Sorry accidentally posted this first on the fishing reports board! I am fairly new to steelhead fishing and in particular new to float fishing for steelhead. I have two rods, one I have acquired fairly recently. One is a spinning rod, 8.5 ft, about 8-20 lb range and same goes for the casting rod I recently bought. I usually had the spinning rod set up for drift fishing with either yarn balls or roe, but since the purchase of the casting rod and the new interest in float fishing, I am not sure what rod to use as my float rod and which to use as my side-drifting rod. Right now (mainly because I had the spinning rod already set up as a drift fishing rig) I have the casting rod set up with the bobber and jig, and have my spinning rod set up with either roe or yarnball rigging. Should I switch these around and if so why? I seem to only see "float" style rods sold as spinning rods and thats what finally got my attention after a few months of rigging my casting rod with my bobber and jig set up. Thanks for the help

Greg you can use either but you have to be able to cast. How you rig them depends on what you are comfortable with. I might suggest that when the money becomes available you pick up a longer rod. Anything over 10 feet and up will work better than your 8.5 rods.

I set my float rod up with a spinning reel. Its 10.6 and works fine for me. I have fished with longer and I really like them as well. Use braided line as it floats better.

H

Right on the money H. I'll 2nd that.

Nice thanks for the info. I have seen Chads review of the Pline hydrofloat, does anyone else have any experience with that line? I feel comfortable using both, but so far my experience seems to be that I can cast the spinning reel farther. And right now its only got about 1/4 oz of weight drifting some eggs, and my casting rod has a 1/2 oz inline weight and an 1/8oz jig, but still I cannot cast it as far. I need to play with the brakes on the reel I think. I would think I should be able to cast the bait caster further with more practice and therfore would think I would want that casting rod to be my drift fishing rig and rig up my ugly stik spinner as my float rod for now. I definately have on my agenda to get a 10+ ft rod for float fishing, but right now my next rod purchase must be a heavier level wind for fall chinook! My baitcaster I have now worked ok for springers, it was a fun fight, but the fall fish are a little different story. After that though a float rod is definately next. I'm going to switch up the rigging on my rods today and head up the McKenzie and see if I can hook a steelhead or two. Still some decent fish in there and not much pressure. Went 3 times last week and got one to the shore on Tuesday then on Sat morning hooked 2 but lost them both after the first run.

Hydro float is good but there are a lot better ones now a days! We use either fireline crystal or spyderwire invisibraid. If you are going to use fireline then get the 10 lb for a lighter spinning reel setup. It will cast a mile and mends perfectly! If you go with the spyderwire I would get the 15 lb. They are exactly the same diameters if you get what I suggest above and both lines float and cast great. Good luck.

I think the spinning rod is the way to go for float fishing. At least if you are bank fishing a lot like Chad and I do. There just isn't enough room to get the wind up you need to cast when using a casting set up.

Don't buy the Hydro Float, IMHO it's Junk. I have it on my float rod and i hate it. Lots of memory and the coating is way too delicate.
After a short time of adjusting your bobber stop the outer coating WILL peel off. I'm goin back to good ol Power Pro.
By the way every other reel i own, spinning or casting has PLine on it, CXX, or Cx Premium. I love PLine, just not the Hydro Float

Well thank for the suggestions. I switched em up today and headed up the McKenzie and hooked 3 and landed one. I'll figure out how to add the picture sometime soon. I loved having the extra casting distance from the spinning set up, and the baitaster worked great once I adjusted some of the brakes on it in order to cast my light drift rig across the river. The fish I got to the bank was my first steelhead caught on a jig! Then hooked a second about 3 casts later both on the same small red jig. The first fish was like usual for me, hooked him on roe.

Very nice, its a good time of year to hit the Mac, every ones off chasing chinook in tidewater and the steelhead are piling up and getting hungry. Be sure and post the pic, because we love fish pics around here.

How do you add a pic with a forum post like you did when you caught that nook there at the Greenwood boat launch earlier in the year?