Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

[Rockchalk]

Alright... What is a good rod/real combo for live baiting Walleye under $150.00... Under $100.00 even better. While were at it... How about crank bait trolling rigs as well. Thanks

 

[Barlow]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

can of worms Rockchalk .. this could get messy

 

[Booner]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Rockchalk all my rod/reel’s are Wally world stuff. I don't have real expensive taste when it comes to rod/real combos all under $100 bucks and I catch a lot of eyes on them every year. Some guys I fish with are always trying to keep up with the Jones’s with the more expensive equipment. It’s a personal choice. go wild cats!

 

[JB]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Hmmm.<br /><br />"Good" and "under $150" are not compatible criteria.<br /><br />Which do you want?

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Now wait a minute here.....a 7ft Berkley lightning rod (IM7), with an ABU Baitcaster will cover alot of walleye applications, from live bait to trolling cranks. I've caught many-a-fish on that combo and it comes out between 100-150$.

 

[snowshoe]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

I never did figure out why some fishing combos where so expensive when the kid with the 10$ outfit caught more fish than anyone else. Most tackle and fishing gear is just to catch fishermen not fish (and why do I have so many large tackle boxes full of stuff I haven't used for years????? the marketing strategy works!)

 

[SpinnerBait_Nut]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

It's all with what you like to use, me, I use Calcutta's all the time, just what I am use to using and I can worm fish, troll, spinnerbaits, my favorite, or throw some lite topwater stuff as well.<br />All preference.

 

[JB]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

I've caught a bunch of Walleye on cheap stuff, too. That wasn't the question.<br /><br />My walleye rod is a Fenwick HMG Graphite GCT 783, 6'6". Had it for about 10 years, paid $150 for it.<br /><br />On it I use a ABU Garcia Pro Max 1600 loaded with 8# superbraid. Had that about 10 years, too. Paid about $150 for that also.<br /><br />Very sensitive, very powerful rig. I land about twice the number of walleyes per strike as with the bargain basement stuff. I have also landed channel cat to 8lb, smallies to 6lb and musky to 36" with it. Not great for setting hooks into big esox, but that's not what it is for.<br /><br />As I said, "good" and "cheap" are not compatible.

 

[NathanY]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Berkley Lightnig Rod $39 @ WallyWorld<br />Ambassedor 5500 $59.95 @ WallyWorld<br /><br />Probably the best all around combo ever made. Right at $100, there you go.

 

[Moody Blue]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

The fish don't care what rod and reel you are using As someone once told me, "it's not how big your rod is, its how you wiggle the bait". I've caught many a walleye on my $80.00 combo. Can't say if I could catch more with a $150 or more rig but I do OK.

 

[TwoBallScrewBall]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

I've got a couple of nice setups that I put together real cheap. Galyans was clearing out some rods, I got a berkeley lightning rod and another IM7 or IM8 rod I can't remember the name of, for $9.99 each. Nice rods. Put an ABU 5500 on one and still looking for a reel for the other, but it's about a $70 setup when all's said and done. Fish do not get offended by the 'inferior' setup.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Not a walleye guy, but I'm a little skeptical hearing that "cheap" and "under $150" are synonymous. The question wasn't about the "best," either. Lot of bass fishermen smirk at anything that's not a custom Loomis rod with a Shimano Conqueso or whatever, but then a lot of perfectly good garage band guitarists go their entire lives without ever getting their hands on a Stratocaster. <br /><br />I favor a Diawa PT100 reel and the BPS IM-6 rod does a fine job for me, $55 the combo, currently on sale at $49.

 

[skeeterboy]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Check out airrus rods rodsbyairrus.com they are cheap and far better than Bass Pro Shop crap!! stay away from BPS brand fishing equipment. I know there stuff,cause ive worked there and my buddies work there and it is not nearly as good as what people say. Their reels are horrible, "but they have ten bearings and are cheap." Thats right you get what you pay for! As for reels go with the ambass or a shimano they will last for as long as you take care of it. Good Luck! Also look at tackletour.com for reviews on rods and reels.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Interesting, skeeterboy, one of four reels stolen from me last weekend was a bass pro qualifier - I'm replacing it with another Diawa. I've got one Diawa over 20 years old I keep on hand as a "backup" in case all my others get stolen (which they did) and another that lasted 20 years before biting the dust, is one reason I like that brand. Mag backlash control is another.<br /><br />But BPS prices the combo at $5.00 over the price of the reel - the one BPS rod I have (should say, had until last weekend) performed flawlessly for the six months I owned it. Well worth the $5.00.<br /><br />Thanks for the rod referral I'm definately checking them out.

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

99% of BPS reels and rods are built BY the major manufacturers anyway. I wouldn't say they are crap...I have several BPS tourney specials with ABU's on them for clients...never a bit of trouble and very well worth the invested price.<br />It depends how "specialized" you are wanting to get when talking "what rig fits what".

 

[skeeterboy]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Ok maybe crap is harsh, but compared to many other brands they arnt impressive. The reels are just not the quality as say diawa or shimano especially the japan versions. We just try to tell people to look at other rods when buyng new gear. The shimno Compre rod is EXCELENT and has a limited lifetime warrenty for around 80bucks-90bucks. Of course its no Loomis,croix or kistler, but its a great rod for the price.

 

[marketer]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Hear me out...when I was younger I caught all kinds of fish using a safty pin (Bent into a hook) and ordinary thread...not one fish complained.<br /><br />Now I just use what feels right in my hand and heavy enough reel with 20 Lb. test and I catch small ones and big ones...no complaints.<br /><br />Once when I accidently broke my rod (Way back in the boonies) I used a very small poplar tree and caught more fish the rest of the fishing trip than all the guys...learned something it's not how fancy your rod is but how you use it.<br /><br />Doug

 

[jcarenz]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Have to go with Doug on this. I have never used anything that cost me over 20 bux. I catch as many and sometimes more than any of the guys I fish with. i look for the action on the rod and how well the reel runs. If it wears out in a year or 2, i buy another for 20 bux!

 

[JustMrWill]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Dad use to take us fishing...we always needed the cool, new rod and reel...he bought the green fishing line on a plastic spool thing that cam with a hook and bobber and a buckshot weight...$0.50. He always caught 4x the fish we did. Learned real early that what is out of the water makes very little difference to the fish.<br /><br />I say... if if feels good to you, and you cast it where you want it and reel it in when ya need to...it is doing it's job. Whether it cost $0.50 or $500...if you are happy with it then it is the right fishing setup.<br /><br />-JustMrWill

 

[TELMANMN]

Re: Ultimate Walleye Rod/Real?

Get the best you can afford. Take care of it, change line and enjoy. <br /> I have always liked a shorter rod for slow trolling in deep water(vertical) and a longer stout rod for trollin crank baits etc. <br /> My dad used to use a steel rod with a early spincast reel and he seemed to catch fish. I have had rods that were exorbiant and all but one I could care less about. <br /> The one I really liked was a Fenwick that I bought in 1980. It was a 5' 11" that was rated at 2lbs between and 14 lbs. line weight. I always thought it was a misprint but It was the best rod I ever owned. <br /> My daughter stepped on it while we were in the boat, in 1987 (she was 5) and it was gone. Still do not know if it was a good rod but I put a ultra lite reel on it and caught fish and also put on a medium reel and caught fist. Biggest was an 8 lbs. walleys. Go figure.