centerpin users?

[brad arnett]

I have not made the jump yet to cp reels. Are there any of you out there who use them? Another question, My current float rod setup is a Lamiglas cert. pro 10'6" 6-10# mod. action med/light. I use power pro for the mainline. Can I use this rod or do I need to look into a longer setup? Most of my fishing is done on the Ausable and the Ocqueoc rivers.What are the pros and cons to these reels over a spinning reel? Thanks for taking the time to help a new steelheader out.

[Jason Adam]

I'm looking for a big saltwater centerpin with engageable/dis-engageable drag for trolling. Anybody got one???

[gomer]

I use a centerpin.

a 10'6" rod will work i suppose, it would best be suited for smaller water though. I would suggest something 13+ foot especially if you are fishing bigger water (ausable). I have a 13ft Loomis frontier and a 13'6" okuma aventa and I have uses for both of them. The only thing I don't like about the okuma is that it is a bit too flimsy, especially for big water when you need to turn a fish in heavy current. It is, however, a good rod to use with light tippet.

Obviously, the main advantage is a much longer, more controlled drift. Also you can use a heavier mono main line because of the larger diameter spool (i use 12lb siglon F) and you will loose less floats (of course that doesnt matter if you already use power pro on your spin rod). I would not recommend using braid on your pin however...

-Adam

[MI_STEELHEAD]

I have been using a center pin exclusively this winter when I am not pulling plugs off the boat.

I agree w/ G...you can use a 10fter but I suggest a 13 to start. I helps keeping line off the water longer. Casting is kinda a pita when you first start so the long rod will allow you to some easy distance......meaning....you can get a 13 ft cast without any line coming off the reel.

I also use Siglon F. It is a float mono so it picks up nice. I haven't tested too many other lines but I did a lot of research before I picked up the Siglon and it is believed to be the way to go by a lot of guys.

[Speyday]

ive been using a pin to present flies, baits, (unweighted)spinners, and lately small plugs.

The advantage when presenting flies or baits is huge. The rig will pull off line at the exact speed of the currents NEAR THE BOTTOM. Meaning, a properly rigged cp setup will have your float going just a tad slower than the bubbles up on top.

they also stay on a seam; the more directly upstream of the seam you are, the more this will be true. The rig will find that edge, and stay right on it. its amazing to watch.

the other advantage, though this could be done with a spinning rod and float setup, is eddies. You can pitch it into an eddy, and when properly set up, keeping your mainline off the water and the moving waters influence, it will just do laps around the eddie over and over. If anyone is familiar with the eddie right by the fish ladder in Berrien (who isn't...lol) I have had my presentation going all the way around that puppy 3-4 times...and even when I pull it out, its because I chose to.

Lastly, (and this is more advanced pinning, which i am just beginning to learn) you can do "trotting". That means that varying amounts of light pressure is put on the spool as its rotating. The more pressue, the more of a horizontal aspect your rig takes. The advantage here is that if you are working an area with varying depth, you can trot to make sure your rig isn't set too deep.

remember, in centerpinning, the offering is downstream of everything else; and is the first thing your fish sees. If you start your presentation by plunking it just ahead of the lip of the hole, I trot it a bit while the water is still shallow. as it approaches the "gut" of the hole "WHICH HOLDS THE ALPHA MALE!!!"(lol...crude supinski reference...) I let go, and the lesser resistance causes it to fall into a more vertical aspect. then, as it nears the tailout, i trot it again to make sure nothings dragging.

One interesting difference in float fishing with a CP as opposed to a spinning rig and float is that you FEEL the fish take ......hard to believe, but its true....

And finally, the fun of CP fishing to me is fighting that fish with no drag.

I would agree with the others that longer rods are best. The longer you can drift without the mainline touching the water, the better.

And since one of the rivers you mentioned is a guilty pleasure of mine, I would hope you don't mention it too much, as its not really heavily stocked and is pretty small...but Im kinda selfish that way.

Just make sure that if you get a CP reel, you get a good one, and you get past the learning curve on casting it. a lot of dudes cant get past it, and wind up selling them before they have really seen what they can do. Although im not a pro, my results have skyrocketed.

[Speyday]

I'm looking for a big saltwater centerpin with engageable/dis-engageable drag for trolling. Anybody got one???

Not sure, but you may want to check out "mooching" reels; they are used up in the Pac NW when trolling herring rigs for salmon; I think shimano makes a couple of models?

[gomer]

One interesting difference in float fishing with a CP as opposed to a spinning rig and float is that you FEEL the fish take ......hard to believe, but its true....

there aint much better than not payin attention to your float and all of a sudden... wammo!

of course watching that float slip down is hard to beat!:)

[Steelhead Addict]

I use a 10'6" loomis bait casting rod, with a quantum cabo pt bait caster.

I think that this is a very effective way to fish floats. I get 0 line twists and get great line control, very fast line take up... plus if i want to use a drag...I have one.

IMHO, all the benefits of a cp with none of the drawbacks. Plus my rig is much cheaper.

I'd go with a longer rod, but with my boat it gets a bit crowded and don't need the extra reach.

[MPsteelheader]

jason shimano makes an awesome moocher perfect for what you're talking about...

as far as float setups go i have 3 main ways to go...

small minimal water like trail creek you dont really need a pin in my opinion so i use a 10' spinning setup and can cover a ton of water without having to break down a 13' foot rod...

medium sized water like the pm or betsie i go with my standard centerpin setup...

usually right around 13' and i agree with speyday said about trotting...

now lately for big water i have switched things up a bit...

i went from a big 5.5" pin to a baitcaster because i felt in heavier flows i had less control of the fish...

i usually use braided on baitcasters but due to braids not floating i have been running ultragreen with no problems...

all setup on a 14' rod and im good to go...

also on big water i dont shy away from the big floats either...

this weekend i was huckin' a piker 28gram float and could heave it a country mile...

if you have anymore ???'s let me know

cya on the river,

mark

[Jason Adam]

Not sure, but you may want to check out "mooching" reels; they are used up in the Pac NW when trolling herring rigs for salmon; I think shimano makes a couple of models?

Thats the ones I have been looking at lately are the Shimanos. Problem is, noplace around here actually has any to play with. I was at cabelas last year and they had a nice one in th ebargain cave, but didnt pick it up. Hopefully I'll get 1 or 2 this year.

[Treven]

Seems like I'm the only one who runs braid on my CP:yikes: I have used braid so much in my life that I have trouble with mono. Weird, yes I know. If it is below freezing you have to use fly floatant so the braid doesn't absorb water and freeze to its self. If warmer than freezing though it floats and I have had no problems with it! I use a regular Siglon clear shot line and Quality fluoro tippet (Ashima and Siglon V-Hard)

Oh yeah, I use only Power Pro too, good choice!

Later,

Trev

[Steelheadfred]

Speyday,

Just gave you all the info you need. I could not write it any better.

Fred

[Hex4steel]

I would agree with MP here.......I have a 13ft st.croix/sheffield combo that is pretty versatile. I can use it on any medium-larger sized river but I almost always go back to the fly rod or my 11ft spinning rod for smaller brushier streams. You could use a pin' on a smaller rod(i.e, 10-11ft) but I would recommend trying a longer rod, 12+ft. Although I haven't tried the bait casting style, It sounds pretty effective especially on bigger bodies of water. I am still somewhat of a rookie with my CP outfit and I'm sure there are some more experienced anglers on the site with more input on centerpin style fishing. .02

[plugger]

I use a 11 !/2 st croix but I use mine out of a boat alot, If strickly bank fishing I would opt for the 13. I also tend to use a heavy leader, 10# floro so I dont need the flex provided by a longer rod.

[Eggsniffer]

Seems like I'm the only one who runs braid on my CP:yikes: I have used braid so much in my life that I have trouble with mono. Weird, yes I know. If it is below freezing you have to use fly floatant so the braid doesn't absorb water and freeze to its self. If warmer than freezing though it floats and I have had no problems with it! I use a regular Siglon clear shot line and Quality fluoro tippet (Ashima and Siglon V-Hard)

Oh yeah, I use only Power Pro too, good choice!

Later,

Trev

treven,
Exactly how much does that help you with ice in the winter? I've heard it works, but havent tried it. I've been meaning to get a custom build with giganto guides. My buddy has one and he can take 15 drifts to my 1 when its below 20 with a wind. but the braid thing would be cheaper than getting a new rod...:idea:

[Treven]

Hey eggsniffer,

I'm still in the process of finding what works best, seems fly floatant and Scotchguard work the best, but I only tried for a little while as I got my pin in January. For spinning reels I was using Sno Seal and it worked awesome, but due to the fact it makes the line sticky it doesn't work on CP's. I did some searching on Quest andfound threads about fly floatant and Scotchguard and only tried them once and it wasn't below 29. Next winter I'll do a full write up whether good or bad;) But in the mean time, they seem to make the line float better, so they should not be absorbing any water due to the alterations meaning freezing to itself on the spool will be nonexistant- I hope:D

Trev

[CANman]

Braids on pins....

I have been using a pin for over 15yrs now. Over that time I have seen others put braid and fusions lines on center pins with minimal success. The limpness of mono and its properties is much more suited to float fishing. With the braid, your putting extra stress on your guides and blank as well. The whole idea of the long road is to lift your line out of the water and to absorb shock from the fish while using light setups. Braid can blow an expensive float rod fast. AND, it tends to bind on the reel, sucks in cold weather, and can warp your spool if running a spoked reel under high pressure.

Stick with Mono, berkley Ironsilk in warmer months, and XL or Maxima in colder temps.

[MPsteelheader]

treven i cant wait to give that braid a shot...

i may be buying the matrix and if i do im definately putting braided on there...

IM SO FED UP WITH SIGLON...

sticking with MCCoy mean green for now...

siglon is CRAP:rant:

[Northlander]

I can agree that braid would not be the brightest idea. It's like putting a hacksaw inbetween your guides with a 10lb+ fresh fish.:rolleyes: Berkley's Suffix is also a pretty decent line for performane & money.

[Treven]

He he, Like I said it must be my little secret because I absolutly love the stuff, I use a 13' St. Croix Avid and Okuma Sheffield with anywhere from 6-10lb tippet and have put the boots to fish on many occasions. I catch my fair share, just ask MPSteelheader, Gomer, and Pikedevil they'll tell you I do alright-I wouldn't consider myself great by any means so do not take that the wrong way! As far as cold weather, I'm working on it and getting close to how to alleviate that problem. Has to wait until next winter though to do more testing.

I'm not trying to convince all that it is the way to go, just that it works well FOR ME! I would suggest giving it a try if you fish braid all the time and are used to it.

BTW, I run braid on everything except my fly rod (that's a lot of rods too;) ) and have not one groove in my guides nor broken a rod due to stress caused by braid(I go over my rods fairly religiously). I believe it is all in how you play fish in breaking situations! I also don't have any binding issues on the CP too. I do always run fluoro tippet on everything of which I know a relative breaking point. I look at diameter of braid when I buy it as it all breaks MUCH higher than it says(Power Pro is #1 in my book)!

Oh yeah, don't friggen grab the line when a fish runs, duh, use your fingers on the palming rim of the spool as that is what it is intended for! Pretty easy fix there.

It's really not as bad is it is made out to be, but if you don't like it don't use it it is all a matter of personal preference:D

Have a good one guys,

Trev

[TheSteelheadBum]

CANman:

How can you say that the limpness of Mono is a advantage? Braid is more limp and is one of it's disadvantages due to the fact the more limp the less effective the line is at Mending. That is why I use mono. I may give braid a shot although I love my Siglon FF. From what I hear Treven does very well with Braid and success speaks for itself................

[Flyfisher]

I love my Siglon FF.
:yeahthat:
My best experience has been either 12lb Siglon FF or 8lb Ironsilk Solar Mint.
I think that a lot of people dislike Siglon because their tendency is to run too light a mainline (old habits from spinning tackle) and have problems with breakage. I feel that one of the advantages of a float reel versus a spinning reel is the ability to effectively run a heavier mainline. Less chance of breaking off a float when you hang up as well.

Line twist may be another factor and that may be more an issue with the user not utilizing casts that spin the spool as much as relying on a "side cast". The BC and Wallis Casts are quite easy to pick up and alleviate a lot of issues with different kinds of mono.

I will probably try the new Cortland braid, in hi-vis yellow, this fall for kings and also feel it may have some saltwater applications. I think the point made about rod breakage with braids is valid, as they are less forgiving than mono. A heavier stick is needed for kings anyway. I converted an 11'6" 9wt blank that is way too much rod for steelhead but probably just right for bright, lower river kings.

[CANman]

Steelhead bum

I am speaking of braids in cold weather. Believe it or not us Canadians fish walleye in the cold weather as well...lol. I run braids on alot of my spinning reels and find it becomes very stiff in cold weather. Therefore running it on a pin mid winter would only spell trouble. I know this because a buddy of mine had his stanton 4.5" pin spooled with a braid last winter. One cold trip to the Soo resulted in a stiff iced up mess on his reel. I break off very very few fish when it comes to my main line, so running a braid for power applications has no pro's in my eyes. If i blow a fish to a break off while using my pin, its always at the hook knot or somewhere along my fluro, never the mainline.

Success speaks for itself i guess. I hit all my fish on mono, and 99% of floaters here on this side of the boarder run mono. All the really good steelheaders i know run mono, and all the guys i know that run braid (except one) only complain about it on their pins. Thats just my opinion based on findings and those i know.

[TheSteelheadBum]

You make many valid points there CANman and I agree with you on the point that I too would rather use mono. I did not realize you were talking about below freezing conditions when you said mono was more limp. I have many friends who drift fish with spinning rods in the winter and have no problems with it freezing. Maybe it is because they are using spinning reels. Not sure....... Quick question for you. Do you use your pin to fish for Atlantics up there on the Soo? Would it be a worth while way to fish for them?


See You On The Water


Kory

[CANman]

THE BUM...

Fishing Atlantics with the Pin is the ONLY WAY TO DO IT...lol 15' Frontier Float rods, with a good 5" pin and 12lb mainline, heavy fluro and nice streamers.....its not far off again, only a few months!

Float fish or dont fish brother!!!!

With that being said, i would one day like to try the spey way........but not until i am finished and sick of hitting them on my center pin outfits.

Canman

[TheSteelheadBum]

That is awesome. I have always wanted to land an Atlantic and will hopefully be doing so up there. I had heard swinging streamers worked well but I really wanted to hook one on the pin. Thanks for the info:) ....


See You On The Water


Kory

[CANman]

Bum,

I have a buddy here in Ontario, who fishes the rapids in mid summer exclusivley for Atlantics on the pin. Last year the water was very high and many of the spey guys had trouble getting to their normal areas. My buddy did very well. You would be amazed at how well you can present streames and large wet files under a float with a pin. Nothing compares to hooking one of those beasts. First time I targeted them, i blew 4 fish in a row, and i have never seen any fish smoke line off my islander as fast as they did.

CANman

[TheSteelheadBum]

CANman,

I would love to feel them rip a bunch of line off my Islander as well LOL. I will definitely be giving it a shot this summer. Is there any websites with any information on it? Or is there any guides that target them using a pin?



Kory

[CANman]

Bum

My good friend ran a guiding business on Superior and Huron for the past few years. His primary focus was guiding steelhead and Atlantics on the Pin. He was incredibly successful as well. But, commitments with his career has resulted in the end of his guiding business.

I believe John Giuliani out of the Soo on the Canuck side is still guiding. His is primarily a fly guy, but i am sure he can cater to your needs!

His site: http://www.worldsites.net/riverfishing/

I will send u a pm with more info