Rod And Reel

[steelhead1]

I'm looking to purchase a Pin outfit this summer and was curious as to what everyone thinks would be a good starting combo(rod and reel). I'm looking to spend about $500 or less. Also, when I get my new toy is there anyone close by that would be willing to hold my hand through basics of using it? Thanks in advance for any help.

[Treven]

For that $$ it depends on what you deem more important. My vote is an Islander IS (Contact Craig @ erieoutfitters@yahoo.com ,awesome guy to work with and will ship anywhere). He has them for approx $300. I personally fish a 13' St. Croix Avid and love it-$230 @ Cabelas. So that's $530 close and you won't be unhappy in the least!

Other choices:

Rods:
-Loomis Canada Frontier MX Line up (Look @ www.FishUSA.com (http://www.FishUSA.com) for factory rods and blanks)
-Raven Line up, especially IM9 and Matrix rods (www.FishUSA.com (http://www.FishUSA.com) again)
-Rainshadow are inexpensive, but nice (Blank prices @ http://www.shofftackle.com/shoffssh.html)
-Cedar Rods (approx $375)

Reels:
Mykiss ($400 contact through www.****************** (http://www.******************))
Okuma Sheffield ($160 Craig @ Erie Outfitters)
Raven Matrix ($140 Craig @ Erie Outfitters)

This is a huge question to ask since there are sooo many possibilities, if you want more indepth look at all of the possibilities email me @ts000151580@ltu.edu.

Later,

Trev

[MPsteelheader]

for $200 bucks you can get an aventa reel(good starter) and an aventa rod (13'6" 3 peice)...

that was my starter and did just fine...

then i got too into it and now im 1500 in the hole with these setups and there's more to be bought!

[Hex4steel]

Like Treven, I too am fishing a 13ft st.croix right now. I love that rod, tried several others and still haven't made any new purchases.......


There's obviously nicer rods but from what I HAVE used I prefer my St.Croix.....very nice,light, sensitive tip section with alot of backbone in the lower section. 230 bucks, can't really beat it.

I am still using an Okuma Sheffield right now. I really like the reel, gets the job done.....but after trying a few other types I will probably upgrade after I get the dough$$$$$. Although I haven't tried one, I have heard alot of postive comments coming from the Mykiss line. The islander is probably the nicest reel I have personally used thus far. Good luck on finding the right setup.

[TheSteelheadBum]

As for the reel I would go with an Islander, but to keep you under $500 you should check out Raven's line of rods and reels. They are very nice for the money. I would go with the Matrix or the Vectra reel. I can not remember the price's but my favorite was the 14' IM8.

[MuskyDan]

have a mykiss with the croix but frontier or cedar even loomis are alot lighter blanks. if you buy the croix done you have a huge diameter cork that is to large for the hand but the rod is nice

[Treven]

MuskyDan hit it on the nose with the heaviness of the blank. I use a Bass Pro "The Balancer" and it helps, but only a custom handle that is balanced is the only way to balance that rod perfectly and have over 10" of foregrip.

For a comparison, the 15' Frontier MX (Loomis CA) is 4.6oz blank weight, while the beastly St. Croix is 5.0oz blank weight. Now the MX is 2 ft longer, so the 'ol Croix is hefty, but I still LOVE the thing. It's ability to protect light tippet, or jigs in my case, while being able to put the boots to a fish with a strong hook and 10lb lead it most certainly can. I landed a 15lb King in no time with it, but still makes steelies very fun as it bends WELL!

Trev

[steelhead1]

Thanks guys. It gives me alot of info to chew on.

[Henner]

I have a Mykiss (2) and a 13' Frontier, and love it. I have fished with the same rod muskie dan has and my rod is lighter, but for faster water and bigger fish I would go with the st.croix. Like Trev said.

Good luck,
Bobby Sullivan
(st.croixsuckerboy)

[MPsteelheader]

henner you having any problems with the clicker on that 'kiss???

heard alot of problems with that on 'kisses...

[TheSteelheadBum]

I don't think its a matter of having a problem with the clicker I think its a matter of basically not having one at all. The clicker is not that big of deal since it has nothing to do with the fishability of the reel. Just carry a rubber band......

[MPsteelheader]

misread post

[MuskyDan]

why complain about the clicker it isnt a downrigger reel does your clicker hold the line from coming off the spool when your retying the only time i use my clicker is when i put my rod away. other wise i hold the spool

[MPsteelheader]

well i just wasn't impressed with that for a reel thats well over the $400 price tag...

dont mean to be rude just asked a question...

cya on the river,

mark

[MuskyDan]

maybe i did come off a little harsh

[deathroll]

well i just wasn't impressed with that for a reel thats well over the $400 price tag...

dont mean to be rude just asked a question...

cya on the river,

mark


which "kiss" reel are you talking about?
what reels do impress you if 1 of the better pins on the market, the mykiss, doesn't impress you, unless your talking the kiss reel which was under 400.00? or specifically what didn't impress you with the mykiss?

not trying to be rude just asking a question.


"henner you having any problems with the clicker on that 'kiss???" MP

this is one of a few posts i've seen on sites where people are trying to rip on the mykiss with no evidence to back it up and am sick of seeing them especially after someone just stated they love the reel "I have a Mykiss (2) and a 13' Frontier, and love it." henner

so
what reels are you comparing the mykiss to? what problems besides the clicker which some people consider problems, some don't, and that can be said for almost every pin on the market???? not sure at all where your coming from and would like some clarification.

[TheSteelheadBum]

As far as the clicker goes it is not as good on the Mykiss as it is on any of the Ravens or the Islander "not really a big deal to me"....

As far as the handles I can really see why MPstlhdr did not like the Mykiss because he is a big guy and probably has big hands which with the pretty small handles on the Mykiss is probably where he is coming from.

The price is a bit high when you compare it to a Islander which is just as good but that comes from Mykiss being made in much smaller numbers than the Islander hence a higher price.

Just my thoughts on the situation, and deathroll settle down man he was just stating his opinion and not meaning anything by it.........

[deathroll]

As far as the clicker goes it is not as good on the Mykiss as it is on any of the Ravens or the Islander "not really a big deal to me"....

As far as the handles I can really see why MPstlhdr did not like the Mykiss because he is a big guy and probably has big hands which with the pretty small handles on the Mykiss is probably where he is coming from.

The price is a bit high when you compare it to a Islander which is just as good but that comes from Mykiss being made in much smaller numbers than the Islander hence a higher price.

Just my thoughts on the situation, and deathroll settle down man he was just stating his opinion and not meaning anything by it.........


maybe i do need to settle down a little, but with comments like this
"henner you having any problems with the clicker on that 'kiss???
heard alot of problems with that on 'kisses..."
why not ask if he has had any problems.
give examples instead of throwing out "heard alot of problems with that on 'kisses..." who and what, it's not a stiffclicker, the one i have i would like a little stronger but it does EVERYTHING needed to not be a hassle for me. you wanna talk about a worthless clicker everhad a ABI in the field, great reel (want to be clear) but have a rubberband on hand.

why try to create a issue that was not there, nobody mentioned ANY PROBLEMS with that reel until he had to bring it up. i know people who have 1 mykiss, want another mykiss, some have 2+ and others who can't wait to get there hands on there first mykiss because of the good they have heard from it. as you know most pins at 1 time or another have been critized for there clicker that's a personal preference that most can't keep everybody happy on and will always be that way. keith has taken care of everybody (as far as i know, if not please tell me who and why) who has had problems with that reel and they all seem to be happy. so i'm not sure why mp had to blast (maybe it wasn't a blast but it came off that way to me) that reel, if his hands are too large for the handles that's fine, but there is nothing wrong with the reel than. i agree with you on the price being maybe a little higher because of the small run but if you ordered ahead you got it for 400.00. i would take a mykiss over a islander any day, not saying there is anything wrong with the islander, just my personal choice. i have seen a few threads where people bash the mykiss (i know you've seen them too) with absolutly NOTHING to back up the statement ans usually don't post. if your more worried about the clicker than anything else than don't get it. i have yet to find a reel that is better at a BC cast than the mykiss, not saying it's the best, i've casted a few others that are just as good and most i've tried are NOT.

[TheSteelheadBum]

Deathroll I really can not argue with any of your statements "am not even going to try" it is a good reel and I have no problems with mykiss I even plan to buy one soon. I do know this these forums are starting to get a little to harsh and I realize I am one of the people who needs to settle down and stop jumping to conclusions so quick and give people the benefit of the doubt. We all love the same things here "at least fishing & hunting" and we need to respect each other more. Without each other and the money everyone here spends on Fishing & Hunting licenses among other things we would not have all this great hunting and fishing here in Michigan. We all need to try and respect each other more and think of what we say in terms of "will it offend anyone". Everyone is entitled to there opinion but if you voice your opinion knowing it is going to start a big uproar "myself included here" just don't say it. I am done preaching here and I will hopefully see you guys on the water where we all are at our happiest place:) .....

[MPsteelheader]

deathroll...

"one of the best reels on the market"...

you couldnt have said that any better...

because that states your opinion...

for $400 i think a clicker would a little more "beefy" than that...

i do feel if that reel were Mass Produced it would cost about the same as a sheffield...

im sorry im not trying to cause problems here but you insinuate that i am...

is it because i live in IL?

or a few "braggart" posts i made on here last year???

the only reason i posted that was to see if anyone else had that problem...

not to bash your "investment"...

i like the spool width/diameter, start up and handles(even for my bootlipped snausages;) )...

nexttime just ask before you jump to conclusions...

cya on the river,

mark

[quest32a]

Guys there are currently 9 threads in the Center Pinning Forum, one of which is closed. I don't want to make it two. We all have products and investments that we love, and some we hate. What is good for one person isn't always good for another.

BTW, if someone ever wants to loan me a Mykiss for the summer I would be more than happy to present an unbiased opinion of it next fall :evil:

[Henner]

MPsteelheader, I do have to agree with you on the clicker, it is weak, really weak, But like Musky dan said, the only time you really use it is when your tying up. When I'm walking in the woods I always have a case on it. You never know what might happen, say slip and fall on ice, so I always have it cased, also to keep sand out of it. On the good side of it, it spins great for me, and the Matt Black finish is tuff. I have had it slip off a rock and it hit pretty hard, that would have put a pretty bad scratch in my Okuma, but the mykiss was unharmed. As far as the handles on it, I dont use them alot, almost only for reeling in fish. I normaly just bat the spool to bring the float in. Unless I'm fishing the Big man/Grand.

Sorry for starting all that, but I'm not saying this is the best pin out there (it may be to some people or it may not be), because I have not fished it side by side to an Islander or say a Angling Specs. The reason why I love it because It fishes good for me, its got a good finish on it, and I take extremly good care of it (because I spent $400 on it).

quest32a, If we ever bump into each other on the river I'll let you fish with it.

IMO that was a good to bring up the fact of bringing up the clicker/ problem. It could have saved some one of spending $400 If they want a tight clicker.

No harsh feelings to anyone,
Good luck to all,
Bobby Sullivan
(st.croixsuckerboy)

[MPsteelheader]

thanks henner for clearing that up...

if you're ever down my way we should fish it up!!!!

cya on the river,

mark

[Henner]

Yea we should, I'm (st.croixsuckerboy) from quest... If I'm ever down your way, I'll shoot you a P.m.

Bobby

[deathroll]

deathroll...

"one of the best reels on the market"...

you couldnt have said that any better...

because that states your opinion...

for $400 i think a clicker would a little more "beefy" than that...

i do feel if that reel were Mass Produced it would cost about the same as a sheffield...

im sorry im not trying to cause problems here but you insinuate that i am...

is it because i live in IL?

or a few "braggart" posts i made on here last year???

the only reason i posted that was to see if anyone else had that problem...

not to bash your "investment"...

i like the spool width/diameter, start up and handles(even for my bootlipped snausages;) )...

nexttime just ask before you jump to conclusions...

cya on the river,

mark

not trying to attack you mp, just explaing myself and looking for a explaintion from you.

1 problem i have with you is how you like to try to put your words in my mouth, like the other day on TSS when you changed my thousands and thousands to millions upon millions upon millions (and make a statement like "now your theories are being call out") and you just did it again. I DID NOT SAY "one of the best reels on the market"... YOU DID i said one of the better ones NOT BEST. speaking of jumping to conclusions who are all these people having problems with the mykiss you claim of and what is the problem. everybody admits its a weak clicker (myself included) but it still does it's job.I don't consider that a problem.

"heard alot of problems with that on 'kisses..."

this statement struck me the wrong way, i believe you meant to say most people don't like the weakness of the clicker and i wouldn't have said anything because that's the truth, but like i've said it does what it needs to, you don't have to hold the spool or put it in the case while transporting it, at least i don't

"im sorry im not trying to cause problems here but you insinuate that i am..."
yes i did, i took your statment as a bash (which is incorrect???) on the reel and i don't see a weak clicker as a problem, like i've said it does whats needed of it.

"is it because i live in IL?"
i don't care where you live

"or a few "braggart" posts i made on here last year???"
not gonna open that can


"the only reason i posted that was to see if anyone else had that problem..."
see mp this is what upsets me, you already made the statement "heard alot of problems with that on 'kisses..." which insinuates LOTS of other people are having that problem. and now your saying you just wanted to hear if anybody else had that problem?


you said for a 400.00 reel you were not impressed, (i took that as another bash on the reel) i don't believe you own one?? but am 100% confident if you ran 1 on the water for a season you would have a totally different opinion on it. when i first got mine i woulda said the same thing, don't see much difference between this reel than the others, now that i have been running it for over a year i won't hardly touch my other pins.

back to my main point, you said you were not impressed with the reel, and you said you heard of alot of problems, no examples no reasons except for people would like a stronger clicker even though it does it's job. this is what set me off. appears to be another thread trying to bash the mykiss with nothing to really back it up.

[MPsteelheader]

deathroll...

isn't a weak clicker/non existant clicker a problem if doesn't work properly?

glad you enjoy your investment though...

just remember this is the internet...

there is black and white...

NO GRAY AREA HERE...

im going fishing this weekend...

are you?

cya on the river,

mark

[deathroll]

deathroll...

isn't a weak clicker/non existant clicker a problem if doesn't work properly?

glad you enjoy your investment though...

just remember this is the internet...

there is black and white...

NO GRAY AREA HERE...

im going fishing this weekend...

are you?

cya on the river,

mark


yes it is a problem if it doesn't work properly, but i have asked in every post so far i think, and you still have not replied, like most of my questions. whose isn't working properly? are they getting "backlashes" with the clicker on? does the clicker not engage? my clicker as well as others did have to be "broken in" pain in the butt at first and right off the bat very frustrating but it doesn't take long to brake in, and all the people i know who have a mykiss it is 100% functional, i think that is what started all these rumors of the bad clicker in the first place. yes it's weak but it WORKS.

i would like a answer to your statement of all the problems with the clicker
how many people have clickers that don't stop backlash??? that is it's main purpose and all it needs to do, at least for me. what are the problems you were/are referring to?

like you said black & white - you said problems i want to know what problems. i'm not trying to start anything, i don't mean to attack you i just want to know what problems you are talking about?????

[MPsteelheader]

it doesn't hold while transporting at least on the ones ive seen...

i like to feel and look at in person what i buy before that(hence its hard for me to purchase reels from the UK)...

after seeing that i didn't want one anymore...

thats all...

mark

[TSS Caddis]

After reading MP's posts on the first page of this thread, I'm amazed at what people can read into posts:(

So, MP didn't care for a reel that others like, heaven forbid we all not think alike.

[MPsteelheader]

caddis unfortunately when you're a FIP(me) you get this alot...

heck im so popular somebody created a slanderous post on another site last summer...

kinda flattering if you ask me...

cya on the river,

mark

[steelhead1]

After reading MP's posts on the first page of this thread, I'm amazed at what people can read into posts:(

So, MP didn't care for a reel that others like, heaven forbid we all not think alike.

Well said!!!!!!
I'm glad that asking a question about pin setups turned into a circus. It makes me regret even making the post.:sad: