MotoBoat
2/21/2011 8:51:00 AMIf that pole looks loaded now, wait until a fish hits! Downriggers do put a hurt on the rod for sure.
Anonymous
2/21/2011 2:15:00 PMWe haven't broken one yet. The rod pictured is an X-Rod and is mostly glass so it's not going anywhere and Ive got a couple from kokaneemart .com which are custom made out of graphite fly rod blanks, one 7'9" and an 8'er.You're right though over time we could snap one of them but all winter already in the freezing weather and it's all good.....It's just fun to see them loaded up while trolling and the benefit is that usually they pop right off the clip and it's fish on. I'd say our hookup percentage is 80 %.
larsencp
2/21/2011 3:55:00 PMWhat's nice about loading up the rods like that other than it's neater than heck is that when a fish strikes generally it pulls free of the clip and it's fish on. In theory it shouldn't make a difference because the clip tension is setting the hook, but we do seem to have a good hook up ratio. I'd say 80 % conservatively, I don't know if thats average for downrigging but when I used to troll without them my hook up percentage was maybe 50 %.Lots of line out and the rod in the holder.The rod in the photo is a new kokanee cutthroat rod from X-rods and it is mostly glass and extremely flexible at the tip.I have two custom rods from kokaneemart.com and they are 3wt and 5wt graphite fly rods with 15 and 18 guides on them.I wouldn't dream of bending them at the tip like Jim Mercier did at the show with the X-rod but they do load nicely in the clips for trolling. Maybe next week It will get a photo op.
ammkost
2/21/2011 6:50:00 PMMy fishing partner larsencp is correct about our hook-up ratio when the rods in the downriggers are loaded up like in the photo.
My new XRodz is an eight footer, with 90% high modular fiberglass and 10% graphite composite materials.
This was its first day on the water since ordering it from Jim Mercier of XRodz at the Sportsman Show.
As you can see it loaded up nicely.
My fishing partners fly weight rods (smaller diameter blanks) are bent over and loaded up even more drastically than mine, but still perform exceptionally.
There are many different material types of downrigging application rods out on the market now.
Some are fiberglass, some graphite and some are combinations of both.
These are specifically designed downrigger rods for loading up, to perform like a giant snubber for playing and landing the Cutthroats, Kokanee and Trout.
With sharp sticky hooks on your lures and loading these new designed material rods in your downrigger, l also believe it will increase your hookset percentages.
It has for us.
Thanks guys for your responses.
The Cutthroat Crane Operators.
My new XRodz is an eight footer, with 90% high modular fiberglass and 10% graphite composite materials.
This was its first day on the water since ordering it from Jim Mercier of XRodz at the Sportsman Show.
As you can see it loaded up nicely.
My fishing partners fly weight rods (smaller diameter blanks) are bent over and loaded up even more drastically than mine, but still perform exceptionally.
There are many different material types of downrigging application rods out on the market now.
Some are fiberglass, some graphite and some are combinations of both.
These are specifically designed downrigger rods for loading up, to perform like a giant snubber for playing and landing the Cutthroats, Kokanee and Trout.
With sharp sticky hooks on your lures and loading these new designed material rods in your downrigger, l also believe it will increase your hookset percentages.
It has for us.
Thanks guys for your responses.
The Cutthroat Crane Operators.
