If don't put on kicker,get amish outfitter bags that can slow you to 1.0mph when water really cold.I did some research and bought some gear for my friends' first year trolling this year.Wanted to make things as easy as possible to start with.Bought 4 Diawa SG47LC reels and Diawa wilderness rods 8.5ft MH and spooled them 15lb Sunline mono.The rods only cost $16 at fish USA.I think the inline boards much easier to use than the big boards.I would get the offshore boards with the modified taggle flags that go down when a fish hits.I've been using the #2 tadpoles offshore makes past 3 seasons and have worked well for us.Even though they bottom out at 29fow.Get some 3oz sinkers to get deeper than 30ft.Start with worm harnesses with 6ft leader to get enough of and experience with.Can use harnesses through most of fishing season and will usually outfish spoons and crankbaits.Next season can buy two more rods and spool with braid and can fish that with a #1 dipsey.Will learn new stuff every year.Roy and Wakida really are accomplished trollers and have got a lot of good info from their threads.Make sure you read Ohio Game and Fish website also,they have even more info there.