Rod and Reel Combo

[Elkahlc87]

I'm looking for a good rod and reel combination for steel head and salmon. This year is only my second year river fishing so i'm not too sure on what to buy.. Don't want to spend my money on junk. Any ideas? I don't want to spend more then $150. Thanks!

[Hunting7mm]

Lamiglas 8'6 mh with an ambassdeur 6500c3 or even an ugly stick.  Not sure what kind of fishing your doing but a suggestion. 

[aaronoto]

I'll second the Ambassadeur, I have mine paired with a Shimano Clarus as my river salmon rod.

[mallard79]

It all depends on the type of fishing you are wanting to do. Personally I would go with an Okuma rod (Berkley has some decent rods as well but are more $$)...either a Celilo or an SST.... if you go with the Celilo (around $40) it will leave you in a better position to get a better reel with a good smooth drag. A 9' to 10' rod with a line rating in the 8-12 or 10-20 would cover the bases depending on your preference for lighter or heavier line. For winter run steelhead I tend to run 10 or 12 pound main line most of the time but a lot of guys will run heavier.

As for the reel there are lots of good choices and it comes down to what type of reel you want. Spinning or baitcaster. I have several Okuma spinning reels that have treated me well over the years. I have had good luck with the PT line of Quantum reels in both spinning and baitcasters but those are pricey. I haven't had to buy a new reel for a while so maybe someone else will have more current info on what is a decent reel currently on the market.

Good luck out there. 

[Crunchy]

8 1/2 seems a tad short but doable.  The 6500 is a little much for river rishing. I would go with 5500 which is smaller and lighter.

[Bullkllr]

8 1/2 seems a tad short but doable.  The 6500 is a little much for river rishing. I would go with 5500 which is smaller and lighter.

That's ultra light in Forks

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

I have been fishing my whole life with an 8'6" MH rod paired with a 5501 and killed fish from the klickitat to the skykomish.

But now i fish so many different ways that i need condition specific gear.

Plunking i use a 10'6" SST
Drifting 8'6" Medium
Bobber and eggs is my favorite, 9 foot clarus.
Trolling herring 10'6" SST

All on 5500 series reels, except for the trolling. That will be a Tekota 500 series.

[Crunchy]

For the rivers I only use spinning a 10 1/2 foot  St. Croix but that might be a little too spendy.  Its a perfect salmon / steelhead rod but not if your plunking lol.  For the boat bait casters only

[Button Nubbs]

As I always say its a tall order to have 1 rod do everything for 1 type of fish let alone 5 or 6. If I couldonly have one rod it would be 10' 8-17lb. The length will let you do everything EFFICIENTLY, spoons, drift, float, and the line rating will let you downsize for super low summer conditions or go heavy for fish like kings.

[Elkahlc87]

Thanks for the input fellas! Ill have to play with some rods and reels then to see what I like I guess. Gotta get on it though for winter run..

[jeepster]

I think this is the ultimate river combo for the money

10.5 foot shimano convergence, slow action

abu Garcia  ambassadeur 6501c4 (im left handed)

totally stuffed 50lbs power pro

it will huck a buzz bomb a country mile on the beach, yet you will feel every rock and bump and bite when in the river

slow action rods and braided line is a must due to no line stretch, the rod action substitutes the stretch (vs mono and a stiff rod... line stretches)

[FC]

I am using an XJ 96 (something like that) 9'6" Lamiglas certified pro 6-15lb and a Shimano Stradic 3000FJ with 20lb Power Pro. I just got it this year to fish silvers and chums with, I had wrist surgeries a few years ago and they have left me having a hard time using casting gear. So far I have done everything from drift fishing, buzz bomb and even used it to pull plugs! I can't say enough good about this setup but it was pretty pricey I have been using this instead of my old Loomis GL2 8'6" 8-17lb casting rod with a calcutta that holds about 160 yards of 12lb line. I've caught everything from rockfish, lingcod, tons of salmon with the biggest being about 45lbs or so, great setup!

In the $150 range I would look at a Berkely 9'6" 6-12lb and a Shimano Sahara 2500.

[tyrant27]

9'6 shimano clarus and a pflueger president spinning reel. That'll probably put you right at $150

[Tyler_C]

Okuma SST and a Shimano Sonora (4000)