Float fishing with baitcaster

[Steelheadreams]

I've been into Centerpining now for a few years and I am transitioning into using a baitcaster west coast style (I'm from the Great Lakes). We use the long 13+ ft rods here. Wondering the rods and length used mostly in the west coast for float fishing with baitcasting setup. I was told you guys prefer the shorter 8' rods? Thanks for the advice.

 

[JeannaJigs]

I had a 12' float rod until some a-hole stole it. Hands down it beat any 8'6 rod ever. 10'6 rods are easier to get a hold of and cost considerably less, and that's what I find myself using more than anything. Pretty common length for floating.

 

[mikeee2362]

Welcome to the forum!!
I'm from Minnesota and brought all my under 8 foot gear when I moved here a few months ago. But everyone here uses 9'+ rods here with either spinning or baitcasting setups. I found it easier to fish under a bobber with a spinning setup on a 9.5' rod as the line is easier to pay out from the spinning reel without slowing the presentation in the current, and it's much easier to mend your line with a longer rod. My drift setup is a 10' med action with a Shimano Cardiff 401 baitcaster I used to use as my musky reel. I'm kinda new to this but that's what I've gone to and it's working pretty good for me, as I fish from the bank. I'm sure you will hear a lot of different ideas here, all good I might add, I've learned a bunch since I've been a member of this forum. Good luck out there!!

 

[hobster]

What they said ^^^^ 10 ft. or more for bobber fishing. Better for mending, etc. I use a 9'6" for drifting but I also dig my 8'6" for some occasions.

 

[bigboy70]

why not stick with the centerpin sure its not as popular out here yet but its growing at a fast rate personally bait casters are best for drift fishing not so much float fishing that mike said spinning reel you can extend drifts easyier plus with a bigger reel you can retreive line a lot faster when needed.

i have an 8'6" lamiglass g1000 and love it for drifting with a shimano curado bait caster. ideal float setup for me would be a 10ft or 10.5ft shamino clarus with a 2000 or 3000 series reel(gf has 9'6" rod and is a world fo difference when it comes to mending and casting light gear)

welcome to the forum
ps we all usaually catch fish with what were confident with so it thats a centerpin for you use and go bonk some hatchery chrome

 

[hobster]

why not stick with the centerpin sure its not as popular out here yet but its growing at a fast rate personally bait casters are best for drift fishing not so much float fishing that mike said spinning reel you can extend drifts easyier plus with a bigger reel you can retreive line a lot faster when needed.

ps we all usaually catch fish with what were confident with so it thats a centerpin for you use and go bonk some hatchery chrome

Great point, agree completely.

 

[Chromatose]

SD, I would suggest you stick with the stick you already have..Been pinnin in PNW for a while now. No need to change!!!!

What are you thinking SD?????????????????????

:harhar:



didn't know you made the move.................Shoot me a email!

 

[eugene1]

Use what ya got until you get a feel for the area.

Lots of folks use bobber rods that are 8'6" and do just fine. You could slay with your centerpin rig on the rivers with the right drift conditions. Shorter rods excel in areas with lots of brush since they don't require the same back swing.

Are you thinking about moving out West?

Best,

 

[GungasUncle]

I would personally stick with what you know. The longer rods are easier to float fish with than the shorter stuff. My float rod is an 11'4" spin rod. If I wasn't trying to master skagit casting with my fly rods - I would be tempted to get into centerpin fishing myself, but I don't enjoy self punishment enough to try learning two new styles of fishing at once

Our coastal rivers look a lot like the great lakes tribs I've seen in youtube vids - so you're probably not going to have a problem transitioning to fishing out here. Good luck, and welcome.

 

[Steelheadreams]

Welcome to the forum!!
I'm from Minnesota and brought all my under 8 foot gear when I moved here a few months ago. But everyone here uses 9'+ rods here with either spinning or baitcasting setups. I found it easier to fish under a bobber with a spinning setup on a 9.5' rod as the line is easier to pay out from the spinning reel without slowing the presentation in the current, and it's much easier to mend your line with a longer rod. My drift setup is a 10' med action with a Shimano Cardiff 401 baitcaster I used to use as my musky reel. I'm kinda new to this but that's what I've gone to and it's working pretty good for me, as I fish from the bank. I'm sure you will hear a lot of different ideas here, all good I might add, I've learned a bunch since I've been a member of this forum. Good luck out there!!

I find that the delay caused by setting the hook with an open bail on a spinning setup (float fishing) causes me to miss some strikes.

 

[Steelheadreams]

Are you guys using the 4-8lb blanks out there or stepping up to the heavier blanks. We need to have our steelhead bait casters custom made out here because we cannot find the longer ones in the store. Is that something that is traditionally sold on the West?

 

[Steelheadreams]

I just had a custom 13'6'' CTS 4-8lb spiral wrapped bait caster built. Your fish tend to run much bigger, will this be fine for the bigger ocean run fish?

 

[GungasUncle]

You can find rods easily from 8'6" to 10' for casting rods - with a lot of 9 and 9'6" available even in the inexpensive $50-100 class of rods. As you get above 11' or so, your options dwindle and custom becomes more common. Drift fishing rods for bait casters are usually on 6-12lb rated blanks, side drifting rods go as low as 4-10lb blanks. Loooots of fish caught on the 6-12 and 8-17lb rated rods. Heavier gear really isn't needed. A lot of guys out here run braid for mainline - anywhere from 20 to 50lb. Flourocarbon seems to be the direction a lot are heading for leaders - 8-15lb test is typical for leaders.

Your 13'6" 4-8lb blank should be just fine for landing ocean run fish.

 

[Steelheadreams]

You can find rods easily from 8'6" to 10' for casting rods - with a lot of 9 and 9'6" available even in the inexpensive $50-100 class of rods. As you get above 11' or so, your options dwindle and custom becomes more common. Drift fishing rods for bait casters are usually on 6-12lb rated blanks, side drifting rods go as low as 4-10lb blanks. Loooots of fish caught on the 6-12 and 8-17lb rated rods. Heavier gear really isn't needed. A lot of guys out here run braid for mainline - anywhere from 20 to 50lb. Flourocarbon seems to be the direction a lot are heading for leaders - 8-15lb test is typical for leaders.

Your 13'6" 4-8lb blank should be just fine for landing ocean run fish.

Thank you GungasUncle.

 

[Steelheadreams]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'd like to purchase one of the steelhead/salmon baitcasting rods from out west, can you hook me up with the link to the tackle stores out there that sell them. Much Love

 

[GungasUncle]

The more popular tackle shops around here don't have online stores - there's Fisherman's Marine in the Portland area, and Bob's Sporting Goods in longview. Cabela's sells most of the popular rods / brands out here.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I find that the delay caused by setting the hook with an open bail on a spinning setup (float fishing) causes me to miss some strikes.

I keep the bail open to my right (left hand retrieve), and keep my pinky on the bail to snap it shut, and let out line between my thumb and forefinger for control. Not a perfect system, and there is a slight delay, but it can extend a drift into water you can't reach otherwise.

And for float rods, the longer, the better, assuming it's not in tight quarters on the bank (and sometimes hiking in with a long rod can suck). But anything over 8' usually does the trick. I've bobber fished with a 7 footer, but the arm gets tired from holding the rod so high for too long.

 

[Sage_Flyguy]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'd like to purchase one of the steelhead/salmon baitcasting rods from out west, can you hook me up with the link to the tackle stores out there that sell them. Much Love

I promise this is not a dig on any of the retail stores out there. When it comes to the more expensive / better quality rods I would actually just order from the actual manufacturer. I had a particular experience ( I wont be mentioning the store and it wasn't really their fault) when I bought my St. Croix rod. The first trip out the tip exploded when I had warranty work done on it I found out the rod was over a year old.

Where I am going with this , I think some of the more expensive rods sell a bit slower so could be on the shelves for much longer. With lots of people handling them , how many times have you witnessed someone or accidentally yourself banged the rod into the other rods sitting right next to it on the shelf. or watched someone when shaking the rod hit the ground etc.. Again this is no dig on any of the retailers.

Just my 2 Cents
Jer

 

[Steelheadreams]

You can find rods easily from 8'6" to 10' for casting rods - with a lot of 9 and 9'6" available even in the inexpensive $50-100 class of rods. As you get above 11' or so, your options dwindle and custom becomes more common. Drift fishing rods for bait casters are usually on 6-12lb rated blanks, side drifting rods go as low as 4-10lb blanks. Loooots of fish caught on the 6-12 and 8-17lb rated rods. Heavier gear really isn't needed. A lot of guys out here run braid for mainline - anywhere from 20 to 50lb. Flourocarbon seems to be the direction a lot are heading for leaders - 8-15lb test is typical for leaders.

Your 13'6" 4-8lb blank should be just fine for landing ocean run fish.

Cool

:thumb:​

 

[Steelheadreams]

I keep the bail open to my right (left hand retrieve), and keep my pinky on the bail to snap it shut, and let out line between my thumb and forefinger for control. Not a perfect system, and there is a slight delay, but it can extend a drift into water you can't reach otherwise.

And for float rods, the longer, the better, assuming it's not in tight quarters on the bank (and sometimes hiking in with a long rod can suck). But anything over 8' usually does the trick. I've bobber fished with a 7 footer, but the arm gets tired from holding the rod so high for too long.

:thumb:​