feet to 9 feet in length. Get 9 feet if you need to make long casts, use a heavy fly line or fish frequently in the wind. Get 8.5 feet for general, all-around fly fishing in a wide variety of conditions.
Anglers recommend dropping your downrigger around 15–20 feet for the best results. If you're fishing in saltwater, opt for a 10 lb downrigger. In freshwater, anything between 6–8 pounds will do the job.
Trolling Speed for Salmon
Anywhere from 1.8 to 3 mph is the best.
Moderate-fast
This action category provides more bend than a fast action rod. A moderate-fast blank gives increased cushioning, among other perks, making them popular for trolling, battling powerful fish and certain reaction bait applications.
Measuring for your Correct Shaft Length
Measure from the mounting surface of the transom or bow where the motor will be mounted to the top of the water and add 20" to get the recommended minimum shaft length. If you will be fishing in rough water, add an additional 5" to the measurement.
Mono line tends to be best for live bait fishing, trolling, and kite fishing. On the other hand, braided line works well for bottomfishing and jigging, fishing kelp, fishing structure, and casting plugs and lures.
absolutely great. 8'6" or 9' is all I use. Have landed all size salmon and steelhead on them. All of them rated 8-20# test.
Is a 7 foot rod good for salmon?
Basically you are usually looking for a rod that is 6-feet, 6-inches in length to 7-feet, 6-inches in length and has a medium-heavy action. If you want a more all-around rod that you can jig and mooch and/or fish in the rivers and saltwater, you can use a quality made graphite steelhead rod.
Ideally, A medium action would serve most salmon anglers well. it has enough strength to handle most big fish and will also handle thicker line and heavier lures. For bigger Salmon – those over 25+ a 10-weight or 11-weight rod with a medium for medium-fast action is a good choice for freshwater fishing.
A short (6 feet or less) rod is ideal if you want to make short, accurate casts. When pinpoint accuracy is less critical, a long rod (over 7 feet) is the way to go. Dingy or dirty water and heavy cover are two situations where short-range accuracy is part of the recipe for success, and a shorter rod can really shine.
Distance - Longer rods present the ability to cast further. You generally have to slow down your casting stroke, but a longer rod can cary more line, keep it off the water, and help give you that extra distance you want.
Shorter rods provide better accuracy. So if you are throwing dry flies to wary trout in small streams, or tucking deceivers under mangroves for snook, a shorter rod can give you more confidence in where your fly will land.
I often will adjust my tension tighter during a days fishing if kelp or weed in the water begins to build up on my line. The important thing to remember is when a salmon strikes, don't set the hook as the tension on your release clip has already set the hook.
Bright color lines such as neon green, blue or yellow are useful when trolling where line visibility is imperative.
For all those reasons, trolling downstream is the best way to get at them. By going downhill, you can crank up the trolling speed -- which allows you to cover more water and, thus, find the fish more quickly.
The colors that show up in the deepest water are greens, blues and blacks. All glow lures glow green. In addition, Ultra Violet colors can be added to your tackle box, as they show up at all depths. While we can't see UV colors, salmon see them very well.
Your trolling should be concentrated close to or in the thermocline for best results. It will be from 15 to 50 feet down in most lakes, depending on size and depth.
Do you troll with the tide or against?
During high tides, the neighboring bars and flats often harbor the majority of fish, which tend to spread out to hunt for food. Most species can be caught by trolling both with the tide and against it.
The best trolling speed depends on several factors including the type of fish, water conditions and lure choice. In general, trolling speeds between 1.5 and 2.5 mph, as measured by GPS, are a good starting place for most species like walleye, trout and salmon.
Trout typically like faster trolling speeds around 1.5 to 2.0 mph. Slower speeds may work better in cold water in winter, but generally trout are looking to chase forage items. Let the fish determine what speed will entice the bite. Start at 1.5 mph and troll in S-patterns.
A trolling motor shaft can be too long. If the trolling motor shaft is too long, you risk the propeller hitting bottom or the inability to stow the motor properly. Too long of a shaft can not only damage the propeller but also the rest of the motor and the environment beneath the water as well.
If your boat is 16-foot or smaller, a high-thrust 12-volt model will be adequate for the conditions that you will face. If your boat is any longer, moving up to a 24- or 36-volt system is the only way to go for hassle-free boating.
If your boat is in the 18′ – 20′ range, you can begin thinking about a 36-volt system with more power. However, a 24v trolling motor will still have enough power to handle just about any situation. The ideal trolling motor for this size of a bass boat is a 24-volt 52″- 60″ shaft with 80lbs of thrust.
Skirted lures are more effective for chasing bigger fish, while soft plastics are better suited for trolling for smaller game. Spoons and plugs are versatile options, and they fall somewhere in the middle. For saltwater trolling, squid, ballyhoo, mullet, and mackerel are go-to baits for most anglers.
Trolling weights are an easy way to get your lures deeper without using planers. They are especially handy for high speed wahoo fishing. For many anglers, trolling weights are easier to handle than planers are. This is because you don't have to “trip” the trolling weights.
A short (6 feet or less) rod is ideal if you want to make short, accurate casts. When pinpoint accuracy is less critical, a long rod (over 7 feet) is the way to go. Dingy or dirty water and heavy cover are two situations where short-range accuracy is part of the recipe for success, and a shorter rod can really shine.
7-foot, medium-action spinning rod
You can use this rod for any type of weightless soft plastic, shaky heads, Ned rigs, lightweight Texas rigs and any other finesse technique you may favor. Having this rod, or one very similar, can pay off in a big way—especially if you're fishing rural ponds or rivers.
What is a 7 foot 6 rod good for?
The 7'6' Medium-Heavy is the most versatile rod in its class. We designed it for pulling rattle-traps through the grass. If you want to throw a light Carolina rig, a small swim bait or a mid-Depth crankbait, this rod will get the job done. This is one rod you will want to keep on the deck at all times.
Choosing a fishing rod to go with this size reel: 2500 or 25 size reels are offered favored amongst anglers using a rod in lengths between 6-7ft which have a line rating of around 2-5Kgs.
Insert Ring/Loop Sizing
The first measurement in a Tip-Top is the OD of the ring (eyelet) in millimeters. Generally, the inside diameter (ID) of the ring will match the smallest guide on the rod. Standard sizes are 6, 8, and 10mm for conventional rods, while heavier saltwater rods may go as high as a 16mm ring.
What weight fly rod do you use for salmon? For most salmon fly fishing, we recommend fly rod weights, 8, 9, or 10. Depending on conditions (casting distance, depth) and size of the fish, consider weights 7 or 11.
The standard setup is usually 20- to 25-pound test line and a 4- to 8-foot leader. There are a variety of lures that work well when trolling for salmon, depending on the species and location.
The best leader for salmon fishing is the fluorocarbon leader because it has better knot strength, is more invisible, and is more abrasion-resistant. These are all good things when fishing near rocks for big fish. I always use fluorocarbon leaders below a float and I use them when casting lures.
Longer rods can improve rod stroke ratio, reducing thrust loading on the piston.
Long Rod Length Pros
Longer rods are usually used to provide higher torque at high RPMs with the same piston force, and since they are less angular than shorter rods, they minimize sidewall loading and friction. All of this adds up to increased power.
Most likely short rod scenarios
His top short rod scenarios are as follows: Small creeks, sloughs or canals with lots of overhanging vegetation. Here, it's not only about the tight quarters; it also a matter of slinging a tiny spinnerbait or popper to match smaller backwater forage.
A longer rod will give you a longer cast. It's really that simple. If power and action are the same, generally speaking, a 7-foot rod will cast the same lure farther than a 6-foot rod. Now if the lure is light, like 1/8 ounce, it can be a little more managable on a softer shorter rod than a longer rod.
How far can you cast a 12 foot rod?
in open water a 12 foot rod and say a 6500 abu with streamlined weights and bait can get 100 yards or more.
For those folks fishing big rivers that don't want to step up to a spey or switch rod, a 10-footer makes a wise choice for adding some distance. Long Leaders: The extra foot of length makes it easier to keep the leader outside of the guides more often—especially while landing a fish.
Six weights can be setup for every size trout, all sizes of bass and smaller salmon and steelhead. Unlike most fly rod weights, the six-weight rod can tackle a wide range of fishing methods and catch different fish species.
A fast or extra-fast action 9-weight rod and line has the power to deliver flies effectively in windy conditions yet remains plenty enjoyable while battling average specimens of bonefish, snook, redfish, schoolie stripers, largemouth bass, and the like.
Leader Length: The longer the leader, the better as tuna do not like seeing the braid to fluoro connection. I prefer a 30-foot leader for trolling which is the same leader I use for jigging. Lure Connection: My general rule of thumb is that I tie direct with a loop knot at 60lb.
8' or 8'6" is long enough. No need for a longer rod on a downrigger as it will just be in the way.
The best salmon rod for casting lures is the 9'2 Lamiglas Infinity and for the best economy rod for salmon fishing, it's the 9'6 Lamiglas X-11 Salmon rod or the 10'6 Fenwick HMX Salmon & Steelhead Spinning Rod. The best float rod for salmon fishing is the Lamiglas “The Closer” Centerpin Rod.
I like fairly small, size 1 to 2/0 hooks, and tie them two to three inches apart, depending on the size of the hoochie or fly. The top hook should be right behind the head of the lure, and it's often necessary to add a couple of small beads or a short length of plastic tubing above the hook to achieve that placement.
Mono line tends to be best for live bait fishing, trolling, and kite fishing. On the other hand, braided line works well for bottomfishing and jigging, fishing kelp, fishing structure, and casting plugs and lures.
Rods are generally 7½ to 8½ feet, soft enough to cast a 3-ounce stickbait, but with enough backbone to pressure a 200-pound tuna. Longer rods allow longer casts, key in this fishery.
What action rod is best for trolling?
Downrigger rods work pretty well for trolling, especially the smaller baits, when using rod holders.
For trout, you'll want to run your offering from 50 to 200 feet behind the downrigger weight depending on the depth you are fishing. The deeper you fish the shorter your line can be. When kokanee and kings are the target you can shorten your lines considerably.
A downrigger allows you to fish a lure or bait at a specific depth accurately behind a trolling boat.
As light options I prefer chartreuse/blue and pink/orange, and for dark options I like blue/black and purple/black. I'll explain more about each below, but these should cover you on most fishing situations. Chartreuse and blue. Chartreuse and blue is by far and away my favorite color combination for king salmon.
Ideally, A medium action would serve most salmon anglers well. it has enough strength to handle most big fish and will also handle thicker line and heavier lures. For bigger Salmon – those over 25+ a 10-weight or 11-weight rod with a medium for medium-fast action is a good choice for freshwater fishing.
