Reel Recommendations: Steelhead

We all have to start somewhere. I cover rod selection here Rod Selection For Beginners . Now it's time to cover a good spinning reel. So what should we look for in a reel?

A good reel will have metal components such as the gears inside and a good set of bearings. Another thing to look at is the reels ability to keep the elements out. I've heard tales of fisherman hooking the "big one" only to have the gears in reel completely disintegrate. And the equates to lost fish at any size, and no one wants that to happen to them. Another thing to account for is "backlash." Backlash is important for two reasons. It prevents tangles and when you get a bite, you don't want your reel to spin backwards. It could mean the difference between landing the big one or getting nothing at all.

I picked up a lot of reels. All brands from Okuma, Abu Garcia, Penn, but only one stuck out to me after spending a few hours at the reel display case. The Shimano Sedona 2500 FD. Why this reel?

It felt "tight" as I picked it up and played with the display model. No funny jiggles, noises, loose joints. After fishing with it for a day, I'm in love. This reel casts like butter. It's completely silent. Has a huge drag selection for super fine tuning. And has zero, and I mean zero backlash. This makes for immediate fish hook ups. The 6.2:1 gearing is great for river fishing and I had zero issues with knots or malfunctions. 

Now of course some of us have brand loyalties, or just prefer something different. But if your looking for at a good start, this reel, hands down, is the one of the best. Especially for the price. If your in a budget you can't go wrong. $59.99 at most retailers. 

Shimano Sedona 2500 FD specs:
Shimano Sedona 2500 FD

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

Fishing Gear For The Elements

Reel Recommendations: Steelhead
Rod Recommendations: Steelhead

Float Fishing: A How-To Guide

Drift Fishing: A How-To Guide

Fishing Gear: Must Haves for Any Tackle Box

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

*Disclaimer: Products are personal recommendations.

My First Trip, Can We Say Disappointing?

So I hit the river solo for the first time in 7 years in search of some late winter steelhead. Fishing reports were great and I had high hopes for catching late season winter steelhead. The weather was amazing and the river was buzzing with numerous fishermen hoping to set a hook on one of Oregon’s best fisheries: Steelhead.  Unfortunately the rapid decreasing water flow, pressure, and super clear conditions made for a poor day of fishing. It was hard to find a deep hole that wasn’t being fished by someone else, or flat out didn’t produce any fish.  

 I’m a novice fisherman in the Northwest at best, with all my expertise being in Eastern Oregon trout and warm water fisheries. I was trying new jigs and recommended baits and lures, even exploring some on my own. This is one jig I would never recommend to anyone. As anyone in Oregon knows, most of our rivers are rocky. And in order to fish these rivers you have to fish the rocks. It’s common sense. This rule applies to almost all river fishing situations.  I was deeply disappointed in some jigs I had purchased for my fishing trip. Specifically Beau Mac’s Marabou 1/8oz. jigs.

These are beautifully crafted jigs. Don’t get me wrong. But here was my issue. I noticed while exploring different depths in new fishing holes, I noticed that after 3 or 4 casts the paint was chipping of the heads of the jigs while I was adjusting my float to the proper depth. This was in slow and fast moving water. Even in deep holes where boulders are common. I fished a hole that was 12 plus feet deep and still had paint chipping off on the jig head itself.  This was a disappointment. With a price point between $2.19 and 2.99 a piece, you would expect a little better durability out of these jigs. I do not reccomend these jigs to the new angler on a new river. I'm sure people have great success with these jigs, but if your a novice don't try these.

Jig fresh out of the package compared to a fished jig

Damaged Jig after 3-5 casts

As a beginner, this becomes very disappointing. You’re trying to “learn” the water and catch fish at the same time. But I found myself upset with this jigs performance. Especially as a beginner. Going through ten jigs in one day not only hurts your wallet, but leaves a bad impression on your trip as well as a product. You can’t miss these jigs in any sporting goods store. There in a bright orange package, drawing the angler to their product. They even fooled me. When you look at the shelf your eyes naturally drawn to the distinctive packaging. I thought “Oooooo…. shiny…” This was a mistake. I made an even larger mistake by not picking up there competitors jigs. And thus putting myself in a situation where I shot myself in the foot. 

On a sunny day like we had this weekend and clear water conditions, this makes for a very poor presentation in the water.  When I switched to a pink worm on a Gamakatsu jig head, (1/8oz. and 1/16oz.) I had zero issue with paint coming off the jig head and they fished wonderfully. I had my two bites on this set up. One early A.M. with about a 10 second hook-up (which apparently wasn’t set well enough) and another hard hit while I was drift fishing, (this time without a jig-head) but missed the hook set while trying to move down some rocks along the bank.

All in all, it was a beautiful day out on the water. I had high hopes in getting some tight line, but we all get skunked once in a while. Although steelhead fishing will almost become nonexistent as we move through April, spring Chinook is just around the corner. Stay tuned and follow me as I fish the Northwest as a novice. Stop by to get tips and advice as I figure things out on my own. 


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.