Rods and reels for your depth in 4th post.
For the depths we fish I like Diawa Saltist reels, and Okuma Blue Diamond rods.
We turn 180* all the time with 6 planer boards out, but driving a boat with 4 to 12+ lines in the water is a steep learning curve, that can be expensive.
My partners brother let a greenhorn drive just last week while he was busy rigging lines, and the guy ran right over his own lines !
I know it sounds crazy stupid to do, but it happens all the time.
Around here we always say that finding a good fishing-partner is a lot harder than finding a good wife !!!
One thing that helps trolling a lot is using a Minn-Kota Terrova bow mount electric motor.
It will navigate and do the driving for you. Makes it very easy to fish alone.
They also work great bottom bouncing, and as an electric anchor to keep you right over a school of fish.
They also make it easy to make a smooth controlled turn.
You use your gas trolling motor to push the boat forward, and the bow mount just does the steering ( saves battery power that way).
We fish Erie's rough waves for 8 to 10 hours some days, and there's battery power to spare after running the Terrova the full time for steering.
I use the 24 volt model, and my boat is pretty heavy on purpose, to cut threw Erie's waves.
