Non-Fly Recommendations on spin gear upgrades

SilverFly

SilverFly

Legend
No, I'm not throwing in the towel on fly fishing ... BUT, I do like to eat hatchery salmon/steelhead. Also since moving we're now 20 min farther from my favorite hatchery river and only 25 from a larger, more productive river. Unfortunately one with very limited bank access.

So, I figure if I want to load the smoker, it's time I upgraded my vintage 80's - early 90's conventional gear. Starting with a decent quality bobber rig. I'm thinking a 10' spin outfit rated for 10-15#. The main targets would be B-run coho and summer steelhead, but spring/fall chinook would also be on the list so maybe a touch heavier.

My current spin outfit is an old IM-7 with a Shimano Sedona. I have very little idea what's on the market these days, let alone what the best performance value would be for a mid-range spin outfit. I should probably upgrade my casting outfit as well, but figure a good bobber rod is the best starting point.

What say ye dirtbags? ;)
 
So I don't gear fish a ton these days but im still using an old loomis GL2 baitcaster and a couple of fenniglas spinning rods. I found upgrading the reel on my baitcaster made the biggest difference for me (a 90s Shimano curado to a 2020s curado).

I feel like fishing reels wear out exponentially faster than rods (too many little moving parts). It got me thinking of upgrading my spinning reels to something made in this millennium.
 
If you're comfortable with a bait caster, my opinion is they make far superior bobber rods. The line going over the rod helps keep some of the slack off the water compared to a spinning rod, and the ability to smoothly free spool and thumb your way down a seam vertically is so much better with a casting rod. A 10ft medium heavy is definitely the weapon of choice though, spinning or casting. I like a weighted slip bobber (with a stopper below the bobber as well, 6" above the swivel so I dont lose my bobber if it breaks) and on my casting rod it can go as far as my dumb thumbs allow.
 
You're gonna need a few. You thought fly fishing required too many rods? :ROFLMAO:

You'll need about an 8' spinner/spoon rod. (casting)

You'll need like a 7' jig twitching rod. (spinning)

You'll also need a roughly 10' bobber rod. (your preference).
 
Pink Nighty said:
If you're comfortable with a bait caster, my opinion is they make far superior bobber rods. The line going over the rod helps keep some of the slack off the water compared to a spinning rod, and the ability to smoothly free spool and thumb your way down a seam vertically is so much better with a casting rod. A 10ft medium heavy is definitely the weapon of choice though, spinning or casting. I like a weighted slip bobber (with a stopper below the bobber as well, 6" above the swivel so I dont lose my bobber if it breaks) and on my casting rod it can go as far as my dumb thumbs allow.
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Good point about the baitcaster. Yes, at one time I was pretty adept using them for probably 90% of my fishing. My old Abu Garcia still works, but I'm sure a museum artifact by comparison to modern reels.

Other than liking the few Shimano products I have, I'm pretty clueless as to the myriad brand/models currently available.

Evan B said:
You're gonna need a few. You thought fly fishing required too many rods? :ROFLMAO:

You'll need about an 8' spinner/spoon rod. (casting)

You'll need like a 7' jig twitching rod. (spinning)

You'll also need a roughly 10' bobber rod. (your preference).
Click to expand...

I know I need to invest in some basics, but that's a solid list and a good bobber outfit seems the logical start.

Not a whole lot new to me there other than missing out on the advent of jig twitching (I had gone down the fly rabbit hole by then).

But yeah, spinners/spoons are how I learned river salmon fishing. Followed a close 2nd with bobber. Landed my 1st steelhead on a yarn fly under a bobber almost exactly 50 years ago (Dec '75). Definitely have some catching up to do with jig twitching though.
 
SilverFly said:
Good point about the baitcaster. Yes, at one time I was pretty adept using them for probably 90% of my fishing. My old Abu Garcia still works, but I'm sure a museum artifact by comparison to modern reels.

Other than liking the few Shimano products I have, I'm pretty clueless as to the myriad brand/models currently available.



I know I need to invest in some basics, but that's a solid list and a good bobber outfit seems the logical start.

Not a whole lot new to me there other than missing out on the advent of jig twitching (I had gone down the fly rabbit hole by then).

But yeah, spinners/spoons are how I learned river salmon fishing. Followed a close 2nd with bobber. Landed my 1st steelhead on a yarn fly under a bobber almost exactly 50 years ago (Dec '75). Definitely have some catching up to do with jig twitching though.
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My "jig twitching" rod actually gets mileage in a lot of places. It's a Shimano Trevala "L" action spinning rod. Lives on my ocean boat in the summer as my rod for the smaller jigs (like 40-60g) for tuna or other jig-eating pelagics. In the fall, I run a swivel on the end of the leader and use it to twitch jigs, cast wigglers, and cast spinners to salmon in the big C.
 
Evan B said:
My "jig twitching" rod actually gets mileage in a lot of places. It's a Shimano Trevala "L" action spinning rod. Lives on my ocean boat in the summer as my rod for the smaller jigs (like 40-60g) for tuna or other jig-eating pelagics. In the fall, I run a swivel on the end of the leader and use it to twitch jigs, cast wigglers, and cast spinners to salmon in the big C.
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Love my M/H Trevala casting rod. Not the ideal "jig" rod per se, but it works and I like it for other uses like bottom fishing. Definitely need to add a proper jig rod to the tuna arsenal. One that also covered river applications would be great.
 
SilverFly said:
Love my M/H Trevala casting rod. Not the ideal "jig" rod per se, but it works and I like it for other uses like bottom fishing. Definitely need to add a proper jig rod to the tuna arsenal. One that also covered river applications would be great.
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A M/H Trevala Casting rod is my MAIN jig rod for tuna. That's an awesome jigging rod, but definitely too heavy for the local, non-tuna stuff.
And spinning is the way to go for the salmon twitching/spinner/wiggler stuff.
 
For your bobber rod, think hard about the water you'll fish. If you're fishing in some current and don't need to make really long casts to not spook fish, I find bait casters to work much better. If you're fishing spooky fish in big slow tanks and making long casts, a spinning rod can work better - light touch to drop line for big mends and can make longer casts with lighter gear.

For steelhead and coho, I'm always using a bait caster. For springers, while I prefer a bait caster, I end up using a spinning rod for several beats.

I've been using lightweight EDGE rods the last few years but a guide friend I know recently switch to Talon so I might try those out later this season.
 
ThomasM said:
For your bobber rod, think hard about the water you'll fish. If you're fishing in some current and don't need to make really long casts to not spook fish, I find bait casters to work much better. If you're fishing spooky fish in big slow tanks and making long casts, a spinning rod can work better - light touch to drop line for big mends and can make longer casts with lighter gear.

For steelhead and coho, I'm always using a bait caster. For springers, while I prefer a bait caster, I end up using a spinning rod for several beats.

I've been using lightweight EDGE rods the last few years but a guide friend I know recently switch to Talon so I might try those out later this season.
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I like spin outfits for the light gear capability. Especially with spooky fish in slow clear pools.

My favorite tactic for spooky salmon in water like that was a small gob of eggs on a 4# hook with a long/light blood-knotted leader. No swivel, no weight. Some current was needed to make this work, but pretty simple.

Just cast the eggs up current and beyond the holding spot, and let them sink/drift naturally into the fish. Reeling just enough to take up slack. Usually could see the take, otherwise watching the line for movement or straightening was the que to cautiously take up the slack and feel for tension.

Actually remembering this now, it was a lot of fun. Makes me want it try again. I was using mono back then but would be even more effective with hi viz braid.
 
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SilverFly said:
Good point about the baitcaster. Yes, at one time I was pretty adept using them for probably 90% of my fishing. My old Abu Garcia still works, but I'm sure a museum artifact by comparison to modern reels.
Click to expand...

SilverFly said:
I know I need to invest in some basics, but that's a solid list and a good bobber outfit seems the logical start
Click to expand...

The bobber rod will be your main weapon for hatchery steelhead, look for a 9.5'-10.5' lightweight (think IMX) casting rod with a bait caster reel for sure. That's where I'd invest my $

The newer DC line control reels are amazing I've heard if your skills have degraded on line control. Use 40 lb power pro as your main line with a 10 yard mono bumper on the bare spool 1st so you don't get braid slippage, get some good floats & fluorocarbon leaders for your terminal gear. Run jigs, beads or bait.

c/22
 
I personally use spinning when bobber fishing with a slip float. Pro for: if you are fishing a deep run and your bobber stop is between the reel and tip as you cast and stop catches a guide there is no backlash . Con: you have to leave the bail open to extend your drift whereas a bait caster slows you to thumb the reel in free spool for a more controlled drift.
 
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