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[Steel_Mo_Head]

Alright guys, so i'm kind of a newbie when it comes to rods and reels.

I want a couple of rods and a couple of reels.  I don't want to buy the TOP TOP end for everything.

Currently have a Shimano Convergence with a Shimano Corvalus as my first beginners reel

-I'm thinking of the Shimano Calcutta TE401 (lefty)
-Not sure on what type of rod yet

I also would like to get a centerpin rod and reel combo?? i do not know too much about the centerpin's

Hue-nut??? what do you think??

[Matt]

I have an Abu Record RCN50 and great, a little cheaper too.  Nice step up from my C3.  Reviews well also http://www.tackletour.com/reviewabugarciarecord.html.  All my drift rods are cheaper workhorses, so no advice there.

[bentrod]

Outdoor Emporium: pick up a Lamiglas 9' 6" Certified Pro for 195 US.  Then go onto Ebay and pick up a Shimano Curado.  I got mine for 200.00 US with no shipping and no tax.  Pretty sure you'd pay at least $550 canadian for that combo if you bought it up there.  It's a sweet setup for casting to salmon and steelhead in smaller rivers. 

[Sterling C]

I would personally recommend a smaller sized Shimano level wind such as a Calcutta 201 rather than a full sized one such as a 4001 TE.

For local fishing you won't need a bigger reel, and the price tag is a little more reasonable. 

[wolverine]

 I have the Shimano TE 401. It's the finest baitcaster for big fish that I've ever touched. I am extremely pleased with its performance. Not cheap, but well worth the cost. I have it mounted on a G Loomis 12'-3"  SAMR1474C 10-25 lb rated rod. I've used this as my HD float rod in Alaska, BC, and Washington. For a lighter Combo I have an ABU Revo Toro 51-HS mounted on a G Loomis GL2 10'-6" STR125652C rated 10-20 lbs. Also a very good float rod.

[Matt]

Come on, someone suggest the Daiwa Luna for variety's sake

[ColinB]

How about the Diawa Luna??

[norm_2]

OK Matt, I have a Luna 203, Calcutta 400 (not TE), and Abu's.  I prefer a Luna over a Calcutta.  They are pretty close though.

I second what Sterling said, if I am going to primarily fish the Vedder, I would get a smaller reel.

[YESFISH]

Lamiglas float rods are good. 11'0" certified pros are good but stiffer tip for Lamiglas. 10'6" rod is real sensitive on the tip but lighter rod.  Lami makes a 9'6" rod that has the backbone of 10-20lb but has a tip to allow a 1/4 oz spinner so that is a specialty rod for large stealhead. It has "Magnum" in the name. I use different rods depending on the river.  The 11'0 drift rod is for the larger springs.  My convergence rods are only for a backup. Abu makes a 6 ball bearing real called the RECORD. I have it and its nice. $100 less than Shimano Calcuttas. That comes to choice. I've went through Abu 6600D6 and its not as built as well as far as the drag.  C3's are just not worth buying. I get larger reels such as 6500, 6600 so thats why I don't have a Curado, which I guess is primo for its size. 

[hue-nut]

Alright guys, so i'm kind of a newbie when it comes to rods and reels.

I want a couple of rods and a couple of reels.  I don't want to buy the TOP TOP end for everything.

Currently have a Shimano Convergence with a Shimano Corvalus as my first beginners reel

-I'm thinking of the Shimano Calcutta TE401 (lefty)
-Not sure on what type of rod yet

I also would like to get a centerpin rod and reel combo?? i do not know too much about the centerpin's

Hue-nut??? what do you think??

hey buddy, I am no authority on cp's but I would say keep your eye out for a reasonably priced used pin, with maybe a Trophy rod, or even a Convergence mooching rod. The Curado is a great reel when it comes to level winds but make sure you get the 300 series that way you have a big enough capacity for the Fraser

[bentrod]

Curado = 15# of drag pressure and smoother than any other reel I own. 

[adriaticum]

Shimano is an excellent choice.
IMO Corvalus is a too big for River fishing.
I have it and I fished it once on the Vedder and haven't used it since.
It's good for fishing for 50lb+ fish.
Get a small reel on a 10-20 Convergence and you'll be happy for a long time.

[bentrod]

Go to the river and watch people fighting fish.  If their rod is bouncing up and down (not head shake bounce) during the initial startup of the drag, it is not (IMO) a smooth drag.    It's really tough to explain, but you know it when you see it.  I'm sure many people on the flow would let you take a few casts to see how their reel performs.  Before dropping some coin, do your research.  Also ask them about durability, ease of maintenance and ease of making adjustments on the fly.  Spend as much money as you can, good gear will last a long time and can mean the difference between landing and not landing fish. 

[FishOn36]

Personally you can't go wrong with Abu Garcia reels, C3 or C4 would probably be the best bet. As far as rods go I can't really recommend anything, my current salmon setup is a Garcia "North Star" medium action rod w/ C4 reel which has worked out quite well for me so far..although I haven't caught anything besides pinks on it. I've tried my friends setup which is a Shimanno Technium 11'6" Medium-heavy action rod with a C4 reel. I must say, I quite like the feel of the rod but I don't know if I care for that extra foot and a half compared to my setup

[Matt]

Abu Revo Toro - 22 lb. drag system. Centrepins - look for a starter reel like an Avon, Seldex or Trophy and match it to a Trophy or Convergance, won't set you back a whole lot and you can try pinning and see if you like it before buying better quality.

  my Penn 330GT2 sturgeon reel (330yds 150lbs) only puts out 15 lbs drag... wow.  Says a lot for the reel construction as well as the drag itself.