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Question for the guys who also 'pin

9K views 140 replies 33 participants last post by  brownheron 
#1 ·
Picked up a nice centerpin rig at a good price from a guy who decided it wasn't his thing.

I'm curious what y'all run under the float? Jigs or beads? It seems like jigs would reduce the need for fiddling with shooting patterns which seems like a pain in the arse...

I'll still spend most of my time swinging with my spey rod but I'm always interested in learning something new.

Thx!
 
#2 ·
Jigs all the way. I like to know that any movement to my offering is going to be telegraphed to the float. I just hate messing with shot and crimping my line. Also, the only time I would ever use beads is for spooky summer fish in clear water. If those are the conditions, I'm probably not going to gear fish anyway. If you tie your own jigs, the customization is pretty limitless and can probably cover that situation adequately anyway by sizing down and using sparse materials. I have to admit, though, a pink worm on a white jighead is pretty deadly for big winter steelhead.
 
#3 ·
For the most part 1/16th ounce jigs, followed by small size 2 and 3 Colorado blades and the occasional pink worm (usually during the winter). As far as beads are concerned, I typically use them as added attractors on 1/16th and 1/32 ounce jigs. That is, instead running them by themselves or as droppers. In the past (usually during the summer), I use fish a set up consisting of a light float and a stone fly nymph followed by some sort of dropper. However, it has been a couple of years since I have fished this way.
 
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#4 ·
No need for shot patterns with beads. Either fish them off the back of a jig or add a swivel tied to heavier line and crimp a shot or two above and/or wrap putty over the swivel. Use lighter line below the swivel to allow easier re-rig's after break off's. I've never used shot patterns besides two # 7's spaced out on a short leader above a PW during winter. I'm pretty new to centerpins, and unless shot patterns drastically reduce leader tangles during the cast I can't thin of any reason to put that much extra fuss into leader while fishing PNW steelhead. I've been fishing 20# gel spun main with a 3' 20# butt/bobber mono section through 25g floats connected to 3/4oz inline sinkers. Good luck Thomas!
 
G
#6 ·
I have two real pins, not that thing your fishing..a milner and an angspec. also rods..haven't touched them in a long time...reason I quit fishing the pin was I embraced the challenge of the fly...
for sale if your interested tom..
 
#9 ·
Shotting on the leader helps keep lighter offerings (ie. bead, flies, tiny jigs) near the bottom, especially when fishing deeper water. It is both a question of maintaining a vertical offering and slowing the movement of the bobber when top currents are faster than deep currents. I like the idea of running a micro-swivel above the offering with a lighter leader, than way you won't loose an intricate shotting pattern when the hook snags the bottom.
 
#56 ·
I love centerpinning. I do not enjoy nymphing a fly rod... at all.

Some of us love diversification. I get burnt out fishing the same way all the time. I have to switch it up, and centerpinning is one of my favorite ways to fish. I'm not going to refrain because it makes some fly fishermen uncomfortable.
So you just like fishing that way. Good enough for me.
 
#18 ·
Also: The issue in the Great Lakes is with the combat fisheries. Centerpins are for running long drifts. On the small Great Lakes fisheries where guys line up along the banks, it's definitely annoying.
not true. true great lake combat fisheries are unreal masses of people where pinning might get you killed because you're interfering with snagging. the problem is on less crowded streams where pinners let their gear run long distances and fuck up the fishing for people not all that close to them. luckily, i could always seem to out walk them.

it is not like there aren't fisheries in washington with angler densities that require some level of etiquette that stupid pinners could cause problems. they've been around in BC for quite awhile so hopefully that etiquette is more prevalent in WA.
 
#15 ·
When the fall chinook are thick in the Klickitat, it seems like the only steelhead caught are on beads under a float. The guides kind of snicker at me when they see me stubbornly swinging. So I've been furtively curious about pinning.

When you get a fish on with a center pin set up, as seems to too often happen to be fair and legal, do you have to flip a lever on the reel to start reeling? Is there a drag involved or are those reels strictly direct drive?
 
#17 ·
When the fall chinook are thick in the Klickitat, it seems like the only steelhead caught are on beads under a float. The guides kind of snicker at me when they see me stubbornly swinging. So I've been furtively curious about pinning.

When you get a fish on with a center pin set up, as seems to too often happen to be fair and legal, do you have to flip a lever on the reel to start reeling? Is there a drag involved or are those reels strictly direct drive?
There is zero drag. The clicker is only there to keep the reel from free spooling when you're carrying the rod around. You don't turn the clicker on when fighting fish as it's not made for that. You are fighting the fish while that reel is 100% free spooling. Your fingers are the drag.
 
#19 ·
Having seen centerpins used in the GL tribs, I have a very negative opinion of them. They can represent the rudest fishermen on earth from what I have seen. I truly fear the centerpin invasion for my own personal reasons.

I often fish methods that are not flyfishing, from jigging to trolling w/ downriggers. When I have questions about them I go to a gear related fishing site. This makes good sense to me. If I were interested in centerpins I'd search out a BB in Canada or the GL.

Now pinners, that's a whole different discussion. It's legal now.

Go Sox,
cds
 
#20 ·
Yeah, honestly, most of the combat fishing scenes I've come upon are fly rod snaggers, some with slinkies and no bobber and some with a bobber that set the hook every time the bobber twitches. Center pinners can low hole with the best of them though when they see all that open water below you. Although this weekend I was low-holed by just a regular ol' dirty thing-a-ma-bobbin nympher (with a switch rod). It was time to move to different water anyway.
 
#21 ·
I usually run Jigs under a slip rig. Normal setup for me anyways is hydrofloat mainline attached to barrel swivel, about 10 feet of fluro 12#, slip bobber on the 12# over a inline weight to another barrel swivel with 18-24" of 10# fluro following to the jig. The barrel swivel attached to the mainline really helps with line twist.

Personally, I think it can be just as fun as swinging. No drag on the reel definitely makes it fun and interesting, especially when you have a lot of line out.
 
#22 ·
Personally one of the things I like most about this forum is the wide variety of expertise you will find. I enjoy the fact that I don't have to be a member at forty seven different forums just in case I want to know some about something that isn't fly fishing related.

And a douchebag is a douchebag, no matter what kind of rod he fishes.
 
#24 ·
Also, I am not trying to promote any product or anything but go with the hydrofloat main line or something similar. It is not perfect but it doesn't stretch much, is less prone to twist and won't sink after a few hours of use unlike floating monos.
When I first started I had a big problem with the mono sinking and creating drag on the presentation with the mono after a few hours on the water. They say you can use Gink or other line floatant easily enough, but id rather be fishing than applying it to 100 yards of line.
 
#26 ·
I don't know much about the gear sites out there. It's nice to be able to ask here about other types of steelhead fishing and get a flyfisherman's perspective on them.

The Gorge Fly Shop has pin gear, but absolutely nothing else in the gear category. Last time I was in there they directed a customer to Walmart or Dinty's for spinners. The shop showed me some center pin reels with a kind of reverence. I was supposed to be impressed by how easily the reel spun. I was more impressed by how much the reels cost. I guess you have to pay for those near 0 friction bearings. But I couldn't figure out why a center pin set up is so much better for float fishing than a spinning reel set up.
 
#30 ·
If someone wants to fish on top of me or run their gear thru "my" water, that's fine. Doesn't matter what gear they choose. It'll last no more than 2 casts as I can foul anyone's drift with a misplaced cast or two. It's a lot easier to work around where someone else is fishing than it is to work thru it.
 
#42 ·
Armageddon indeed! I remember one particularly painful instance where I was sitting in my boat in front of the caves, and while everyone around me was slaying kings through the tide change, I was sitting there with my pocket knife cutting a few hundred yards of braid off my reel, 6" at a time. My son heard a few choice words that day. :eek:

I consider myself pretty good with a baitcaster, and I find braid to be a giant ass pain. Who knows, maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I just can't figure out how to make it not get stuck on itself... and when it does backlash, it's armageddon.
 
#36 ·
30# PowerPro on my baitcasters for most float fishing. It's a bit tougher to cast than mono but not much. Once you get it down it's no different.

As for what goes here? These subforums seem a good place to stray into the gray. If the mods don't like certain topics they can do whatever it is that they find appropriate. But, I will never suggest the mods shut down certain topics as others feel the need to suggest. If a person doesn't like the direction a thread is going they should shut it off. Not whine about shutting it down.
 
#37 ·
Nick,
Are you fishing it in the salt and off of downriggers. If so, I can't help you there.
I use 40 lb Power Pro on my Curados & Vientos for river fishing, but have used up to 65 lb in the past on larger Abu's king fishing. The heavier the braid the better in my opinion.
You'll get some tip wraps while mending but nothing to bad. Just don't set the hook with a wrapped tip. :D If you do you're likely looking at shipping a rod for repair. I also put some mono backing then attach the braid via a double uni knot. That insures the braid won't slip on the spool and can be loaded on tight.
Power Pro has a newer Slick 8 product out now that I've heard good things about, but I've never used it on a baicaster.
I just never liked fishing braid off a spinning reel for float fishing, though I know lots of folks that do.
Hope this helps.
 
#40 ·
Brian, yes I've been using in the salt and some with downriggers, sometimes not. I am not sure how much differece that would make, as its not really the fishing itself that has caused my problems, but rather as Evan mentioned the line getting under itself in the reel and causing horrible backlashes. I like the idea of using a base of mono... Perhaps that would help fix my problem, as maybe the line slipping and moving on the spool makes things worse. I don't know. I can see how the bigger the better, as the finer the braid the more prevelant the problem was.

I fished with a guy this summer who had braid on his Avet reels and there was zero issue. I'm not sure if they would operate any differently than a standard baitcaster, as they seem similar.

Anyway, interesting info either way. It's fun learning about all the gear stuff that has changed since I gear fished as a teenager.
 
#39 ·
Make sure it's wound on under some sort of tension and there shouldn't be any problems. Reeling it back in with tip pointed at water works for me. I've found it about the same as mono for casting with levelwind. I wouldn't twitch jigs with it as you're constantly throwing slack into the line after lifting your rod tip. Mono works better for that as it doesn't tip wrap as easy.
 
#41 ·
It would be interesting to go back through some of this year's Gun Control threads and see how many folks shouting "guns don't kill people, people kill people" are the same ones who are against center pin rods.

Just as no gun has ever climbed out of it's case and shot somebody, no CP setup has ever gone down to the river and low holed somebody.
 
#50 ·
It would be interesting to go back through some of this year's Gun Control threads and see how many folks shouting "guns don't kill people, people kill people" are the same ones who are against center pin rods.

Just as no gun has ever climbed out of it's case and shot somebody, no CP setup has ever gone down to the river and low holed somebody.
Great analogy. Although I don't think you'll find any correlation, I think it's a real good analogy. Match either a gun or a CP with an A-hole and your day will be ruined. I've seen it with the CP oh so many times.

As far as me always saying Go Sox, it's just a little personalization. I don't think I've ever started a thread that was completely NFR regarding the Sox, but I may have. I've been here a while.

If you have issues with things like figuring out what the knobs an your abu do, you really should sign up for a gear BB. You can get better info. quicker than here and you won't have to put up with me.

Go Red Sox,
cds
 
#43 ·
Nick,
If you are getting a lot of backlashes and you aren't casting, you might consider turning up the line control on your reels.
That might help control some of the backlash issues you are having with braid.
SF
 
#46 ·
lol You can tell I am not in touch with this kind of fishing anymore..... You suggested "turning up the line control" and I started looking on the fly reel sitting next to me for the knob. lol

Good idea Brian, I'll give that a try if I decide to play with braid again. For the time being I'm spooled with mono, and for the type of fishing I do out of a boat, I haven't really figured out where braid would be a big advantage... Except for overall strength and capacity I guess.
 
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