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[devon42]

i currently have a baitcaster rod right now but I'm looking for an upgrade. and i see alot of people using a center pin reel. and i wanna know if its worth spending the money for a good center pin rod and reel combo.. or stick with the baitcaster. i also wanna know if it is  harder to cast with a center pin?  if i did end up buying one id probably buy the steelheader. and some kind of rod don't know yet.

[BigFisher]

Sounds like you have some $$$ to spend.  I dont own a centepin, But I have fought a few fish on them and they bring a good fight to the table. I find that the baitcaster is more versitile, as It will give you a more percise cast and distance. A little of both worlds would be nice.

How did you find learning how to cast a baircaster? well its no different, just takes time and practice.

[BNF861]

Do a quick search, there are many threads all ready comapring the two types of reels. Its personal preferce really. A centerpin casts and drifts so much nicer in my opinion and it is a blast to play fish with one. That being said a levelwind is probably easier to cast in crowded areas and you have a quicker retrieve. Both have their high points and drawbacks but since i starting using a centerpin on the vedder, I have yet to go back to my baitcaster, it is just sitting idle. If you do purchase a setup but are on a budget, I would suggest buying the nicest reel you can afford. You'll enjoy a nicer reel with a cheap rod a lot more than a cheap reel with an expensive rod. An Islander like you suggested is a great reel, that is what i have now and love it. I used to have it paired with a trophy xl pin rod and was quite happy with the combo, but the sage I have now takes the cake

[devon42]

thanks for the imput guys ill have to put in some thought as it is a big investment

[BCfisherman97]

I have mostly used a level wind, but just about 3 months ago I got a centerpin, and I don't regret it. Much better line control and its a blast playing fish.

[dennisK]

i currently have a baitcaster rod right now but I'm looking for an upgrade. and i see alot of people using a center pin reel. and i wanna know if its worth spending the money for a good center pin rod and reel combo.. or stick with the baitcaster. i also wanna know if it is  harder to cast with a center pin?  if i did end up buying one id probably buy the steelheader. and some kind of rod don't know yet.

A centre pin is not an upgrade from a baitcaster lol. And you need way more river to land the fish; plus in my view fishing is not to about "playing" a fish - it's to catch and land it as quickly as possible so it has a better chance in surviving if released (I'd argue that is more ethical as well). But those "pinheads" have to be justify somehow on how much money they spent lol...

[aquaholic]

A centre pin is not an upgrade from a baitcaster lol. And you need way more river to land the fish; plus in my view fishing is not to about "playing" a fish - it's to catch and land it as quickly as possible so it has a better chance in surviving if released (I'd argue that is more ethical as well). But those "pinheads" have to be justify somehow on how much money they spent lol...

Your opinions on Pins are out to lunch..

You don't need way more river to land fish, With a pin you get a more natural drift over a baitcaster, Fish are landed just as fast as they would with a baitcaster, if you know how to use a pin you would know this. If fishing wasnt for the fight of the fish what would it be for ?

I would also have to say that a Pin is a upgrade from a baitcaster, baitcasters have gears and drag to help you out with the fish, UPGRADE to a pin and try your skill at fighting a fish one on one with no help

Have you ever fished a pin for any length of time ? judging by your comments you don't really know what your talking about

[HOOK]

im with Aquaholic on this one. I can hammer down on fish with my pin, if you have seen me bring in fish you would know this is possible. The only time i might take it a bit easier is when a big spring is making me feel a bit undergunned with my rod and i dont wanna risk busting my rod 

I love fishing a pin and would never pick up a level wind unless im fishing the big river(fraser) for sockeye, could i BB with a pin, Yes i could but would i Hell No 

Use a pin DennisK and i bet once you learn to use it you will love it and the level wind will start gathering dust  My 3 level setups havent seen water since the last sockeye opening, sorry one saw water one day on the Squamish cause my younger brother was down and we went fishing.

Dont get me wrong there is one time i wish i had a levelwind while fishing and thats only when i want to swing blades without a float on, this is doable on a pin but alot more effective with a LW cause you can slowly reel in while it swings where it just doesnt seem to work as well with the pin. 

[SnaggedADuck]

I haven't noticed needing more river to land a fish
For me,
Pros:
*Better fight
*Potentially cheaper in the long run, people are using 50 year old silex's as opposed to getting a new baitcaster every 5 or ten?
*

Neg:
*Heavier over baitcasters on average
*you can cast lighter weights/lures easier and further
*Retrieve ratio- slower retrieve after every cast reduces the amount of time your lure/bait is in the water.
*

I would say that i really enjoy the simplicity of a pin but that has no functional bearing on the issue.  I use pin, levelwind, spin, and fly.

[adriaticum]

Here we go again   

Devon, if you've got the money, spend it! 

[dennisK]

Your opinions on Pins are out to lunch..

You don't need way more river to land fish, With a pin you get a more natural drift over a baitcaster, Fish are landed just as fast as they would with a baitcaster, if you know how to use a pin you would know this. If fishing wasnt for the fight of the fish what would it be for ?

I would also have to say that a Pin is a upgrade from a baitcaster, baitcasters have gears and drag to help you out with the fish, UPGRADE to a pin and try your skill at fighting a fish one on one with no help

Have you ever fished a pin for any length of time ? judging by your comments you don't really know what your talking about

I fish with pinheads a lot of the time (it's gotten pretty trendy). And for about 10 years I've been watching them. In fact I owned a pin outfit for a season too. They (the majority) need way more water to land the fish and often play the fish to half death. It's more "fun" that way I suppose, but really I'm not picking a fight. You go to the river and next time watch closely how much longer the average pinhead takes to land a fish  - and also fish survivability increases with the quickness of landing the fish without "playing it". But I'm willing to sacrifice some of my "fun" to get in a salmon asap, and you can't say that about pins.

Simple test. Hook into a 10 pound fish with a pin (don't even bother with a 25lbr - you know what happens lol). You simply must move around and down river to play it out so you can land it. With a proper drag and a baitcaster/spin reel you don't move from my spot, and don't interrupt my fellow fisherman/woman and increase fish survivability. But like I said, when people spend a ton of cash on something they have a tendency to try to justify it.

[Jona]

I would say go for it..................you won't regret it. Just remember not to put too much line on your reel the first time you use it until you've got the mechanics of casting it down first. The steelheader spins reel fast cause of the bearings and it takes a bit of getting use to. Good luck!

[TrophyHunter]

I fish with pinheads a lot of the time (it's gotten pretty trendy). And for about 10 years I've been watching them. In fact I owned a pin outfit for a season too. They (the majority) need way more water to land the fish and often play the fish to half death. It's more "fun" that way I suppose, but really I'm not picking a fight. You go to the river and next time watch closely how much longer the average pinhead takes to land a fish  - and also fish survivability increases with the quickness of landing the fish without "playing it". But I'm willing to sacrifice some of my "fun" to get in a salmon asap, and you can't say that about pins.

Simple test. Hook into a 10 pound fish with a pin (don't even bother with a 25lbr - you know what happens lol). You simply must move around and down river to play it out so you can land it. With a proper drag and a baitcaster/spin reel you don't move from my spot, and don't interrupt my fellow fisherman/woman and increase fish survivability. But like I said, when people spend a ton of cash on something they have a tendency to try to justify it.

Man reading your posts makes me laugh.... I have been thinking about "your theory" that it takes longer to land a fish and I cannot fathom where you get your info and thoughts from, if you truly believe this statement then you are completely out to lunch !! there is absolutely no way that you need more room to land a fish with a centerpin. I will say this though, your uneducated ,out to lunch posts sure do raise alot of hackles !!

cheers
TH

[BIG T]

I fish with pinheads a lot of the time (it's gotten pretty trendy). And for about 10 years I've been watching them. In fact I owned a pin outfit for a season too. They (the majority) need way more water to land the fish and often play the fish to half death. It's more "fun" that way I suppose, but really I'm not picking a fight. You go to the river and next time watch closely how much longer the average pinhead takes to land a fish  - and also fish survivability increases with the quickness of landing the fish without "playing it". But I'm willing to sacrifice some of my "fun" to get in a salmon asap, and you can't say that about pins.

Simple test. Hook into a 10 pound fish with a pin (don't even bother with a 25lbr - you know what happens lol). You simply must move around and down river to play it out so you can land it. With a proper drag and a baitcaster/spin reel you don't move from my spot, and don't interrupt my fellow fisherman/woman and increase fish survivability. But like I said, when people spend a ton of cash on something they have a tendency to try to justify it.

Here we go again Dennisk!!!!  You were a one hell of a shi*** pin head i ever seen and heard,cause you never learn it right in the first place.   Is ok,you have your right to say what ever you want,but please keep it to yourself.

[Brian]

Centerpinning is simply a style of fishing that can be a lot of fun.  The fact that you have manual control of the line is what most people like most.  Kinda like how driving sports cars with a manual transmission and clutch keeps you in touch with the road.

Learning to cast is the epitome of frustration.  Having somebody who fishes cp show you and coach you makes the learning a lot faster.

Yeah, drifting with the cp is great, but I've never had problems drifting with my levelwind either.

I'm fishing with an older Islander Steelheader with a Trophy IM8 cp rod.  When I outgrow the rod I'll probably go Sage 3113.