Northwest Fishing Reports

i have a fenwick hmx light rod. its 9.5 feet and rated for 4-10 pound line. i was going to put on some 20 pound braid and use it for kings. i need an extra setup for my friend and im woried this rod might break on a fish. i broke one just like it earlier this year on a snag.

will it be ok?

If you don't abuse the rod and play the fish well, it'll probably be fine, but it's still a risk.
I've got 30# braid on my 10' rod that is rated for 20# line. However, I don't plan on placing that much strain on my rod. Still a risk, but just be careful and you should be fine. Also, if not already planned, I would highly recommend the use of a lighter mono leader that will break before the rod limit is reached, then you'll decrease your chances of breaking it. I use 8# mono leader married to my 30# braid, so that will be the first to go in most cases. Good luck out there.

i use 20 pound leader too... i think the rod might break before the line lol

Yeah, I wouldn't recommend that setup. But, hey, it's your gear. If you really play the fish and don't mind a long workout, no reason it couldn't be done.

Yeah definitely a bit light for kings. As others have suggested run some light leader so you lose your gear instead of break the pole. Or just buck up and spend $30-40 on a cheap loaner rod or look for a better model rod used on Ebay/Craigslist/the classifieds forum on the cheap.

get a king rod rated 10-20 nuff said

I use a shimano 9' 6-10 spinning rod up on the Samish for kings and it works great... I run 20 lb braid and 15 lb leaders and never have problems....

OFFDAAHOOK wrote:get a king rod rated 10-20 nuff said

+1

the rod will work depending on how good you can control (using your drag) your fish.

Just curious as to what reel you use I would say it is more Important then the rod.

I seen kings on the skok taken with what looked to be trout rods short thin 6-7 foot rods

id go with like 12lb maxima and sort of noodle rod it, just make sure your drag is set right and is smooth,

like having proper tool for da trade depends on condition and fishing situation.right combo line and rod =more sucess no one size fit all in fishin.. thats why some kill wayy more than others like fishinfreak,nate.t and other fishing veterens

i use a medium heavy 20 pound rod. just have an extra my friend is going to use and wasn't sure if it was going to bust

OFFDAAHOOK wrote:like having proper tool for da trade depends on condition and fishing situation.right combo line and rod =more sucess no one size fit all in fishin.. thats why some kill wayy more than others like fishinfreak,nate.t and other fishing veterens

Thanks for the shout out yo!

I would definitely be wary of running that rod on smaller rivers like the Samish. Today I stopped by the Samish after the Stilly for a few hours, and threw my lighter gear and had absolutely no control of the fish I was playing. Lost some fish near 20 pounds in the sticks. But I was using light leader and I know when my rods have had the most they can take. If I've got the space, the right leader, I can land a 50 pound king on 8 pound test leader. I've done it. But if that fish had wanted to go into the sticks, no way I could have stopped it. Pick yourself up a loaner rod, or better yet tell your buddy to get one of his own, because he's getting the license, he's not going to be able to stop. That first big king is like crack, he'll be back for more.

The Okuma Celilo series is 40 bucks, and you can get a functional meat stick rather than a broom handle.

some rods to check out that will more then handle anything you throw at them, Okuma SST or Shimano Clarus they run 60 to 70 bucks and have lifetime warranties. Just take em in and swap them over the counter. Cant be beat for the price and peace of mind.

Rvr_fshr wrote:Greatest all around rod is the gl2 10'6" 8-12lb. This rod has many uses, from float fishing and drift fishing for smaller fish like steelhead, to throwing spoons, spinners, plugs, back bouncing for bigger kings. If i have one rod that is the "jack of all trades" it's my gl2. Great sensitivity, yet plenty backbone to land ANY fish. I landed a 5' sturgeon on this rod with 14lb mono, yet its still sensitive enough to feel a steelie pick up a yarnie. My .02¢

great work rvr

My, my, aren't we a bit testy this morning. Get up on the wrong side of the bed?

They way I think if it is I need to have the weakest part of my rig not exceed the rod rating. In other words if I have 30# braid on rod rated for 6-10# line, I will not have my leader be over 10#. Then you use the play in the rod and the drag to keep from breaking the lighter leader.
Normally I will have my drag set to about 1/2 of the leader rating - so if I have 10# leader, I would have my drag set for about 5# of pull.
Basically the bigger the spread between the size of the fish and the weight of your line, the more water, line & time you are going to want to play the fish. Sure, you can land a 20# king with 6# test, but you better have the time, line and space to play it.
If I were you, I would take this as an opportunity to upgrade. You need a loaner rod, well go buy yourself a sweet new rod (like the GL rvr-fshr suggested) and use your old on as a loaner. If you can't afford it right now, then pick up a SSL or one of the other cheaper rods, they do the trick just fine.

I just picked up the size up from rvr-fshr's, a G Loomis GL2 10'6" Med-Heavy rated for 10-20# line and paired it with a Diawa Lexa for a king rod. The thing is a monster compared to my steelhead setups and a little pricey, but man what a sweet setup

lexa sure are nice im gonna save up and get one they aint cheep gl2/lexa is sweet...as far as gl2 i would upreade to imx or str.or xmg, fetastyx homewater they much nicer and come with better guides imo

actually gl2 use a low modulous graphite..in term more durable but heavyer blank. xmg/imx/glx used high modulous graphite 30% weight reduction but less durable. i gotta say gl2s are good rod and will last a long time. but if you careful with high modulous rod you wont have any probs. id rather spend a little more and get da best...i visit nfc /gary loomis factory they explained to me da difference . them rods were unreal

Rvr_fshr wrote:

Gringo Pescador wrote:They way I think if it is I need to have the weakest part of my rig not exceed the rod rating. In other words if I have 30# braid on rod rated for 6-10# line, I will not have my leader be over 10#. Then you use the play in the rod and the drag to keep from breaking the lighter leader.
Normally I will have my drag set to about 1/2 of the leader rating - so if I have 10# leader, I would have my drag set for about 5# of pull.
Basically the bigger the spread between the size of the fish and the weight of your line, the more water, line & time you are going to want to play the fish. Sure, you can land a 20# king with 6# test, but you better have the time, line and space to play it.
If I were you, I would take this as an opportunity to upgrade. You need a loaner rod, well go buy yourself a sweet new rod (like the GL rvr-fshr suggested) and use your old on as a loaner. If you can't afford it right now, then pick up a SSL or one of the other cheaper rods, they do the trick just fine.

I just picked up the size up from rvr-fshr's, a G Loomis GL2 10'6" Med-Heavy rated for 10-20# line and paired it with a Diawa Lexa for a king rod. The thing is a monster compared to my steelhead setups and a little pricey, but man what a sweet setup

+1, the gl2 I believe is 230$, which is a great price for what your getting. Lifetime warranty, and a rod that will stand the test of time, or thousands of fish. Can't be beat

Yep and the Lexa's are running at $199.00, Comparible to the Curado 300's and $50 less

It is the most I've spent on a single rig to date - you can spend $100 on a total setup and still catch just as many fish. I've done it for years. I am lucky enough to be at a point in my life where I can splurge a little, so I did..