help pick budget salmon/steelhead rod & reel

[redpearl99]

So I started doing a bit of steelhead fishing in the tributaries last year and now that I've been going salmon fishing with a buddy in Lake Ontario I want to get ready for the fall salmon / steelhead run.

 

I'm currently looking for a budget rod and reel for drift / float fishing in the tributaries. The key is "budget" since my work contract recently ended and I'm currently unemployed. As for reels, which one of the following three would you guys recommend

 

- Shimano Sienna 2500 ($34) http://www.basspro.com/Shimano-Sienna-Rear-Drag-Spinning-Reels/product/12082905322468/

- Abu Garcia Cardinal S s20 ($29) http://www.basspro.com/Abu-Garcia-Cardinal-S-Spinning-Reels/product/1207260456525/

- Diawa Crossfire-3bi 3000 ($25) http://www.daiwa.com/reel/detail.aspx?id=636

- Mitchell Avocet IV Silver Series 3000 ($29) http://www.cabelas.com/product/Mitchell-reg-Avocet-IV-Silver-Spinning-Reel/1433677.uts

 

Are all these reels practically equal or are some substantially better?

 

Furthermore, what do you guys think about the following budget intro rods

 

- Diama Acculite 10'6" light action noodle rod ($49) http://www.daiwa.com/rod/detail.aspx?id=532

- Fenwick Eagle GT 9'6" med action steelhead rod ($60) http://www.fenwickfishing.com/prod.php?k=472637&sk=472637&p=PUREGTS%20862M%20(1238605)

- okuma Celilo 10' med light graphite rod ($53) https://www.okumafishing.com/product/view/rods/salmon-steelhead/celilo

Please let me know if you have any other recommendations or whether you have an old rod or reel laying around.

 

Best, Bahram

[FloatnFly]

if you can up your rod budget up to about $100, you have a few really nice options like the streamside rods, if you have another spinning reel at home, just that, otherwise, check out ebay or kijiji for good deal on nicer gear

[redpearl99]

so im going to take it that you don't think the Daiwa acculite is a good rod?

[BillM]

Any of those rods are fine.. You'll want something with a bit more 'umph' then your standard noodle rod however, those things are exactly that.... wet noodles.

[redpearl99]

Thanks bill, is there any specific rod you would recommend at the same price point?

[porkpie]

You could look into one of the new rapala offerings for a rod as they seem reasonably priced, or perhaps an ugly stick. For chinook you'll want a reasonably decent reel. They have a tendency to blow out drags in cheapies. Trust me, I've tried and had them fail! I use a diawa ss1300 with braid and a fluoro leader. Perhaps you could find one used on kijiji. If I had to choose one of those reels, I would probably go with the shimano. For kings in my opinion, the reel is where I'd spend the money, a cheep rod will be fine.

[JoshS]

Try to find something used for a decent price.. you have some time until fall.

[FloatnFly]

you want a rod to have a strong back bone to turn these fish, theres no worse feeling than watching a fish speed off and you can't stop it, you have one of 2 choices, chase it down or break it off, for the reel, you want a good drag system with a good line capacity

[redpearl99]

So if I get a stiffer rod and not a noodle rod, will I be able to use 4 or 6 lb test line? How do you use a stiffer rod with light line? Wouldn't the stiff rod just brake off the line?

[MJL]

Do you currently own any fishing tackle?

[redpearl99]

yes, lots of bass and pike gear. A med heavy baitcaster and a med uglystick

[MJL]

If you already own a spinning reel with a smooth drag, you can save $ by just using what you have.

 

When I fish the small to Med size Lake O rivers, I often use my 7ft med-action spinning rod and cast spinners, Kwikfish and other lures for steelhead. Works pretty well until the temps get super frigid.

 

Honestly if I was fishing for salmon and steelhead, I’d purchase 2 different rods. 1 rod rated for perhaps 4-8lb or 4-10lb for steelhead and another 8-15lb for salmon (But that’s my opinion). You could use the same reel on both rods (load it up with a limp 10-12lb mono and use a leader). Biggest issue with using noodle rods for salmon is they lack the backbone to really turn or control the fish. It’s in the best interest of the fish that you land it as fast as possible to avoid killing it from total exhaustion. It’s also good not to tie up a large stretch of river and have other anglers wait on you to land the fish, for an unnecessary amount of time.

[redpearl99]

So are you saying that I should get a 4-8lb rod lengthy rod and use 10-12 lb mono on it?

[MJL]

So are you saying that I should get a 4-8lb rod lengthy rod and use 10-12 lb mono on it?

 

As an example: A 13' rod rated for 4-8lb line, you could use a 10-12lb mainline and use a 4-8lb leader below the float (if you were float fishing). You'd save yourself from losing a lot of floats too if you snag up.

[BillM]

I think he's looking for a combo that will double for pier duty as well, unless I've misunderstood him.

[redpearl99]

No I don't really care about pier duty, I just want to be able to fish credit and bowmanville ect. I just thought that river fishing rquifed ultra light line with a very flexible rod.

[danjang]

Chinooks will be very hard on the cheapest reels. Just something to keep in mind. The cheapest decent newbie setup would be around the 150 new mark. I have a 10 year old shimano Sedona that still works for chinnoks.

[redpearl99]

i thought people liked the Shimano Sienna

 

basically this is what I want to be able to do (fish the trib rivers during runs).... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o500c-YB2xQ

 

and the reason why I want to get my gear now is because Lebaron has a tax free sale this week so I can save 15%

 

My initial thought was to get the diawa acculite and shimano sienna but now I'm confused

Edited July 23, 2013 by redpearl99

[bare foot wader]

sienna 4000 will work great for what you want

 

rods should be around the 10' length

 

rapala northcoast series

shimano convergence (clarus too but is more $)

 

 

what baitcaster do you have? you can spend your money on a better rod and use your baitcaster to float fish, will work great with the exception of lighter setups

[redpearl99]

i have an abu garcia blackmax baitcaster

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

try and spend a little more on a reel. get something with an excellent drag system.

[dave524]

Why not stick with the bait caster he's got already and get a nice 10 1/2 foot medium wt. steelhead rod. For his " drift/float fishing " in the tribs I don't think spinning gear is any advantage.

[davey buoy]

I think a bait caster is far better to float fish because of the free spool as compared to a spinning reel.A longer rod would be the ticket!At least for starting off.

[BillM]

Why not stick with the bait caster he's got already and get a nice 10 1/2 foot medium wt. steelhead rod. For his " drift/float fishing " in the tribs I don't think spinning gear is any advantage.

 

Fantastic advice.

[FloatnFly]

for the smaller tribs, like the bowmanville for example, i have an 11.5ft streamside float rod, steelhead edition, its an imx-8 blank paired with an okuma float reel, its about a $260 setup (100 for the rod and about 160 for the reel) i love it, worked very well for the salmon with 12lb test on it and vvery well for the trout with 6lb test. but if you already have a decent reel, double up your budget for the rod, and then next year, purchase a reel upgrade