i run long arm big jon manuals off my Ranger.. in need of a couple new downrigger rods. whats everyones go to brand that isn't going to break the bank? thanx
Great Lakes Fishing
Downrigger rods
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It might be better to put into context of what the DR rod is pulling on the board. If your pulling cranks, it is tip loaded (or top 1/5 of the rod most) and surging in choppy conditions. I just did this last weekend and watched the rod. The rod comes nowhere near even loading which by that I mean achieving design curvature for the rod. It had no impact on fishing and I have done this quite a bit over the years. Now I have out of necessity pulled a full core in heavy conditions on a DR rod and it was not good. The board can almost completely stop and then power surge or leap as the rod snaps back. It could be my cheapie cabelas DR rods, but I mostly see tip deflection pulling cranks on walleye boards. The full rod curvature is not being activated while pulling the board with those low loads.
Actually it's just the opposite, a downrigger rod is designed to have a parabolic bend when loaded in the rigger. A planerboard rod is designed to have a heavy backbone with a fast tip.
The fast tip allows the board to move over waves and such absorbing some of the shock but not transmitting it to the entire rod length giving it quick recovery and "hopping" the boards.
The long slow action of a rigger rod will bend or load evenly throughout the length of the rod before recoiling and "shooting" or surging the boards ahead. They pump and tug very hard in the holders and as mentioned tend to drag further behind the boat.
But to answer your question, downrigger rods will work, just not as well as a rod designed to do it.
Displaying 1 to 9 of 9 posts
