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Rods/reel setup for salmon in Western Washington rivers

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1.7K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  slabhunter  
J
#1 ·
I know with that title I'm probably about to get every response under the sun, so let me clarify a bit -

I'm not new to fishing, but I'm new to salmon fishing. I have another thread about buying a sled... while I'm starting to look for one of those, I figure it wouldn't hurt to start grabbing some essentials, and one of those things is a couple of setups.

If you had to go back and do it all over again knowing what you know now, what 2 or 3 setups would you buy right off the bat to cover most of your bases? "Must haves" in other words. What line would you choose for each? and finally, for each setup "why?".

I'm less interested in specific brands/models and more interested in length/action/weight. I know that reel quality probably means more than rod to an extent. Although feel free to toss out specific brands/models if they're a standout when it comes to quality. It seems like Shimano is a go-to for spinning reels... I have one for my pack rod, albeit its smaller due to the fact that the fish are smaller haha.

Hopefully this isn't too general of a question. I'm just trying to get an idea of 2-3 setups to start with. I'm no stranger to having "one more rod", as I have 15 different rods for fly fishing... I'm sure I'll probably follow suit once I get off the ground.

Thanks again.
 
G
#3 ·
For tributary steelhead fishing, a 9'6", med action rod (rated 6-12 or 8-12) can do a lot of things pretty well. It's long enough to bobber fish in a pinch or in smaller water. It's not too long to drift fish, and it's great for spinners or spoons. This is also a fine choice for coho.

You'll probably want a Columbia River salmon rod. 10'6" rated up to about 40l lbs seems to be common for the most popular gear and methods. It's not really my thing so I won't say much. I know that all of that length helps handle the long leaders and droppers.

My third would probably be a lighter tributary rod for chinook. I like to drift fish for them and prefer lighter rods. My usual is a stout feeling, 9'6" rated for 8-17 line. If feels stouter than that rating and casts well with heavy rigs while still having the touch to cast spinners or spoons and lighter drift gear. It's also a capable bobber rod in a pinch.

I'd go with casting in all three. A lot of people only fish spin gear for steelhead. I like both but find casting serves me better for more things.

If you try to cover your bases with three, you'll soon start seeing a reason for a 4th. While shopping for a 4th you'll think of reasons for a fifth, then a sixth, and on it goes...
 
J
#4 ·
That makes sense. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I have 15 fly rods, and that’s pretty much how that happened.

I figured 3 was a good number to start with, once I have some time and fish under my belt I’m sure 4,5,6 etc will be justified and I’ll know pretty well exactly what I’m looking for.
 
C
#5 ·
Here's a thread I started last year asking about reels for salmon fishing. There are a lot of suggestions in it and it's a good read.

For rods, I concur that the 9' 6" medium action rod is a good all-purpose rod, just get the graphite kind as it gives a lot more sensitivity if you're drift fishing. Even if you're not drift fishing, it still works well for other purposes. Lamaglas X11 is a good one to look at.
 
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