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[losos]

A small tip, don't forget to release drag after you're done with fishing . This will ensure you maintain proper drag trough out washer's life span. Set the drag only just before starting fishing. I always check how my drag works by pulling line with hand out of the reel. IF it isn't smooth you'll need to upgrade washers.
By the way I'm with Rod on Clarus  rod .I have 9' myself albeit for level winder and it is very good . Never had anty problem with guides although it would be nice to have better/lighter ones.

[Rodney]

Salmon Steelhead models: HMX-S962L-MF spinning rod 9'6" 2 piece, moderate fast action 4-10lbs line

That's also a great choice. I have an 8'6" model with the same rating but it is not as fast, so the bottom section is not strong enough to handle most fish in a stream like the Vedder.

[naturelover]

Thanks guys,

Rodney, prior to your post, I was thinking of something along the lines of the following based on the previous responses:

- rod length 10.5'
- medium power
- moderate/fast action
- rod line weight range from 8-17 lbs.
- spinning reel size 4000 (or larger?)

How does the above compare to your recommendation?

- rod length 9'
- medium/light power
- moderate action
- rod line weight range from 6-10 lbs.
- spinning reel size 2500

Are the following drawbacks valid?
- Dropping from 10.5' to 9' would reduce casting distance (important for beach fishing).
- A size 2500 reel would be too small for beach fishing (I will likely stick to mono for the time being size as a newb I am going through a lot of line (and lures).
- less capable of handling bigger fish (medium/light power vs. medium power)
- not as optimal a length for drift fishing

Are the following advantages valid?
- more sensitive for manipulating spinners and lures, and detecting bites (medium/light power vs. medium power)
- lighter pole causes less fatigue over many hours of casting
- better for casting very light lures (or would this be compensated by the 1.5' length difference?)

[Rodney]

If you are targeting coho, sockeye, pink and chum salmon from the beach with the setup I recommended, then you'll have no problem landing all of them. If you are targeting chinook salmon, then you'd want to go with the heavier setup you've decided. That heavier setup will handle all of the salmon you catch, but personally I wouldn't find it enjoyable to use for the smaller species. If your goal is to bring in all the fish instead of getting the most fight out of them, then go with the 8-17lb.

The longer rod will give you a longer casting distance, but personally I use pretty light line with the shorter rod so can achieve similar casting distances as the long one. I've used the 9' on beaches in Denmark where we have to whip out 20g, 25g lures as far as we can to reach the fish. No problem with it.

One consideration to take into account is, are you going to find casting a 10'6" rod with a large spinning reel like a 4000 enjoyable? It is a rather heavy setup. Try doing the cast a couple hundred times, flipping over the bail each time, it gets very tiring. Personally I hate casting and retrieving lures with a large spinning reel. Those are reserved for high speed lure retrieve for saltwater pelagic species in the tropics like tuna and yellowtail. If you are specifically targeting chinook salmon, then go for it, but for all the other salmon species it is an overkill.

Here's a chinook salmon brought in on a Shimano Sustain 2500 (I love posting this pic whenever there is an opportunity ).



For drifting, I have a 9' Clarus baitcasting rod which I use from time to time and I don't have a problem with it. I also use a 9' Trophy XL centerpin rod sometimes, that does the job too. 10'6" allows you to drift your float further and mend the line more easily. Regardless what length, drifting a float is going to be tough with a spinning rod and reel.

[salmonlover]

Here's a chinook salmon brought in on a Shimano Sustain 2500 (I love posting this pic whenever there is an opportunity ).

That's awesome lol
If I had a dime for every post.....

[Fish Assassin]

My favourite spinning rod for salmon, after trying it out for two seasons now (especially the last three weeks…), is Shimano Clarus CSS90ML2B. It's 9' long, rated 6 to 10lb. The tip is very sensitive, the top section is quite soft while the bottom section is a bit faster for handling the bigger fish. A good rod for spincasting in rivers and on the beach.

Good rod. Only thing about it is that they have single foot guides. Tend to bend.

[Rodney]

Good rod. Only thing about it is that they have single foot guides. Tend to bend.

Actually yes! I noticed that especially this morning when I was trying to get ice cubes off the guides...

[Silver]

I have the typical midrange baitcasting set up that has been recommended here. I have been somewhat underwhelmed by its casting performance. I even opted for the pro rocket version of the 6500 for its supposed superior performance. While it will cast well for medium to heavy lures, it is tempermental at best to completely failing at worst for light tackle. I understand that you cannot expect a one size fits all rod and reel combo...but I have a question that has not been answered that could benefit nature lover and myself included.

Is there a level wind reel that will perform close to the Shimano Sustain? at around $300 I would prefer to pick up a high performance level wind even for a few more bucks.

If im not mistaken, the Luna was the ticket...but others say no?


 

[Rodney]

Shimano Chronarch...

[Silver]

Shimano Chronarch?

Isn't this reel 1 or 2 tiers below the quality of the Sustain...albeit in a different category.

I also thought that to build quality into a level wind is more expensive than a spinning reel.

Assuming that more dollars equal better quality. What is the recommended level wind between $300-400?

I have a nonsensical aversion to spinning reels for any purpose outside of ultralight trout applications or similar.

[losos]

Currado or Torro are good choices since  they have good stopping power and high line capacity despite being low profile.

[naturelover]

Thanks for the info Rodney, certainly some food for thought. I'm probably still leaning toward the heavier setup as landing fish/versatility are higher priorities for me, but now I'm considering 9'6" instead of 10'6". Anyways, still plenty of time for more research and testing before the holiday specials.

Nice chinook BTW! What rod and line were you using in that picture?

but I have a question that has not been answered that could benefit nature lover and myself included.

Not sure if that would help me since I have a nonsensical aversion to baitcasters.

[Silver]

To each there own...

It's a Chum by the way.

[Rodney]

I'd say the Chronarch is a pretty high performance level wind reel...

[DanL]

Assuming that more dollars equal better quality. What is the recommended level wind between $300-400?

It sounds like you want a levelwind that can toss light lures and willing to drop up to $400? Have you considered one of the ultra-light low profile levelwinds like the Shimano Core Mg or Abu Revo MGX? The whole reel will only be like 6 oz and have an very light spool that takes almost nothing to get spinning.

Still not quite as easy as a spinning reel to get extreme distances from light lures like a straight spinner w/ no extra weight, but load it up with braid for the line capacity & cast-ability and you'll have a setup that can reach about as far as a levelwind can.

I have a Abu Revo MGX and IMHO it makes a perfect coho reel and it handles chum no problem and even the odd spring. Pair it up with a nice light rod and the combo will probably weigh half of the typical setups you'll see on the Vedder. You mentioned in an earlier post how casting light lures with an Abu 6500 was a bit challenging? My guess is the spool weight and sheer amount of line (250+ yds?) is just too much mass & inertia to overcome with light lures. If you aren't a fan of the low profile reels, something with a narrow spool like smaller Shimano Calcutta should still pay off in increased casting distance at the expense of line capacity.