Last trip we exclusively brought 6'6" medium power, fast action spinning rods. We are heading back in less than 2 weeks and I'm bringing deep tail dancers to troll during the day. What types of rods do you guys use for these? Will they overpower a 6'6" medium spinning rod? Do I need to bring a heavier baitcaster? Thanks for your thoughts.

Same size I use on those plugs.

I like a MH, but you'll be fine provided your line holds up. I find that anything under ten pound mono gets fatigued. braid'll work.

^^ +1 a medium will get the job done , but it will put a bend in that rod, i like the MH rated up to an 1oz - 1 1/2oz lure , if going with mono , XT triline #10-#12 will get the job done.

I use the exact rod as you posted. You will be fine with trolling tail dancers.

With braided line medium or medium lite 6'6" or longer. Softer tip helps on hookups. I lost quite a few aggressive fish on mh action rods and don't use them for trolling anymore.

You will be fine

Looks like I am the odd guy out (no surprise ;-)

I would like to think that I specialize in trolling.......or at least when I do my August trips I troll fully 75% of the time. And trolling banana style cranks is my favorite way to troll for lakers and walleye.

I tend to troll fast with lighter line than what many use. The strikes are often reactionary and quite violent. I find that longer rods are very useful in absorbing much of the energy of hard hitting fish. Hands down my favorite crank bait trolling rod is a steelhead rod measuring 8' long. That may be long for casting all day but for trolling it is peerless imo and doesn't seem long at all resting in a rod holder.

I also like how the long rod loads. Steelhead rods have a flexible upper half but a powerful butt section. This upper half loading is much like a coil spring and any fish which even sniffs at my presentation is usually securely hooked. No need to react quickly to a hooked fish as tighteness, even during big head shakes, is assured.

The Steelehead rods are typically 2 pc as well making for easy transport. The downside is that this rod really only does 2 things but does them superbly. Slip bobbering and trolling.

Dizzy Drew.......you the same Dizzy who is on the Everglades forum?

I use a 7 foot medium action with 8 lb PowerPro. Most hits are caught.

a few comments on hook ups with braid while trolling , i've been running braid on certain set ups/applications and being mainly a mono guy i understand in different applications 1 is better than the other but trolling with braid and drag set right , hook file your crankbaits before you put them in the water. if it doesn't stick to your fingernail it shouldn't go in the water, braid or mono.
knots-line test-drag-distance when trolling are all big factors but none of them, replace a freshly sharpen hook IMO.

For the less informed like me, what's a tail dancer? I've read it in several forums but I'm not sure if it's a style of crank bait or product name.

quote Quacker1: "For the less informed like me, what's a tail dancer? I've read it in several forums but I'm not sure if it's a style of crank bait or product name."

Tail Dancer This is the tail Dancer, it has a large bill on the front to get it down deep. If you can find one in (edit Purpledescent), that's the one to buy.

Rapala also just came out with a scatter rap tail dancer , combo of the 2 lures.

quote Savage Voyageur: "

quote Quacker1: "For the less informed like me, what's a tail dancer? I've read it in several forums but I'm not sure if it's a style of crank bait or product name."

Tail Dancer This is the tail Dancer, it has a large bill on the front to get it down deep. If you can find one in Purple that's the one to buy. "

Purple is good (I think it's called purpledescent?) but my preference is the rainbow trout and by a wide margin. There is something about the pink on the Rainbow finish which does the trick. Pretty sure the purple has just a white belly. I will have one or the other color on..........wish they did the large in perch (not that horrible metallic perch either)

Shock I did pick up the Scatter style tail dancer......let's see what happens (will coaster brook trout eat it ;-)

The OP's rods will work fine, and I've used ones just like it many times. I've grown to prefer longer, medium-heavy rods for trolling bigger lures, though.

I don't know if I'd go out and buy a rod just for this application, but if you already have one, I'd try it for a trip to see if you like it. Also, you don't need a high-end rod for trolling (or casting...I use the same rod for casting bigger spoons, bigger topwaters, etc.), so if you *do* want to buy a new one, there's no need to spend a lot of money, especially if you plan to use braided line.

quote mastertangler: "

quote Savage Voyageur: "

quote Quacker1: "For the less informed like me, what's a tail dancer? I've read it in several forums but I'm not sure if it's a style of crank bait or product name."

Tail Dancer This is the tail Dancer, it has a large bill on the front to get it down deep. If you can find one in Purple that's the one to buy. "

Purple is good (I think it's called purpledescent?) but my preference is the rainbow trout and by a wide margin. There is something about the pink on the Rainbow finish which does the trick. Pretty sure the purple has just a white belly. I will have one or the other color on..........wish they did the large in perch (not that horrible metallic perch either)


Shock I did pick up the Scatter style tail dancer......let's see what happens (will coaster brook trout eat it ;-) "

rapala's rainbow trout pattern/color has been a favorite of mine , it doesn't just resemble a rainbow but brookies and lakers from the top view. nothing big but i did kill the lakers on a CD9 rainbow trout off our campsite point (bw)(last may) i do modify my lures and replaced all the trebles on my CD9 with gamakatsu trebles , a world of difference ,

Disclaimer: I know it may seem like it but I am NOT purposely trying to be contentious.........I just have strong convictions and am not particularly hesitant to proclaim them. All in good fun right? I mean we are just talking fishing.

Shock.........surprise, surprise I dislike the rainbow in both the original style rapala as well as count downs. No, really, honest it's true! I will be hard pressed to tie one of those on.........but give me the brown trout pattern any day and my confidence level soars. I have given them both side by side comparisons and the brown trout is the winner every time. Try it sometime!

I wish they made the Taildancer in Brown Trout.......it would be a slay'em lure.

We had a guy in my town who would hunt snakes, skin them and apply them to lures. Very professional looking. He gave me a couple (went to my church) but I lost both of them. WAAAA :-(

i do recall you stating that before , myself i've done very good on the rainbow trout color and lets face it , ask 10 fisherman there bread & butter lure and you'll get 10 different answers. and i firmly believe confidence is a big part of fishing. i'll have to add a CD9 brown trout to the arsenal.