Perfect WA rod reel line combo?

[tlbradford]

M-Ray - I really like running a small hot shot or wiggle wart into holes when winter steelheading smaller streams.  You can cover miles of water pretty quickly.  This will give you access to a lot of water that is just to tough to drift fish.  Just start at the top of a run, drop the plug in, and freespool it slowly through the hole.  It gets the plug down to them, where your drift would typically hang up from fishing it below you, or a bobber and jig would have too much drag.  I always carry a few favorite hot shot colors with me when summer flyfishing as well.  Sometimes you need to set that plug right in front of a hen or buck that has lockjaw and wait them out.  The fly rod gives you some extra reach.  I'm like you in the winter, I want to cover a lot of water.  It helps me stay warm.

[huntnphool]

"Rapala makes an outstanding rod I think the last time i bought one it was 30 bucks or so at joes."

"but i guess i am just overly picky when it come to my tackle."

Okay Red which one is it? I doesn't sound like your too picky to me if you can be happy with a $30.00 rod

[Red Dawg]

the 30$ rod should be 150.

[huntnphool]

Just flippin ya chit brother

[Red Dawg]

i know bro, but i do love that particular rod. anyway on a better note i hear the springer run is going to be good this year. And i am glad that you love your rods, someone has to.

[huntnphool]

actually some of the best rods I've ever owned are those old yellow salmon rods made by Berkley years ago, those things lasted forever and caught lots of fish. I think they were about $25.00 too.

I heard the same thing for springers, unfortunatly for me I fish Cathlamet a lot and its only open 12 days this year   Guess I'm going to have to learn how to fish above I-5 this year, any help will be greatly appreciated. I would assume there will be a hog line completely across the river at the I-5 bridge

[Red Dawg]

i guess the wind is going to have a great run this year. The last time they had a good year we averaged 6 fish landed per day. i could not even tell you how many we lost. On flyrods 8 lb test. It is a lot of fun, it is the only slamon fishing i will do.

[tmike]

The yellow Berkley Buckaneer. I caught my largest kings on the kenai with one of those. I even used it for Halibut. Those were the days!

[Coasthunterjay]

G-loomis medium, fast action with curado, izorline with maxima leader. Maxima is a little to stiff to cast but is best for drift fishing. about a 300$ set up. I have put many steelies on the bank with this. You will never beet the sensitivity of a loomis.

I would second this but if you cant spend the money on a g-loomis go lamiglas.....

I have a Curado, lamiglas, with red maxima line with tuffline backing which gives me more line but smaller diameter with more strength to fight and keeps me from loosing the bigger fish when you get them hooked on. I actually use mine for sturgeon, salmon, and stealhead.......might be time for a new rode but well see this year.

Shimano Curado......130-150$(wouldnt get anything else, had mine for 6 plus years)
Lamiglas................80-120$
G-loomis................150-250$
Berkley IM7..................80$(also a good rod, for alot less)

[WAcoueshunter]

Personally, I think there's a HUGE difference between the $120 rods and the $300+ rods.  I have your basic 8'6" medium Lamiglas that cost about $120 or so.  Nice rod, I use it for silvers in the saltwater.  Then I upgraded to 9' 1082 and 1083 Loomis GL2s, which are a little nicer but in the $200 range.  Used these three for steelhead til I got my hands on a Loomis GLX 1083, which is your $300+ variety.  Drift steelhead fishing is all about feeling the bite, and that comes down to rod sensitivity.  The difference with these rods is night and day. 

If I didn't have a budget for these things and was starting out, right now I'd go with the Loomis STR1163C.  It's longer, 9'8", which will allow you to both float fish and traditional drift fish effectively.  Float fishing is the easiest way to get into fish from the get go, so I'd start there and get some fish under my belt.  A longer rod will allow for better float fishing, but will still work great for traditional drift fishing, so there's not much of a downside.

Of course, all that being said, even better than reading a bunch of posts would be to go to a local dealer who could put all of the above in your hand and let you feel (and could explain) the difference and benefits of each. 

If I was on a budget, I'd still buy the $300 rod but would skimp on the reel.  A nicer reel is more fun (I also use a Curado, like others above), but the rod will make a much bigger difference in terms of fish on the beach.  I'd rather have a $60 Abu 5500 on the Loomis IMX than a Curado on a GL2.

[ICEMAN]

Anyone from Thurston County remember that old timer out on Zangle Road / Boston Harbor who made custom rods?  When I was a youth, he taught me a thing or two about rod building, lathing, very cool tips...

One thing I still do to my drift fishing rods is to balance the rod to the anticipated weight of your average drift rig by casting lead shot into the handle. The overall weight of the rod is increased, but you can hold the rod alot different in your hand, with less torque on your wrist....better softer feel...not sure if anyone else does this...

[huntnphool]

"which is your $300+ variety.  Drift steelhead fishing is all about feeling the bite, and that comes down to rod sensitivity.  The difference with these rods is night and day."

WAcous, I agree 110%. I'm sure Red is a accomplished enough fisherman to be able to use any rod and be successful, as are most that post on this subject, but for drift fishing in rivers I find it hard to believe that any experienced fisherman, comparing a $300+ Lami, Loomis, Sage, Kistler, Scott etc. to a $30 Ugly Stick for example, would choose the less expensive rod. I'm not talking just about picking a more expensive rod because of the money either, like you said, there is night and day difference. I think what we need to do is pack a bunch of different rods, all manufactures, all price ranges, down to the river when we meet in the next couple months to run some skinny stuff, and let folks that haven't had the oportunity to compare them, do just that. We don't have to put bait on them just a slinky and let them cast them and feel the the drift. Nothing like hands on comparisons, something you can't get in the store. I have to believe that we could come up with quite the selection of rods and reels if we had several folks show up.

[Red Dawg]

sounds like fun to me. im in.

[Red Dawg]

i agree that you must fish with a quality piece of graphite but just because it is 300$ does not mean that it is better than a 120$ rod. I guess it depends on a lot of factors. I have picked up some really expensive rods that i would not give 2$ for. It all boils down to what type of fishing that you are doing. all i do is drift fish and flyfish. Some people like to bobber and jig fish some like to go with just a bobber. they all take different rods. But one thing that is for sure is once you have the "bite" figures out it will not matter what type of rod you have in your hands. I have actually gotten to like a spinning rod. You have a lot more versatility while in brush but you dont have as much fighting control. I learned the "bite" on a horrible rod so just about any rod with some kind of action is good for me but with a quality rod you will have a lot less fatigue while drift fishing. After 2 or three days of casting you will be able to tell. So anyways when are we going to hit the water. I would like to go more than anything to meet some of you guys. Let me know. I am ready.

[jackelope]

mine is 13' long, a little more than $300, and looks something like this when it works right...anybody know this guy? hint...it ain't me.