# Steelhead Rod



## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Shaker no problem mine is broke in. You are right that first steelhead makes the difference.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

Lubbs you will want to get one with the Michigan handle if you want to use a rod holder for pier or surf fishing.


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## Raylaser (Jan 29, 2015)

Syndicate said:


> Hey guys thanks for all the recommendations I may buy another one, I'm thinking a browning six rivers too or the okuma one I have to do some more research


Hey Syndicate: I would recommend a trip to Cabela's or Bass Pro and look at all the options in person and get a feel for what seems best to you as far as flexibility, strength and the feel in your hands. Staying under $100 won't be hard even if you go with one of the higher end graphite blanks. A few years ago I bought a 9' IM7 graphite (Cabela's Tourney brand) with the Michigan handle for $95. This is one of the best rods I've owned (not saying one of the best made because I know there are probably many others that cost the same or more that other will say they think is better so obviously there's the issue of individual opinions). But for me it is a great all-around trout/salmon rod. It's not too long like a noodle rod but long and strong enough to give so you can fish lighter line yet strong enough to horse a fish in some cover. I fish 17lb braid with a flurocarbon leader (length and poundage of leader varies based on where I'm fishing and what I'm targeting but usually use 8lb. fluro on average).

Just go look at them in person, handle them, ask some questions of the sales person (if they appear to be knowledgeable - some are some aren't) and then armed with the info you've received on this site coupled with your personal preferences once you've handled and compared them, then you can make a purchase with confidence. 

Not sure what reel you plan to use but I use an Okuma baitfeeder style spin reel. Very nice to have the feeder option when you're on the river and you want to do float presentations. Makes a cheap man's version of center pinning, LOL!!


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## TroutSniffa (Jul 14, 2012)

hey bud if your going to buy another one (im sure you will wether now or later) with the intent to fish smaller rivers for larger fish I would suggest a shorter rod with good back bone and fast action.. I have a couple st Croix 9+ ftrs that are great for float fishing or bouncing bottom when you have space to work but in tight spaces/ shores of small rivers / fishing in the woods.. I love my "7.'2 shimano crucial medium, fast or very fast action with a gooodd spinning reel with smootthhh drag...I absolutely loveee my shimano stradic ci4+ 4000 ..while everything said above about a longer rod is true its also true that with a good reel with good drag you don't haveee to have a long cumbersome rod to land largee fish on light line.. i think you can get the crucials for like a 100 even now.. they were 160 when i got both of mine.. they are on par with the mid line st Croix's imo.. and the stradic is kinda pricy i think you can get them for 220ish now i paid 280 when it came when it first came out.. if you cant yet afford that on a reel the shimano spirex 3000/4000 is one of the better 50-80$ reels ever made imo.. i have had one in rotation for yearsss and it still works great.. i don't know if you have ever felt the different between a 50$ reel and a 200$ reel but once you do you will want a 300$ reel lol... same goes for a avg rod vrs a higher line rod.. when you can feel every wiggle of your bait in your rod every stone stick and piece of bottem it makes a hugee difference.. as for the reel when you can easily manipulate your bait in a river with slow and smoth finess of a nicee reel vrs having to fight your reel just to bring your bait in theres no bigger difference in fishing equipment imo.. good luck .. use as many different setups as you can and see what youuu think feels best to you.. ask your buddies to use their setups for a few casts just to feel the difference .. youll learn what you like love and hate about each setup.. good luck


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## MikeN1229 (Feb 8, 2014)

TroutSniffa said:


> hey bud if your going to buy another one (im sure you will wether now or later) with the intent to fish smaller rivers for larger fish I would suggest a shorter rod with good back bone and fast action.. I have a couple st Croix 9+ ftrs that are great for float fishing or bouncing bottom when you have space to work but in tight spaces/ shores of small rivers / fishing in the woods.. I love my "7.'2 shimano crucial medium, fast or very fast action with a gooodd spinning reel with smootthhh drag...I absolutely loveee my shimano stradic ci4+ 4000 ..while everything said above about a longer rod is true its also true that with a good reel with good drag you don't haveee to have a long cumbersome rod to land largee fish on light line.. i think you can get the crucials for like a 100 even now.. they were 160 when i got both of mine.. they are on par with the mid line st Croix's imo.. and the stradic is kinda pricy i think you can get them for 220ish now i paid 280 when it came when it first came out.. if you cant yet afford that on a reel the shimano spirex 3000/4000 is one of the better 50-80$ reels ever made imo.. i have had one in rotation for yearsss and it still works great.. i don't know if you have ever felt the different between a 50$ reel and a 200$ reel but once you do you will want a 300$ reel lol... same goes for a avg rod vrs a higher line rod.. when you can feel every wiggle of your bait in your rod every stone stick and piece of bottem it makes a hugee difference.. as for the reel when you can easily manipulate your bait in a river with slow and smoth finess of a nicee reel vrs having to fight your reel just to bring your bait in theres no bigger difference in fishing equipment imo.. good luck .. use as many different setups as you can and see what youuu think feels best to you.. ask your buddies to use their setups for a few casts just to feel the difference .. youll learn what you like love and hate about each setup.. good luck


I agree with you there I use a 7'2 medium fast johnny Morris carbon lite paired with a Shimano ci4+ 3000! This is by far the best combo I've used and can fight anything from a nice steelhead to this summer pulling in 10-20 lbs catfish! Paired with suffix 832! This is my go to combo! Also I have a 7'2 Johnny Morris signature series as well paired with a Shimano ci4+ 4000! Same with sufficient 832! They are great for all around fishing and I've been using them for a couple years now and will never go back again!


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## Syndicate (Jul 15, 2014)

Thanks for the advice yah I definitely want the shorter rod and I'm purchasing an okuma avenger abf 40 reel. Just in case I want to put it on my float rod and do some float fishing so I'll probably go with an 8 footer


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## Raylaser (Jan 29, 2015)

Syndicate said:


> Thanks for the advice yah I definitely want the shorter rod and I'm purchasing an okuma avenger abf 40 reel. Just in case I want to put it on my float rod and do some float fishing so I'll probably go with an 8 footer


Syndicate: You will like that Okuma abf dude. They are excellent reels for the price. I have 2 abf 50 reels. I use one on the 9' IM7 I mentioned above and I have one on my 8' Light/Med Action Ugly Stick. Reel works great on both set-ups. The advice to go shorter on rod length definitely holds true for tight spot fishing. I have an old Shimano 7' graphite that I've owned for years that I use in those situations and it looks like it's been to Hell and back but it has never failed me. I use a smaller version of the Okuma on that rod (can't remember the series number but it's not an abf but still works great in this combo). Good luck, you now have more opinions than you need to make a good decision, LOL!


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## TroutSniffa (Jul 14, 2012)

MikeN1229 said:


> I agree with you there I use a 7'2 medium fast johnny Morris carbon lite paired with a Shimano ci4+ 3000! This is by far the best combo I've used and can fight anything from a nice steelhead to this summer pulling in 10-20 lbs catfish! Paired with suffix 832! This is my go to combo! Also I have a 7'2 Johnny Morris signature series as well paired with a Shimano ci4+ 4000! Same with sufficient 832! They are great for all around fishing and I've been using them for a couple years now and will never go back again!


nicee.. how fn buttery is that ci4+ i first used my cousins ci4 3000 then had to have one .. of course i couldn't get the sameee one so ci4+ 4000 was a no brainer


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## TroutSniffa (Jul 14, 2012)

Syndicate said:


> Thanks for the advice yah I definitely want the shorter rod and I'm purchasing an okuma avenger abf 40 reel. Just in case I want to put it on my float rod and do some float fishing so I'll probably go with an 8 footer


if you already have an 8"+ i would go even shorter.. some times a few inches is the difference between being able to make a perfect cast or not being able to fish a spot period when your on the shore in the bush.. just my thoughts..


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## Raylaser (Jan 29, 2015)

TroutSniffa said:


> if you already have an 8"+ i would go even shorter.. some times a few inches is the difference between being able to make a perfect cast or not being able to fish a spot period when your on the shore in the bush.. just my thoughts..


Agree with you wholeheartedly on that one TroutSniffa!! I can basically pinpoint my short or cramped area casts (relatively speaking of course) with my 7.5' that I could not with my 9' or 8'. 

Syndicate: Just to edit what I wrote earlier, my old standby Shimano short rod is 7.5' not 7'. Just to clarify.


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

If you surf, pier, or bank fish with rod holders you will want a longer rod, 9'6" or 10', michigan handle, and medium light action. Most fish that grab and go will hook themselves on these rods. They are actually fun to watch in the holder when they double over with a fish on the end of the line. For casting they are fairly accurate, you have to get used to them


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## Syndicate (Jul 15, 2014)

Alright I bought a Okuma sst in the 7"6 version so that I have a little bit longer and a shorter one too.


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## Syndicate (Jul 15, 2014)

What main line is a very low memory line that is good for steelhead fishing?


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## Raylaser (Jan 29, 2015)

Fluorocarbon for sure.


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## Syndicate (Jul 15, 2014)

Raylaser said:


> Fluorocarbon for sure.


Right but do you have a certain brand preferred


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## FISHCATCHER1 (Nov 18, 2010)

I like maxima for running lines..... Floro leader for sure. There are a lot of good ones. Seaguar is really good as is pline. Maximas is good too just hard to find in most stores


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## Raylaser (Jan 29, 2015)

FISHCATCHER1 said:


> I like maxima for running lines..... Floro leader for sure. There are a lot of good ones. Seaguar is really good as is pline. Maximas is good too just hard to find in most stores


All good suggestions. Seaguar is pretty easy to find at least at Bass Pro or Cabelas. I've used a variety of Fluro even the ole standbys like Berkley (Vanish or Trilene), Stren and Suffix and they have all worked well for me. I like fluro much better than Mono for strength and smaller diameter and less memory issue. The only mono I use anymore would be for light line applications in 4lb test or lower and even then fluro is preferred. In the lighter line weights I find that mono doesn't exhibit the same problems that the higher weight mono does, like memory curling and just an overall bulky feel. Once I started using fluro, mono seemed clunky to me. IMHO


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## Syndicate (Jul 15, 2014)

Ok cool I might buy some seagur and p line. I am headed to bass pro on Saturday to look at some reels and baits.


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## TroutSniffa (Jul 14, 2012)

Syndicate said:


> Ok cool I might buy some seagur and p line. I am headed to bass pro on Saturday to look at some reels and baits.


seaguar abrazx.. supposed to me more cut/ knick resistant then the others.. one thing about floro.. while it is 99.whatever% invisible underwater if you get any knicks in it it refracts light like a friggin disco ball.. abrazx all the way imo..

also if your going to bass pro and wouldnt mind grabbing me a couple of the #5 xps inline spinners with the chartreuse 3 bead body and iridescent purple/ trout colored blade ill give you 10$ a piece for them lol.. I think they are 5/6$ by are my favorite inlines the only place to get them is bass pro I cant find them online and bass pro is a longggg way from home at this point lol.. if not no worries but I would grab one for your self as well a smaller treble to put on it.. that bait beats them up..


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## Syndicate (Jul 15, 2014)

TroutSniffa said:


> seaguar abrazx.. supposed to me more cut/ knick resistant then the others.. one thing about floro.. while it is 99.whatever% invisible underwater if you get any knicks in it it refracts light like a friggin disco ball.. abrazx all the way imo..
> 
> also if your going to bass pro and wouldnt mind grabbing me a couple of the #5 xps inline spinners with the chartreuse 3 bead body and iridescent purple/ trout colored blade ill give you 10$ a piece for them lol.. I think they are 5/6$ by are my favorite inlines the only place to get them is bass pro I cant find them online and bass pro is a longggg way from home at this point lol.. if not no worries but I would grab one for your self as well a smaller treble to put on it.. that bait beats them up..


Hey I already went today but I think I might go again tomorrow because there are a couple things I forgot I'll grab a couple if I do. How many of each do you want. Text or call me If you have the chance 248-508-8683


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