Erynh-

For trolling in both the lake and sound I use a 10'6" rod rated for 15 to 30lb line and would recommend using nothing shorter than a 9 Fiberglass rod. Dont buy an expensive graphite rod for trolling, they will not handle the endured stresses of trolling like fiberglass can. Save those for the rivers.

If your hands tire easily then select a level wind reel with at least 4:1 ratio and a single handle with a long arm, 4-5 inches. My wife likes this setup because she can gain more leverage on the fish and retreive line easier. Good for kids too.

For a mainline I use a 20lb monofilament line on all my salt reels, 15lb for fresh. Try Maxima or Ande line.


When considering what type of downrigging equipment you want to buy, I think it's important to keep in mind how often you plan on using it, and for what type of fish. If you are going to fish alot, then buy good electric downriggers like Scotty Downriggers. If you are just going to fish for fun and infrequently, manuals may not be a bad choice because they are alot cheaper. What kind of boat did you get?