Client request 9'-11.5', will be used slow trolling 1/2 oz,, 3way rig with flies, for walleyes in rivers. Any suggestions for handle lenghts? Should the foregrip be longer than nomal for fighting purposes? Blanks? Anybody have pictures?

Walleye, Fight??? Now there's an oxymoron for you!! Before anyone gets mad, I'm a walleye fisherman!

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

Greg,

I actually have several 9' -9'.5" walleye rods I have built, and one 11'.5" I bought. For the 9'-9'.5" footers I built, I used 9 and 10 weight fly rods. I went with the slightly heavier blank, so I could cast larger jigs, as well as troll.

All of my rods have a longer, full wells type foregrip. Usually about 7.5-8" long, with a 6" reargrip (including composite end). I like the way this setup looks and fishes, and I will sometimes hold the rod on the longer foregrip when trolling (won't use rodholder), and fighting fish.

However, that being said, I am going to build a rod with a shorter foregrip, and see how it feels using it.

I'll send you a pic, of the latest rods I am building.

Chris

Thanks Chris: That was VERY helpful Info,,,nice explanation. <;)))))))><

If your going to troll with the rod in a rod holder your sort of locked into a longer rear grip to accomodate that aspect. I perfer the short rear fightintg butt with the longer full wells foregrip (Michigan Grip) The longer fore grip is nice when fighting a fish as you don't choke up onto the hook keeper, but its real benefit is in learning to cast with your hand on the fore grip then the entire outfit is in balance, some cast from reel seat when drifting bottom, then shift tothe foregrip there after.

When it comes to noodle rods I like at least three guides on the butt section (9 foot blank) 4 for on 10's put to 11.5 foot blanks; so then the lower 5 or 6 guides spread the load out better when fighting a fish. We usually use noodle rods for Salmon/Steelhead, and trolling for walleye is indeed a different beast and application.

Noodling? I always thought Noodling was when you jumped in the water and went along the bank and you felt for holes in the bank and hoped there was a catfishin the hole. You tickled the lower jaw and hope he opened his mouth then you cramed your tumb in his mouth and pulled the catfish out (hopefully it was a catfish and not a copperheadedrattlemocossian or a musrat) No rod needed. I guess I am still a redneck by birth. Noodling is still fun in the right environment (no snakes, gators and musrats) even if you are an educated redneck.

If anybody wants to hear hillbilly redneck fish yarns see me in Charlotte! I might even have a few pictures too.

American by birth. Southern by the grace of god!

Ed Smith