SH touched on a very important issue on selecting a salmon/steelhead rod, which is matching the rod action to the intended leader size. Trust me, don't use a rod rated for 15 to 30 pounds with a 10 or 12 pound leader. You'll be sorry (You'll break the fish off more often than not). Smaller diameter leader material drags less in the water and gets down easier, plus imparts better action to the lure. You'll get more strikes steelhead fishing with 8 to 12 pound leader, so you want a rod that is rated similarly. I would recommend having a different rod for chinook.
That's my angle. Good luck.
_________________________
If every fisherman would pick up one piece of trash, we'd have cleaner rivers and more access.