Hey all,

What rod and reel(spincast) combination would ya'll recomend for a begginer interested in experimenting with the various methods of Steelhead angling?(e.g.-all purpose rod)

Thanks in advance,
Larry

A 1025 (a tad shorter, a tad heavier) or an 1143 would be a good choice. There are several manufacturers that sell rods under these models #'s, although they're based on the Loomis method of number ... first two/ three digits are rod lengths in inches, last number is rod power. For Loomis, the GL2 series would be a good entry level option and should you wish to upgrade, would be a suitable back-up rod down the road.

I don't know their number systems, but Lamiglas also makes some similar rods.

Reel? Don't go with the spinning! Spinning reels have two major drawbacks in steelhead fishing: 1) drag setup makes it really easy to get line twist, even when careful; and 2) the ability to freespool line (most important in hardware, bobber and driftfishing applications) is nowhere near as good as what you'll find with a baitcaster. Take some time and learn to use it, I can usually have most newbies throwing one quite well in one day on the water.

There's no reason to spend $300 for an entry level reel, but don't scrimp too much either ... I remember my early days of steelhead fishing were spent upgrading time after time and you might as well start with something halfway decent. The Curado (I'd go with the faster retrieve versions) is a good solid choice at a reasonable price. It'll have some adjustments that will make it easy to learn with and as you improve, you can back those off and sail your offerings 40 feet into the trees on the other side of the river.

Good luck

I dont know wether to agree or dis-agree with you bob. When I started fishing I started with a Spinning reel and later went to a caster. I have to agree with most of what you say especialy after fishing for a while, but if I were to start with a bait caster I may have given it up early. They take a bit of getting used to and even while getting used to my bait caster I would go to the spinning reel when I wanted to do some trouble free fishing. Maybe it would be best to start with a cheap spin setup and then when you decide you want to fish like the rest go with the best of baitcast/rod setup. I notice that a cheap spinning reel works better than a cheap caster.

Just my .02 although dont get me wrong..... Your the one that makes money from fishing, not me.

Bait caster all the way.

I started with a spinning reel but only because I was 7 and a bait caster takes a bit more cordination than most 7 year olds have and the other big reason was that my dad would rather get a little fishing in instead of picking out my birdsnest all day long.

When I was about 10 I graduated to a casting reel and I had it mastered by the time I was 11. Although the amount of birdsnests i get has gone down dramaticly since I was 11, (now being 26), I still get a few from time to time.

Enough Of my story but a casting reel is far superior than a Spinng reel in 99% of steelhead fishing applications, and in the things it isnt superior in it does just fine once you master it.

If you have any amount of cordination at all you should a be able to efficiantly use a baitcaster within a trip or two. Always a good Idea to have a spare spool of line along or even better a spare reel loaded with line.

if u want a good rod, get the new gloomis 1141 in gl2. the gl3 in $280 and i think the new gl2 is around $180. then u should get a daiwa regal-x 2500, which i think is around $30. or if u dont want that nice of gear then just go to any sporting goods store and find a rod from 8'-10'. good luck.

Saying baitcast reel is better than spinning reel is like saying truck is better than a car. My point here is that it depends on what it is used for, so it's wiser to match the appropriate tool for the function.

Baitcaster is great for many things but for jig 'n floating from the bank, I prefer a long spinning gear setup. It's much easier to toss light jigs and floats with spinning than with a baitcasting reel. Also, it's easier to find a longer spinning rod than a baitcasting rod.

What I think usually happens is that some of us get quite comfortable with a certain style of gear and over time become reluctant to change to anything else. Perhaps too much muscle memory?? What I like about the baitcaster is its compact size and free-spool ability. However, spinning makes up for it's bulky size and potential lilne twist with its ability to cast light lures and retrieve speed. So, I'd make a choice based on what type of fishing I plan on doing.