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[frenchy]

I am thinking about buying a centre pin combo but I do not really know much about the different products available. For the budget, I am thinking about something like 500$, but I could afford more if there is a good ratio quality/price. It would mainly be to target steelheads/coho. What rod and reel would you suggest? New or used?
any help appreciated

[kingpin]

hub sports has an islander loaded with line for $345 and you could pick up a shimano convergence to go with it and it would handle pretty much anything you want it to. thats probably around your $500 mark.

[BadFish]

I fish an Okuma Aventa reel and its not bad for the price, I'll continue to use okuma reels for my lifetime...

but, for 500 even go to Freds and they will sell you a nice fenwick rod and an islander steelheader reel if you twist there arm alittle bit...

[frenchy]

This is something I was wondering, should I put more money in the reel or the rod? What trade off would you choose ? I see that only ChromeKings seems to advice to put some $ in the rod. It seems a bit strange for me to have a very nice reel (like the islander) with a cheap rod.

[firstlight]

I would put my money in the rod first.
Id get a Sage 3113  and then save for the reel.

No sense doing it twice.

Dont overlook the old Avon Royal as a starter reel.
Very well built and still being used by many today.

[Xgolfman]

I would put my money in the rod first.
Id get a Sage 3113  and then save for the reel.

No sense doing it twice.

Dont overlook the old Avon Royal as a starter reel.
Very well built and still being used by many today.

Agreed...I got a 3113...that's all your 500 but it's a great rod...I fished my buddys avon today for a few minutes, we swap and he takes my fly rod and mangages to lose my flies for me...I have a Milner kingfisher but I like his avon just as much.....thing is smooth as a babys butt and a little bigger so I don't have to wedge my fingers down to stop it..

[Ribwart]

Frenchy...I bought my silex reel used....keep your eyes on the paper, ebay, buy sell etc, etc...I bought it from a guy in his late 40's whose father had passed away, and he wanted someone to have it who actually fished and was passionate about it...$ 200 bucks, excellent condition...well, it isn't anymore, I've beaten it up quite a bit, but it runs true....

After that 200 dollar expense, I bought a sage 3113 lb blank for another 175 $ or something like that...and then had it custom built for through a local guy that runs a pretty good gig now, but was just getting started back then...I think that cost another 200 or so but can't quite remember...Check it out, you might find something good used somewhere reel wise and save some money,....

But beware the warped reel...make sure the reel spins true with no warble...a rod and reel now new like that would be running closer to 1000+ total after taxes...

someone here might have some blanks available...

Your looking for the best deal you can get, so it doesn't matter which you buy first, the reel or the rod...you buy the one you get at the great price first. Another idea would be to sink your cash into a great reel, and then convert your current rod  so it has a floating reel seat...this way you can fish the centerpin some days and your baitcaster on others...depending how you feel...then you can wait to buy the higher quality rod at a later date, when you have the cash...

[Gooey]

DEFINITELY SPEND MORE MONEY ON THE ROD!!!!!

There is way too much chest pound (sorry guys) in terms of people making sure you know they fish a Milner, Islander, etc, etc.  We have all seen those foriegn skiers on the hills with thousand dollar skiis on and they are snow plowing down the green run!!! 

Here is my 2 cents.  The casting of a center pin is much different that a bait caster (the mechanics and flow).  A very small percent is attributed to the reel (just basically the start up).  To beginners, backlashes will probably be your largest obstacle...a good long rod with a soft tip will help a reel load up smoothly, this helps minimize backlashes.  Its the real snappy casts that cause a high speeds on the spool=backlash....the soft tip of the 3113 is excellent for dampening that energy.  As well, having and extra 9 inches on top of the rod allows you to better manage the cast and mend line. 

Once a fish is hooked, all center pins are equal.  Some like a heavy clicker, some like the silence but its really just the fish and you with a small rim to apply drag to...its the same for all center pin reels.  Some beginners may have trouble gauging how much drag to apply and once again a high quality rod can help save break offs when a heavier , stiffer rod may have lead to a leader snapping when a fish makes a run and you are holding down a little to hard. 

The 3113 is limber enough that a 3-4 lb cap coho is fun and its got a strong enuff butt to manage a 40 lb spring.

Try to get a 3113, you wont regret that.  I fish a 3113 with a Avon Royal Supreme...I think you can pic those reels up for about $150ish. 

[dennisK]

b

[adriaticum]

Spend less money on your gear and more money on your skill and practise.

[Gooey]

If he is on a budget of $500 then a second hand 3113 and an avon would be within those means.  I bought my 3113/avon combo second hand, that was 8 years ago and it is still one of my favourite rods for any river.

I fished 4lb leader for spooky summers and even with their big acrobatics and energetic runs the 3113 safely proected that 4lb trilene leader I was using. And like I said even cap coho are fun on a 3113.

 If a guy can afford only one set up, then a 3113 will wish well for ANY salmon species or steelhead on any river in the lower mainland.

[dennisK]

now the 2106 is great for them Cap fish.

drool.

[THE_ROE_SLINGER]

About how much would a used 3113 cost??, Also how much are they new?? Anyone know where to find one

[Gooey]

I got a smoking deal one my set up....$375 as I recall for a 3113 and an avon.  Another great blank that I think is similiar (little lighter) action and probably quite a bit cheaper to the 3113 is lamiglas's GSH1382m (11.5', rate 8-12lb).  Got the blank for about $85US, another $80 or so in components and you have a rod comparable to something that comes off the shop racks at $350-$400.

First blank I ever built was a 3113, its really quite easy to build a rod and saves you some HUGE bucks.

[frenchy]

What you say concerning having a good rod really makes sense to me. The Sage rods are pretty expensive, but I will definitively look if I can find a used one (and Roe_Kid do not even think about buying one before me or I will bewitch the rod and you would never catch anything with it ).

Same for the Avon, I will look for that.

I had a look to the Okuma Shefield. It is true that it is pretty cheap, $250 including taxes and shippment. Does anybody have already fished with one? I think that the line capacity is "backing @ 50 yds/20lb + Main Line @ 275 yds/8lb". I think it is not a lot compared to the reels that are used on the west coast, is it enough? 

Adriaticum, it is not the money that limits my time on the water, it is the time...

My budget is variable. The main limit is what I think is reasonable or not...

if you have something available, send me a pm or an E mail (I write this small, otherwise Rod will move that in the buy and sell section