Wire - What rod do you use for wire dipseys?

[its an addiction]

As per my previous thread regarding what's the big deal with wire line, I am ready to make the switch over to wire for my dipseys but I have one thing holding me back. I don't think I want to switch over to wire if i have to buy two new rods, because all of the designated wire rods seem to cost a lot, at least to me and I've been trying to really up my savings.

So, what I want to know is what rod do you use for your wire dipseys, and what is the best copper rod for the money?

I currently run 10'6" Daiwa Heartlands Dipsey Rods.

[eastcoasttransplant]

Some guys will run the regular rods and just add a Twilli Tip and that is fine for most.

I am a designated roller guide rod guy. I just feel the roller guides handle the wire much better than the regular guides. I don't think you need new rods but for what it's worth, Okuma offers their Blue Diamond series rods for about $60 I believe and I ALWAYS see cheap roller guide rods coming up for sale on the Great Lakes Angler Magazine website.

My roller guide rods are a discontinued Luhr Jensen rod that cost $30 each. If you look around you can definitely find cheaper roller guide rods that will get the job done. Just make sure you have enough backbone but not too much....like a stand up tuna rod.

Good luck.

[anthonyyost]

I would not buy the Blue Diamond rods because of breakage issues, spend a little more for the Okuma Great Lakes roller rods. Same roller system as the Shimano rods but only about $150 per rod.

[Paulywood]

I have run Twilli's and cheap roller rods. Hated the rollers, and the Twilli's were ok but had a lot of drag. If you are looking for a wire rod that will work good but doesn't break the bank, try adding a Torpedo Tip to a regular dipsey rod. I ran them last year and really liked them. Daiwa Heartland or Shimano TDR are economical dipsey rods and you can easily add the Torpedo Tip. Total cost of around $50-$60 each. If you have the money to spend I would recommend a Shimano Talora roller rod or a custom wire rod from Eyefull. They cost about $125-$150 each.

[SUPERTRAMP]

As per my previous thread regarding what's the big deal with wire line, I am ready to make the switch over to wire for my dipseys but I have one thing holding me back. I don't think I want to switch over to wire if i have to buy two new rods, because all of the designated wire rods seem to cost a lot, at least to me and I've been trying to really up my savings.

So, what I want to know is what rod do you use for your wire dipseys, and what is the best copper rod for the money?

I currently run 10'6" Daiwa Heartlands Dipsey Rods.

They will work fine u only need to install a twill tip and they will do the job. I had the Okuma blue diamond roller rods and they were a pain in the but. I went to 10' Okuma classic dipsey rods installed the twill tips and they work like a champ. I prefer the 10 to 10' 6" rods so I can get the rod ends out past my long arm riggers.

[Adam Bomb]

Im a big fan of either Shimano Talora roller rods, or the Daiwa Heartland roller rods with swivel tips. Both sport Aftco guides. Other options include the twilli tip as mentioned or JR custom rods makes a titanium guided rod i believe thats for wire. Also, we have Eyefull custom rods on the site. Might want to talk to Tony and see if he can fix you up.

[FsnMachine]

The first year I ran wire I just used my dipsy rods. The following year I added Torpedo twili tops. I was not real pleased with it. The twili tops are Ok but the Walker dipsy rods are real soft on the ends which gives a nice feel but with the added weight on the end it was just to bouncy when deploying etc. I may end up putting them on a different dipsy rod with a little stockier end. This year I just changed a couple wire rods over to Shimano Tolora roller rods and can't wait to get out to and try them.

[killerbe20]

love my Daiwa Interline rods. i get the feeling they are not a west side thing though.

[Just in time]

I have tried interline rods on the west side but the sea fleas clogg the tips.I have also had many Blue diamond roller rods break. Never had an issue with Talora roller rods. Twilli tips are the best low budjet option in my oppinion.

[Line Dancin]

Knock on wood. i have four blue diamond rollers. Had them for years and use and abuse them. no real clue how long now 6 or 7 years. no breakage problems here and i like the rods. I did put the torpedo roller tip tops on them last season and like that tip top even better than the aftco that shimano is using. here is a link to the tip top:

https://www.torpedodivers.com/scart/product_details.asp?ItemNum=V0010

These are actually designed for the thin diameter of wire we use on the great lakes. The aftcos that a lot of companies are using are ocean tips. they work ok but are really designed for the thick wire that is used for salt water fishing.

Just noticed Best copper rod for the money, i like the okuma 8'6 copper rods like 35 bucks each. I have 6 on board and two shimanos, and they work just as well as the shimanos.

Edited April 2, 2011 by Line Dancin
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[Legacy]

Daiwa Heartland rods are a good pick and the price is good. If your looking for an upgrade Ugly sticks are a great option for both diver rods and copper rods.

[1 old guy]

Bought a new Blue Diamond roller rod on Great Lakes Angler swap meet for $40 and it works just fine. Birthday or Christmas ask for gift certificates at your favorite sports shop and you can upgrade or add another rod? Good Luck

[killerbe20]

I have tried interline rods on the west side but the sea fleas clogg the tips.I have also had many Blue diamond roller rods break. Never had an issue with Talora roller rods. Twilli tips are the best low budjet option in my oppinion.

Side note: This is a mellow natured post just for conversation purposes

I heard this time after time when i was over by you guys in Grand Rapids. We have sea fleas too, its the same lake. In my experience, wire cuts right through the fleas. And yes i have had them built up 1 to 2 to 3 feet down the line. Cotton wood is really the only problem but that clogs my conventional rods too. With wire it is easy to "saw" this crap off before it enters the rod.

A build up at the tip on an inline rod is the same as a build up at the tip on a conventional or roller rod. the only difference is if it passes (ha ha!) you can see it travel through the rod on one and not the other. In ten+ years i can only think of one instance that a rod got clogged to the point of it being an issue.

To me, a twilli tip as a short section of inline rod at the tip of a regular rod. My question is how is this not an issue but an inline rod would be?

[plumkrazy]

love my Daiwa Interline rods. i get the feeling they are not a west side thing though.

i am on the west side and love my interline diver rods

[CITM]

I use gander mountain roller rods without the swivel tip. Very nice rod for the money if they still sell them. I think mine were about $80. Just saw some this week with the swivel tip but they were $150.

[Line Dancin]

Side note: This is a mellow natured post just for conversation purposes

I heard this time after time when i was over by you guys in Grand Rapids. We have sea fleas too, its the same lake. In my experience, wire cuts right through the fleas. And yes i have had them built up 1 to 2 to 3 feet down the line. Cotton wood is really the only problem but that clogs my conventional rods too. With wire it is easy to "saw" this crap off before it enters the rod.

i agree with what you are saying here.

The wire doesn't damage the inner flows? I like the concept of the rods just never see them anywhere.

[killerbe20]

it does not damage the rods. the two guides are similar material to what Tony is using for his Eyeful wire rods. The Daiwas do seem pretty hard to come by. I just found some on Ebay to add to my arsenal at a pretty decent price. I think the lack of demand is the reason for mot being able to find them.

[MY2SONS]

it does not damage the rods. the two guides are similar material to what Tony is using for his Eyeful wire rods. The Daiwas do seem pretty hard to come by. I just found some on Ebay to add to my arsenal at a pretty decent price. I think the lack of demand is the reason for mot being able to find them.

I just bought two 9' Talora roller rods with the Fuji tip set up with the Takota 600LS reels and 1000' of Bloodrun wire. Very pricy, but I want something I know I can count on. Can't wait to try them out. I have my eye on another set same configuration except on 10' rods. Not sure if I want to spend the coin on them just yet. Too many other things needed to get the boat ready for launch.

[wingnut]

I'm just starting out with wire this year myself and after the recomendations on this board I went with the Okuma classic pro GLT, CP-CL862M rods for the copper. For the SS wire rods I wanted to stay away from roller rods and go with rods with guide rings that would stand up to wire use so I went with Daiwa Saltist wire line rods STE 70 XHW 20 to 50 LB rods. 20 to 50 LBS Is probably overkill but I wanted somethig that would pull mag divers without an Issue. The Daiwa's were pricey at $125 but you get what you pay for.

[fishsniffer]

I have the talora rods and love them. Never had any issues. In saying that though I bought them from a friend at a very good price and don't know if I would spend that kind of coin on them from the store though I think they're worth it

[MY2SONS]

I have the talora rods and love them. Never had any issues. In saying that though I bought them from a friend at a very good price and don't know if I would spend that kind of coin on them from the store though I think they're worth it

I hear ya. I thought long, and hard about spending that much, but like I said I wanted something that will last so I opted for the Shimano's.

[southtrollsouth]

We will be switching over from Talora's to Custom Eyeful/Blood Run wire diver rods this year. The Talora's performed well, but as discussed wire can and will jump off the rollers. Tony's Blood Run wire diver rods do not have roller guides, but a different guide material that cannot be cut by wire. There is a premium swivel roller tip (aftco I believe) on the end of the rod for reading the current, but those roller tips are constructed differently than the ones on Taloras which should stop the wire jumping off the roller.

Not sure what they are pricing at, probably high end, but wire diver rods being as important as they are for reading the current and your speed should demand the highest quality rod designed with the right amount of flex and stiffness as possible.

Not sure how to post pics here, but I do have some of the Blood Run custom wire rods from Tony...

[Eyefull]

I am going to be trialing some Torpedo tips shortly. They are very similiar to the Aftco tip, with one very neat improvement. With the Aftco, the tip can swivel as the rod tip twists and the wire can still find its way off the roller with inexperienced anglers. The Torpedo tip has a small guide on the incoming side of the roller, and the same type of after roller arm guide. It will be tough for the wire to get out of that tip roller, even with rod tip twist. It is also priced much more reasonable than the Aftco.

[Line Dancin]

I am going to be trialing some Torpedo tips shortly. They are very similiar to the Aftco tip, with one very neat improvement. With the Aftco, the tip can swivel as the rod tip twists and the wire can still find its way off the roller with inexperienced anglers. The Torpedo tip has a small guide on the incoming side of the roller, and the same type of after roller arm guide. It will be tough for the wire to get out of that tip roller, even with rod tip twist. It is also priced much more reasonable than the Aftco.

Tony i am using four of them now and will NEVER pay three times as much for an aftco tip again after last season. When i got my blue diamonds after one season i put on two aftcos same as the shimano rods. still had wire getting caught in the tip. Went to the torpedo tips and that little guide in there will not allow the wire to do that. I have installed the tip on 12 rods four on one boat and two on two other boats. all agree with me on the torpedo tip. I just hope they hold up well. i am not sure who is building them for Torpedo divers i traied asking Matt at the fishing show last year and all he said is not aftco but another reputable company.

[MY2SONS]

I am going to be trialing some Torpedo tips shortly. They are very similiar to the Aftco tip, with one very neat improvement. With the Aftco, the tip can swivel as the rod tip twists and the wire can still find its way off the roller with inexperienced anglers. The Torpedo tip has a small guide on the incoming side of the roller, and the same type of after roller arm guide. It will be tough for the wire to get out of that tip roller, even with rod tip twist. It is also priced much more reasonable than the Aftco.

Well I'm not an inexperienced angler, but I am new to fishing with wire. Just bought my first set two weeks ago. Will see how it goes with the swivel tip. I was told the swivel tip was made by Fuji from the baitshop where I bought them in Saugatuck, but I can't find that style anywhere on-line. I'm wondering if it's Aftco since they're Shimano Talora roller rods.