Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: halcyonguitars on August 03, 2019, 02:12:29 PM

Title: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: halcyonguitars on August 03, 2019, 02:12:29 PM
I've got a friend who wants to get in to fishing for salmon, he has nada in terms of gear.

I'm thinking that if you can have only one rod, probably a spinner is most versatile. Just wondering if anyone has any other opinions?

I was thinking maybe trying to find a 10' rod which gets a bit more line off the water if you're drifting a float...

Any thoughts?
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: 96XJ on August 03, 2019, 03:01:08 PM
I agree , spinning rod is the way to start , if ur a noobie to fishing a level wind reel can take a lot of the fun away from a day

Ya , I wouldn’t go much longer than 10ft , 9.5 - 10 is pretty easy to handle
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: clarki on August 03, 2019, 03:01:48 PM
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=39830.msg375856#msg375856
Similar  thread


Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: halcyonguitars on August 03, 2019, 05:52:30 PM
Thanks!
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: Jk47 on August 04, 2019, 08:46:03 AM
9 ft Ugly Stick I believe is the best and cheapest beginner rod out there with a lifetime warranty also if I remember correctly. And yes - with a spinning real forsure
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: firstlight on August 05, 2019, 09:07:58 PM
10.5 ft rod and a abu 6500
take him to the park so he can learn how to cast.

You mentioned drift fishing and is why i picked this combo.
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: halcyonguitars on August 05, 2019, 09:23:48 PM
Is that a level wind?
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: CohoJake on August 05, 2019, 09:31:34 PM
Yes,  it is a level wind, and it is good and bad.  It is a great first (or lifetime) level wind, but you can expect any new angler to spend half of their time (at least) untangling backlashes.  And it is near worthless if you are fishing frog water for coho or pinks.  On the flipside, a spinning reel really sucks for float fishing, especially in faster water.  It helps to know what technique and kinds of water they will be fishing most.
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: FlyFishin Magician on August 06, 2019, 07:37:20 AM
I think in order to determine the best option you (and your friend) will need to decide what type of salmon fishing you intend to do.  Will this set-up be primarily used for float fishing the Vedder for fall salmon in flowing water (i.e. water with any type of flow)?  If so, I would recommend a 10'6" float rod (Trophy, Shimano, Fenwick, and similar brands offer decent rods at the $100 - 150 range) with a decent levelwind reel (e.g. Abu Garcia C3 5500 or 6500).  This set-up will last a lifetime if taken care of, and will provide for plenty of learning for your friend to master.  It will also be much more efficient for float fishing than a spinning set-up for flowing water (e.g. drifting roe).

If you intend to primarily fish frog water and deep pools with little to no flow, using lures and jigs for example, then a 9 ft spinning rod and spinning reel would be the way to go.  This set-up will be much more efficient for this type of water over a level wind set-up.

I would lean toward the levelwind set-up, as I believe float/drift fishing medium sized rivers like the Vedder will be the most common and accessible method for your friend.  But that's just my gut feeling.

Good luck and have fun!


EDIT - Oh, I forgot to mention fly fishing!  A fly set-up will allow you to efficiently fish both methods, and under certain conditions is the best method to use!  This is the set-up I started with and used for several years before obtaining my first gear set-up...

In all seriousness, IF your friend takes to fishing and really enjoys doing it, then they will eventually end up with more than one set-up for sure.  In other words - there is NO ONE ROD TO RULE THEM ALL!!!
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: RalphH on August 06, 2019, 07:54:33 AM
tell him to buy 2. Spinning rod sets are cheap.
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: ShaunO on August 06, 2019, 12:40:24 PM
My Canadian Tire spinning combo was on sale for $45 a long time ago, but the 7' Shimano rod had cork handles and a 4500FX reel, already spooled with line.  This is the rod that I cared very little about and I wasn't afraid to chuck it in the truck and head out anywhere I liked and became the fishiest rod I own as a result.  Still have it, still use it and the reel is rock solid. 
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: Shinny on August 06, 2019, 09:35:04 PM
My opinion..if your looking to target fall coho get a spinning rod, like and ugly stick or a Shimano rod. Pair that with a Shimano Sahara 2500 with a 12lbs mono line. Pick up some Gibbs crocs, koho 35 & 45’s, blue fox #3’s in brass/copper/silver and he/she will be into a fish much quicker than learning to use a level wind and then dealing with bait loops with roe or wool. It’s messy and a pain in the butt for a beginner and honestly I catch more coho with my spinning reel and hardware than I ever have with my drift setup.  Plus each time you put on a new lure it’s almost like a reset in my opinion, it keeps your hopes up. I have drifted good roe through a run and got nothing. Switch up to the spinning reel with a croc...nothing. Go back to the top of the run, put on a koho lure and boom, two casts later you have a fish on the beach.

I have fished pools where you can see the damn fish and they won’t take a thing. I work my way through my lures trying different things and usually, eventually they will hit on something.

If you get them hooked on fishing with a spinning reel then talk about a drift setup. Also the same spinning setup your using for coho you could target steelhead as well. Just my 2 cents.
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: Jk47 on August 07, 2019, 07:53:42 AM
^this^  8) 100%
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: RalphH on August 07, 2019, 01:02:54 PM
^this^  8) 100%
+ 1
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: obie1fish on August 07, 2019, 01:16:38 PM
Agreed on the spinning setup. Another advantage of it being easier to cast is that you'll get more casts as a beginner than a drift outfit. That means more time with the lure in the water which, in turn, results in more success. An added plus is that you will sometimes have the Coho follow your lure right to the rod tip!
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: psd1179 on August 07, 2019, 07:27:32 PM
Rod is nothing, To catch salmon, roe is the key.
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: Shinny on August 07, 2019, 07:32:22 PM
Rod is nothing, To catch salmon, roe is the key.

I disagree. Roe is good but not the end all be all. Maybe Rod will chime in. He uses hardware alot and also does well with coho. I've gone in behind a lineup of guys chucking roe and picked up a coho on hardware... What a feeling. For springs.. Ya roe is probably better than metal but I found a bit of green with pink and peach wool also works good. Fish key in on one of those colors and ignore the rest. To each thier own. Everyone is entitled to an opionon and that's what makes this forum interesting.
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: Rodney on August 08, 2019, 09:20:27 AM
What Shinny said.

When starting out, I wouldn't go straight to float fishing with roe. It's messy, there is a fairly steep learning curve on the setup.

If I really want to catch pink, coho... I'd just go down to the river with a 9' spinning rod, one that is rated 6 to 10lb, Shimano 2500 size spinning reel spooled with 15lb test braid and 12lb flurocarbon, a box of 1/4oz Gibbs Croc spoons and #35 Koho spoons, hop from run to run making a couple dozen casts in each.

Just another month away, can't wait! :D
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: psd1179 on August 08, 2019, 11:11:21 AM
What Shinny said.

When starting out, I wouldn't go straight to float fishing with roe. It's messy, there is a fairly steep learning curve on the setup.

If I really want to catch pink, coho... I'd just go down to the river with a 9' spinning rod, one that is rated 6 to 10lb, Shimano 2500 size spinning reel spooled with 15lb test braid and 12lb flurocarbon, a box of 1/4oz Gibbs Croc spoons and #35 Koho spoons, hop from run to run making a couple dozen casts in each.

Just another month away, can't wait! :D

I have tried spoons in my first year learning fishing. Very frustrated.
Once I started using roe , the salmon catching rate exponentially increased. The best catching is 14 chinook in 2hr. I don't think spoons can be that good.

Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: Shinny on August 08, 2019, 11:15:18 AM
Are you sure it wasn't 15 or 16 in two hours? A fish every 8 minutes. Just incredible!
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: psd1179 on August 08, 2019, 11:21:06 AM
Are you sure it wasn't 15 or 16 in two hours? A fish every 8 minutes. Just incredible!

6:30am -8:30am until used up all the bait. of course it won't happen in Vedder.
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: Rieber on August 08, 2019, 02:18:03 PM
One Rod to rule them all... that would be Chief Commander, Rod Hsu - Ruler of the Fishing Universe.

Too much?

There is no correct answer with so many variables. Everyone feels something different. All I can say with confidence on this topic is that you get what you pay for but most expensive is not always the best.

I used to have the impression that I had to have top end gear - this is not true at all. Lots of fabulous valued gear out there for the budget minded but it does take a little experimentation to learn what works best for you.

You can try find one rod that does it all but with 50 years of fishing, I would never even consider that would be a practical possibility.
Title: Re: One rod to rule them all...
Post by: banx on August 09, 2019, 07:18:01 AM
I have tried spoons in my first year learning fishing. Very frustrated.
Once I started using roe , the salmon catching rate exponentially increased. The best catching is 14 chinook in 2hr. I don't think spoons can be that good.

you should try the technique again steven.  Now that you have had success swinging a fly, the technique is relatively the same. you want the line to be straight, feel the spoon moving, keep the tip in line with the spoon, a little twitch here and there...... plus the bump on a spoon is waaaaay more fun than watching a float drop.