Lake trout rod......

[buffalohonker]

Just curious what you guys use for big lake trout? Graphite or fiberglass? Length? Caster or spinner? Thanks!

[brown-time]

I use a 42" Genz medium heavy but has a light tip.  Baitcast trigger handle. Graphite and use duracast braid on a daiwa millionaire bc.  Works well for 3/4 ounce lures n tubes in 70 fow.

[BlackDucksAndBrownDogs]

This thread may be of interest to you:

http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=276670.msg2861336#msg2861336

I use Heavy and Medium Heavy St. Croix Premier bait casters, but the lakes I generally fish don't yield large lakers.  Anything over 25" is a damn nice fish for me.  Of course my PB laker came on a Medium power spinning rod....

[youp50]

Handline them.  I will fish in 280 or 290 feet of water.  I can properly present a 1/2 oz jig that deep and feel every tap of a bite.

[gunvault]

Jason Mitchel 36" MH trigger rod works Great spiral eyes , good hook up power

[buffalohonker]

The lake trout we fish want it moving as fast as possible so hand line isn't a option

[tswoboda]

48" Solid Fiberglass spinning for lures 1/2 oz or bigger
43" Solid Carbon spinning for lures less than 1/2 oz

They are both custom but I'd call the 48" a heavy power, moderate fast action and the 43" a medium heavy power, fast action.  Both have a size 30 Pflueger spinning reel with 15 lb braid and 6' 20 lb fluoro leader.  The average fish we catch are 4-8 lbs and big fish are 10-20 lbs, these rods can handle fish this size no problem.  A very overlooked but key feature for laker rods is a long handle, it makes jigging heavy baits and long fights much less fatiguing on your wrist/forearm... I like about 10"-12" from the reel stem to the butt.

I'd like to use a casting set up but almost always fish outside in temps well below freezing.  I've experimented with casting reels and I have no doubt they don't handle ice/cold as well as spinning reels.  If not for cold weather, I'd have a spinner for the light baits and a caster (spiral wrapped) for the heavy baits.

[Baetis62]

I use 42" Fiberglass Rods sold (and wrapped I believe) by a local bait shop here in CO.  Bennett's Bait & Tackle in Beethoud.  I think they are built on an Eagle Claw Blank.  They are a pleasure to fish with for my trips to Granby, Taylor & Mesa where I don't jig much more than 3/8 oz and usually smaller.  Very reasonably priced too.  Until this year it was always Shimano Spinning Reels but I recently found a good deal on a Curado on Ebay.  Anxious to try that.