steelhead Rod?

[fish2light]

I’m up in Lake Erie and the steelhead are about to start running in to the Rivers or have already. Has any one used the TROUT & PANFISH
Trout Series Spinning Rods made by G.loomis? if so witch model?

Thanks everyone

[cst]

Fished with a guide that had a Sage SP 196. Not sure if that's the type of rod you guys use out there but it was an awesome rod. Balanced, light, responsive and effortless to cast with.

[fish2light]

Thank you

[Katron]

If you want a really nice light salmon/steelhead rod take a look at the Presso 72L-SVF. Its an expensive rod but would be insanely sweet to use that baby fishing for steelys.

Kaleb

[slipperybob]

I use the Avid Steelhead rods for my river wading fishing. I've always kind of wanted one fo the G.Loomis Trout Panfish rod.

[fish2light]

Thanks Katron for the info that's a great looking rod.

The rods look nice but i'm hoping to find someone that uses a g.loomis Trout Series Spinning Rods
rod for Stealhead?

I like to buy something that's at least sold in the US, due to lifetime ...ect.

When i was in AK I used a light 7 Medium Light Fast 4-10 Crucial Spinning with 6lb yo-zuri that was crazy Fun! ....so I 'm just trying to do the same down in OH.

Anyone out their that uses Trout Series Spinning Rods for Stealheads?

Thanks everyone

[TroutStlkr]

When most people talk ultralight for steelhead, they are talking about noodle rods somewhere in the 9 to 11 foot range just because you typically need a lot of shock absorption for such light line. I'm not a fan of noodle rods myself because I prefer something with a little more backbone, but the TSR series, while I'm sure some of the longer more powerful rods in the series are up to the task for chrome extraction, they don't have the length that I normally want in a rod specifically for targeting steelhead. I'm actually looking at picking up a shorter, lighter rod for some of the tighter streams that I target steelhead in, but by shorter and lighter I'm talking an STR982S out of G. Loomis' Steelhead Series, which is 8'2" and rated for 6 to 10lb line. If you're set on the Trout Series, there are four models from 7'2" to 7'6" in length I'd look at. You can land steelhead with the shorter, lighter ones (I've trout fished with lots of guys who have had a surprise steelhead hit while trout fishing with 5' UL rods and have landed the fish) but I don't think they are ideal and besides line control is usually pretty important for most steelhead applications and the extra length helps for that. So unless you looking for an ultralight challenge, I think longer rods are just going to be more practical if you are looking for a rod for tartgeting steel.

[fish2light]

TroutStlkr
Great man you have helped allot! thank you so much Trout rods might be too light.

[TroutStlkr]

Don't get me wrong, I do like the TSR series. I like them for tossing small spinners and landing resident trout and I think they give me a chance should I end up connected to a chrome surprise from the big lake. Your Great Lakes steelhead typically run in the 5 to 7 lb range with the rare fish in the teens. Not everyone puts up a spectacular fight, but most do and challenge more conventional steelhead gear, even more so when they have the benefit of a swift current and a snaggy environment. I understand the preference for light gear. I just wouldn't want to go too light.

[fish2light]

Thanks again I did some more looking and Found

http://www.gloomis.com/publish/content/ ... eries.html
and http://fish.shimano.com/publish/content ... nning.html

still trying to make up my mind.

[fish2light]

I used my buddy UL 9'6 All star Rod with my little 1000 sustain. I used 4lb on the Rocky River did not land anything we were using real egg sakes. The rod was Slow and felt like I had to load it almost like a bat. Felt good but did not land any fish. My Buddy was using a Center Pin GLX set up. Most people were fly fishing their but only 2 landed fish in the 8hrs I was their.

[Alpine Angler]

What size of steelhead can you catch on an UL rod, and do they make it to the ocean for a multi-year feed?

Out west it is hereresy to call anything a steelhead unless it spends much of it's life in the saltchuck.

[TroutStlkr]

Great Lakes steelhead spend two to three years in the Great Lakes before returning to the tributaries to spawn. I haven't fished outwest, but have read articles and books from alot of guys that do have experience with both Great Lakes and West Coast Steelhead and it seems to be pretty universal that our steelhead provide as much sport as they do in the Pacific Northwest. Even though they were introduced from the west, now there is a lot of natural reproduction for both salmon and steel in the Great Lakes and in many regards it is actually a healthier fishery with good numbers of strong, healthy fish. Depending on which basin of which Great Lake there are differences in the fish, but most probably average somewhere in the 5 to 7 pound range, with quite a few hitting double digits and some pushing 20 (though your chances for those fish are still probably better out west in most years ). I've also read that pound for pound, it is a wash between PNW and GL steelhead. Oceanic fish tend to be better fighters, but some of that is lost because of the changes the body has to go through when entering freshwater streams, while GL fish don't have to deal with that.

As far as how big of a fish you can land on UL tackle, that depends on the scenerio. I wouldn't like my chances ( longer UL noodle rods maybe being the exception, though I don't like those either ) with any steelhead on larger rivers with swift flows, especially if you are unable to get downstream from the fish. I think you can get away with it with a little luck on yourside on smaller streams where you can freely wade to close the distance or where the flow doesn't give the fish too big of a downstream advantage. I suspect the same would be true of westcoast steelhead, though I think the rivers tend to be bigger out west.

[Alpine Angler]

While there is no doubt steelies are a hard-fighting fish in any location, I suggest that there's a wide gulf between the experience of anglers around the great lakes as opposed to those who live of the west coast and fish estuaries or fast-running rivers and creeks framed by mountains. What you will find in "the west" is just about as diverse as what you will find in "the east" in other words, you cannot compare bonefishing in the gulf to bass fishing in Dixie.

When Steelhead hit the coast, they have most likely been on a multiyear tour that takes them as far away as Kamchatka and in some cases, Japan. They have fed in the wild ocean and survived big league predators of all kinds: Seals, Sea Lions, Sharks and Whales. Returning home gives them no respite as they are harassed by bald eagles etc. at every turn. I expect by the time they have gone deep, some approaching the continental divide, that some are quite tired and beat up. But that is not the same is what one experiences on the west coast of BC, in particular the west coast of Vancouver Island, parts of Washington State, and Alaska. Some of these fish are quite large and aggressive and can tear a lot of line. The preferred technique is typically bait casters running dink floats or centrepin, which are typically described as Canadian methods, although they are commonly used by natives of Washington State and Alaska as well. Anglers who have relocated to the west coast will try a number of strategies, such as spoons, etc. or using spinning reels but unfortunately these techniques are less productive and frequently result in lost fish and gear. For the most part the big-league action is on the coast of British Columbia, and a good site to check it out would be http://www.bcoutdoorsmagazine.com/sport ... index.html
Additionally, I am a big fan of the Salmon and Steelhead Journal out of Oregon. http://www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com
Salmon Trout Steelheader magazine is also a favorite, check it out here: http://www.salmontroutsteelheader.com/

There's always a big section on BC or a cover story about some BC rivers where one can "Stick a Toad!" as BC is a kind of Mecca for US anglers aiming to fight the big ones.

We do also have a fish that is very much like the kind you describe but it is not called a steelhead as it never goes on a sea run. They are known as a Kamloops Football due to their large size. Essentially they are a very large rainbow that has descended from steelhead stock but has lived its whole life in freshwater. That would likely be most comparable to the great lakes experience, but then again the lakes have some large predatory fish so, I expect the steelies from there would be much more wily than your average Kamloops lunker. In any event, the best way to test this theory is to just hop on a plane to Vancouver and head out from there when a good run is on. My guess is you will not be disappointed. If that ever strikes your fancy give me a holler as I can tell you all the best spots.

Regards,

AA