Northwest Fishing Reports

I need help on what kind of rod I should buy !
My rod that I used for salmon and steelhead,
well I let my clutz of an uncle use it, and WHAM. Got shot in the door of a car, didnt break, but the next good sized catfish, did break it.
Well, no biggey.
Just gives me another excuse to buy another rod.
I got roughly $150. Im not sure if I can buy a Lami for around there.
I rarely ever buy combos. No baitcasters yet, I can use 'em just not ready to use them in combat fishing yet ! (that'll be my next investment)
I want a rod that I can have fun with the salmon, but enough to some-what control the fish at the same time. I was guessing probably 8'6 rod?
Brands? Models? Size of rod? Pretty much what im lookin for !
Whatcha guys think I should get? :thumright
Thanks Guys ! :thumleft:
You guys have all been a GREAT help since I joined the site !
Thanks Again !

By the way, I wont buy off of ebay !

Get an Okuma 8'6" Celilo in the 10 to 17 range. If you want to save money for a reel. An XMG 50 is a good rod for salmon, sometimes you can get them on sale. The lami northwest special is a great all around rod, and you may find a loomis on sale somewhere. There was another thread about this same thing, check on the recommendations in it, there were some good ones. Your best bet is to go try rods out at the store, see how you like them.

Thanks !

i also have a okuma celilo it's a great salmon/stealhead rod, i bought mine for roughly 56 bucks at cabelas:)

I have a few Okuma Celio I keep in the trunk so if I see a fishable place I fish it, I use 8-6 and the rod rating is 8-12(I think might be 8-17) line rating. I got mine for $40 at Sportco in Fife, added a Pflueger Asuro baitcater and was ready to go for $130. You could do a Okuma pole, decent spin reel and still have money for more tackle, you never know what might be good to have i the box. I also got 3 lami's off ebay from a guy in Woodland for about $80 each they were from Lami repair shop.

I would recommend either the Okuma SST or the Fenwick HMX series. Those Fenwick rods are solid, and many guides around here run SST rods exclusively which must say something about their performance. Go with a Medium action or Medium Light action. The SST rods in ML 9'6" have a very fine and flimsy tip, but a very firm backbone to control even big fish, I use them for plugging coho on the Snohomish and they work great even under the heavy pressure of a plug bite.

Fenwick HMX? The guide inserts Pop out on em. If ya do get one watch out for it. If you go Okuma dont half arse it go with the guide select models. They offer a lifetime warrenty compared to a 1 year on the celios and 5 year on the sst. The warrenty is top notch. 15 bucks and they send you a new one. Not many people have a warrenty like that now days. Even Lifetime on a loomis will cost ya 100 bucks now for a new rod.

Pretty sure if they guide insert "pops out" you should take it in to your rod dealer and get a replacement (if they won't replace it it may be time to shop somewhere else). I have had no problem with mine, and my fishing partners have not had problems with theirs.

Think of it this way, rods 150$ and under were designed and warrantied to last for 1 year time. If you want something more, its going to cost you. You get what you payed for.

I really like the Okuma SST line as well.