Berkeley Lightening rod - do not buy - and the water is 70F at the Elbow

[jrr]

I did get out in what turned into a bumpy day yesterday… actually picked up a couple perch on worm harnesses and lost a few decent size somethings that left a scale on the hook. But perch? The point is I picked up couple Berkeley Lightening rods from Grimsby tackle this spring on their recommendation of a good walleye rod that wasn’t as over powering as an Ugly Stik (I have many, was looking for a little more fun).

While putting an inline planer on the lightening rod, it snapped at the tip. Not ever experienced that with an ugly stik.

It was actually a nice rod in terms of feel and performance with the planer board and with fish. But the weight of a Dreamweaver board should not snap the tip of any rod.

Also… a few pockets of cooler water and if you go past 80FOW it drops to 60F at the bottom but water was 68-71F all the way down to 50 FT.

 

[hvyhaul]

I bought a pair of rods and reels, actually my first ones at Sail. One tip snapped and the other one is still good to this day.

I just retipped it a little shorter.

 

[Wildfire]

I really like the lightning rod I have. It's a medium-light though and just good for 1/4 oz jigs.

Is yours a trolling rod? I'd expect a regular spinning or casting rod to not be up to the task of pulling a board.

 

[jrr]

I really like the lightning rod I have. It's a medium-light though and just good for 1/4 oz jigs.

Is yours a trolling rod? I'd expect a regular spinning or casting rod to not be up to the task of pulling a board.

It is a trolling rod. Love the Penn reel they paired it with though.

 

[Wildfire]

Oh I wasn't aware that lightening trolling rods exist.

I just use $20 Daiwa Wilderness rods. I can't tell the difference between an expensive and cheap trolling rod.

 

[jrr]

I bought a pair of rods and reels, actually my first ones at Sail. One tip snapped and the other one is still good to this day.

I just retipped it a little shorter.

I will probably do that. I have an old — really old — lightening rod spinning rod from 1991 that I won in a salmon derby in Michigan as a kid. I have yet to break it and it has pulled in river chinooks. I want to like it. But that tip snap… I did nothing I wouldn’t normally do.

 

[jrr]

Oh I wasn't aware that lightening trolling rods exist.

I just use $20 Daiwa Wilderness rods. I can't tell the difference between an expensive and cheap trolling rod.

I have 2 ugly stiks from 1993 still in service. They were $60, i think $80 now. Another 2 from 1996 and then picked up 2 in 2014. No issues. Might have stepped on them a few times as well.

My dad had Diawa rods and i broke them all.

 

[Derkd9]

Oh I wasn't aware that lightening trolling rods exist.

I just use $20 Daiwa Wilderness rods. I can't tell the difference between an expensive and cheap trolling rod.

I have 4 of those wilderness rods they’re good stuff

 

[one.last.cast]

I love my Fenwick Mooching rods. Strong enough for salmon and sensitive to feel the walleyes.

 

[SIX-GRAND]

I did get out in what turned into a bumpy day yesterday… actually picked up a couple perch on worm harnesses and lost a few decent size somethings that left a scale on the hook. But perch? The point is I picked up couple Berkeley Lightening rods from Grimsby tackle this spring on their recommendation of a good walleye rod that wasn’t as over powering as an Ugly Stik (I have many, was looking for a little more fun).

While putting an inline planer on the lightening rod, it snapped at the tip. Not ever experienced that with an ugly stik.

It was actually a nice rod in terms of feel and performance with the planer board and with fish. But the weight of a Dreamweaver board should not snap the tip of any rod.

Also… a few pockets of cooler water and if you go past 80FOW it drops to 60F at the bottom but water was 68-71F all the way down to 50 FT.

I had purchased 2 of the lightening trolling rods a few years back. They were pretty nice in terms of action and feel but both of them were 3 piece rods in a short time. 1 broke while tripping a dipsy for lure change. The other broke around 2/3s the way up to the tip when a trout smacked the bait at lightening speed.
Just like lightening & thunder.. first you see it flash then hear it CRACK!

 

[SIX-GRAND]

I did get out in what turned into a bumpy day yesterday… actually picked up a couple perch on worm harnesses and lost a few decent size somethings that left a scale on the hook. But perch? The point is I picked up couple Berkeley Lightening rods from Grimsby tackle this spring on their recommendation of a good walleye rod that wasn’t as over powering as an Ugly Stik (I have many, was looking for a little more fun).

While putting an inline planer on the lightening rod, it snapped at the tip. Not ever experienced that with an ugly stik.

It was actually a nice rod in terms of feel and performance with the planer board and with fish. But the weight of a Dreamweaver board should not snap the tip of any rod.

Also… a few pockets of cooler water and if you go past 80FOW it drops to 60F at the bottom but water was 68-71F all the way down to 50 FT.

How do you like that Dream Weaver board, Do they track well? Is the "1 handed operation" truly and easy with 1 hand? does the clip take a firm grip on the line as advertised?

 

[jrr]

How do you like that Dream Weaver board, Do they track well? Is the "1 handed operation" truly and easy with 1 hand? does the clip take a firm grip on the line as advertised?

Dream Weaver board is a big thumbs up right now. With lead core + braid or braid or mono with 2 oz on them, it holds nice and the flags actually work! It is one handed unless its bumpy or doing braid as you want the second wrap for piece of mind. Mono is super easy. So far, whenever I think I have figured out a one handed ‘trick’ to setting up I put it on backwards.

Just be sure to move the weight forward. But they do track well.

I also like the church tackle boards but the board + flag and how they cost out and break… Dream Weaver is a better board for the price.

If they didn’t work I would be running traditional planer boards off my hard top.

 

[SIX-GRAND]

Dream Weaver board is a big thumbs up right now. With lead core + braid or braid or mono with 2 oz on them, it holds nice and the flags actually work! It is one handed unless its bumpy or doing braid as you want the second wrap for piece of mind. Mono is super easy. So far, whenever I think I have figured out a one handed ‘trick’ to setting up I put it on backwards.

Just be sure to move the weight forward. But they do track well.

I also like the church tackle boards but the board + flag and how they cost out and break… Dream Weaver is a better board for the price.

If they didn’t work I would be running traditional planer boards off my hard top.

Thank you kindly for the reply. I was up late last night watching countless U-tube videos on the them. I was all set to grab a pair today to try out then you put a post up mentioning the boards in question so once I grab me a coffee I'll be making a run to pick them up. I have the red boards, yellow boards and the cheaper green boards. They all run and pull good now but all brands I ended up tinker with & putting more money into them with aftermarket clips and such.. next thing you know I'm up to 60-70$ a board any ways! Lol!
Thanks again mister.