# Reel for steelhead river fishing?



## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Okay so my brother-in-law has bought me a pole, wants me to go steelhead River fishing with him, I think mostly in the PM around. Scottville, tippy dam and possibly in the channels around Ludington leading to the big lake.

I just got some Cabela's gift cards for retirement. Just need to get some advice. 

Total newbie, only a pan fisherman, have never river fished or fished for steelhead!

Don't laugh, I prefer. Closed-face reels most open face reels, I just look at them and they're tangled!

Not sure the difference between the open face real with the clip that you switch, flip over, for the baler or what they call a baitcaster?

I just need something that'll work reliably and won't tangle all the time so I'm looking for an edjumacation.

Thanks much!

MH


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

mattawanhunter said:


> Okay so my brother-in-law has bought me a pole,...



If you're just starting to make the switch from panfish to steelhead, begin by no longer calling your pole_ a pole_ and start calling it a _*rod*_.


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

Any Penn spinning reel should work well. I like the Battle series. Size 2500 or 3000 is great.


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## CaughtMoreCatfishOnTinder (Oct 2, 2019)

If you want a reel that'll last, Penn battle or diawa BG all worth the extra penny. Pflueger president is the best true budget reel out there. Caymar is also a good alternative. Size 3000 is a good fit for steel. Get an open face reel, they are just better built and have much better drag systems than closed reels. Its worth the effort to learn.


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## mi_hunter65 (Jan 1, 2021)

CaughtMoreCatfishOnTinder said:


> If you want a reel that'll last, Penn battle or diawa BG all worth the extra penny. Pflueger president is the best true budget reel out there. Caymar is also a good alternative. Size 3000 is a good fit for steel. Get an open face reel, they are just better built and have much better drag systems than closed reels. Its worth the effort to learn.


Pflueger president is a great reel for the money!


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## TroutFishingBear (Aug 31, 2007)

CaughtMoreCatfishOnTinder said:


> If you want a reel that'll last, Penn battle or diawa BG all worth the extra penny. Pflueger president is the best true budget reel out there. Caymar is also a good alternative. Size 3000 is a good fit for steel. Get an open face reel, they are just better built and have much better drag systems than closed reels. Its worth the effort to learn.


My flueger president’s first fish ever this spring was a 10.2 lb steelhead, works well!


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## Fishfighter (Dec 20, 2009)

Flueger president gets my vote also. Smooth durable reel at a good price. Shimano quikfire might be a good reel for you if your used to closed face reels.


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## RS1983 (Mar 16, 2009)

CaughtMoreCatfishOnTinder said:


> Get an open face reel, they are just better built and have much better drag systems than closed reels.




In freshwater IMHO there is not a more powerful fish than a steelhead or Pacific Salmon. Steelhead can be very line shy, so you will be doing battle with a fish that can easily exceed 10lbs and is capable of 40mph runs all while using 4lb-8lb leaders, so you'd better have a nice smooth drag that evenly applies tension and a rod with a good action that can help absorb the shock of this powerful fish as it jumps multiple times.

Spinning reels just have better drag systems than closed face reels. Baitcasting reels have the best drag systems of them all, but they have a sharper learning curve than the spinning reel.

In the Pacific Northwest, where their fish regularly exceed 20lbs, the baitcasting reel is king. For whatever reason, them seem pretty rare on our rivers


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## CaughtMoreCatfishOnTinder (Oct 2, 2019)

High


RS1983 said:


> Baitcasting reels have the best drag systems of them all, but they have a sharper learning curve than the spinning reel.


I disagree with this statement for most entry-mid tier reels. Most my drag stackups on my Penns far smoother than my mid tier baitcaster, revo stx, tatula. Now my tranx is a different story, but he's buying a reel to fish steelhead, Most guys that float for kings do use baitcasters, but there is a reason we don't see it more often for steel in the winter. In the cold their spool can freeze up a bit and takes more effort to spin up, which means needing to run heavier floats. 8-11grams is about the lightest i can run to achieve a smooth drift. Plus with your grip on the aluminum housing and how you have your thumb on the spool, which has water run off, in below freezing temps, it makes it painful to use a baitcaster. I use baitcasters for steel all winter, when it works, I love it, but can't really recommend it to use during the winter months. 

With a spinning reel, its much easier to achieve that with a lighter float, and you don't need to thumb the reel and easier learning curve. Only issue is hooksets aren't as fast, since you have to close the bail and pick up line before getting to the fish.


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## fishmark (Jan 1, 2010)

Shimano Stradic FL Spinning Reel


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Great reel and you only need to buy it once.


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## mattawanhunter (Oct 30, 2011)

Wow Thanks all, this is good stuff....

I'm enjoying the steele 101!


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## Manolin (Feb 20, 2021)

Have someone teach you how to load line on the reel to minimize line twist….


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## Krystalflash (Nov 26, 2021)

In todays market, we are fortunate…far more option on reels now. A time was when choices were few regarding a capable spinning reel for fishing steelhead. All of the above is accurate the president is a nice reel and will get the job done. A 2500 series is on the money. A time was when I would only have confidence in Diawia 1300 whisker. Not a smooth reel, but they have never let me down. On an impulse I bought bought Diawia 2500 Exceller.…seems like a nice reel, played fish on it all spring. Direct drive…the drag is good..bail seems strong. Not sure how it far over time but we will see. Cant go wrong with any of the suggestions posted.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

Daiwa SS 1300 is still the king for steelhead. Nearly 40 years in production, beefy AR system, and an exceptionally smooth drag. As a matter of fact, the SS Tournament reels are so good that Shimano copied it and named it the Stradic. If one were to look at the schematic of the first Stradics and the SS Tournament, their construction is nearly identical. The SS Tournament is also the only reel at or below the $250 price point with a worm drive, which gives better line lay making it capable of much longer casts than competing models.

There's a reason the SS Tournament sells for used for nearly the same price it does new, it's a low key quality reel. They have been in production since '87. The only other reel that will match the durability of the SS Tournament is the ABU Cardinal 3, but those are getting hard to find for decent prices. The fulcrum style drag doesn't fade and the stainless steel worm gear doesn't wear.

There's no question that newer reels are smoother than these dinosaurs many of us love, but the jury is out on how long they will last. The SS Tournament can be had for $100 if you shop around. They typically sell out quick so if you don't find it in stock, set up an alert and jump on it once you get the notification. If you can get past the 1980s looks in all of its cocaine and flock of seagulls glory, it's damn near the perfect spinning reel.


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## mi_hunter65 (Jan 1, 2021)

tincanary said:


> Daiwa SS 1300 is still the king for steelhead. Nearly 40 years in production, beefy AR system, and an exceptionally smooth drag. As a matter of fact, the SS Tournament reels are so good that Shimano copied it and named it the Stradic. If one were to look at the schematic of the first Stradics and the SS Tournament, their construction is nearly identical. The SS Tournament is also the only reel at or below the $250 price point with a worm drive, which gives better line lay making it capable of much longer casts than competing models.
> 
> There's a reason the SS Tournament sells for used for nearly the same price it does new, it's a low key quality reel. They have been in production since '87. The only other reel that will match the durability of the SS Tournament is the ABU Cardinal 3, but those are getting hard to find for decent prices. The fulcrum style drag doesn't fade and the stainless steel worm gear doesn't wear.
> 
> There's no question that newer reels are smoother than these dinosaurs many of us love, but the jury is out on how long they will last. The SS Tournament can be had for $100 if you shop around. They typically sell out quick so if you don't find it in stock, set up an alert and jump on it once you get the notification. If you can get past the 1980s looks in all of its cocaine and flock of seagulls glory, it's damn near the perfect spinning reel.


I picked up 2 of these reels used at a garage sale a couple years ago for $10. I just bought them because they were cheap and in good shape, did not know anything else about them.


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## tincanary (Jul 23, 2018)

mi_hunter65 said:


> I picked up 2 of these reels used at a garage sale a couple years ago for $10. I just bought them because they were cheap and in good shape, did not know anything else about them.


They're pretty legendary. It's pretty much the only spinner I use now. Take the spool off of yours and see if the felt washers are dry. They are oiled from the factory, so if they appear dry, wet them up with some Reel X oil and they'll be good to go. If they're worn down, you can always upgrade to greased carbon fiber washers. The bigger 1600 and 2600 sizes are very popular with carp fisherman in Europe.


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Pflueger President reels are a great economy reel. Probably the best. They get a little stiff in cold weather. I love Shimano's. Not sure what price range you are looking, but in the $220 range, hard to beat the Stradic. Shimano has one of the nicest drag systems I have come across.


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## mi_hunter65 (Jan 1, 2021)

tincanary said:


> They're pretty legendary. It's pretty much the only spinner I use now. Take the spool off of yours and see if the felt washers are dry. They are oiled from the factory, so if they appear dry, wet them up with some Reel X oil and they'll be good to go. If they're worn down, you can always upgrade to greased carbon fiber washers. The bigger 1600 and 2600 sizes are very popular with carp fisherman in Europe.


I'll check when I get home. Thanks for the heads up!


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## zr800o1le (Oct 20, 2005)

Going through this same scenario with the wife. She looks at a spinning reel and it totally discourages her. We are going with a Zebco Omego pro size 30, or the Zebco bullet based on watching a few in action for Steelhead and Salmon, pair it up with a nice fish eagle 8'6" rod or the Lamiglass LX86MHC. Both in a Casting rod with a finger hold on the back side. Good luck. Find one that feels comfortable to you and go with it or else you will hate Fishing with that reel.


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

The worst drag on my reels is my Stradic; sticky out of the box. I’ll take a $40 Ceymar over a $250 Stardic all day for steelhead.


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