New Salmon setup advice needed

[magnanimous_j]

I’m looking to get a new salmon set up for this summer. I will be fishing primarily from shore and pier in the Puget Sound. I’ve got a 10’5” rod with a Abu Garcia baitcaster, but it’s a huge pain in the ass. I’m looking for a spincaster that won’t rip apart and big enough to comfortably haul an angry salmon up a 10’ fishing pier, and also a rod that can get some distance, but not as cumbersome as the monster I’ve got now that barely fits in the car if I DON’T have it put together.

I appreciate any suggestions.

[h20hunter]

I don't but can tell you a crab ring make a pretty decent fish pull'er uppper when pier fishing.

[wildmanoutdoors]

I dont think anyone makes a spincast reel worthy of even a 10 pound salmon. There mostly for kids and crappie fisherman. Maybe you should be looking for a spinning reel setup.

[magnanimous_j]

I dont think anyone makes a spincast reel worthy of even a 10 pound salmon. There mostly for kids and crappie fisherman. Maybe you should be looking for a spinning reel setup.

lol, you're right. That's what I meant.

[snowpack]

Do you know if winds/currents support using balloons or a big drift float (like a sail line)?
If that is too much of a hassle, can you get one of the multipiece surf fishing rods?

[huntnphool]

I don't but can tell you a crab ring make a pretty decent fish pull'er uppper when pier fishing.

I have a buddy that fishes the Edmonds pier a lot and that's what all the guys there use.

He uses a standard heavy spinning rod and reel and does pretty well, nothing too special Mags.

[magnanimous_j]

I don't but can tell you a crab ring make a pretty decent fish pull'er uppper when pier fishing.

That's a great idea.

He uses a standard heavy spinning rod and reel and does pretty well, nothing too special Mags.

What line weight do you use?

[Buzz2401]

The Penn Battle is a great spinning reel, and comes in a variety of sizes.

[h20hunter]

For pier fishing I have always used a braided line for all types of fishing. You get a smaller line diameter and much more abrasion resistance.

[huntnphool]

I don't but can tell you a crab ring make a pretty decent fish pull'er uppper when pier fishing.

That's a great idea.

He uses a standard heavy spinning rod and reel and does pretty well, nothing too special Mags.

What line weight do you use?

I don't fish the piers since I have a boat, but I will ask him to give me his gear details and get back with you.

[huntnphool]

Just got this from my buddy Mags, hope it helps you out.

Hi Rob,
The gear is basically like good river steelhead gear.
The key is being able to cast a good distance. We use 1-1/2 oz to 2-1/2 oz lead jigs that are similar to buzz bombs, so your line weight has to be 15 lb to 20 lb test or you will break the line while casting. A 25 lb salmon will give it a good test too. Some like braid because it won't break as easily if the fish goes under the pier and the line touches a piling with sharp barnacles. Also, the rod needs to be rated for casting 1-to-3 oz lures. A 7 or 8 ft rod Med-Heavy "MH" is a good choice and a reel that can hold some good line yardage. It doesn't need to be expensive. I like the Shimano Spheros 8000, the Penn Battle 6000 or Okuma makes some decent reels. Spend about $100 to $150 for a hefty mid-size Saltwater rated reel.
Starting out you can find rod reel combos for about $70 at Walmart or Fred Meyer that will be adequate in the beginning.
Pier fishing is hard work and you'll slowly build up muscles for casting. Some don't like the work. You can also just put a herring on a hook about 5 feet below a float and stand around. Lingcod fishing is a whole different thing, and a sport fishing shop like "SportCo' can give out specialty info on that. Also, you'll need a law degree to understand the Fishing license rules. Good luck.

[wildmanoutdoors]

One of the guys I know well fishes Dash pt pier. He uses a 10.5 foot rod with a line rating of 10 to 40 and 1 to 8 ounces of weight rating. His is a Loomis SAR1265 C and a Calcutta 400 with 50 pound braid.

They cast Mooching sinkers a country mile then slowly retrieve there cut plugs back in. And net there fish with crab rings also.

Sounds like you want to get away from the 10.5 footers and baitcasters though.

[magnanimous_j]

Just got this from my buddy Mags, hope it helps you out.

Hi Rob,
The gear is basically like good river steelhead gear.
The key is being able to cast a good distance. We use 1-1/2 oz to 2-1/2 oz lead jigs that are similar to buzz bombs, so your line weight has to be 15 lb to 20 lb test or you will break the line while casting. A 25 lb salmon will give it a good test too. Some like braid because it won't break as easily if the fish goes under the pier and the line touches a piling with sharp barnacles. Also, the rod needs to be rated for casting 1-to-3 oz lures. A 7 or 8 ft rod Med-Heavy "MH" is a good choice and a reel that can hold some good line yardage. It doesn't need to be expensive. I like the Shimano Spheros 8000, the Penn Battle 6000 or Okuma makes some decent reels. Spend about $100 to $150 for a hefty mid-size Saltwater rated reel.
Starting out you can find rod reel combos for about $70 at Walmart or Fred Meyer that will be adequate in the beginning.
Pier fishing is hard work and you'll slowly build up muscles for casting. Some don't like the work. You can also just put a herring on a hook about 5 feet below a float and stand around. Lingcod fishing is a whole different thing, and a sport fishing shop like "SportCo' can give out specialty info on that. Also, you'll need a law degree to understand the Fishing license rules. Good luck.

Perfect. Thanks man. I especially like that it can double for a steelhead rig.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Just got this from my buddy Mags, hope it helps you out.

Hi Rob,
The gear is basically like good river steelhead gear.
The key is being able to cast a good distance. We use 1-1/2 oz to 2-1/2 oz lead jigs that are similar to buzz bombs, so your line weight has to be 15 lb to 20 lb test or you will break the line while casting. A 25 lb salmon will give it a good test too. Some like braid because it won't break as easily if the fish goes under the pier and the line touches a piling with sharp barnacles. Also, the rod needs to be rated for casting 1-to-3 oz lures. A 7 or 8 ft rod Med-Heavy "MH" is a good choice and a reel that can hold some good line yardage. It doesn't need to be expensive. I like the Shimano Spheros 8000, the Penn Battle 6000 or Okuma makes some decent reels. Spend about $100 to $150 for a hefty mid-size Saltwater rated reel.
Starting out you can find rod reel combos for about $70 at Walmart or Fred Meyer that will be adequate in the beginning.
Pier fishing is hard work and you'll slowly build up muscles for casting. Some don't like the work. You can also just put a herring on a hook about 5 feet below a float and stand around. Lingcod fishing is a whole different thing, and a sport fishing shop like "SportCo' can give out specialty info on that. Also, you'll need a law degree to understand the Fishing license rules. Good luck.

Perfect. Thanks man. I especially like that it can double for a steelhead rig.

Im not sure why that first sentence is in there? Like good steelhead gear?

I have never seen size 6000 to 8000 size reels on a river. Thats MASSIVE! And a rod capable of casting 2.5 oz's o lead would be a serious beefstick. A setup like this is specialized Pier and if long enough, surf fishing gear only.
Its far to massive to even fish rivers for Salmon IMO.

Thats why Id stay with cheaper stuff. Your only going to want to use it for chucking big weight!

[ffbowhunter]

I really like my pflugerville purist spinning rod 4000 series will do.  Best of luck.

[magnanimous_j]

What do you guys think about this one?

http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-spinfisher-v-ssv6500-spinning-reel.html

It's really hard to get a sense for how big they are on the internet.

[Bean Counter]

I don't but can tell you a crab ring make a pretty decent fish pull'er uppper when pier fishing.

I have a buddy that fishes the Edmonds pier a lot and that's what all the guys there use.

He uses a standard heavy spinning rod and reel and does pretty well, nothing too special Mags.

It's elbow to elbow down there at the Edmonds pier.

We would go to Ezels chicken and have a picnic on the beach. Man I miss the water.

[wildmanoutdoors]

What do you guys think about this one?

http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-spinfisher-v-ssv6500-spinning-reel.html

It's really hard to get a sense for how big they are on the internet.

Its not too hard if familar with the sizes. A 2500 size reel is what most steelie fisherman use. A 4000 is what most river Salmon folks use. The 3500 is an in between and could cover Steelie and Salmon. A 6500 will look like those GIANT reels you see at Walmart. Way to big to be practical for any river situation. Mostley just see them on piers by inexperienced fisherman who dont know any better or who dont want to spend a fortune. Id go 5500 or less.

A 6500 is what Id use to chuck crabs to feeding Tarpon with 65 pound braid and 200 LB Flouro leaders.

[wildmanoutdoors]

All your worried about with a reel is the line capacity. Its the Rod that needs the beef for chuckin big weight.

You gonna use mono or braid? If using Braid you can step your reel down even further.

[magnanimous_j]

All your worried about with a reel is the line capacity. Its the Rod that needs the beef for chuckin big weight.

You gonna use mono or braid? If using Braid you can step your reel down even further.

Braid probably. But I want the reel to be able handle abuse. I like my stuff rugged.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Okee dokee then. Buy the 6500. Its no tougher than the 4500 but whatever. 

When you decide to buy a reel for steelhead fishing too look at the 3500. Cause you will hate the 6500 on a river with a lighter, longer steelhead size rod.

[RadSav]

What do you guys think about this one?

http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-spinfisher-v-ssv6500-spinning-reel.html

It's really hard to get a sense for how big they are on the internet.

To get a sense of how big it is you can look at just about any store and see the popular 4000 series.  The 12# mono line capacity of the Spinfisher is exactly double on the 6500.  So it's a BIG reel!  Penn are notorious for being poor distance casters.  While they are usually more durable in saltwater than a Shimano you would probably cast further with a 4000 Shimano. 

I agree with wildman' and would go 5500 or less.  With braided line you will have way more than you need with a 4000.  Your biggest problem will be getting the fish up onto the pier.  No reel, regardless of line capacity, is going to help with that!  Salmon have too soft a mouth to pull their entire weight that distance and over a pier height rail.  So it won't matter the pole, line or reel size...you'll lose more than you catch.  If you get any up and over at all.

[wildmanoutdoors]

Rads got it right. The Penns have a short, big diameter spool. Which limits casting distance. For a long caster look for a long, smaller diameter spool.

[RadSav]

Best not to drop the net on top of the fishes head while he's still feisty

Also best not to learn how to properly clean a salmon by watching this video!

Edmonds Pier Fishing

[Rick]

What do you guys think about this one?

http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-spinfisher-v-ssv6500-spinning-reel.html

It's really hard to get a sense for how big they are on the internet.

That's ridiculously large for anything short of Tarpon. I use a 5000 series Penn for Albacore.

Personally,I'd learn to use a baitcaster.

[magnanimous_j]

What do you guys think about this one?

http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-spinfisher-v-ssv6500-spinning-reel.html

It's really hard to get a sense for how big they are on the internet.

That's ridiculously large for anything short of Tarpon. I use a 5000 series Penn for Albacore.

Personally,I'd learn to use a baitcaster.

I've got a 10'6" rod and Corsair reel. I've ok with it, I just want something less cumbersome and prone to catastrophic failure.

[87Ford]

Also best not to learn how to properly clean a salmon by watching this video!

Curious what the "proper" way to clean a salmon is..

[wildmanoutdoors]

What do you guys think about this one?

http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-spinfisher-v-ssv6500-spinning-reel.html

It's really hard to get a sense for how big they are on the internet.

That's ridiculously large for anything short of Tarpon. I use a 5000 series Penn for Albacore.

Personally,I'd learn to use a baitcaster.

I've got a 10'6" rod and Corsair reel. I've ok with it, I just want something less cumbersome and prone to catastrophic failure.

So a reel the size of a small block Chevy isnt "cumbersome"?

[magnanimous_j]

What do you guys think about this one?

http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-spinfisher-v-ssv6500-spinning-reel.html

It's really hard to get a sense for how big they are on the internet.

That's ridiculously large for anything short of Tarpon. I use a 5000 series Penn for Albacore.

Personally,I'd learn to use a baitcaster.

I've got a 10'6" rod and Corsair reel. I've ok with it, I just want something less cumbersome and prone to catastrophic failure.

So a reel the size of a small block Chevy isnt "cumbersome"?

lol. No it is. All I've been seeing on these reels is online. I don't know how big they are in reality. All my experience with spinning reels is in the trout sized variety. These bigger ones are new territory for me.

[Fl0und3rz]

What do you guys think about this one?

http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-spinfisher-v-ssv6500-spinning-reel.html

It's really hard to get a sense for how big they are on the internet.

My Penn SSm650 is about 6" stem to stern and about 6 " from reel seat to the outer edge of the bail. Line capacity is about equivalent to that, if that gives you an idea.

[FC]

Look at the 4-5000 series Shimano's or Okuma. Okuma's new baitfeeder spinning reels are impressively smooth for a $99 reel (Cabela's price) and seem pretty stout. I use a 3000 series Stradic FJ for salt/fresh water with 10-12lb mono or 20lb braid for everything from silvers to chum on a Certified Pro Lamiglas (6-15lb line rating). If fishing kings from a pier use braid so you can force lures loose of the bottom, for coho use mono as it's much easier to untangle and you will get tangled with folks fishing around you. The setup I just mentioned is the biggest I ever use for steelhead, normally I use a much lighter rod with a 2500 series Shimano.

For a rod I would look at UglyStik with a 10-20lb line rating and a 3/4-1.5oz lure weight rating. Some of the Shimano rods are good for pitching jigs from a pier as well.

[Ripper]

I would go with one of these reels Maggi.

http://www.pennfishingstore.com/penn-sargus-metal-spinning-reels.html

I like it a lot and it won't break the bank. I have a 6500 that I use for sturgeon and bottom fish. I'd get a 3500 for what you want to do. Load it up with 20# braid and put it on an Ugly Stik like FC recommended. It will work good and last a long time. Good luck out there. They sell these reels at Cabela's if you want to check them out.

[magnanimous_j]

This weekend I was in Oregon visiting my parents and I went into this awesome store called Fisherman's Marine and Outdoor. I could spend a lot of money in that place.

On the advice of the guy there I bought a Penn Spinfisher V 3500 and ordered a Shimano 9'5" heavy action rod. I am extremely excited to get out there with it. I'll post pictures when the rod shows up.

The guy there said that he definitely recommended 30# instead of 20# braid. Not for the enhanced weight capacity but the 30# has less tendency to wrap back around the tip (or something like that)

So now I get to stare at it for 3 more months until the run starts!

[huntnphool]

This weekend I was in Oregon visiting my parents and I went into this awesome store called Fisherman's Marine and Outdoor. I could spend a lot of money in that place.

On the advice of the guy there I bought a Penn Spinfisher V 3500 and ordered a Shimano 9'5" heavy action rod. I am extremely excited to get out there with it. I'll post pictures when the rod shows up.

The guy there said that he definitely recommended 30# instead of 20# braid. Not for the enhanced weight capacity but the 30# has less tendency to wrap back around the tip (or something like that)

So now I get to stare at it for 3 more months until the run starts!