Floating for steelhead using a spinning reel

[heri0n]

Is it okay to use a spinning reel for floating? How effective is it? Not ready to shell out the money for a centerpin just yet...

[BillM]

Lots of guys do just fine with a spinning reel.

[SRT8 smoker craft]

the key to succsess is to keep your line off the water and use a quality reel I did it for years but once you try a pin you will never put another spinning reel on your float rod

[heri0n]

oh and i guess related to that

can you do with a non float rod as well?

i think mine is only about 5 or 6 feet long...

[BillM]

oh and i guess related to that

can you do with a non float rod as well?

i think mine is only about 5 or 6 feet long...

 

You are going to have a real tough time with a rod that short...

[fcm420]

I fished for chomers with my 6.6 med action rod and spinning reel setup ( my usual bass setup ) for years...

almost always caught a few..

 

but you can only put up with your friends or neighbouring anglers outfishing you sometimes 5 to 1 with their float setups before you will cave to the idea that your just missing out on a lot of potential fish on your line by using the spinning setup.

 

 

In the end, yes you can fish with that setup, yes you will be frustrated by the limitations associated with working drifts with such a small rod... but no, your not just as well off as those with a float setup.

 

 

Get yourself a nice center pin reel and a 13' rod to start, gonna fall in love with fishing all over again once you do.

[BillM]

All you need is a cheap noodle rod ($70 Shimano Convergence) it will make a world of difference when trying to make drifts...

 

Centerpin setups are awesome and I'd never go to the river without mine, but they can be a steep investment for the guy that only wants to go out a few times a year for steelies.

[ccmtcanada]

I use a spinning setup and I have pretty good luck. Yes there are times a pin would be very helpful, but I make do with what I have at the moment.

[torco]

I only go out a few times a year, although I wish I had more time but such is life.

Listen to Bill M, I use the convergence with stradic reel and do fine for the amount of time on the water. Its a decent rod for the price, mine is only 10'6 a little shorter than my previous rod but it does fine in small tribs such as the ones out east.

[torco]

I only go out a few times a year, although I wish I had more time but such is life.

Listen to Bill M, I use the convergence with stradic reel and do fine for the amount of time on the water. Its a decent rod for the price, mine is only 10'6 a little shorter than my previous rod but it does fine in small tribs such as the ones out east.

[Spiel]

I know plenty of guys who do quite well float fishing for steelies with a spinning reel but you are definitely handicapping yourself with a rod of less than 10'. Another option is a good quality level wind setup on a long rod (I'm loving mine), it would be a better choice than a spinning reel.

[Paulus]

The spinning reel is no problem, but a short rod is only advisable on smaller streams where the longer rods basically just can't go.

 

With regards to rods, the Shimano rod is nice, but you could also look at the Fenwick HMX which costs about 40$ more but might have a little more zip to it. I fished with one for years, with only a small daiwa SS on it & was only ever overmatched by ultra fresh fish with too much room to move, on a couple of occasions. Getting the longer rod first will not only allow you to have more control over your drifts, but it will also give you an idea of just how much you like the sport; often, if you start catching more fish, you eventually make more time to get out more often. ... which in turn gets you thinking "hmmmm... maybe I SHOULD get a centrepin..."

 

Finally, the only real advantage that the pin has over the spinning reel (IMO) is the slight trotting, or pulling back, on the float caused by the way it pays out line. It means that you are almost always in direct contact with your float; so when it goes down, you have no slack to reel in, you just set the hook. Some steelhead takes are lightning quick, and reeling up slack just makes you miss fish.

 

Summary: spinning reel is no problem; short rod is a problem (remediate situation with short rod before deciding if you want to get a centrepin)

 

me shut up now

 

p.-

[BillM]

Paul, you forgot using pin also makes you look like a superstar.

 

[cityfisher]

All you need is a cheap noodle rod ($70 Shimano Convergence) it will make a world of difference when trying to make drifts...

 

Centerpin setups are awesome and I'd never go to the river without mine, but they can be a steep investment for the guy that only wants to go out a few times a year for steelies.

 

All you need to know... I used to have a pin but sold it since i only went 1-2 times a years..

[Paulus]

Paul, you forgot using pin also makes you look like a superstar.

 

 

 

 

oops!

 

Edited December 3, 2009 by Paulus

[Spiel]

Paul, you forgot using pin also makes you look like a superstar.

 

 

Superstar, must have cool shades to go with cool hat....

[dave524]

Paul, you forgot using pin also makes you look like a superstar.

 

 

There was a few years before the pin caught on, back in the 70's, where the superstar status was to be using a long noodle rod, usually some Lamiglass S-glass blank and a Shakespeare 1810 underspin closed face reel. We were all disciples of the Dick Swan school of float fishing for steelhead.

[Raf]

Another option is a good quality level wind setup on a long rod (I'm loving mine), it would be a better choice than a spinning reel.

 

always wondered that.. and you just answered.

[Harrison]

Loving the levelwind too Spiel! Especially in the winter when a pin has a tendency to freeze to your pinky!

Edited December 3, 2009 by Harrison

[ChrisK]

oh and i guess related to that

can you do with a non float rod as well?

i think mine is only about 5 or 6 feet long...

 

To me this is one of the biggest reasons "why" the longer poles do so much better.Being able to run as light tippets(leaders) as required to present your bait to the fish in a non intrusive manner. Most days you will be able to get away with running your main line or heavier leaders to the hook once again depending on the water conditions(clarity)...But there will be days you will be fishing gin clear water and using lighter tippets will be a must to fool those steelhead. The longer the pole the more shock it is capable of absorbing from your line before the breaking point of your line comes into play. You can virtually run 1 or 3 pound mono tippets and land a 10lb fish with a float rod. Its just a matter of playing the fish out and accompanied with a center pin the sky is the limit based on your skills..

Sure there are good quality spinning reels out there with fine drag systems but as far as I'm concerned nothing can match the smoothness and control a centre pin offers up when fighting a steelhead or any other fish for that matter.

 

Cheers !!

[StoneFly]

Definately a long Rod Helps with using lighter lead and keeping your line off the water and tight. The Spinner is fine, however the CP offers longer drifts with tighter lines,..smoother more natural drifts and when you have a Big fish on,...nothing beats the manipulation of the drag, you can go from all to nothing and everything in between in a microsecond. Cant do that with a drag system on a spinning reel, hence you will lose less bigger fish.

[camillj]

I have a pin .. but I personally (go ahead scoff if you must) ... I much prefer my Whisker 1300 ... on a 10' 6" rod ...versatile and I can cast a long way with a cleo if I decide to also fish the mouth ...

Edited December 3, 2009 by camillj

[BillM]

Definately a long Rod Helps with using lighter lead and keeping your line off the water and tight. The Spinner is fine, however the CP offers longer drifts with tighter lines,..smoother more natural drifts and when you have a Big fish on,...nothing beats the manipulation of the drag, you can go from all to nothing and everything in between in a microsecond. Cant do that with a drag system on a spinning reel, hence you will lose less bigger fish.

 

I think people lose more fish due to the fact that they have to manipulate the drag themselves on a pin..

 

I just get lazy and flick the drag on

[[email protected]]

I think people lose more fish due to the fact that they have to manipulate the drag themselves on a pin..

 

I just get lazy and flick the drag on

 

 

Bad Bill... Bad...

lol

[MJL]

Is it okay to use a spinning reel for floating? How effective is it? Not ready to shell out the money for a centerpin just yet...

 

Is it easier to get a good drift with a centrepin VS spinning reel?…Sure

 

Is a centerpin more EFFECTIVE at catching fish than a spinning reel?…No…I believe the effectiveness related to any piece of fishing equipment revolves around the abilities of the angler to use it to its greatest potential.

 

In the hands of a skilled angler either reel will perform similarly to one another. You can go from free spool to total lock down with either reel too while fighting a fish. It’s up to the angler to be resourceful and find a way to use either type of reel to the best of their abilities – Practice makes perfect. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of fishing with BBNotty and his son Brendan (who is an amazing angler and does use a spinning reel for his float fishing). Brendan’s ability to control his float down a long pool with his spinning reel rivaled that of most highly experienced centrepin anglers. By opening and closing his bail multiple times throughout the drift, he was able to create seamless, mind-blowlingly-orgasmic drifts (especially to the steelhead) and out fished pretty much every other angler on the river that day (I did give him a good run for his money though )…There are different ways to create a good drift with a spinning reel…Try a few, choose one (or a few) you’re most comfortable doing and like anything, practice.