I used these as well and found that i could not catch more than 1 walleye as well, i did however notice that trolling 5-6 poles on a side it did tend to tangle other lines when i caught more than 1 trash fish. 2 sheep heads do bend the pole over pretty good. your right its like a bad christmas present you cant wait to see what you got but once it gets to the boat you just want to return it.