Hi all, next build is a 6'6" wire line trolling rig for Stripers in New England. I am looking for recommendations on blank, reel seat, and guides.

Thanks!

Scott

"My biggest fear in life is that when I die, my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it."

I really like the Seeker CLB blanks for this application. The glass core keeps the tip soft and flexible and the carbon outer wraps on the lower half pump up the power without requiring a large butt diameter.

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For the guides the old answer was carbaloy. But today's high quality ceramics work just fine. For the tip a roller guide works get. The reason for the roller is to provide a larger radius for the wire to pass over as it leaves the rod. Depending on the type of line used and the type of trolling being done, the wire can take a 'set' or kink when passing through a ceramic (or carbaloy) tip, leading to line failure. Bunker spoons are the worst culprit of this. With their action the rod tip is constantly pulsating so even with a rally soft tip it can happen.

I'm curious what kind of wire you will be using?

Just curious: why are you set on 6'6"? I ask because all the research I did showed that the wire line sharpies preferred much longer rods, with 8 and 9 feet being the preference. If you're gonna be trolling bunker spoons -- and I can't imagine why you'd use wire line for anything else -- then I would respectfully suggest an 8- or 9-foot all-glass blank.

I know very little about this kind of fishing -- I'm a surf guy -- but I built this kind of rod a few years ago, and I learned that all the sharpies like these kind of longer rods. At first, I thought that they were nuts, and stuck in the past, that a shorter, more modern blank like a live bait blank would work just as well. It was only when an old-timer told me that A) when trolled at the right speed, a bunker spoon can move as much as 10 or 12 feet from side to side, and B) he trolls his spoons with the rods in outrodders, horizontal to the water, that I started to see why the longer rods made sense. If your boat is 8 feet wide, and your rod tips when trolled are 7 feet out on both the port and starboard side, then you have 22 feet between the spoons, which oughta be enough to keep them from fouling. With a 6.5 or 7 foot rod, that may not be the case.

You can use whatever you want, of course, but I would do some more digging before you commit to anything. There's a reason that the bunker spoon sharpies like long, limber, all-glass rods.

Thanks all, as for the size, I have fished both, and my favorite go to wire rig now is a 6'6". I have a 7, but in my mind it is too flexible. It will not be used just for spoons. Up here I wire line tube and worms, jigs, etc when the stripers head down deep. John, I believe she will be using monel. Dave, I agree on the roller tip. I would have never said a few years ago but I do get snags on my current setup.

If any has a particular model number on the blank, whether Seeker or not that would be great.

Thanks again, very much appreciated!

Scott

Scott,

I'm assuming this will be a trolling application?

We do a lot of wire line trolling fishing in my area of the country and have gotten away from monel as it just isn't user friendly enough. You might want to suggest to your customer that she consider running one of the new 19 strand braided wire. It is a lot more flexible and resists kinking. You can actually tie knots in this stuff: [www.torpedodivers.com]

It works well with any variation of tip that provides a large radius for the tine to pass over (roller, Twili, etc.) The new 19 strand wire is much smoother than the older 7 strand wire and a lot easier on the guides.

Here's the tip we use a lot: [www.torpedodivers.com] It has a guide right before the roller to help keep the wire centered and under control as it enters the roller. This tip also swivels to follow the fish.

Wow, thanks John good stuff! Will prob try that for myself as well, thanks again! I assume ti goes as deep?

"My biggest fear in life is that when I die, my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2013 02:33PM by Scott Backholm.

I can't speak to the depth of 19 strand compared to Monel other than to speculate it is probably close. When we need to go deeper than the 19 strand is capable of, we will run copper line ( much larger diameter and heavier )

[www.atommiktrollingflies.com]

This is one of many popular brands. Copper is available in 32 , 45, and 60 lb. weight. The 45 is most commonly used. At a salmon troll of 2.3 mph measured at the lure, 500' of 60 lb. copper can reach depths of 100 -115 feet deep. This is significantly deeper than Monel. Additionally copper line is very soft and can be used with just about any guide. Most copper line rods use basic oversized stainless steel boat rod guides and a roller tip. A standard tip will work also if the rod tip is soft and points at the fish when loaded.

Great info, thanks John!

"My biggest fear in life is that when I die, my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it."