Laker/Pike Casting Rod Suggestions

[Outbound]

I have two Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 6500 and one 5600 levelwind reels from my days of salmon fishing in BC. Since BC is determined to manage salmon stocks to extinction, I'm looking to repurpose these reels for lake trout and pike fishing.

I'm looking for a rod that can be used for jigging and trolling for lakers but also for chucking spoons and other lures for pike. Worst case, 2 rods for lakers (the 6500 reels) and 1 rod for pike (the 5600 reel) but dual purpose rods would be great.

I'm thinking medium to medium-heavy, 7'6", fast action? Maybe $100 - $150 per rod for a price range. I'm eyeballing Shimano, St. Croix and Fenwick rods.

[Smoky buck]

A medium/heavy 7-7’6 would be nice for casting/jigging. Personally I would be looking at rods rated for lures as heavy as 3-4oz but I toss big baits. Really you need to just pick one that matches the lure weights you use.

For trolling I would definitely get a second rod. I prefer a longer rod around 9ft with more flex to it. Something down rigger friendly. If you have trolled for salmon in saltwater the same rods work very well

I know it’s not giving you a brand or model but that is my two cents. My opinion if you pick any of the decent quality brands and pick a rod that matches the specs you need

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

A medium/heavy 7-7’6 would be nice for casting/jigging. Personally I would be looking at rods rated for lures as heavy as 3-4oz but I toss big baits. Really you need to just pick one that matches the lure weights you use.

For trolling I would definitely get a second rod. I prefer a longer rod around 9ft with more flex to it. Something down rigger friendly. If you have trolled for salmon in saltwater the same rods work very well

I know it’s not giving you a brand or model but that is my two cents. My opinion if you pick any of the decent quality brands and pick a rod that matches the specs you need

Great points, thanks. I hadnt considered the use of downriggers. I don't have them now, but someday. At that point I'll look into mooching style rods.

[Smoky buck]

Originally Posted by Outbound

Great points, thanks. I hadnt considered the use of downriggers. I don't have them now, but someday. At that point I'll look into mooching style rods.

I even proffer the longer rod for trolling with a dipsy or long lining Lakers. It is much nicer for controlling the longer leader when landing a fish. A more sensitive longer rod is also nicer to detect smaller fish when when trolling deep with a large amount of line out

This is just my experience with this style of fishing

[Outbound]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I even proffer the longer rod for trolling with a dipsy or long lining Lakers. It is much nicer for controlling the longer leader when landing a fish. A more sensitive longer rod is also nicer to detect smaller fish when when trolling deep with a large amount of line out

This is just my experience with this style of fishing

That makes sense. The rod I used these reels on is a medium-heavy, medium-fast action, 10'6" Shimano Technium. I really love the rod, it seems a bit long for these purposes though. It's designed for float fishing for salmon/steelhead. If that length works for trolling though, and there's not a concern using on a downrigger (i have no idea, never fished with downriggers), I'd happily pick up another one for my trolling set up. Then I'd look at a pair of shorter rods for jigging and casting.