Trolling Combo Question

pjard · 02-21-2015, 06:25 AM

I have 4 Eagle Claw Starfire trolling combos. The rods are 2 pieces and 8'6". I find them a bit tall to stow on the boat. I see a few 7'6" options available including the same Eagle Claw Starfire. For salmon and trout trolling on Winnipesaukee what am I sacrificing with the shorter rod (keep it clean, LOL)? Any other suggestions, by no means am I impressed with the Eagle Claw units.

Tired of Waiting · 02-21-2015, 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjard

I have 4 Eagle Claw Starfire trolling combos. The rods are 2 pieces and 8'6". I find them a bit tall to stow on the boat. I see a few 7'6" options available including the same Eagle Claw Starfire. For salmon and trout trolling on Winnipesaukee what am I sacrificing with the shorter rod (keep it clean, LOL)? Any other suggestions, by no means am I impressed with the Eagle Claw units.

You said the rods are "two" piece rods. Can't they be broken down for storage?

I have downrigger rods that are all 8 foot medium action. And I also have a full set of spinning rods all with fast tips. They are 6 foot 6 inches. I have no trouble with either. They are set up for the way I am trolling.

I don't see you having a problem going to the 7'6" if that's what you need for storage reasons.

As a side note, the 8' trolling rods are rigged with 12 pound test mono because
I also use them on lake Ontario for King Salmon. When I troll for Land Locks I add a 75 foot tippet of 6 pound Floro so I don't spook the fish. I take the Floro off and save it for the next time I'm on Winni fishing salmon.

ToW

pjard · 02-21-2015, 09:41 AM

It's tough to describe where/how I stow two of the rods but even broken down it is not ideal.

ishoot308 · 02-22-2015, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjard

I have 4 Eagle Claw Starfire trolling combos. The rods are 2 pieces and 8'6". I find them a bit tall to stow on the boat. I see a few 7'6" options available including the same Eagle Claw Starfire. For salmon and trout trolling on Winnipesaukee what am I sacrificing with the shorter rod (keep it clean, LOL)? Any other suggestions, by no means am I impressed with the Eagle Claw units.

Just an fyi... I have both size starfire rods and if your leaving reel and line on when you break them down, there is not much difference in length because of the way the eyes line up closest to the splice.

I no longer use the starfire rods as I just didn't like the feel for salmon fishing. I switched to Shakespeare ugly stick big water rod. While I do like the feel of them a lot better than the starfire, they are not perfect either and are a little long. It's harder to land a fish by yourself with an 8' rod. If you have someone with you they are great.

A perfect rod to me for Winni salmon would be a light action, soft tipped 7' rod with a strong backbone. I have yet to find one I really like without spending crazy money, but I'm still looking.

Good luck!

Dan

pjard · 02-22-2015, 04:19 PM

Thanks Dan! I went over to Kittery Trading Post yesterday and noticed exactly what you mentioned about the breakdown length. However, even a little bit will make a big difference for my situation. KTP's regular price on the 7'6" is $29!!! Pretty cheap...not only that the sales guy over there told me they would be discounted further in a few weeks. I'll probably pull the trigger on a couple of them just as a test if nothing else. Again though, what am I sacrificing?

MikeF-NH · 02-24-2015, 08:04 AM

I have both the 8.6 and 7.6 and prefer the shorter rod in my smaller boat (16.5 feet). it makes it easier to thread line through the last eye on the rod in that small space and to grab line to put it on my planer board clips. I only have the 8.6 because it was a derby prize. I like the Starfires for value but have broken 2 tips due to carelessness which is why when I replace them, I am using ugly sticks. The ugly stick is heavier but still has good feel and I'm not worried about breaking it. They come in at about 50% more $$ than the starfire. I would recommend either rod but in a small boat, recommend a shorter rod.

Now if the ice would only start to melt...

dt5150 · 02-26-2015, 10:24 AM

check out diawa heartland rods. i run 2 of those for lead core rods and they've been excellent. they come in several lengths and actions. i think mine are 7.5 footers, medium-light action. light enough for our small landlocks, but enough backbone to use with leadcore line.

MAXUM · 03-06-2015, 08:58 AM

I'm not sure there really is a perfect rod for trolling I've tried several but honestly it seems like I have settled on the eagle claw down rigger rods as the best overall compromise. I agree if I'm fishing along landing a fish on such a long rod is hard, but I have compensated by having a net with a long handle.

Fisherjeep · 03-06-2015, 11:40 AM

Give one of these a try. http://www.fishusa.com/product/Okuma...-Trolling-Rods
I have been replacing my starfires with these. Very nice rod and a good price.

MAXUM · 03-22-2015, 04:16 PM

I just bought a new setup today over at the Kittery Trading Post.

I got a 6'6" Okuma avenger combo. Rod has a nice feel to it and the reel for being part of a combo is really nice as well. For $69.99 figured it would be worth a try. If I can get the same performance from a shorter rod I'll be very happy as the long downrigger rods that I have are a bit of a pain to deal with at times.

I'll let you all know how it performs once I get a chance to troll with it. The reel easily took 100 yards of standard lead core.

pjard · 03-22-2015, 05:46 PM

Maxum...please do keep us posted. I too was over at KTP and "downsized" to a couple of 7'6" rods with Okuma reels. I would love to drop another foot!

MAXUM · 03-23-2015, 04:51 PM

Will do! Just have to get all that ice out of the way.

MAXUM · 04-20-2015, 09:11 AM

Had a chance to test out my new combo yesterday. Sadly didn't catch anything but overall I'm very pleased. The rod trolls lead core very well, and just to test the overall feel I let out 8 colors and it was able to handle it quite well. The top 1/4 of the rod has some good give to it where the rest of it has enough stiffness to handle the drag of the line. I think it's going to be a gem, but I have not yet gotten a hit on it to see what that will feel like.

As for the fishing, there were fish on the finder, seemed to come in groups way up close to the surface between 15-5 feet especially along the ice edges. With the water holding steady at about 39.1 degrees (so reported by my fish finder) they may still be a bit sluggish. Still a beautiful day to be out trolling around and great to have the area I was in all to myself.

pjard · 04-23-2015, 03:18 PM

We caught a nice 19 1/2" salmon today. Unfortunately we got him on one of last years 8 1/2' rod. No luck yet with the 7 1/2' rod with the new Tuf-line micro-lead. It felt GREAT to catch our first fish of the season though.

MAXUM · 04-28-2015, 09:05 AM

I was out late in the day fishing on Sunday and caught my first salmon on the new combo. Now I got a little one, at best 13" so the feel in the rod was minimal but I do like it, even better, nice to easily handle landing it with the shorter rod.

ishoot308 · 04-28-2015, 09:28 AM

I fished the past three days by myself and had a chance to try out a Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2 rod and put it to a good test. This particular rod is a 7' x 2 piece rod with a medium / light power and an 8-20lb line rating. It really felt nice with lead core. The patented Ugly Stik soft tip has plenty of give and really helps from ripping the lips off the salmon when they are fighting yet still has plenty of feel and backbone for lead. While I wouldn't use this short of a rod on my downrigger, it certainly is a perfect planer board rod and a by yourself trolling rod and would certainly recommend it. Well worth the $39.00 MSRP!

Hope everyone had a good weekend fishing!

Dan

MAXUM · 04-28-2015, 03:15 PM

Can't be any worse than last weekend's NW gale blowing with what seemed to be barely above freezing temps. I love fishing but not in that stuff!

pjard · 04-29-2015, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ishoot308

I fished the past three days by myself and had a chance to try out a Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2 rod and put it to a good test. This particular rod is a 7' x 2 piece rod with a medium / light power and an 8-20lb line rating. It really felt nice with lead core. The patented Ugly Stik soft tip has plenty of give and really helps from ripping the lips off the salmon when they are fighting yet still has plenty of feel and backbone for lead. While I wouldn't use this short of a rod on my downrigger, it certainly is a perfect planer board rod and a by yourself trolling rod and would certainly recommend it. Well worth the $39.00 MSRP!

Hope everyone had a good weekend fishing!

Dan

Dan, do you know what the model number of GX2 you are using is?

ishoot308 · 05-04-2015, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjard

Dan, do you know what the model number of GX2 you are using is?

Sorry for the slow reply Paul but I just noticed your post...

Anyway the model I have is #USCA702ML.

Take care!

Dan

02-21-2015, 06:25 AM	#1
pjard Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 626 Thanks: 453 Thanked 184 Times in 97 Posts	Trolling Combo Question I have 4 Eagle Claw Starfire trolling combos. The rods are 2 pieces and 8'6". I find them a bit tall to stow on the boat. I see a few 7'6" options available including the same Eagle Claw Starfire. For salmon and trout trolling on Winnipesaukee what am I sacrificing with the shorter rod (keep it clean, LOL)? Any other suggestions, by no means am I impressed with the Eagle Claw units.

04-28-2015, 09:28 AM	#16
ishoot308 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gilford, NH / Welch Island Posts: 5,924 Thanks: 2,285 Thanked 4,936 Times in 1,912 Posts	GX2 Ugly Stik I fished the past three days by myself and had a chance to try out a Shakespeare Ugly Stik GX2 rod and put it to a good test. This particular rod is a 7' x 2 piece rod with a medium / light power and an 8-20lb line rating. It really felt nice with lead core. The patented Ugly Stik soft tip has plenty of give and really helps from ripping the lips off the salmon when they are fighting yet still has plenty of feel and backbone for lead. While I wouldn't use this short of a rod on my downrigger, it certainly is a perfect planer board rod and a by yourself trolling rod and would certainly recommend it. Well worth the $39.00 MSRP! Hope everyone had a good weekend fishing! Dan __________________ It's Always Sunny On Welch Island!! Last edited by ishoot308; 04-28-2015 at 10:27 AM.

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02-21-2015, 09:41 AM	#3
pjard Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 626 Thanks: 453 Thanked 184 Times in 97 Posts	It's tough to describe where/how I stow two of the rods but even broken down it is not ideal.

02-22-2015, 04:19 PM	#5
pjard Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 626 Thanks: 453 Thanked 184 Times in 97 Posts	Thanks Dan! I went over to Kittery Trading Post yesterday and noticed exactly what you mentioned about the breakdown length. However, even a little bit will make a big difference for my situation. KTP's regular price on the 7'6" is $29!!! Pretty cheap...not only that the sales guy over there told me they would be discounted further in a few weeks. I'll probably pull the trigger on a couple of them just as a test if nothing else. Again though, what am I sacrificing?

02-24-2015, 08:04 AM	#6
MikeF-NH Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 317 Thanks: 2 Thanked 120 Times in 80 Posts	I have both the 8.6 and 7.6 and prefer the shorter rod in my smaller boat (16.5 feet). it makes it easier to thread line through the last eye on the rod in that small space and to grab line to put it on my planer board clips. I only have the 8.6 because it was a derby prize. I like the Starfires for value but have broken 2 tips due to carelessness which is why when I replace them, I am using ugly sticks. The ugly stick is heavier but still has good feel and I'm not worried about breaking it. They come in at about 50% more $$ than the starfire. I would recommend either rod but in a small boat, recommend a shorter rod. Now if the ice would only start to melt...

02-26-2015, 10:24 AM	#7
dt5150 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 396 Thanks: 4 Thanked 105 Times in 70 Posts	check out diawa heartland rods. i run 2 of those for lead core rods and they've been excellent. they come in several lengths and actions. i think mine are 7.5 footers, medium-light action. light enough for our small landlocks, but enough backbone to use with leadcore line.

03-06-2015, 08:58 AM	#8
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	I'm not sure there really is a perfect rod for trolling I've tried several but honestly it seems like I have settled on the eagle claw down rigger rods as the best overall compromise. I agree if I'm fishing along landing a fish on such a long rod is hard, but I have compensated by having a net with a long handle.

03-06-2015, 11:40 AM	#9
Fisherjeep Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 7 Thanks: 1 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Give one of these a try. http://www.fishusa.com/product/Okuma...-Trolling-Rods I have been replacing my starfires with these. Very nice rod and a good price.

03-22-2015, 04:16 PM	#10
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	I just bought a new setup today over at the Kittery Trading Post. I got a 6'6" Okuma avenger combo. Rod has a nice feel to it and the reel for being part of a combo is really nice as well. For $69.99 figured it would be worth a try. If I can get the same performance from a shorter rod I'll be very happy as the long downrigger rods that I have are a bit of a pain to deal with at times. I'll let you all know how it performs once I get a chance to troll with it. The reel easily took 100 yards of standard lead core.

03-22-2015, 05:46 PM	#11
pjard Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 626 Thanks: 453 Thanked 184 Times in 97 Posts	Maxum...please do keep us posted. I too was over at KTP and "downsized" to a couple of 7'6" rods with Okuma reels. I would love to drop another foot!

03-23-2015, 04:51 PM	#12
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Will do! Just have to get all that ice out of the way.

04-20-2015, 09:11 AM	#13
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Had a chance to test out my new combo yesterday. Sadly didn't catch anything but overall I'm very pleased. The rod trolls lead core very well, and just to test the overall feel I let out 8 colors and it was able to handle it quite well. The top 1/4 of the rod has some good give to it where the rest of it has enough stiffness to handle the drag of the line. I think it's going to be a gem, but I have not yet gotten a hit on it to see what that will feel like. As for the fishing, there were fish on the finder, seemed to come in groups way up close to the surface between 15-5 feet especially along the ice edges. With the water holding steady at about 39.1 degrees (so reported by my fish finder) they may still be a bit sluggish. Still a beautiful day to be out trolling around and great to have the area I was in all to myself.

The Following User Says Thank You to pjard For This Useful Post:
ishoot308 (04-23-2015)

04-23-2015, 03:18 PM	#14
pjard Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Gilford, NH Posts: 626 Thanks: 453 Thanked 184 Times in 97 Posts	We caught a nice 19 1/2" salmon today. Unfortunately we got him on one of last years 8 1/2' rod. No luck yet with the 7 1/2' rod with the new Tuf-line micro-lead. It felt GREAT to catch our first fish of the season though.

04-28-2015, 09:05 AM	#15
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	I was out late in the day fishing on Sunday and caught my first salmon on the new combo. Now I got a little one, at best 13" so the feel in the rod was minimal but I do like it, even better, nice to easily handle landing it with the shorter rod.

The Following User Says Thank You to MAXUM For This Useful Post:
ishoot308 (04-28-2015)

04-28-2015, 03:15 PM	#17
MAXUM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Kuna ID Posts: 2,755 Thanks: 246 Thanked 1,942 Times in 802 Posts	Can't be any worse than last weekend's NW gale blowing with what seemed to be barely above freezing temps. I love fishing but not in that stuff!