I have fished noodle rods for a good ten years now,my first being a browning 10'6".You have to be ready for the hook set at all times.Your rod has to be as low as you can work it and still detect the strike,pick up whatever.You have to give that rod all the arc or swing you can.There is no reel trick to it,they are very limber rods and you have to exagerate your hook set with them,especialy with kings.Match the pole with the fastest retreive you can,no less than 5/1.

When it comes to barbless hook fishing they are your best friend.The limberness makes it reel hard for a fish to get the slack to slip the hook.I broke that browning a few years back and immediatly started loseing fish with an 8'6".I fish kings early in the morning before they hit the depths and are feeding in 30' of water.they would jump and shake my hooks with the short rod.

When running cut plug with one you get the time to let the fish chomp on the bait so do not be afraid to,like FJ said ,and reel down then give the fish the almighty KAWACKA.The salmon seem to chew a little longer with the soft rods.

Akings; 48lbs out of the Iverson hole on a cut plug.The rod was over strung with kevlar though.I did beach it in a good twenty minute fight though.I would be afraid to tangle with one that had a 100'+ under it though.

Don't give up I will never trade my long rod..