Pole Help/intro

U
USCGAUXHinkle
first off, i'd like to introduce myself. I'm a semi-newbie steelhead fisherman/future police officer looking for some good information. i've been steelhead fishing for a few years in a row, but i am a more avid bass fisherman. well, this season i am deciding to take the year off from bass (primarily) and fish for steelhead. that being said, i need some advice. i fish the south santiam just below the Foster Dam for summer steelies. i'm looking for a steelhead pole. i have about 70 dollars at my disposal. i am looking at an okuma sst 9'6" spinning or a buzz ramsey IM8 8'6" baitcaster. i have a spare reel for both. being a bass fisherman, i am pretty good with a baitcaster, but i have heard that spinning gear is the best for drifting/bobber & jig. i will be purchasing the rod on wednesday, and am kind of leaning towards the okuma, mainly because a)it's longer, and b) has gotten some GREAT reviews. please let me know what you guys think.
Thank you,
USCGAUXHinkle
 
M
metalmania
Welcome to the forum, I think you'll find a lot of great info here:D. I am a wannabe police officer as well, there seems to be a lot of us nowadays:lol:. I would go with the buzz rod hands down if you can get a longer one, otherwise i'd go with the okuma. Bimart has pretty cheap okuma celilos that would make a good bobber rod if there 9 1/2' or more and not to heavy. I use both spinning and baitcasting, but with a baitcaster it's easier to extend your drift.
 
U
USCGAUXHinkle
i heard that the celios are really fragile. i figure a 20 dollar higher pricetag is worth it for a more sturdy rod. and 8'6" is all i could find in the ramsey.
 
S
steelhead_stalkers
Both have their place. I the summer most people use lighter line so spinning reels when float fishing is a good idea. I also like casting reels on certain rivers for float fishing as well. Just depends on how good you are with light line and the baitcaster and what kind of river you are fishing (low trees, structure). I like the buzz ramsey rods. You probably will want something a little bit longer than the 8'6 but it would work if thats all they have.
 
K
Kodiak
At foster as the water drops distance can become key. I personally use a 9' GL2 with a Curado loaded with 8# Ug and do well with jigs there. With a little shorter rod will give you more options than just bober and jigs, like drifting, spoons, spinners, etc. My personal experience is that a bait caster will give you better control of your fish and more back bone than a spinning rod, plus I just don't like Okuma's much..I've had issues with them in the past.
And welcome to OFF!
 
U
USCGAUXHinkle
ah man.... ive only caught them on pulling plugs on s.santiam, so that's the only method i'm confident with. the 1 okuma rod i had i hated, cuz it lost me my biggest bass ever. can you still use bobber/jigs effectively at 8'6"? cuz if so, i'd just rather get the buzz ramsey and keep my baitcaster (it's for sale atm, but perhaps i'll take it off lol.)
 
F
First Bite
USCG

For around $70-80 bucks you can get a nice IM8 or an Okuma rod that will fill your needs. I previously owned an Okuma float rod and it was a nice rod for the money. I currently have an IM8 Buzz rod and it too is a great rod for the money. One suggestion I would have is to get a rod that is 9' or longer. Good luck shopping.
 
A
autofisher
I know I'm not the best to advise on this subject. I'll fish anything, anytime for any species. I don't always leave home with the thought of hitting the water until I'm actually out on the road. It's really going to depend on what you're comfortable with, and where you're going to be fishing. If you're going to be staying on one main body of water and know you can get away with a longer rod....do it up. I personally like the 9' rods. The brand doesn't make that big of a difference to me as long as it gets me a fish and isn't a total cheap POS.
 

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