Rod Recommendations for the Beginner: Steelhead

So your a beginner. We've all been there. We have no clue on where to start and often consult websites, friends, and fishing pros at our local outdoor stores. There are many ways to fish steelhead. The most common being float fishing and drift fishing. As a beginner, these are the easiest to learn, but without the right fishing rod, your not doing it right. This translates to poor presentation and less fish. If you want to fish like the pros, use the right equipment. It's a start, and without the basics your not doing yourself any good. We all want to be successful while fishing and having the proper tools is a must.  So what rod should you use?

Lets start with length. Length is the most important when float fishing. Float fishing is using a bobber, called a float, an in line weight, and an artificial lure. These can be jigs, plastic worms on a jig head, or bait such as row or shrimp. I cannot stress enough rod length here. You have to keep your line off of the water for your bait presentation to be correct. And as I've stated before, presentation is everything. Good presentation equals more fish. 

So now to the important part: size. I recommend, and so does everyone else, a 10'6" rod for float fishing. Brand of course is at the users discretion, but there's a great company, Okuma, who makes rods tailored to fishing the Northwest. All local retailers carry this brand. I recommend shopping for them at local and family owned shops. There knowledge is unprecedented about local fisheries and these families have been in the business for years. A great place to start is Fisherman's Marine Outdoor. 

Now why the length? Most people, such as myself, are intimidated by the length. Especially me being a trout fisherman my whole life. The reason:

You need to keep your main-line off of the water. The length is to keep your rod tip up so that this doesn't happen. A vertical presentation is key and these rods are designed to do just that. If your main line is in the water, the current is actually "pulling" your float forward with the current, not allowing bait or lure a proper presentation. If your line is in the current, which in typical cases is ahead of the float/bobber, your presentation will be un-natural and underwater, will appear as if its being pulled forward or sideways. Now, this wouldn't look like natural bait floating down the water, would it?

Now if your on a budget, this is fine to drift fish as well. But best case scenario is a 9'0" casting rod. Of course as a beginner, casting rods aren't ideal and take a lot of practice. The reel is on top of the fishing pole versus a spinning reel that's under the rod. You run into back casting issues and nasty knots no one wants to untangle. If you don't have your line in the water, your not fishing. And nothing can ruin a day like messing with tangled up fishing gear. Not something I recommend for a beginner to try to learn and catch fish at the same time. So keep in mind, to keep the budget down, use your 10'6" rod. You can get a smaller spinning rod, but save your self some money and get your practice using one rod to become familiar with your rod. Once you become more advanced, add more rods to your arsenal. Using the 10'6" inch rod, your going to drift fish a little different by holding your rod more level instead of "tip up" like you would if you were float fishing.

Now one recommendation I do have if your going to drift fish on the same rod, is get yourself a spare spool for your reel. Most reel manufacturers make extra spools. You can find information about the reel I recommend here. Why? When drift fishing you want to use mono filament line for bait presentation. That is covered here in my Drift Fishing: A How-To Guide.

Okuma rods SST Float Drift: Okuma Salmon/Steelhead Rod SST

Fisherman's Marine Outdoor: Fisherman's Marine Outdoor Website

Fisherman's Marine Outdoor location via Google Maps: Fisherman's Marine Outdoor Location

For other tips and advice, check my links below. Not only is it informative, but will get you going in the right direction!

USEFUL LINKS

Get The Right Fishing Reel

Get the Right Fishing Rod

Fishing Gear: For the Elements

Tackle Basics: The Must Have Tools

Drift Fishing: A How-To Guide

Float Fishing: A How-To Guide

Questions? Comments?
Contact me at patrickhvr@gmail.com

*Disclaimer: Products are based on personal recommendation.