Need to get some rods for spider rigging at the best possible price? Actually need the whole setup. Advice please.
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Need to get some rods for spider rigging at the best possible price? Actually need the whole setup. Advice please.
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Bug ... I can only tell you what I have & use :
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Two 4rod rod holders by Hi-tek Stuff. (Elite Series) I added the black knobs to make adjustments w/o needing a wrench.
One 14' BnM Pro Staff Trolling rod
Two 14' BnM Capps/Coleman Spider Rig rods
Now the disclaimer : I don't "Spider Rig", I "Push" jigs/cranks with my setup.
The Capps/Coleman rods are a bit more limber tipped than the PST rod ... and would therefore show a lighter bite more easily.
If you want the best price ... keep your eye on the Personal Classifieds Forum !! I see sets of rods for sale on there quite often, and rod holders, too. (I actually bought my two sets of Hi-Tek rod holders from there) And you "could" post a WTB (want to buy) on the Personal Classifieds, stating what you're looking for & a price range, if you don't see anything of interest currently on there (& after you decide on brand/style of rod holder and brand/length of rods).
Now, I have fished in other peoples boats that had rod holders with the large U shaped cradle prongs ... and I didn't care much for them, because they would poke my wrists whenever I grabbed my rod (in front of the reel) out of the holder when getting a bite. And if they had the nut end of the screw coming up under the rod handle ... I'd get scraped by the bolt if I tried to grab the rod by the handle (behind the reel). With the low profile of the Hi-Tek holder cradle, I don't even think about where I grab the rod.
If I was going to be Spider Rigging, Pushing, AND Long Line trolling with the same set of rod holders .... I would prefer the Extreme Series Hi-Teks, just for the deeper U of the cradle.
Also of note: if you measure your boat seat distance from where you're mounting the rod holders & find that the 18" riser post is not as tall as you'd like, but you still like the Hi-Tek style holders ... then you might consider looking at Cumberland Crappie 360 rod holders. They have the same style rod holders as the Hi-Tek holders, but the T-bar riser post is height adjustable. Cumberland Crappie also has two other styles of rod holders ... one with a V shaped cradle (Cumberland model) and one with the U shaped cradle (Green River model).
Thanks for the info! I will definitely check out the Classifieds Forum and the Hi-Teks.
It's been said that free advise is worth what it cost.
Mine would be to try it before you invest much into it.
Best way is to go with someone who does it if possible, and evaluate their setup as well as your opinion of it.
Next best thing is to stick just your toe in the water first, before spending large sums on something you might not even like.
Rod holders are a must have, and you cant go wrong with the cradle type as shown, or those by Driftmaster.
Rods and reels are the main issue and expense. Rod storage can also become an issue, especially if you want other type rods along also. I have a Driftmaster tip saver setup which works fine, but again for how many rods and how long?
Awhile back I met a couple guys at a lake who told me they were using telescopic rods and having good success.
Later another guy on this site had similar remarks. Last year I tried putting a 10' telescopic rod in a holder on the opposite side toward the deeper water, while I was moving slowly along single pole jigging.
Next trip I tried 2 on that side, both with plain hooks and minnows.
Next trip I had 2 on each side and used no jig pole. I can use 4 on each side if wind conditions allow me.
I find that the 12' rods are long enough, and can be bought for less than 10 bucks each. In fact I bought some on special at Fast Break in Okeechobee for 6 bucks each. I can keep 20 rods on my 17' Key West easily, 10 of them being telescopic rods stored verticly in short sections of 3" pvc pipe tie wrapped on each side of the console. I don't even know they are there as for space or being in the way. I use pre made leaders of different legnths up to 10',and wrap them around short sections of foam pool noodles for storage. I use coast lock snaps for securing them to the rod tip and attaching the hooks or jigs and the casting sinker weight on the bottom. When im finished I fold down the rod and wrap the leader around the keepers, then wrap pcs of Velcro around the hooks for safe keeping. Next trip the rod is all rigged and ready. If a rod gets screwed up I just fold it up and grab another.
Not saying or implying that this is the best way to go about it. But fact is it works well, and maybe even well enough for some of us who might rather fish other ways anyway. For sure it's a very reasonably way to give it a try.
I've had several homemade and factory made Rod holders. Spyderloks are by far the best in my opinion. I would not skimp on them . If you do , you will wind up with more holes in your boat in a couple of years when you decide to upgrade to better holders. Now , spider rigging. I used bnm widowmakers for years (15.00 each ) they are : cheap, heavy and have flimsy tips but will catch fish. You can always slowly add quality rods as your budget allows. If you want to start with the best then : If all your going to do is slow troll ( spider rig) then bnm buck graphite jig pole in 16 footers would be my choice. If you think crankbaits maybe in your future, the bnm pro staff trollers in 20 16 12 and 8 should be at the top of list . You want to stagger them in 4 ft incriminates to prevent tangles when pulling crankbaits . A lot of guys are going to denallis rods for everything and really love them . I have no experience with them so I can't say . Reels- I really like my Okuma dx15 line counter reels , and use them for everything. Pay 10 dollars more. and get them over the Shakespeare line counters if you go that route. I have some of the Shakespeares. I can tell they aren't going to hold up . We have Okumas that are 8 years old and still in the arsenal. However, when I started out -the old school , metal Zebo 33s were my go to reels. You can find them on eBay very reasonable priced.
The BnM 10' Black Widow telescopic rod is lighter than my BnM 10' ultra lite, or my BnM 10' Sam Heaton jig rods.
Of coarse there is no reel to add to the weight either, but I do use small reels on my jig poles.
The Black Widow line also includes longer lengths which will of coarse add some to the weight.
The very long 16' is too heavy for me, but then so are the conventional 16' rods.
I do have a few 12' and a few 10' Pro Angler rods which are also excellent quality rods, especially for trolling.
If I were ever going to get more serious about this, id just be adding a few more 12' Pro Anglers to what I have.
But running line thru all those guides on the very long rods especially in the boat, for me at least isn't very enjoyable.
Videos don't show any of that, just the fun stuff.
I only have had experience with the longer black widows. They seem as though they weigh a ton compared to graphite. Can't hardly tear them up though . I sold some old ones (14')the other day for 10.00 each . Now that's maintaining value , considered how long I used them . The rest of them I'm donating along with some bass rods to a lady that fixes up used /unwanted fishing gear to underprivileged youths . Yobuck, if you troll , you should give the longer (16'+) rods a chance. I know their aggravating, but they produce more fish for us than shorter rods. I believe it's because their further away from the boat .
Mine are 14 and 16' cheapest I could find telescopic rods. If a tip gets broke I add a new top for a shorter rod.
I use the Johnson Century 100, 100A and 100B reels, they can be reworked so it's under the rod, left or right hand retrieve. Once the depth is set there is no reeling, just line storage.
I saw some 13' black widows with reel seat at a store yesterday at a good price, $15 if the stick was right.
My trolling rigs and transport rack are home made.
Well not to beat up on a dead horse, but I guess the OP did ask about rods. lol
First I think spider rig trolling or any trolling is best done by several people, especially if lots of rods are employed.
Otherwise it can be a recipe for lots of screwed up rods, and it matters not which type you use.
A big catfish can make a mess of a bunch of rods real quick. And while all thats going on and your attention is sidetracked you've been blown into the bushes. Ask me how I know that. lol
I can clear the deck pretty fast with the telescopics, and if one happens to get busted no big deal.
Rerigging is easy, just unsnap the screwed up rig from the tip, toss it into a bucket, and snap on a new premade rig.
Plus im always alone, so I have to base what I do on conditions and not just preference. Which is why I carry lots of rods with me. I wont fight the conditions, just to do what I came prepared to do.
Probably a carry over from many years of strictly salt water.
If I troll and have a fish on before the second rod is in the water, I take that as a sign I won't need as many rods.
Frankly that happens often with the 12' rods, especially with minnows, which could also be a topic for discussion.
BnM no longer makes the 14' Black Widow telescopic. I do have one I bought several years back and tried to buy more recently. They make a 13' in that line and I do have several of those. But I frankly see no difference in what the fish prefer over the 12 footers, and again, especially with minnows.
I need 2 hands to pick up the extended 16' BnM Black Widow telescopic and thats unrigged.
Fast Break tackle shop in Okeechobee carries a line of telescopics called Shure Strike, and of coarse BnM also.
They are equally as good as the BnM as for quality, and they make a 15' which I bought just one of.
I really like that rod, but next time I went there they had sold out of that length. So I bought a few more 12' at 6 bucks each on sale.
If they get more of those in i'll get more, but otherwise I don't see myself moving away from what im doing.
I also like having a long telescopic along for reaching way out for a hole in the hydrilla or the taller stuff.
Especially since I see myself going backwards some on my choice of the jig rod length.
Apparently sac a lat ain't interested.
Don't really matter if HE is, or not. All the info is here to help anyone/everyone that may be seeking it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dutchman
I do have a job, that means I am not able to get on this site as often as I would like. Being a professional land surveyor demands both time in the office and in the field. Aside from that I do go home to my family who I gladly spend quality time with. That being said I do appreciate the information so graciously provided by others who have more knowledge then I do. Once again, thanks to all for the information.Quote:
Originally Posted by CrappiePappy
Used to be the boss stayed in the office and did the drawing etc, while the (crew) went out in the field for the surveying. Today, thanks to (ahem) better equipment, the boss gets to do it all by himself. lolQuote:
Originally Posted by sac a lait bug
you got to get your priorities in order .Quote:
Originally Posted by sac a lait bug
That's alright bug. A while back I couldn't stay in here long enough to suit some members. I was watching a few online auctions for a last minute bid.
Thanks cane. Just trying to use the forum as it is intended; hopefully at some point I will be able to share gained knowledge but for now I'm still in the learning curve.
Hey bug. I wanted to try spider riggin and get into it cheap as well about a year ago.
I started with a 4 pole driftmaster and 4 cheap mr crappie 10' rod/reel combos.
My next purchase was a helix 9 mega chirp that has si, di, gps. This drastically changed my game!
Have since added a couple more driftmasters for the back seat but I'm really liking where I'm at, at this point.
Not so sure I'll ever get to where I can handle more than 4 rods at a time by myself. Here's a pic of my setup.
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If your catching fish and enjoying yourself then no reason to change anything.
I started out with 12 ft poles then moved up to 16 footers. I have used lot of different brands but liking the ones from Southern Crappie. The 16 footers is good if your boat has the length if not go with shorter rods.
LittleJohn
Just my opinion, a 14 foot rod is just about a perfect all around spider rigging rod length. I have 16's as well and like them also, but if I was new to it and could only buy 4 or 8 rods I would go with 14's across the board. 16 footers come in handy when fishing shallower water, gets the baits out further from the boat and trolling motor, or when fishing clearer water with spooky fish. Here where I fish the clear water is usually not much of an issue.
What are your trolling rigs?When I was about 10yo my uncles made cane pole rigs we trolled with,caught a lot of crappie,no fish radar back then!Quote:
Originally Posted by canebreaker
Threads like that are usually from scammers
I wouldn’t be agreeing with you on that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fragger
You know it’s probably a fact that most people will seek out those with the nicest boats at the launch ramp parking lots to ask questions. And as a rule you wont get much you can really hang your hat on.
I ask the tackle shop operator where i buy my minnows about who to watch and where.
And The Who ain’t always who you might most suspect.
Lots of very slow trolling or drifting goes on at least here, from boats having seen much better days using mostly telescopic rods with floats hooks and minnows.