Rod/ Reel Setup for Eastern Sierra

[ctrujillo45]

Hi Guys,

I am wondering if anyone can recommend a good rod/ reel setup for the eastern sierras. I have been fishing there many times but with only a very basic setup. It seems everyone here has a great amount of knowledge fishing these areas. I plan on fishing Convict Lake, Owens River, Crowley and Intake II. I assume most of my bait will be PB, salmon eggs, nightcrawlers since that is what I have had most luck with in the past in these areas.

I plan on spending about $120.00...

Any other suggestions on bait or tackle for these areas? I seem to have been reading a lot about the LipRipperz...and how great they work in these areas.

Thanks in advance for all of your help guys!

[farmerandy16]

all you need is a 7foot rod two pound test and a shimano reel nothing bigger then 1000.

i suggest a stradic but those reels are expensive or a symetre 750, i stick to stradics for my trout reels.

turners has the diawa spinmatic rods for about 30 bucks i beleive and i use those all the time cuz they are cheaper then most other good rods.

and as far as lip ripperz i would just get the red worms or any of their worms and put them on a size ten mosquito hook with a foot and a half leader on a small splitshot and you should be just fine.

-andy

[Badfish2]

If you're going to be throwing jigs I agree with the post above.. stiffer taller rod ..7ft give or take.

I use mostly toss hardware like Thomas Bouyants in the sierra and I don't like horsing in the fish so I use a rod with more action. I don't like the Kencor rod type of action but somewhere in the middle like a Fenwick or Shimano work fine for me.

Let us know what you end up with

[johnsfishing]

agreed..

get a 7ft or 7ft 6in Daiwa Spinmatic Rod and then get a spinning reel that does 2lb - 4lb test.

johnsfishing

[rusty6]

abu garcia cardinal is a great 1000 sized reel

[ctrujillo45]

I guess my next comment is that I do not use too many jigs when I am up in the sierras. I mostly use PB, Salmon Eggs, and Nightcrawlers.

Is a 7ft. rod necessary? I had heard Kencor was a good brand and thinking of going with a 5 ft...they are a bit pricey, but I hear the sensitivity is great!

Would it be better to get a shorter rod with great sensitivity for the trout? Is the purpose of a longer rod to cast further while you are on the lake? What other advantages does a longer rod have? If I do decide to throw some jigs, will shorter pole work as well?

[greg]

I like a 2 pound test line with a 5 foot 2 pound fluorocarbon leader 2-3 BB splits size 6 red Owner mosquito hook with red power worm. I go on EBay to purchase my power worms 100 at a time. Can't help you on a rod/reel combo a $120 but go for a 7 foot rod since it will give you the most distance to throw light jigs (tube jigs) or my set up (as above)...

[Badfish2]

I guess my next comment is that I do not use too many jigs when I am up in the sierras. I mostly use PB, Salmon Eggs, and Nightcrawlers.

Is a 7ft. rod necessary? I had heard Kencor was a good brand and thinking of going with a 5 ft...they are a bit pricey, but I hear the sensitivity is great!

Would it be better to get a shorter rod with great sensitivity for the trout? Is the purpose of a longer rod to cast further while you are on the lake? What other advantages does a longer rod have? If I do decide to throw some jigs, will shorter pole work as well?

If' you're not going to throw jigs.. you don't need a 7 ft rod. I'd go with the above post and somewhere near a 5ft rod. I usually buy Mult-use rods.. something that's long enough to use on a lake for casting but short enough that I can drag it into the bush for some creek fishing too...

Oh and yes the shorter rod will work just fine tossing the jigs, I usually throw Lip Ripperz and othe trout tubes with a bubble/4-5 ft leader anyway.. so casting is never a problem with the weight of the bubble.

[Afisherman]

Good stuff guys, thanks.

[tackle guy]

Berkley has a new rod out called the Tactix. They're a IM7 rod blank which makes them light weight, and extremely sensitive to the slightest bite. They work great on throwing jigs, power worms, lures, and baits. They are also one of the best rods on the market for fishing the drop shot. Believe me I know, I own over forty trout rods. The guides on the Tactix are the SS304 which are lighter, stronger, transmite vibration much better, are practically indestruckible compared to the standard aluminum oxide guides, which can be easily broken if the rod is dropped, and is the standard guide on so many rods. The Tactix also have a $10.00 mail in repate. The 7' and 7'6" start under $50.00 and the 6' 6" down to 5' 6" start under $40.00 ( I own 3 of them). A good length of a fishing rod for the Eastern Sierras would be between 7 and 6 foot. Once in awhile you'll find your self under a tree and a 7' rod will be to long to cast. The air up there is thinner so you'll find that you can cast much further with a six footer up there than down here. I've caught some of my biggest fish up there on a 6 ft rod. If your going to be fishing primarily with bait, and you don't want to pay the for the high price orange Kencor but want a Kencor, your in luck. Kencor has the NZ series rods that start at around $25.00 on up. Their lenghts start about 4' or 4'6" all the way up to 7'6" they are a composite blank rod, giving you the best of both graphite and fiber glass. They are an absolute blast to fish with ( I own 6 of them). You can find both these rods at Turners. The Kencor rods can also be found a Sports Chalet.
As far as reels go, I'd stay away from any Shiamno that's under $120.00. Their gears are made with softer metals which makes them quiet but they wear out faster then some. Shimano is in the process of up grading their reels and any $80 to $45 dollar reel will be up graded shortly. Maybe as soon as before the end of the year. Their new reels are supposed to be much longer lasting than the current models. I have about 12 trout reels and I fish more than once a week. The most durable reel, (and the cheapest I might add under $40.00.) I own is the TC 15 made by Okuma and is based on the Okuma Avenger, their number one selling reel. I've fished the grud out of that thing and it just keeps working.

[billy b]

If I'm getting the proper drift, you usually HALF fill a bubble for casting distance ... and then tie on either jigs or pworms/Lips about 4-5 feet behind it?

[KaliDawgFan]

I really like my Shimano Sedona reels

[jeff4321]

i have 2 setups for this summer.

a 5 1/2 foot st croix triumph (ultralight) paired armed with 3 lb test and an abu garcia cardinal.

and

a 5 1/2 foot Shimano Clarus (ultralight) armed with shimano sedona w/ 4 lb test for throwin Thomas bouyants.

Use heavier line when throwing thomas bouyants, KMs, or any spoon or spinner because those buggers get really expensive AND lighter line tends to snap on the hit, cuz when trout hit those lures, the POUND them.

[Joshua]

For the Sierras, you dont need anything longer than a 5'6". Unless you plan on jigging, stay away from the longer rods. Take a 7' rod into the bush and you will come back with 2 much shorter rods (snap)
Rods
Kencor has a lower end rod for about $50 and Diawa has a spinmatic in the $50 range.
Fenwick has some rods in this price range as well. I like all of my Fenwick. But I really like my GLoomis.
Reels. I like the Diawa spinmatic. I have all 3 from the Spinmatic series. Get the Silver one with the metal spool/ The Gold reel(Spinmatic Z) has 1 more bearing and is $10 more. The Silver one, feels the same to me. The cheapest one, is too cheap IMO.

You can get a nice reliable, sensitive setup for $120.
I have caught fish on $15 rod/reel combos I bought at Thriftys 20 years ago. And I have caught fish on much more expensive equipment.
Spend what you are comfortable spending. Keep this in mind. Buying fishing equipment is an investment. If you buy quality products, you can use them for along time. $150 may seem like a good chunk on change to spend on a rod. But if you use it for 20 years, it is money well spent.

PS
Where is my stimulus check??:Rolls Eyes:

[Troutman65]

Berkley has a new rod out called the Tactix. They're a IM7 rod blank which makes them light weight, and extremely sensitive to the slightest bite. They work great on throwing jigs, power worms, lures, and baits. They are also one of the best rods on the market for fishing the drop shot. Believe me I know, I own over forty trout rods. The guides on the Tactix are the SS304 which are lighter, stronger, transmite vibration much better, are practically indestruckible compared to the standard aluminum oxide guides, which can be easily broken if the rod is dropped, and is the standard guide on so many rods. The Tactix also have a $10.00 mail in repate. The 7' and 7'6" start under $50.00 and the 6' 6" down to 5' 6" start under $40.00 ( I own 3 of them). A good length of a fishing rod for the Eastern Sierras would be between 7 and 6 foot. Once in awhile you'll find your self under a tree and a 7' rod will be to long to cast. The air up there is thinner so you'll find that you can cast much further with a six footer up there than down here. I've caught some of my biggest fish up there on a 6 ft rod. If your going to be fishing primarily with bait, and you don't want to pay the for the high price orange Kencor but want a Kencor, your in luck. Kencor has the NZ series rods that start at around $25.00 on up. Their lenghts start about 4' or 4'6" all the way up to 7'6" they are a composite blank rod, giving you the best of both graphite and fiber glass. They are an absolute blast to fish with ( I own 6 of them). You can find both these rods at Turners. The Kencor rods can also be found a Sports Chalet.
As far as reels go, I'd stay away from any Shiamno that's under $120.00. Their gears are made with softer metals which makes them quiet but they wear out faster then some. Shimano is in the process of up grading their reels and any $80 to $45 dollar reel will be up graded shortly. Maybe as soon as before the end of the year. Their new reels are supposed to be much longer lasting than the current models. I have about 12 trout reels and I fish more than once a week. The most durable reel, (and the cheapest I might add under $40.00.) I own is the TC 15 made by Okuma and is based on the Okuma Avenger, their number one selling reel. I've fished the grud out of that thing and it just keeps working.


Very informative post. Thanks.

Troutman65

[Troutman65]

For the Sierras, you dont need anything longer than a 5'6". Unless you plan on jigging, stay away from the longer rods. Take a 7' rod into the bush and you will come back with 2 much shorter rods (snap)
Rods
Kencor has a lower end rod for about $50 and Diawa has a spinmatic in the $50 range.
Fenwick has some rods in this price range as well. I like all of my Fenwick. But I really like my GLoomis.
Reels. I like the Diawa spinmatic. I have all 3 from the Spinmatic series. Get the Silver one with the metal spool/ The Gold reel(Spinmatic Z) has 1 more bearing and is $10 more. The Silver one, feels the same to me. The cheapest one, is too cheap IMO.

You can get a nice reliable, sensitive setup for $120.
I have caught fish on $15 rod/reel combos I bought at Thriftys 20 years ago. And I have caught fish on much more expensive equipment.
Spend what you are comfortable spending. Keep this in mind. Buying fishing equipment is an investment. If you buy quality products, you can use them for along time. $150 may seem like a good chunk on change to spend on a rod. But if you use it for 20 years, it is money well spent.

PS
Where is my stimulus check??:Rolls Eyes:



I agree .


TM65

[DreStyle]

I agree with the above suggestions. I would, however, like to add a reel suggestion. Check out the Daiwa Exceler. I personally think it is just as good as my Shimano Symetry and it is a bit less expensive. This will probably spark a Shimano vs. Daiwa debate that will go on for pages, but I still thought it a reel worth mentioning.

[SoCalGuy7]

Just bought my second Shimano Saros 1000F, great reel that will last for years....

Spend what your comfortable with. But, do your homework and your equipment should last a long time...