Gear for steelhead?

[jpjule]

I would like to get into steel/salmon fishing and I am curious about rod/reel set ups. Do you prefer baitcasting or spinning reels? How about the flex on your rod? I usually try to go with the lightest gear/tackle possible. Is that wise for steel/salmon or should I use some heavier gear. I would think that with the size of the fish and the current in the rivers heavier would be the best bet. I have talked to a few employees at some outdoor stores but none seemed to strike me as knowing what they were talking about.

 

[sandyboy]

I like to use baitcasting reels and rods.Now i have a Berkley 10-20 and a Pflueger trion and it workes ok but a 8-12 would work also.I usually just drift fish with a little piece of hollow pencil lead attachted to a little piece of line from your swivel and globugs and corky and yarn.

 

[beaverfan]

Before you figure out what rod you want you need to figure out which methods of fishing interest you. Whether it's trolling, drifting, spinning, float, fly, plunking. Also are you planning on fishing the Columbia and Willamette or some of the smaller rivers?

 

[SalmonStalker]

Well for me i enjoy throwing jigs and spinners, and somtimes a little plunking. Also a little fly.
So if i were you i would get a 9'-11' lamiglass with a 2000-2500 series pfluger reel. (spining)

 

[Mike123]

A spinning rod is most versatile. You can jig, spinner and drift fish with it.
An 6-10lb or 8-12lb are good line ratings for this. You'll eventually want more than one rod though. Of course your 9'6-12' rods in 4-10 and 6-12lb line ratings are sweet for bobber rods. 8'6 are nice for spinners. 9'-9'6 are nice for drifting.. This is all IMO. I really wear spinning reels out throwing spinners, so I go with cheaper reels for that.

This all depends on the water you fish and the type of fishing you do most like Beaverfan said. If you fish small creeks and small rivers a lot I would't go longer than a 9'....

There's my .02cents

 

[JodysaHoser]

gear

gear

Buy the best quality you can afford. When you are at the top of your budget scratch behind your ear and find a few more dollars. This will be a rod you will have for the rest of your life. You will be buying other rods but you want those to be for different methods of fishing not to upgrade the POS that your wife talked you into.

 

[SalmonStalker]

Yeah, Buy a Nice rod. If you enjoy casting spinners and throwing jigs get a spinning rod.
And if you like drifing or plunking get a baitcast.
But whatever rod you buy get a really nice rod.

 

[autofisher]

You can get a good 9' -9'6 rod from anywhere around $40-$100 depending on where you go. Same with reels. My personal choice after we get moved and I can convince the better half to let me get another rod, is probably going to be an IM7 9'6 for about $60. Unless she really loves me then I'll be taking a road trip to either Dallas, or Canby. Grigg up in Canby has some great deals. There's a small shop out in Dallas by Wal-Mart that has a decent selection of gear. If they don't have it, they'll order it for you. I prefer a spinning set up most times, but that's just because this old dog doesn't learn new tricks very well.