Trolling is a great way to catch walleye in the spring, summer, and fall and having the right rod and reel setup can make all the difference. In this post, we answer the following content request submission:
“Looking for recommendations for rod and reel setups for pulling crank baits.”
VA Member Brian W.
Ross Robertson of Bigwater Fishing commonly gets asked what setup he recommends for trolling and shares that he usually reaches for the Shimano Compre series rods. He prefers an 8’3″ length for its leverage and build and pairs it with a 500 size Shimano Tekota reel with a counter. This combination performs well for most crankbait trolling situations, some small disks and other things like jet divers and snap weighting. However, keep in mind that not all trolling rods perform the same under different situations. For dead sticking, bottom bounders, spinners and similar rigs, Robertson will instead reach for the MMD (Medium, Moderate action) model for a bit more give and sensitivity.
