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Anybody care to recommend a lake trout setup for Flaming Gorge? I don't want to go cheap nor do I want to go extreme. I will primarily use this pole for vertical jigging and nothing more. Does a line counter come in handy? What type of action do I want? What lb. line test? Fluoro? Mono? Braid? HELP!
To this point I have only used my spinning rod (8-17 lb, 1/4 to 5/8 oz.) outfit with 12 lb. test braid and fluoro but I'd rather have a rod that is only suited for vertical jigging lakers.
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I suggest you spend some time reading through this lengthy thread:
[url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?post=864335;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;page=unread#unread"]Link[/url]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4]A few years ago, I too was asking the same questions you are. Once I figured out what others were using and what seemed to work best for me, I made some notes. I have attached a document to this post with those notes.
Also, regarding the rod I like, I have recently had [/size][/#000000][/font][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/community/community.cgi?do=user_page;pg=user_profile_view.html;username=utwalleye"][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][#800080][size 4]utwalleye (a BFT member)[/size][/#800080][/#000000][/font][/url][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4] “shorten” three of my mack rods for me. A few years back, [/size][/#000000][/font][url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/community/community.cgi?do=user_page;pg=user_profile_view.html;username=Tarponjim"][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][#800080][size 4]guide Jim Williams[/size][/#800080][/#000000][/font][/url][font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4] started using very short rods for mack jigging. I gave it a try with these mini-mack rods and I love it. In fact, last I heard, Jim builds and sells some mini-mack rods to his clients.
Here is a picture of the 6-foot medium-heavy rod I used for many years alongside of my new favorite 55-inch mini-mack rod custom shortened by utwalleye.
[inline First-and-mini-mack.gif]
Here is my wife with her short "mini-mack" rod:
[inline Pink-Rod-444.gif]
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Edit: Made a couple changes to the attached document.
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Very helpful OC! Thank you, no more questions needed, you just answered everything with that PDF. That PDF should be pinned in the Flaming Gorge/Fish Lake/Powell section. Great info, again, thank you Old Coot and thanks for the link as well Kent.
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Good read Ralph.
"1 oz. lead heads with Gamakatsu hooks. (about $300 ea.)"
Any chance you left out a decimal point?[  ]
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LOL ...I love it when I get to laugh out loud at myself.
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Listen to Ralph the guy has fished with Jim and he has fished by himself and learned how to play this game well. I have learned a few things from him the short day I got to fish with him and he is giving you damn good advice. Thanks for sharing Ralph. You hitting it this year again? Same time as always?
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If you were building the 5' 6" rod what blank would you use.
[url "http://www.getbitoutdoors.com/"]http://www.getbitoutdoors.com/[/url]
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Agreed, his response was very much appreciated and so was Kent's. Just purchased a rod from Jim and am setting it up with a Calcutta 201B LH retreieve reel (can't stand reeling with my right hand). I have some braid that I will use as well as some 25 lb. Seaguar Abrazx fluoro that I plan to use as leader. Is 25 lb. fluoro overkill? Was planning on using power pro 50 lb braid as my main line.
I have to ask this though...why do the following?
Tip: Be sure to use about 10 yards of 15 lb. monofilament line as a backing on the reel.
Why not just tie the braid directly to the spool?
Next weekend can't get here soon enough.
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I bought two of Jim's custom rods this winter and have been very pleased with them! You will be very happy with your purchase. Jake
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The mono. backing is to keep the whole wad of braid from spinning on the spool, rendering the reel useless. Braid is slippery, and doesn't "bite" onto the spool. It only takes a few turns of mono, then tie the braid to that. On my reels, I keep about half the spool filled with mono under the braid. That way, when I replace the braid, I only need about 1/2 as much. 100 yards of braid on a reel is more than plenty for jig fishing up to 150 feet of water. I've never had a fish get into the mono backing, and I connect them with a good uni knot just in cast it does ever happen.
For my own fishing, I just top the reel with fresh mono. I'd rather fish that than braid because its much smoother, and I can do some things I can't do with braid. (not going there!).
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#000000][size 4][quote liketrolling]If you were building the 5' 6" rod what blank would you use.[/quote][/size][/#000000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#0000bf][size 4]Troller,[/size][/#0000bf][/font]
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[size 4][font "Comic Sans MS"][#0000bf]Because I have built only a couple of rods myself, I am not a good source for info about blanks. But I HIGHLY recommend that you shoot a PM to [url "http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/community/community.cgi?do=user_page;pg=user_profile_view.html;username=utwalleye"]utwalley[/url] who is big into rod building AND mack fishing. No doubt he could answer that question very well for you.[/#0000bf][/font][/size]
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[quote fishinfool]You hitting it this year again? Same time as always?[/quote]
Hi Tony... yea, I hope to get up there again this year in June a few times. Wish I could more but life is starting to get in the way more and more.
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[quote Yahtahay] ... some 25 lb. Seaguar Abrazx fluoro that I plan to use as leader. Is 25 lb. fluoro overkill?[/quote]
Personally, I think 17 lb. is ideal. On days that I feel a little brave, I go down to 15 lb. As for 25 lb., yea, I would say that is overkill. I don't know how much those macks can "see" mono or fluro down that deep, but personally, I wouldn't risk going over 20 lb.
Just make sure your knots are really good knots. I have found that to be really important. Another thing, is to make sure you lube the eylet of the hook as well as the line itself when tying.
If you focus on good knots and setting the drag right, 15 - 17 lb. leader should be just fine. Again, I feel safer with 17.
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