Equiptment for Kipawa walleye

[Hodgey1]

So, the trip is booked and I'm heading to Kipawa for the first time "very excited ". So I go into my garage and blow the dust off my Garcia Mitchell, shes a beauty, model 300. I think, daaang, she still looks pretty darn good.  Maybe I should at least, refresh the duct tape holding the eyelet on the beautiful orange, fiberglass rod?

I give her a few cranks and man she's haulin the mail while retrieving that twisted, 20lb, powder blue Kmart line. I'm sure it'll catch at least one fish?? Won't it? Then I flip the bail back, do my pretend cast, begin cranking and realize the f'n bail still won't auto trip  been that way since 1976.

Then it dawns on me..... I can finaly afford new gear!  and boy do I have a great excuse.... fishing trip to Canada!

I know it's all personal preference and yada yada, but I'm interested to know from the forum members the following, in regards to your own thoughts on fishing for walleye in Kipawa.

1: what is your preferred brand of reel
2: type of reel
2a: reel size
3: preferred pole brand
4: weight
4a: length
5: pole material
6: line brand
7: weight
8: color

You don't have to answer all my ridiculous questions, hit which ever ones trip your bail.

Thanks,
Hodgey1

[SgtCrabby]

I like Pflueger reels  (sp?), spinning style.
Rod: depends, if you're shopping for one, you want the best you can find in your budget.  There are many excellent expensive ones, and there are some very good inexpensive ones (I didn't say cheap quality ones. I know Berkley has some good inexpensive ones). 
For weight I like light, medium light, or medium depending on what I'm doing:  if the bite is light, I use light or if I'm expecting something big with an attitude, I use medium.
Line:  weight I like either 6 or 8 lb test.  Use the line type you prefer or know (mono, flouro, copolymer, etc). But whatever you use, use fresh line when you head to kip!

Search around this site, there are many good discussions on these subjects where they've been discussed in depth.

[RHYBAK]

I hate answering these questions because T-Bone will be right up my keester.

Reels......I agree 100% with the Pflueger. Buy whatever model that is in your budget and whichever size feels good on your new rod.

Rod.... Do not buy a broom handle. I like the Ugly stick Lite. A good all around rod.
BUT  I do use a few St. Croix rods. Again buy within your budget.

Line.... I use mono on my float ( bobber) rods and I use a light braid on my casting rods.
You will require about 18" of a lighter leader for invisibility and snap ability.

At all boils down to budget.
Ask T-Bone and he will admit that I can catch walleye with my Barbie rod and reel set.

No special yuppie branded equipment required here.

[Hodgey1]

I like Pflueger reels  (sp?), spinning style.

The Pflueger reels are some of the highest rated by users when I began looking yesterday. Can you comment on which would be preferred size reel for walleye. Is it mostly about line capacity? I'm somewhat reel size clueless and need direction.

Also, I have never slip bob'd before so I've watched some video's on slip bobbering, some have suggested a longer "I think 8.5' long" pole when doing that technique. My question is, I'm planning on bringing two complete rod/reel set ups, should one be with a longer rod specifically for the slip bob technique and the other primarily for jigging or should they both be the same set-up that will cover both jigging and slip B?

[Hodgey1]

I hate answering these questions because T-Bone will be right up my keester.

Please don't "Hate" Rhybak, I just want your own personal opinion, which I value 
T Bone, be nice to Rhybak

It all boils down to budget.
Ask T-Bone and he will admit that I can catch walleye with my Barbie rod and reel set.

No special yuppie branded equipment required here.

I am as blue collar as it gets and unfortunately, budget is always an issue   The bail not tripping on the GM 300 has me pissed. Wife has given green light to new gear. My grandchildren will get the GM 300.

I will probably move in the direction of the  Pflueger reels, the price seems somewhat reasonable. Can you comment on reel size and pole lengths/actions and such?

[RHYBAK]

Stick with your 6'6" to 7'6" rods.
the 8'6" rods are for river fishing not lake fishing for walleye.

You just require an all around rod.
As for the reel , look at the President series. The 6920X or the 6925X.

The same rods and reels will work for bobber fishing, chucking jigs and trolling.

As for bobbers, I like the bobbers that have a lite in them for the late evening fishing.
If you are going late July ,early august, don't even worry about bobbers.
The fish are deeper then and Jigging will be the ticket.
( strictly my opinion)


Ya T-Bone......Don't be a hater.

Merry Christmas

[Jay Thomas]

1: what is your preferred brand of reel
2: type of reel
2a: reel size
3: preferred pole brand
4: weight
4a: length
5: pole material
6: line brand
7: weight
8: color

Firstly, I concur with RHYBAK about staying within your budget. Secondly, you asked for our own preferences and here are mine.

Shimano reels - a Shimano Stradic 1000 spinning reel for jigging or slip bobbering and a Shimano Curado 200 casting reel for bottom bouncing

I use a Premier St Croix 60MLF rod for jigging, a TWS66MLF St Croix rod for slip bobbering and a Shimano Clarus CSC70MA rod for bottom bouncing

I use Berkley Crystal Fireline 8/3 for jigging and slip bobbering and 20 pound Suffix 832 for bottom bouncing

FWIW

Jay

[Goach15]

Confession...My wife outfishes me ...I used to throw out everything in the tackle box and try each new bait that came along...Then I gave in and used what she does..She uses an 1/8 ounce chartreuse wobble jig ( Cabelas US -Canada Cabelas doesnt sell them ) tipped with a leech or half a worm...rarely get skunked and I usually spend more time unhooking fish for her than I do fishing most of the time..When things get slow troll with black / silver or blue / silver HotnTots..use 10 lb trilene Big Game line and a 6'6'' or 7' rod..and your Mitchell 300 is a classic..get it tuned up and it will work just fine.( we use Shimano Spirex 2500 FG )..keep it simple and save your money on gear to buy more beer .....

[Hodgey1]

.keep it simple and save your money on gear to buy more beer .....

That there is exactly what I'm talking about !

[SgtCrabby]

Yep, all good advice given.
I do use an ugly stick (good inexpensive) as well as St. Croix rods.

When I started, I used Cabela's rod/reel combos at about $40 (USD), and they worked well without breaking the bank.
If you're comfortable with it, you can easily catch walleye with the Barbie setups.

As Rhybak and Jay said:  stay inside of your budget:  it's not the expensive equipment that catches,  its the fisherman and whichever techniques works for him.

[Captain Hali]

If the only thing wrong with the MG 300 is that the bail won't close, for a few bucks you can buy a new bail spring, part # 81014 and your back in business. That leaves you 60 to 80 bucks to spend on terminal tackle, jigs etc., which you will need plenty of. The rocks on the shoals around Alwaki are VERY hungry. You can order the bail spring on line from many different sources. One that I use is mikesreelrepair.com in Abbotsford B.C. Canada. Andre.

[RHYBAK]

If the only thing wrong with the MG 300 is that the bail won't close, for a few bucks you can buy a new bail spring, part # 81014 and your back in business. That leaves you 60 to 80 bucks to spend on terminal tackle, jigs etc., which you will need plenty of. The rocks on the shoals around Alwaki are VERY hungry. You can order the bail spring on line from many different sources. One that I use is mikesreelrepair.com in Abbotsford B.C. Canada. Andre.

Very good advise.
Buy two.

I have about 3 or 4 old MG 300 that never see the light of dayu anymore.
Sure they were good reels in their day but nowhere near smooth reeling like the reels of today

[johnny walleye]

I like Shimano reels, and the ugly stick light.

[T]

I like the Okuma Trio 30 reel.  They are smooth and strong.  You can't beat the St. Croix rods in a 6'6" to a 7'6".  I use Cabela's brand mono in 8lb test. 

[T-Bone]

Well...you'll come to learn that Rhybak and I are actually quite alike...two apples from the same tree, so to speak. I agree with everything he suggested.   

Best advice I can offer is to keep it simple. On lower end of budget, can't go wrong with the Pfleueger President rod/reel combo from Cabela's...about $70. I have one and it's great. On the higher end, a Shimano Sedona reel ($70) paired with a 6'6" St. Croix Premier or Eyecon (about $100) rod is the set-up you want for jigging or even slipping 'eyes. I'd suggest Med/Light on the rod, and keep it simple with the line. I've tried most lines over the years. Braid and/or superlines are too hard to work with and have no give. Flouro is expensive. I've gone back to simple Berkeley Trilene XL for jigging...6-8 pound test. Good line, economical, and strong. Simple jigs with bodies are all you need for walleyes...1/8 oz down to 1/16 oz is 95% of what you'll want. Chartreuse, white, black, pink are your bread and butter, but also orange, yellow, red, purple...we've caught them on almost every color you can think of. Maybe a couple stick/crank baits for casting or trolling. Hot-n-Tots have worked well over the years...always get a pike on those and I know others do well with the walleyes on the H-n-Ts. Maybe a couple spoons for pike or crankbaits. For lakers...I suggest you ask Ozzy from the board...he nails them every year. I'm sure Mr. Rhybak knows a thing or two about catching lakers also. Me...I haven't caught one on Kipawa since...oh...2004...2005...somewhere in there. I don't fish for them either though. 

Good luck.