Walleye Rod Setups

[bravo]

I’m not a newbie when it comes to fishing, but I’ll be spending some cash on a few new rods for this season and was wondering what everyone prefers when it comes to walleye rods. What are your preferred setups for vertical jigging, pitching swimbaits, cranks, trolling etc.? I personally love 7’ ultralight rods spooled with fireline when pitching jigs, but it’s a pretty limited combo. I’m sure this has been discussed to death but one more thread couldn’t hurt.

 

[Holmsvc]

Define some cash....budget per rod

 

[wslayer]

Pflueger Supreme
St. Croix Avid 7' Medium Fast Action
My go to throwing plastics and pulling spinners.

 

[bravo]

Define some cash....budget per rod

I guess I’m pretty open. I’d like to spend under $100 per rod, but I suppose I could spend more and buy one or two less. Not counting my saltwater stash, I currently have fenwick and pflueger combos but they aging a bit. I have one expensive St. Croix.

 

[Zogman]

Commander Rods made in the USA. For years my jigging rod was a G Loomis. Four years ago I was at a sports show and there was a booth there. Bought one haven't picked up G Loomis sense. I plan to buy another one for trolling. Woolland in DL sells them.

https://www.commanderrods.com/

I was in a local store and there were alot of China Rods on display. Not any more for this old cowboy.

 

[bravo]

So let’s say i pick up an 7’ medium fast action for pitching. What type and what pound test do you typically use? How about on a rod used for cranking / trolling?

 

[honkerslayer]

I’d go baitcaster for cranks. If you are going to cast and troll 7’ m or mh moderate action. Trolling only I’d go trolling rod and line counter all day.

 

[Achucker]

https://youtu.be/0vf1jIn4MRQ

 

[Migrator Man]

I’m not a newbie when it comes to fishing, but I’ll be spending some cash on a few new rods for this season and was wondering what everyone prefers when it comes to walleye rods. What are your preferred setups for vertical jigging, pitching swimbaits, cranks, trolling etc.? I personally love 7’ ultralight rods spooled with fireline when pitching jigs, but it’s a pretty limited combo. I’m sure this has been discussed to death but one more thread couldn’t hurt.

If you like 7’ ultralight rod check out the Gloomis mag light action rods. Good pitching rods. I have been finding crazy deals on Gloomis E6X rods so that’s what I have been buying.

 

[Fishmission]

Imagine a percentage of us have been using nanofil for at least five years after a magna thin, fire line term. Wow, pitching or long casting any bait, the unreal distance with the right set up. Vertical, etc. jigging, Cranks, Beef up. I think I’ve used about every brand of rod under the sun but anything I touch in my advanced age is legend series St Croix

 

[Bacon]

Trolling, pulling cranks, bottom bouncing there is no use spending big money on rods. Where you want to spend your money is on vertical jigging sticks and casting. I use ugly sticks for pulling cranks and run st. Croix for jigging and pitching.

 

[bravo]

Appreciate the advice guys. I think I’m equally lost on what to use for line. Some time ago I switched from mono, to braid, to bright green fireline, nano. I could never decide which worked best for me, or when to use a leader. I always worry about the wrong line in clear, high-visability water.

 

[Lapper]

I like braid for pitching and jigging, mono for bottom bouncers.

 

[mikef]

imo there are a few locations, such as the tailrace in winter, where braided line will hurt more than help.
Rods are like anything else in that you get what you pay for. That being said, i personally cannot justify the high-end rods over say a scheels base model fwiw

 

[JayKay]

Regarding line, I only use mono when it's sub-freezing temps. Otherwise, no way. 8 lb Power Pro is my go-to, all-season, tractor line. No leader, but I fish a lot at night. Bright green, or my old peepers don't see it well enough to tie.

Bought a $30 Thirteen Brand rod at the boat show here in Bismarck, and I wish I had bought two. 7'1", medium light, fast action. Worked great for Largemouth earlier in the year, and more than a few walleye have seen the light at the end of the tunnel recently. I also picked up a Quantum smoke spinning reel at Scheels, on clearance. Could be my new favorite rigs (remains to be seen)

My ol' trusty is a Loomis IMX 6'0" ML rod, with a Pflueger Patriarch 30 size reel. Also with 8 lb PP.

Those two are always close at hand.

 

[guywhofishes]

I hate the noise braid makes. A few hours of that crap and I'm ready to troll just to put an end to it.

And you know how much I love to troll.

 

[gone_fishing]

A good portion of my rods are Scheels branch. I've had to warranty them at least twice for guides inserts coming out and didn't have any issues. Just brought it in and got a new one. I've heard some chatter on how they have changed their rod warranty policy. Need to ask next time I'm in the store but I still feel they make a decent rod for the money (especially when they are 20% off) and they usually have a good selection.

Most of my rods are spinning between 6'6" and 7' in ML. Anything longer feels awkward and unbalanced. Have a few Scheels Guide series that I like overall. I think those are usually around $100. I do have one $100+ rod and its a Scheels One Titanium in 6'6" ML for light jigs. I put a series 25 Pflueger President (which is a size down from the normal 30 series I use). This is a really nice light and sensitive setup that works great with 1/8 oz jigs. I feel this is where a more expensive/sensitive rod is worth the money. Especially if you routinely use light jigs with live bait where you are often stopping or pausing the bait. The bite is often light and more subtle vs a crankbait that a fish will often hit harder (especially in the summer when they are more aggressive).

My only baitcaster (besides line counters) is a 7' MH that I used for bottom bouncing. The reel has the 'flip switch' so I can let line out just by pressing/releasing the thumb bar. I also have 4 line counter rods. Two are 8'6" and the other are 5' shorty rods. Put the shorts out the back at a 45 deg angle the longer rods straight off the side. Seems to work well when I want to troll 4 cranks.

For line I've been transiting back to Fireline. Used for quite a few years before trying true braids (Suffix 832 and PowerPro). I like the strength, toughness, and castability of braid by I hate how it easily it gets wrapped around the tip of the rod. Braid gets so limp that is becomes almost thread like. I don't know if I'm just that special or if others have this problem but if I look at the rod wrong while handling it, the line is wrapped around the tip and under/over a guide. Fireline isn't quite as limp so maybe it doesn't cast quite as well but I don't have near the troubles with it getting wrapped around rod tips. I just put some of that new Fireline 8 carrier in 10lb on one of my jigging rods. Haven't had enough time to tell if its better then original. I also tried Nanofil for a couple years and while its very thin and casts great it's not very tough. The slights nick in the line will cause it to break. Pretty sure I've have northerns bite clean through it. Fireline isn't as tough as braid but seems to be tougher then Nanofil. Overall I think Fireline is a good all purpose no stretch line. It's also what I use on my trolling rods as a lot of dive charts list depths for it. I also see on sale for $10 for a 125 yard spool making it one of the less expensive no stretch lines.

 

[Holmsvc]

10/2 PP for jigging for me, but trying out some 10lb Suffix 832 this year.

For jigging and pitching I have heard a lot of good things in about the limit creek smoothie rod and that is in your price range.
http://limitcreek.com/SpinningRods.html

 

[buckhunter24_7]

For pitching I like a fenwick HMX 7’ medium fast, it’s a tough rod and puts up with a lot of punishment, eyelets hold up great. Pfluger president reel 10lb suffix 832 line. I have more expensive rods but always go back to the hmx for pitching for some reason

 

[wslayer]

Switched my Smoke 25 reel over to Suffix 832 8#. Had nothing but a nightmare causing boars nests constantly. Changed it to 6# and that is a fantastic combination teamed up on a St Croix Triumph medium fast action. Smoke reel is still not even close to the smoothness of the Pflueger Supreme.