One of the things the fly guys have over those who choose the spinning outfits is choices. Lots of choices, from the length of the rod to the weights available. For the strictly spinning folks, that translates into actions like light, med. light, medium and med. heavy. Each length and weight can be used to deliver the bait in a certain manner. Very much like the rod selections you can choose from when it comes to walleye fishing. For inland lake fishing, you might want to jig with a 5′6″ or 6′ light action. Drifting out on Erie, the choice would be a 6′6″ or 7′ medium light and trolling or casting, a medium action from 7 to 9 ft in length.
If you know you will be fishing from the bank or wading near heavy tree cover, you would want to choose a rod between 7′6″ and 8′ in length. Wading out in the river, you would want a rod with a little more leverage, meaning length, for fighting the fish. Eight ft six inches and a 9′ rod will do the job. Don’t be shocked or put off if you walk into a shop, and the guy tries to talk you into a 10′6″ length. It is not out of the norm, just a little too much rod for me. Rods used in conjunction with drift boats are huge. When you walk into a store and see the long spindly rods reaching up to the ceiling, those are them. Starting from 11′6″ and going up to 13+ foot in length, these rods get the line and the fly away from the boat. Kind of like a planer board in open water trolling.
Weights, aka actions for us non-fly guys, range from a 5wt to an 8 wt. Five weights are for the extreme finesse guy, while an 8 wt is more for doing double duty for guys who like to steelhead and salmon fish with flies. Most anglers will choose a 6 or 7 wt, light enough to play a fish if need be, but enough giddyup in the rear to bring ‘em to the net. Remember this, the shorter the rod you choose, the heavier the weight should be. Longer rods will be lighter in weight, and have the length to play a fish.
* Quick note: Some lengths in rods are harder to find. Although popular in certain areas, sometimes manufactures stick with a production plan and the most popular lengths for producing. An example is the 8′ rod, popular in Michigan true, but you would have to go to a shop that custom makes them, or taking up rod building yourself.
Spinning outfits, halfway through the fly part of this, I noticed I was totally wrong in the introductory paragraph. Spin guys do have a fair amount to choose from when it comes to the rods. Must have something to do with the different terms and it just got into the whole train of thought somehow.
So, rods and rods, just like with the fly rods, you can choose the rod to best suit your method of fishing. Not sure what that method is, not to worry, this is not brook trout fishing, you have lots of options. There are spoons, crankbaits, flies, live bait (where legal) and in some cases different ways to rig the presentations.
Different lengths and actions to look for are these; 7′6″ light or med light, 8′ light or med, 8′6″ medium, 9′ and 10′6″ light. Those are your typical lengths, but like the fly rods there are drift rods as well. Also, bobber/float rods and these rods are longer in length like the fly rods.
The majority of the rods can come down to these two basics; 8′6″ med for casting cranks and spoons, while using the 9 light for your flies and livebait rigs. There are some 8′ medium light rods floating around that are nice for cranks and spoons too, but they come from the custom ranks too. If you absolutely had to have one rod for salmon and steelhead, then a 8′6″ med heavy will do in a pinch, but really more suited for the salmon fishing.
** If Detroit is the Motor City, then Michigan can really be considered the fishing capitol of the world. Look at all the lure companies that were founded here in the state. The products that we make (us amateurs, in our own homes) and the methods in which we use them have been adapted throughout the country. Downriggers, first made here and used here, now being used for salmon fishing in the Pacific NW. That’s just one example of many, but since we are talking steelhead in the streams, time to get back to the point. In this case, its in the rod design. On the back end of the rod, the folks here in Michigan have been making rods with short handles in the rear, and longer forearm handles above the reel. Rod companies picked up on its popularity, and the Michigan handle was born. St. Croix offers this rod in their Wild River series. The series dedicated to the steelhead and salmon fisherman.