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Posts: 192
Location: Quebec, Canada | I plan on having a 400$ budget to buy two new rods. One for big baits such as pounders and one for trolling.
As I spend pretty much 50/50 of my time on trolling/casting I am wondering if I should split my budget at 200/200 or more something like 50/350.
That brings me to ask the following question… does the Shimano TDR really work well. As I’d love to hit bottom more often while trolling as I know this is a great way to trigger the bite, I wouldn’t want to see a 200$ rod break in half and would rather buy 10 35$ rod, than to ship it 10 times to Shimano (which costs me the same price as the TDR). To know if it'd do the job I guess the question would be... does the TDR can work plows, slammers, perchbaits and such properly?
Finally, if the TDR really does the job, I could go and buy a big dawg for casting as I feel this is where the value would show more on the water. But if the TDR does not really work that well, I'd go 200/200.
Makes any sense? Any thoughts?
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Posts: 373
Location: Maine Township, MN | I'd buy a cheap fiberglass rod like an Ugly Stik big water or Tiger series and save most of the $$$ for a nice, high modulus graphite for casting. |
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Posts: 532
Location: Ogden, UTAH 10 minutes from pineview reservoir | i have beat my tdrs up and they have help up well, buy a tdr and splurge on the LT rod, worth the money |
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Posts: 2097
| I have pulled trees up out of the water with my tdr's. |
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Posts: 192
Location: Quebec, Canada | Thanks for the tips guys |
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Posts: 1292
Location: Walker, MN | My heavy TDRs handle everything from super shad raps to 13" grandmas to Bomber CD30s with no problem.
I like the idea of putting heat shrink over the foregrips, mine are pretty beat up from pulling them out of down east holders. |
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Posts: 750
Location: Minneapolis, MN | Is there a reason one can't use a casting rod for trolling? I mean if I pay $380 for a St. Croix Big Nasty I kind of feel like it should be able to handle anything I use it for. |
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Posts: 1292
Location: Walker, MN | dami0101 - 11/21/2013 7:36 PM
Is there a reason one can't use a casting rod for trolling? I mean if I pay $380 for a St. Croix Big Nasty I kind of feel like it should be able to handle anything I use it for.
You sure could. You might want to run mono on it...that or a perfectly adjusted drag. A fast action rod isn't real forgiving with big headshakes and what not, you might dump more fish. |
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Posts: 2097
| I won't even think about using my LT rods in rod holders. I used to use my TI rods in the holders though. |
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Posts: 1247
Location: On the Niagara River in Buffalo, NY | I would buy a St.Croix Legend Tournament "Big Nasty" 9ft Rod and use it for casting & trolling! |
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Posts: 1247
Location: On the Niagara River in Buffalo, NY | cave run legend - 11/21/2013 9:22 PM
I won't even think about using my LT rods in rod holders. I used to use my TI rods in the holders though.
Put shrink tube over cork handle! |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Larry is the shrink tube not slippery? I have used hockey tape which works OK but never on an LT |
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Posts: 177
| Buy your big dawg and a tdr and don't worry about the tdr I have 4 that are 5 years old and can handle just about anything |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | So what is the preferred model length and action for the TDR? I had a 7' Heavy 12 to 25 lb. that I didn't feel was stout enough.
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Posts: 192
Location: Quebec, Canada | Personnally, I wouldn't want to troll with a 400$ rod, get snagged up and take the chance of the company not repairing/exchanging it because of this. I think I'll go with the Big Dawg for sure, but still wondering about the trolling one... I have to figure out if I want to get a TDR (which, at 35 bucks, its almost a good to have back-up rod anyway), the st.croix premier or the fenwick glass trolling rod that are respectivly $200 and $85.
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Posts: 865
| Recommendation 2 Elk River 7 1/2 or 8 foot Fiberglass trolling rods, Great trolling Glass Rods..and Priced Great compared to some others...... There are 2 different model TDR 8 foot rods you want the heavier ones not the walleye rods that are rated heavy..... the 8' Heavy TDR Rods they will hold up great at a fraction of the price of any other rod out there. |
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Location: Eastern Ontario | Just left the Shimano website and didn't see TDR's all trolling rods seemed to be walleye (possibly discontinued) |
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