Suggestions for trolling rod

I could use some help picking a new rod for trolling salmon in the ocean and rivers. My Lamiglas X11 broke yesterday, exploded a few inches below the ferrule. Only used 6-7 times and caught 4-5 fish. Needless to say I won't buy Lamiglas again.

So, what do you recommend? I'd prefer 8.5-9 ft, medium heavy, can handle trolling in the salt and current with up to 16oz lead, under $100 if possible.

Note - I have an Ugly Stik for sturgeon and rockfish and love it, but need something less bendy for trolling.

In your price range the Okuma SST, but I'd recommend going up in price a little and buying the Okuma Guide Select Classic.  They used to have an over the counter replacement policy for warranty issues.  Don't know if that's still the case.

That's a great rod, Snopro. I think my buddy has his pb outfitted with the GSC's and I always like using those. Fish-Field has a good price too so that's a solid option. Thanks.

I also like the SST and GSCs.  Another couple options

Herring Rod- Celilo made by Okuma-  I really like running 10'6" when targeting spring salmon as it allows me to play with longer leaders (such as 6 ft or more).  In cold water i have found longer leaders help.  If your using a 8-9 ft rod its hard to net a fish with a bumper/flasher and 6-7ft leader

Pro Troll Rod-  North Fork - a new company by Gary Loomis- makes great 360 rods that are under 100.  They have a higher backbone that makes it easier to see the pulse of a 360 so you can dial in your speed.  I have a few of the North Forks and can send you specs if you want.

GSCs are a good mix for both.  I f you up your budget a bit- i would highly recommend Talon.  Their rods are around $150 but have an amazing replacement policy and i think they act like a $300-400 rod

I have a few of the North Forks and can send you specs if you want.

Thanks Zach. Yeah I'm curious what NF you've got. I've had issues running 360's with my X11 so I mostly use triangles. This might open up a whole new world for me.     

I have a few of the North Forks and can send you specs if you want.

Thanks Zach. Yeah I'm curious what NF you've got. I've had issues running 360's with my X11 so I mostly use triangles. This might open up a whole new world for me. 

I misspoke i meant.  I dont own a North Fork but a North River.  Not the same brand but my comments remain true it is a good rod for 360s.  NR1062MH-CG

The Guide Select is a great rod and I used one for awhile and still have it. But I have switched to a shorter rod which I love for fishing from the kayak. The Shimano TVC-70L. A 7' jigging rod that works everywhere for everything. I have two with Coldwater LP reels. Works with 360s and Lingcod equally well. I use a lighter spinning setup for Rockfish, but these are my go-tos

unless you run long leaders., the trevala is a GREAT rod (Though I havent hung 16 oz off it yet, how does it do wit that heavy of weight Beer_Run?).  I use the 7ft ML for salmon, sturgeon and most of my bottom fish. That being said...the pricing on them is kind of nuts these days. I think i paid closer  to 115 on sale from Cabelas a few years back.  My other main salmon rod is an Ugly Stik elite 8.5' salmon/steelhead rod in the Heavy rating that has been...fine? its pretty bendy but got a lot of back bone, plus its uglystik durable! 

Personally for all trolling rods, I dont feel like sensitivity and rod "response" to the lure are nearly as big of as the internet makes it to be.  I mean people pin a 360 flasher to a downrigger ball which is essentially rigid (when compared to a rod) and it still works.    Sure you may be able to see the pulse better, but does it REALLLY make the lure behave differently? I have my doubts. 

For being less than $50 the Shimano TDR is surprisingly good. I have an 8' one as a backup and it handles the 360 and 16oz just fine. That said, I don't think I've tested it in open water, just Willamette/Columbia.

On the other end of the price spectrum ($200ish), the 8' Douglas LRS is really tough to beat imo.

Awesome, so many good options. I think I'll up the budget to under $200 - any more than that and I'll need to fish more to justify the cost. Thanks to all who have replied so far, keep it coming!

unless you run long leaders., the trevala is a GREAT rod (Though I havent hung 16 oz off it yet, how does it do wit that heavy of weight Beer_Run?).  I use the 7ft ML for salmon, sturgeon and most of my bottom fish. That being said...the pricing on them is kind of nuts these days. I think i paid closer  to 115 on sale from Cabelas a few years back.  My other main salmon rod is an Ugly Stik elite 8.5' salmon/steelhead rod in the Heavy rating that has been...fine? its pretty bendy but got a lot of back bone, plus its uglystik durable! 

Personally for all trolling rods, I dont feel like sensitivity and rod "response" to the lure are nearly as big of as the internet makes it to be.  I mean people pin a 360 flasher to a downrigger ball which is essentially rigid (when compared to a rod) and it still works.    Sure you may be able to see the pulse better, but does it REALLLY make the lure behave differently? I have my doubts.

In the past I pretty much stayed with 8oz, but this year fishing in Astoria and at Drano with 500 of my closest PB buddies I upped it to 12oz with no problem so grabbed some 16oz balls and love them on the Trevala. I find it a bit easier to gauge depth and I like my gear closer to the kayak. I use 16s now for deeper water and crowded places. Still carry 12s and 8s as well. I find the pulse is plenty easy to see btw.

Beer_Run (and any others) - with a shorter rod do you find yourself playing the fish a bit longer to tire it out before netting? Or do you shorten your leaders? The TVC-70LI looks good but I think I'd have to adjust my netting technique to account for the combo of short rod/long leader/hot fish.   

I own 2 of the trevala rods and love them when i use them for the intended purpose.  I am not a big fan of them salmon fishing (However, i know many people who do use them and love them- I believe Tyler Hicks loves them and lots of people watch his videos and end up buying one and liking them too).  The trevala price has risen to 180 if i recall.  I love my trevala for lingcod and halibut or other jigging methods where a parabolic rod is warranted. 

I dont like the trevala for salmon for two main reasons:

1-it limits all ability to run long leaders.  This is important when running herring .  If you only want to fish between June and September then the trevala works great.  During these months people typically run pro trolls and short leaders.  A side not i often run long leaders when using a protroll with herring behind it.  This can be deadly for early season. 

2- The Trevala is a parabolic rod.  The backbone of the rod doesn't engage unless the rod is fully bent over and this can be difficult for inexperienced anglers.  Many people lose fish because they are not pulling through the weight of the flasher/cannonball/lure and fighting the fish.  A parabolic rod makes it difficult to determine at what point you are pulling through the gear and keeping tension on your fish.  People think they have it reeled up with  strong tension but they only are fighting the gear and not the fish itself

@DungyDog- If you are opening your budget i would highly recommend checking out Talon rods.  I own all sorts of salmon rods (from $50-400) and the new Talon rods are quickly becoming a favorite.  Trevalas are a great all around rod and if you are focusing on thr pro troll fishery it is a good option. 

My main fishing revolve around targeting salmon so i spend way too much time in the details.  Again this is just my opinion and what i have seen through kayak fishing and taking others on my boat.

I love trevala for all it can do.  But i like having a specialized rod for salmon that can fish herring effectively and pro trolls effectively

What'ts funny is I am less of a fan of the trevala for our bottom fish jigging than I am when using it for salmon.  As I understand it, the parabolic rod is really meant for fishing knife jigs for pelagic species, not slowly bouncing lead off the bottom.  With the super slow action, and heavier lead, it just kind of becomes a lot of work.  dealing with powering through the parabolic action of the rod vs. a faster action jigging rod (I also use a 7' medium harrier).    I havent experienced the issues Zach highlights in comment 2 above, but he also catches more salmon in a season than I probably have in a lifetime so I would listen to him. 

I own two Daiwa HarrierX 7 feet rods and they are great all around rods for the money (around $130) I use them for bottom and salmon fishing. They are very well built and I am on my fourth season with them. Highly recommend if you want the Trevala and want to save a little bit of money.