Salmon Fishing Rods Overview

I use an Ugly Stik CAS1186-2MH  or an Ugly Stik CAS1190-2MH Rated for 8-20lb. These are Ugly Stik's salmon and steelhead casting rods. We use them trolling dipsy divers and also use them on the downriggers. They also work fine as a salmon mooching rod. Working a herring with 2-5 ounces of lead.

Several manufacturers make rods designed for very specific purposes. Mooching, diver fishing, down-rigger, drifting, trolling, pulling plugs. The list is pretty long. It sells rods but you don't need that many separate rods. Most of us cannot buy or have room in the boat for a series of different rods so we need to buy rods that will suit a number of fishing situations. My Ugly Stik's are just that, very versatile, but they are only one of many manufacturer's of quality fishing rods.

If you are a bank fisherman and will be drift fishing for salmon and steelhead than rods in the 9-10 foot range are more common. The longer rods extend your drift and allows you to keep as much line as possible off the water. A natural drift without drag is going to get more strikes.

If you are a boat fisherman that rods in the 7-9 foot range are more the norm. I like an 8 to 9 foot rod for my downriggers. One the fish hits I usually have a lot of slack line to deal with and the longer rods make a difference. And in those cases where you may be vertical jigging, than 6.5 to 7 feet is the norm. We have a fishery in the fall where coho salmon will stack up in tight schools in Lake Washington on their way to Issaquah Creek. They are typically down 50-100 feet deep and vertical jigging small spoons is a technique that works. Braided line is a must for this.

I live in the Pacific Northwest which is a mecca for salmon and steelhead fishing. There are a few brands of salmon and steelhead fiashing rods that have earned a following. Ugly Stik's are inexpensive but still a great quality rod. In the slightly higher price range, there is Lamiglas Certified Pro Series, And G-Loomis Classic Salmon Series. The best way to find a salmon fishing rod is to visit your local tackle store. There is nothing like actually holding a fishing rod to see how you like the feel and action.