I've been drifting with my pin the last 2 weeks. It's pretty fun. I messed my elbow up pretty bad a few months ago. so after about a half hour of mending line and keeping my rod tip up float fishing I have to switch. Drift fish a hour or so then back to the float

Drift fishing with the pin is pretty deadly. Fishing eggs for silvers, as soon as I feel the fish pick it up I just free spool a little....them it's game on. None of that pick it up and drop it crap I was seeing every one else having problems with as soon as the fish felt any pressure.

The George Cook I remember would never admit to that.



My Kingpins are the only production reels I own that can hang with my customs. What they lack in soul, they more than make up for in performance. Really sweet reels.

Great input here guys, thanks. One more question, what are the issues with using braid? I'm leaning toward the Raven matrix reel and may try the Siglon 12# line but I have extra braid I can use.

Those Kingpin reels look awesome. It's amazing how much they cost when considering how mechanically simple they are.

Hey pinners.

I've enjoyed reading this thread. Now I'm going to fish one of Sams back up pin rods this late/Fall Winter & will likely hook up w/ a hachery steelhead or coho. Any advice on what to do after the float dips out of sight??

PS.... I' ve never played a fish on a pin.

Totalcenterpinvirgin


c/22

Lift, reel, repeat

The longer rods offer nice advantage when trying to pick up a lot of line in a hurry if you get bit towards the end of a longer drift. Depending on the action and power of the rod you are using, you may need to really exaggerate the hook set (soft/slow action rods) or you may need to just sweep your tip up to get tension on the line (fast, more stiff rods). Having your hand(s) in a position to quickly brake the spool while setting the hook tends to be the tricky part. I use both my fishing hand (hand on the rod) and my support hand to brake the spool while fishing and switch back and forth to try and save one or the other from excessive fatigue on a longer day of pinning.

Once the fish is on, I wind up with my fishing hand cradled between the rim of the reel/spool and the cork on the rod (see photo stolen from internet below), using tension between the two as drag. I think most pin reels have clickers, I typically click mine over if it is going to be a decent fight, this helps prevent a rat-[Bleeeeep!] in the event that you lose control of the drag and the reel free spools.



Having a bit of bank/shore accessible sure helps with the landing process. Getting fish close enough to the boat with a long rod and/or not having much in the way of bank to work with are pretty entertaining affairs.

I don't have many veteran pin spinning friends and am too curious at how the pro's do it.

Remember the advice given by Bob? "JERK!"

Dang Brad, wish I didn't sell my Raven setup...

Thanks Coley, good tips one & all.

I'm sure there is going to be a moment of panic when I realise my trusty Curado drag isn't helping out as usual & the damn reel is in free-spool ( oh wait, I'm fishing a center-pin rod !! )








Sam, I know you still have that Raven the IM6 is mine this winter. I might even buy it off you, if you are not going to pass it down to Robert.


You get to play with the GLX/Ross combo like a big boy.


c/22

My first fish ever on my pin was a mid teens summer run. And on the second run I forgot what I was doing and let go of the spool! I was only 15 minutes into my very first day "learning to cast" and purposely fished a spot I thought had no fish in it.
That day I hooked a few more steelhead and lost them all due to slack line from letting go of the spool.
I've been at it over a month now and feel like I have a good grasp on pinning and haven't had any issues at all controlling fish.

It's alot easier then I thought it would be...and now everything just feels natural. But I haven't put my pin down sense i started. I've fished it every day and leave all my other rods/reels at home

Hey, get outta my hole!

That is a great CP'ing location.

OK, here are some of my issues with braid on a CP reel:

1. CP line should be supple; not stiff and not too limp. Braid is too limp and folds, kinks and wraps around guides, handles and clicker knobs too easily. If mono comes off reel on foot side you can often flip back off on handle side and easily wind back on. Loose braid just seems to knot up on me when I look at it. Birdsnests are always easier with mono than braid.

3. Although I don't do a lot of side spin casting with a CP, braid has a tendency to store up twist that can be very difficult to eliminate. This can be aggravating under normal use and potentially disastrous at the worst of times. Ever tried untwisting tangled braid from the tip of a 13' or 15' rod.

3. I like CP line that is slick, mainly because I use my reel hand a lot to control line, either as a spin cast guide or to start up spool using Wallis or modified BC cast. Braid is just too rough and abrasive for hand use.

4. Another major problem with braid is "digging". Typically, line is spooled back on reel fairly loosely with each cast, until you get a heavy or hot fish on the line and then it's either pulled or wound very taut. Of course this causes it to dig down on itself, making it difficult to cast until remedied. This is a bigger issue with large arbor reels than smaller bait casters with pawl gears.

5. As to braid's advantages, low stretch or floatation, I don't really see an overriding benefit when using a longer moderate action rod.

I prefer thicker Dacron fly backing on my reels, but I'm sure old braid could be used just as effectively as reel backing too.

My dos centavos. Flame on.

Good summary.

I have broken a few rods tips due to braid wraps at inopportune times. Four at least.

Looks like someone else is on to Sufix Siege's Mean Tangerine.

How do you know it is not



?

I don't.

I like the orange, it really pops against a neutral background and on those low light days.

Not many of those steelheading though, right?

Siege tangerine is my favorite mono and it's all I use when I fish with mono. It worked great on my pin too.
I'm definitely switching back once I get paid Wednesday.

Tangerine 17, pinwheel lockdown, straight to the bank.

The Gorge Fly Shop in Hood River, they also have an on-line store. Travis runs a great shop, fishes with a 'pin as well as fly gear. I bought a Ross from him and it has been great. Also, former guide John Garrett works there and is a 'pin fisher also.