Delaware Valley Tackle Posted October 27, 2014 Posted October 27, 2014 That 15 footer must be a treat after about 6 hrs on the water. Unless of course you're hookin' up regularly. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted October 27, 2014 Super User Posted October 27, 2014 It's an Avid, and it weighs less than my drop shot rods, lol. OK, maybe it's more, but it's the lightest of all the float rods. I think I might have it sold, though. I've used less than a dozen times. Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted October 28, 2014 Posted October 28, 2014 I'd have a hard time leaving those quiet little ditches you fish to combat fish the community holes on the Salmon. I try to go mid week and nasty weather to have more water to myself. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted October 28, 2014 Super User Posted October 28, 2014 I don't really fish the "community holes" on the Salmon either. i actually don't know my way around there too well. I go to one parking lot, and walk downstream about two miles, and that's it...the only others I see there are drift boats. Bernie Haney brought me there a long time ago, so I guess it's his spot, but It's easy to fish, though it is a terminal rig eater, lol. Quote
ChrisWi Posted October 29, 2014 Author Posted October 29, 2014 I have a 7-6, for ditches, and a 10, 11, and 13. There's a 15 somewhere here, but that's just for the salmon river. 10-12 is probably a good all around size. couldn't imagine how Wippy a 15 foot rod would be! Quote
Super User J Francho Posted October 29, 2014 Super User Posted October 29, 2014 It's not whippy at all. only that last 6' or so bend, unless there's a fish on. There's a lot of power in that blank. Quote
ChrisWi Posted October 30, 2014 Author Posted October 30, 2014 It's not whippy at all. only that last 6' or so bend, unless there's a fish on. There's a lot of power in that blank. oh wow, my buddy fishes an Okuma Aventa rod and it's a 13' 6" and it has like no back bone Quote
Super User J Francho Posted October 30, 2014 Super User Posted October 30, 2014 You don't want "backbone" on a fully loaded rod with a fish on. The harder you fight a steelhead, the harder it fights back. You want constant and steady pressure. You'd be surprised at how much pressure you're putting on a fish with even a 4# line rated rod that's 10+ feet long. Watch an experienced steelheader fight a fish - there's more side pressure, steering, and letting them run that actual yanking back. Quote
ChrisWi Posted October 31, 2014 Author Posted October 31, 2014 You don't want "backbone" on a fully loaded rod with a fish on. The harder you fight a steelhead, the harder it fights back. You want constant and steady pressure. You'd be surprised at how much pressure you're putting on a fish with even a 4# line rated rod that's 10+ feet long. Watch an experienced steelheader fight a fish - there's more side pressure, steering, and letting them run that actual yanking back. i know, im just saying i've talked to an awful lot of pinners this year about rod choice and they say the aventa rod is so floppy its hard to get even a good hookset. I've fished steelhead for 2 years now, just never wanted a pin back then. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted October 31, 2014 Super User Posted October 31, 2014 I don't think I've ever really set the hook. I just stop the pin, and lift the rod. Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted October 31, 2014 Super User Posted October 31, 2014 I don't think I've ever really set the hook. I just stop the pin, and lift the rod. I've never centerpinned, but I catch a variety of species, I seldom have to set a hook. In many cases lifting the rod is all that it takes, even some of the inhalers like a snook or tarpon. The weight and the power of the fish set the hook, steelhead strike hard enough to hook set themselves. As fast as some of these fish can swim trying to set the hook can work against you, you're pulling the lure away too fast, once I feel the weight of the fish I lift the rod. Quote
ChrisWi Posted October 31, 2014 Author Posted October 31, 2014 I don't think I've ever really set the hook. I just stop the pin, and lift the rod. a lot of times thats all it takes but you put a bigger bag on a #6 hook and you might miss a fish or two that way. I'm not saying hookset as in jack the fish, just maybe a little more force than lifting. Quote
Super User J Francho Posted October 31, 2014 Super User Posted October 31, 2014 Sometimes they like caviar, other times, you gotta sack up meatballs. Quote
Super User S Hovanec Posted November 2, 2014 Super User Posted November 2, 2014 It's an Avid, and it weighs less than my drop shot rods, lol. OK, maybe it's more, but it's the lightest of all the float rods. I think I might have it sold, though. I've used less than a dozen times.I bought the 15' Avid blank a few years ago. I was appauled by how heavy it was. Ended up selling it without even building it. It was heavier than my built 13' Talon ITM. Croix discontinued the Avid float series for 2015. My guess would be due to the weight.My Islander. This isn't the rod I use. I just put it on this rod so I could photograph the rod. 1 Quote
Super User J Francho Posted November 2, 2014 Super User Posted November 2, 2014 It's like half the weight of the Browning steelhead rod I have. That Islander is pretty sweet! Quote
Super User S Hovanec Posted November 2, 2014 Super User Posted November 2, 2014 I love the Islander. Got it years ago when the silver color was a limited run. I have an email from them saying it was one of the first dozen or so made in silver. Quote
ChrisWi Posted November 3, 2014 Author Posted November 3, 2014 I bought the 15' Avid blank a few years ago. I was appauled by how heavy it was. Ended up selling it without even building it. It was heavier than my built 13' Talon ITM. Croix discontinued the Avid float series for 2015. My guess would be due to the weight. My Islander. This isn't the rod I use. I just put it on this rod so I could photograph the rod. Is that a fly rod? Quote
Super User S Hovanec Posted November 4, 2014 Super User Posted November 4, 2014 Is that a fly rod? That is a 9' 9wt. fly rod I built to donate for an event, I didn't have a fly reel to put on it to photograph the rod, so I just put my float reel on it. Quote
ChrisWi Posted November 11, 2014 Author Posted November 11, 2014 That is a 9' 9wt. fly rod I built to donate for an event, I didn't have a fly reel to put on it to photograph the rod, so I just put my float reel on it. I got to mess around with an Islander pin the other day and all I can say is wow. Super smooth compared to an aventa. Quote
BooyahMan Posted November 12, 2014 Posted November 12, 2014 I have the 13' Shimano Clarus and last Steelhead season I paired mine with an Okuma Aventa that I use as a beater for salmon fishing. I normally use an Islander with an 11'3 Sage but honestly was just as happy with the Clarus setup this year even though most people would consider it a down-grade. The Clarus loads up well for casting; a slight flick can send your presentation quite far. Nice flex when fighting fish too but definitely not a rod with a ton of backbone if you are fishing pockets in white water (which is my favourite type of water to hunt for Steelhead). I might get jumped on for saying this but in my opinion the budget pins are not much worse than their more expensive counterparts. My dad is a collector so I've gotten to use a wide variety of pins over the years, but I still return to the Aventa as it's a great workhorse and if I fall on the ice I won't devalue a $400+ reel. I recently tried an Amundson Steelhead Tracker (dirt cheap $99 on sale) as well and enjoyed using it for Chinooks back when they were running. Here's one of the fish I landed on the aforementioned Aventa/Clarus setup from this season: And here is my largest Steel, caught on my Islander/Sage setup: Quote
Super User SirSnookalot Posted November 12, 2014 Super User Posted November 12, 2014 ^^ Nice looking fish ^^ Quote
Super User J Francho Posted November 12, 2014 Super User Posted November 12, 2014 I might get jumped on for saying this but in my opinion the budget pins are not much worse than their more expensive counterparts. As long as the bearings work properly, and the spool is pretty well balanced, there no difference. Anything else is simply bling. It's an arbor on a couple of bearings - big bearing packs, at that. If a reel is "smoother" or takes less effort, generally a bearing flush and lube is all that's required to get a $200 Okuma to work like a $1000 Kingpin. I have a 10' Convergence (a level below the Clarus, I believe?) with a Michigan grip, and I love it for small ditches.I think it was all of $60. Beautiful chrome, btw! Quote
ChrisWi Posted November 12, 2014 Author Posted November 12, 2014 I have the 13' Shimano Clarus and last Steelhead season I paired mine with an Okuma Aventa that I use as a beater for salmon fishing. I normally use an Islander with an 11'3 Sage but honestly was just as happy with the Clarus setup this year even though most people would consider it a down-grade. The Clarus loads up well for casting; a slight flick can send your presentation quite far. Nice flex when fighting fish too but definitely not a rod with a ton of backbone if you are fishing pockets in white water (which is my favourite type of water to hunt for Steelhead). I might get jumped on for saying this but in my opinion the budget pins are not much worse than their more expensive counterparts. My dad is a collector so I've gotten to use a wide variety of pins over the years, but I still return to the Aventa as it's a great workhorse and if I fall on the ice I won't devalue a $400+ reel. I recently tried an Amundson Steelhead Tracker (dirt cheap $99 on sale) as well and enjoyed using it for Chinooks back when they were running. Here's one of the fish I landed on the aforementioned Aventa/Clarus setup from this season: And here is my largest Steel, caught on my Islander/Sage setup: thanks for sharing! I dont really understand why people spend so much on pin reels. That one fish was a tank. Nice job Quote
Super User J Francho Posted November 12, 2014 Super User Posted November 12, 2014 You really only need one reel, so guys that pin will often go high end. Quote
ChrisWi Posted November 13, 2014 Author Posted November 13, 2014 You really only need one reel, so guys that pin will often go high end. just for looks and trying to be better than the average angler. Kidding Lol. A buddy of mine has 9 pins, you could say he has a problem. Quote
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