Hi
I am looking at changing my downrigger rods I have 7' tiger sticks right now. I would like to find a rod 8'6 with a lighter action any advise would help.
Thanks
Bear

Okuma makes good 'rigger rods in 8'6". The nice thing is they are only $25 at Sportco.

We went with a Diawa Heartland S model HLSD862MS-G in the 8' 6 ' length this summer and it's great for downriggers. Line weight for this is stated at 12-20 lb and we run 15 lb test. It's not too heavy for the local coho that run in the 3 to 6 lb range up to ocean run 10+ lb fish. This rod is fiberglass so it takes a pounding and comes back for more. I got it at 3 Rivers Marine and it was somewhere in the $30 to $40 range. Hope this helps.

Shimano makes the TDR series which is supposedly designed for D'rigger fishing and is available in different stiffnesses.

I use and like them. About $35.

They are good for newbies that might break a graphite rod.

I know the Okuma rods you're talking about, they're the Connoisseur line. I have one for regular salmon fishing, and for the price, they're great rods. Light and reasonably sensative, with a strong backbone and a light tip. I like the guides too, they're string wrapped with the wrapping coated with epoxy. And the price is the best of all. Great downrigger rods, as well as casting and mooching. They also look great, if you care about that. If you need a salmon rod for a kid, you can't do much better if you don't want to spend a fortune.

Fenwick "Fenglass" rods in that 8'6" length are about as durable a downrigger rod as you'll find. Cost a little more than what's mentioned above, but they have the feel similar to a steelhead rod with the light, slow action of a quality fiberglass DR rod. Also the blank is very condenced which makes it a nice light, thin diameter rod,
Know of a couple of charter boats in this state, who troll with downriggers, that use these Fenwicks.
I use moderate action graphite rods myself.
$0.02

J.D.

I would think a 1265C would be good then when fishing the rivers you also can use it as a float fishing rod.

roger Easy Limits on the Okuma - decent DR rod for 20 bucks- 8'6" comes in two diff. options - good rod and if you step on it, throw it away and buy another - good rods - a bit on the slow side for me but handle kings big time- i've smoked up smilies on that rod several times never feeling under gunned.
A SPORTCO visit is in your immediate future my friend.

lead thrower, the Loomis STR1265c is what I'ver been useing on the Columbia for the last 8-9 years off downriggers.

It has enough backbone to land 50#+ URB's yet it's light enough that a 8# Steelhead is still fun. ...There's lot of cheaper rods out there that'll work, but these are a blast to use!

JD,
I agree with you on the Fenwick.I have been using my old FS85c for years as a downrigger rod and I love it works great.Its really durable too.Have a shimano TR200 on it.That twenty year old rod has caught silvers to 21.5 lbs and kings to 42 lbs.

I use a G-Loomis Gl2 1265c 10'6 for my rigger rod. It has a sensitive tip and good backbone. I have heard good things about shimano talorus rods, and the TDR series. Three Rivers marine has the TDR series with a Shimano reel on sale for $89.99.

I use a Rainshadow 1263F set to use with a, Islander or knuckle buster syle reel. A long flexing rod on a downrigger is a blast to fight the fish with and it is fine to use with the downrigger, as long as its not a pure graphite blank. They will snap if flexed to far, graphite is a very brittle material. A composite E-Glass, Graphite and fiberglass will work great. Since it's for a downrigger you dont need the pure graphite for feel and the composite will hold up much longer and be just as fun.

The shimanos are cheap, have the right action, and have thus far been durable for me. $35 is hard to bet.

I either use the Fenwick FS85C or the Loomis STR 1265C and like both.

I usually pick the Fenwick for sentimental reasons, it feels like the rod I used as a kid.

Jeff

I use a 8'6" Lamaglass Certified Pro fiberglass rod. I love it! Works well mooching also.

Check out the Lamiglas E Glass rods...I think those are a super downrigger rod. The problem with the TDR rods is that they are very bulky...remind me of fishing with a shovel handle.

The Lamiglas MBC 86H 8'6" rod is going to be field tested tomorrow and I will report back..It is a good looking graphite rod and seems to have a smooth taper . The rod is not made for downriggers but I think they will work fine and they are light but have a heavy action. The recommended line weight is 12-25#

The TDR rods by the way are great rods for visiting rookies...hard to break one of those...and if you do it isn't that big a deal.

I'll second the earlier suggestion on the Lamiglass (fiberglass) Certified Pro rods. I initially bought the 864 model (rated 12-25lb) thinking they might be a good compromise for downrigging and mooching but found them too heavy for my liking as downrigger rods. I dedicated these two rods for mooching and river trolling and bought the 862 model (rated 10-20lbs) and have been very happy with them. Light enough to make sport out of blackmouth and silvers and enough backbone to handle 99% of the kings your likely to encounter. The downside is both models run about $125 each at Outdoor Emporium.

I thought it was the constant bend in the rod that was hard on the downrigger rods. Why does it matter if the person reeling the fish in is a beginner or not?

Jeff D

Those Fenwick FS85C's were the rods I used with my Grandfather in the salt as a kid. I hear ya on the sentimental reasons.

Only down side is the rod just feels mushy to me after using graphite for so many years.

I would never let a beginner use one of my GLoomis rods or the very light ones on the downrigger. I have much sturdier rods for them. It takes some time to fish off a downrigger with a light rod and not risk breaking it.