Thread: Need help setting up a crappie boat

There was a thread here a few months ago which was informative on poles. The general consensus was the Capps & Coleman poles were the most sensitive if the bite was light, the Wally Marshall tightline specials were the stiffest if you were using a lot of weight, and the B & M prostaff trollers were in between. As I recall most folks favored the Wally's or the B & M's.

I use 8', 10', and 12' rods to keep them from tangling up to much.....works good for trolling crank baits too.....creek does the same but uses up to 18'ers on his trawler....works good.

Originally Posted by CastandBlast

I use 8', 10', and 12' rods to keep them from tangling up to much.....works good for trolling crank baits too.....creek does the same but uses up to 18'ers on his trawler....works good.

18's and 20's would be a little hard to handle in a 15' boat. They do work on a 20' toon.:D

For a general trolling rod you can't beat the B&M ProStaff. They will handle light jigs for spider rigging and are also stiff enough for crank baits. The Capps & Colemans are great rods for spider rigging in fairly calm water. If it is rough they are too light and will bounce too much (they will give you fits in rough water). The Tightline specials are great for cranks but a bit stiff for spider rigging and light bites are hard to see with them. I have sets of the Capps & Coleman's, ProStaff, and Tightline specials but if I had to own just one rod it would definitely be the ProStaff's. They are middle of the road for sensitivity but tough as nails. You can fish any style with them effectively. They are extremely tough and can handly heavy duty pro style fishing without breaking a sweat. Just take care of them and don't be bumping them into things or stepping on them and they will last forever. I personally like the 16 footers and that is what I usually use (along with some 18 footers) but also use the 12-14 footers sometimes and they work great too. If I had to stick with a single length I would go with the 14 footers if I had a 15 ft boat. My second pick for a single brand rod would have to be Blue Thunder's pick: The Wally Marshall signature series universal rod from BPS. I have several of those also in the 14 ft length and they are very good. Action reminds me of the ProStaff (maybe a tad lighter action) but the rod itself is much lighter and very easy to handle. I haven't had them as long as the ProStaff so I can't say how well they will hold up over time....but I like them so far and have had no problems with them. BTW: for rod holders be sure to check out the Hi Teks. They are industrial grade built by a Crappie fisherman and priced right.

does anyone make the "hotshot" plug anymore? it was good for crappie and we used them back in the 50's for trolling for crappie.


old

CC, I saw your post and thought you might want to take a look at these. I invented them, make them, guarantee them. Installs in minutes, removes in seconds, flush mount base, adjust up/down, side to side, all at once, steel construction, rubber coated for pole protection, powder coated for durability. No tools needed to adjust or remove. Custom fit available usually at no extra cost, just specify height. Lake tested for several years. Available in 2,3, and 4 pole.
Thanks for looking:D

Originally Posted by luvpt

For a general trolling rod you can't beat the B&M ProStaff. They will handle light jigs for spider rigging and are also stiff enough for crank baits. The Capps & Colemans are great rods for spider rigging in fairly calm water. If it is rough they are too light and will bounce too much (they will give you fits in rough water). The Tightline specials are great for cranks but a bit stiff for spider rigging and light bites are hard to see with them. I have sets of the Capps & Coleman's, ProStaff, and Tightline specials but if I had to own just one rod it would definitely be the ProStaff's. They are middle of the road for sensitivity but tough as nails. You can fish any style with them effectively. They are extremely tough and can handly heavy duty pro style fishing without breaking a sweat. Just take care of them and don't be bumping them into things or stepping on them and they will last forever. I personally like the 16 footers and that is what I usually use (along with some 18 footers) but also use the 12-14 footers sometimes and they work great too. If I had to stick with a single length I would go with the 14 footers if I had a 15 ft boat. My second pick for a single brand rod would have to be Blue Thunder's pick: The Wally Marshall signature series universal rod from BPS. I have several of those also in the 14 ft length and they are very good. Action reminds me of the ProStaff (maybe a tad lighter action) but the rod itself is much lighter and very easy to handle. I haven't had them as long as the ProStaff so I can't say how well they will hold up over time....but I like them so far and have had no problems with them. BTW: for rod holders be sure to check out the Hi Teks. They are industrial grade built by a Crappie fisherman and priced right.

Very informative. Thank you.

Considering I have a 15' boat, 14' B&M ProStaff rods may be my best match. Would I be sacrificing my God promised Crappie Charming ability:D if I was to settle for 12' B&M ProStaff? The 12' rods come in 2 sections, whereas 14' rods come in 3 sections. I'm thinking fewer moving parts, so to speak, might be more advantageous even at the expense of the extra 2' in length.

You're right about B&M ProStaff rods. Besides "spider rigging" I can also pick up "pulling cranks" later on, it sound like it can be real fun.

As for reels, Magda Pro 15DX Star Drag Line Counter Reel seems to be highly acclaimed by other forum users. Unfortunately I only have one right hand, to hold the rod, but no extra right hand to crank it with. And it weighs a ton. However it would be nice to have a line counter. I've always wondered how you catch crappies at a specific depth, do you measure it every time? LOL. It may good for pulling cranks, but I think I'll better off with one of those mini/micro cranking reels, it's the Devil I know. Academy Sports in Little Rock has'em for $20, I'm sure Wally World has it's own "Built Down to a Price" version that will satisfy my single right arm handicap.

I like the Driftmaster T-bar, 4 per bar setup, good adjustments....Picked up some nice trolling Fiberglass rods 12' at Gander Mt. along with some baby closed reels. With 8 rods and the chance to tie of double Jigs, 2 per rod....16 baits in the water, you can get some serious action going that is hard to keep up with, double slabs on more than one is possible....a variable speed trolling motor is a VERY good thing too...controlled speed is crucial.