I've come to the realization that a casting rod needs to be added to my arsenal for drift fishing. I'm primarily a float and jig guy but it is my goal, or resolution if you will to hook steelhead this year on drift gear as well. Up until now I've only hooked kings and coho on drift gear. The only steelhead I've hooked and landed have been on float and jig. I here a lot of talk about line control being the key and drift fishing with a spinning rod definitely limits that. I would like a rod that I could drift fish with and also switch it up and toss spoons with. From what i've read it seems like a spoon rod should be a bit longer like the Herzog Lamiglas spoon rods but I'd prefer an 8.6' or 9' drift rod. A buddy of mine just picked up the 8.6" 8-17 pound IMX casting rod. I felt out a couple drifts with it yesterday and aside from it feeling absolutely amazing it also felt like it had enough back bone to comfortably toss spoons?

So, in conclusion, what casting rod would you recommend to use as a drift/spoon rod? I'd love an IMX but for now i really need to stay on the "lower" end of the spectrum price wise while still having some sensitivity, especially since I'll need to purchase a reel too. Getting a casting setup just makes sense as the next step I need to take.

Thanks for any input,

Drew

lamiglas xmg50 9' 2"

It's cheaper and just as good as an IMX.

Rainshadow XST1144 or XST1264

Whats your budget like for rod and reel?

I'd say that the perfect decent drift rods CAN fish spoons whereas the perfect spoon rod wouldn't make the best drift rod. Personally, I'd rather my drift rod have more "backbone" than my drift rod. I want a drift rod to have a fast, crisp action whereas I'd like the spoon rod to be a slower action to get more of that spoon thump further down the rod. That is just my preference. Get a general purpose, decent 9' rod and just roll with it.

The biggest benefit to casting reels is that you can allow additional line out while your gear is working while still maintaining direct contact. For example, as your spoon swings across the river and hits faster water, it will start to rise in the water column. With a baitcaster, you can do things like keep it in freespool and let line out under your thumb to slow the spoon down and get it lower in the water column. Similarly, you can allow a float to go downstream with your thumb on the spool rather than the on/off of flipping the bail of a spinning reel. I think that is what most folks are talking about when they refer to improved "line control" with a bait caster.

-AP

Well I'll have to sell a few things to make this happen but i'd like to keep it between $200 and $300 to be reasonable for now. I know that doesn't get me much new from a tackle shop but I'm hoping to find a good used setup from someone on the board hopefully. Closer to $200 would make the wife very happy, or happier...

This season I decided to give hardware tossin' a go.

I searched the archives for recommendations on an inexpensive casting rod, went with Cabela's Fish Eagle II, 10' med.

Regularly $80, currently on sale for $40.

I'm a newbie at steelheading and a novice when it comes to baitcasters--I didn't want to invest the money on a technique I've never tried (First and foremost I wanted to make sure I could consistently cast).

Matched it with a Citica and I'm in it for under $200.

Working well for me, though nothing caught....

Just my $ .02

I have a rod for everything in my personal arsenal, everything from IST1025, SH1025, IST1143, XST1143, HS1021, HS1023, IST1264, theres a rod for everything, but i'd definately get a 4 or 5 power between 8'6" and 9'6". IST1025 are really universal, but I like to chuck spoons with a longer rod. at the present I have an Brand New IST1084 with the best components you can buy on PP classifieds that I want $250 for and best of all bob gets the commision. Check it out, I'll email or pm ya pics. Great for lighter drift gear, wormin rod, spoons and spinners. tight lines!

Those are killer blanks for the price.

Fish on...

Todd

yeah. Can't you pay for a lifetime warranty on those fish eagles? Idk. I'd get a 10 footer so you could fish jiggys too. It's a bitch to carry around multiple rods.

Order them through the mail, and they come with a rod tube worth more than $40

Fish on...

Todd

I was under the impression that an IM6 blank isn't all that great though? Doesn't the Berkley Air have a higher modulous than the Fish eagle II?

those berkley rods are bulky and break like twigs. You don't want to buy a rod that is made by the same company as powerbait.

A Berkley Air is the last thing I'd buy. I was just trying to understand what makes the Fish Eagle II a good blank? I'm a Loomis guy too so stepping down to a Cabela's brand rod is a hard pill to swallow. I went from a Shimano Convergence to my STR1163S and it was night and day. I can't afford a casting rod of the same quality as the STR1163 at this time but would like, and can afford higher quality than the Fish Eagle II. I'm not a total Loomis snob though so I'm not opposed to Lamiglas, Rainshadow or St. Croix or fetha styx but it looks like they're pretty expensive.

Thanks,

Drew

Oh if you're in the big leagues, there's no turning back .

Screw the fish eagle. Once you get into decent rods, it's pretty much about warranties and who's name you want to represent. If you want performance, go with lamiglas. Go spend a day in woodland wiggling their rods.

Yeah, I'm probably going to have to get into a used setup though. I know a lot of you guys have pretty insane rod collections going on. Maybe somebody has a rod and reel they would like to let go that I may be interested in? PM me if ya do. In the mean time lets here some more if anyone else wants to chime in?

Thank you,

Drew

The Cabela's Fish Eagle II are a solid rod at their current $40 price point. If you can find an XML (next level up) somewhere, jump on it. I have fished the 10' heavy (10-20) and medium (8-15) and was impressed with both. I believe Cabela's has discontinued the XML series now and I am not sure if they are going to redesign it or scrap it.

Another option is to build your own rod? Rainshadow and several other manufactures have provided a variety of good blanks you could build on a budget.

Although it would be fun, I'm not looking to build my own rod at this time. I'm more interested in a good warranty where the exact rod can be replaced if something were to happen.

Thanks,

Drew

I am also in the same boat as you. I have been wanting a spoon rod for some time now and have read several opinions on the matter. I concluded that an expensive fast action graphite isn't what you want in a spoon rod but rather a slower action that allows the movement of the spoon to be felt through the whole rod and not just the tip. I think that the Im6 graphite might be preferred over the newer faster more sensative graphites. For example in some fishing situations fiberglass rods are preferred over graphite. I believe that it is the same while spoon fishing. Im6 once was the state of the art graphite but because of the hype with the newer cutting edge graphites people forgot that. I also believe after hearing some posative opinions about the cheap less glamorous cabelas rods that maybe Im6 has its nitch just as fiberglass does. Loomis's top of the line rods were onced tied on im6 blanks and if I remember correctly gl2's still are. With the job market being slow and having a kid on the way I am glad I passed on a lami xmg 10' 8-15. As a matter of fact the owner in a way talked me out of it and recommended for the money nothing beats the cabelas rod. Only fishing top of the line rods for the last 7 years was something I decided to get over. I took his advice and ordered one. I'll let you know how it works out.

Let me know how it works for drift gear as well as far as sensitivity goes.

Good luck,

Drew