Salmon And Trout Rods?

[dropaline]

Hey I'm just starting to get in to salmon and trout fishing and i have no clue on wat type of rod(s) are good for salmon and trout.

 

Dropaline

[BabyHerc]

For medium to large salmon, an 8 foot to 10 foot medium-heavy or heavy power rod with a moderately-fast action (or taper). This rod should be rated for 12-20 lb test, and 1/4-1 oz lures. This rod will be good for throwing spoons and plugs at piers, river mouths, and the lower reaches of rivers. It can also be used in up-river stretches, but you may find that it's a bit too short in some instances. For trout, go with a 10'6 to 15' rod, with a slow to moderate action, and rated for 1/8-3/8 oz and 4-8 lb line. This trout-rod can be used for smaller salmon, and, with a line upgrade to 10 or 12 lb test, can be used to land mid-sized salmon as well.

Edited November 21, 2006 by BabyHerc

[jason27fish]

go long they seem to work the best

[setomonkey]

How much do you think you'll be doing this? I don't fish rivers very often, so I opted for a 10' salmon/steelhead rod, worked well on salmon running the Credit last Fall, and it's great for casting spoons off piers.

 

The much longer rods are less versatile, they're more for the guys who plan to drift regularly.

 

Mike

[FishFinder]

are you going to be casting spoons off the piers or drifting?'

 

For Drifting, start with something like a 10'6 browning. if you like it later move on to a longer rod.

[kemper]

Ive got a southbend 9'6 Salmon rod, in medium heavy for salmon/casting peirs, and a 12'6 Fenwick for drifting. I love the fenwick, but its useless for throwing hardware, and Ive drifted many times with my shorter rod and it worked fine. If your just starting out, go with something under 10 feet.

[dropaline]

thanks everyone

I have one Question wat is drifting??

[FishFinder]

Its Float fishing, where you fish in the river by using a float and splitshots and often roe as bait.

Possibly the best kind of fishing, it can be done with a spinning reel but much more fun with a centerpin.

[dropaline]

oh now i know wat it is i did it before.

so now i guess the question is wat is a good rod for it for catching salmon n trout?

[outdoorguy61]

Okay....I will be devils advocate. Just providing a spin, given that there are many variables, depending upon area fished, etc.

 

On the Skeena R., a small group use 8 ft.med/heavy action rods to toss maribou jigs (pink) for salmon, using say 20-25 pd test. Casting rods with large baitcasting reels.

 

I used to really enjoy fishing small creeks using say 2-4 pd test with a small spinning reel.

 

On some smaller lakes, 8 ft flyrods with 4 weight line are popular, and growing.

 

Just tossing out some abstract ideas. The first gentleman that replyed seemed pretty well on the recommended mark, assuming you are fishing the Great Lakes. My own are focused and likley not relevant, except for avids that really want to learn some new stuff.

 

outdoorguy61

[FishFinder]

oh now i know wat it is i did it before.

so now i guess the question is wat is a good rod for it for catching salmon n trout?

WHat fishing would you rather do? Drifting or chucking spoons. Its hard to find a rod to do both

[dropaline]

Drifting

[Canuck2fan]

I started out with an 11.5 ft Shakespeare Catera might be called an Agility this year though. It CAN do it all not PERFECTLY mind you but well enough for the 55 bucks it will cost you at LeBarons. It is long enough for drifting although most will tell you to get at least a 13 footer but you sure can't chuck spoons with any 13 footer I have ever seen. An 11.5 foot Catera/Agility comes with double footed guides except for the last 4 so it has the backbone for salmon and chucking those heavy spoons while the tip is sensitive enough for bottom bouncing and drifting rainbows. I can't say enough about mine as it has proven itself time and time again off the piers with huge salmon and in the rivers with 3lb bows.....

 

Of course since it doesn't do everything "perfectly" I have added 3 other rods to round out my arsenal so be prepared to keep spending if you really get into it LOL.

 

If you plan on never chucking a spoon and want to spend a little more for a great noodle rod get yourself a "green" Dick Swan Noodle Rod Company rod if you can find one. You won't be disappointed with that one either but I sure wouldn't chuck a spoon with mine.

[Gman]

Are you asking about river/ pier fishing or for salmon trolling in Lake O? That depends on the set-up you want to run.

 

I see most above assumed river fishing/pier fishing is this correct?

 

Cheers,

Gman

[BabyHerc]

OK, so you're drifting. Get a minimum 10 foot rod, up to 13 feet. Beyond 13' can get a little hard to control, especially if you're fishing some of the overgrown, tight sections of Lake Ontario tribs. If you're gonna be fishing big water like the Saugeen or the Grand, don't be afraid to push up to 15 feet in length. Bass Pro makes a nice entry level, called the Browning Six Rivers. Mitchell and Shakespeare also make good entry level rods for less than $80. If you want to get something a little more prestigious, St. Croix, Okuma, and Raven are all good as well, but you're looking at high 100's to low 200's for these rods.

Edited November 24, 2006 by BabyHerc

[Weedman]

Dropaline, just bumped you with a PM....

 

BabyHerc, you make some good suggestions there. Shimano has some decent entry level steelhead product as well. I would add one manufacturer on the higher end choices, G. Loomis. Been fishing them for years and their responsiveness and light weight make them a winner. And, you can lean on a bolting king (chinook) salmon in tight quarters with no worries. Mind you, some models are 200 to 350 dollars, so not suited to everyone's price range. Sage is another amazing product, for both fly rods and steelhead/salmon but they're way up there in price!!

[dropaline]

thanks everyone i'll keep everything in mind for when i go out n get a rod

 

dropaline

[madtekniques]

I asked the same question when I started fishing the rivers this year and I tossed and turned over what to buy. I didn't want to spend a lot of money since I was just getting into it and was unsure of what I would like. The majority of replies that I got were telling me that the longer the rod the more fish I would land in the long run.

 

Originally I bought a 10'6" Browning Six Rivers from BPS for $69.99 I believe (the 13' and 15' are more $$). It felt really really light and I was afraid it wouldn't have enough backbone so I called around and Al O'Flahrety's (sp?) had Canadian made rods from Emry at a low cost. I went to check them out and I ended up going home with a 13' Emry rod for $54.95 and I returned the Browning. In all honesty the Browning was a nicer rod, looked better and felt lighter but I was cheap and I wanted to try the longer length. I caught my first steelhead last weekend and with the crazy head shakes I was really happy to have the long rod with a ton of control. It has taken a lot of getting used to and I'm still trying to master it, 13' is a lot of rod to work with.

 

At the end of the day . . . if you are willing to spend around $100 I would suggest the Browning 13' from BPS (I was there this week so I know they still have at least one) and if you want a lower cost option you should call Al O'Flahrety's and other independent shops to see if they have an Emry. Another option is the Shimano Convergence which you can pick up for around $100 but I like the handles on the Browning's a lot more than the Shimano.

 

[dropaline]

thanks everyone

[FISHEYEZ]

one word.....wow!!! lol

[dropaline]

thanks everyone on ur info that u provided.

[luv2drift]

Listen to Fishfinder. I just started float fishing with a centerpin...NOTHING beats it. Just spend the money and get a good used reel .....and get a 13 foot rod the longer rods are easier to learn how to cast. Most hard core anglers that are targeting these species on the river are using pins! There is a bit of a learning curve but I tell you when you hook into the first steelhead on this set up you will never forget it.....I was at Thornbury and no one was there (surprise) and I caught six in one afternoon and was hoooooooooked ever since.

[dropaline]

thanks n that would have been nice have a river by ur self