Recommended gear for a newbie on the BC Coast

Allen, the line tester was a Berkeley rep, so I assume it was one of the Trilene lines.  I loved the Uniknot, it was fast and you can tie it in the dark.But it pulled out every time.  WOuld be interesting to test it with my 20# big game or my 15# Pline co-polymer I'm using presently for mooching leaders.

Any chance it was Berkeley Vanish that was being used.  That fluoro has a reputation of slipping.

  Lately I've been tying a 4 foot section of 50# Big game to the snap swivel (Metzler sliding sinker above), then a little 60# black Sampo double ring swivel (no snap) and a 4 foot section of 15# with 2 snelled 4/0 Gamakatsu hooks. No snarls or line twist with this rig, and have not had any knots come undone----I tie  the snap swivel to the mainline with a Palomar, and improved clinch for the rest of the knots.
   I too am due for a new rod---have not been able to find either the Okuma or lamiglas kayak rods in Seattle, do you know a local source, Allen??

Outdoor Emporium sometimes stocks the Lamis.  They will also order the Lamis and the Okumas for you.  I have a couple of each that you are welcome to demo if we can arrange to hook up some time.

I don't think of the Lami's as salmon rods.  The action is too fast.  They make good jigging rods for bottomfish.  The Okuma BK-C-761M is the one I've been using for salmon fishing this year.

-Allen

Quantum also has a kayak fishing rod out ... http://www.tackletour.com/reviewquantumkayakpre.html

PAL reviews all 3 here ... http://www.kayakfishingzone.com/Gear/Rods.html

-Allen

I've caught a lot of salmon on steelhead rods (8-9ft, 15-17# line, ambassador reels).  In saltwater, however, I prefer the use of a longer rod and a mooching reel, and I always have the rod in a rod holder behind me with the reel clicker on as a fish alarm.  I prefer to have the rod in front of me for freshwater salmon and steelhead fishing.

I really like deep-six #0's for depth control, and this year I bought a cheap Okuma line counter reel and spooled it with 20# test.  I used a 10ft rod (8-17# rated) and it worked flawlessly for saltwater salmon this year from the kayak.  Now I prefer this to any other method I have tried. 

For light bottomfish I prefer a medium length spinnerbait-type bass rod and replace the line on the baitcaster with 20# braid so there is zero stretch.  It works reasonably up to 200 ft deep or so with lures in the 3-4 oz range.  Shallower, I like 1-2 oz.

Big stuff I use a sturgeon rod with 4/0 or bigger reel and 80# or bigger braid and use a 100-120# mono leader for coral and rock abraision resistance.

Great information everybody.  Thanks!  My internet was down so I have just read through everybody's info.

To get back to the reels for a moment;  It would appear that most, if not all, are using a baitcasting style level wind reel for salt water.  I remember as a kid fishing for salmon off of a boat in Porpoise Bay in Sechelt and always using a mooching reel.  Is there a reason that everybody has gone with a level wind?  Could a person use a mooching reel and just back of the drag or turn of the anti release to let line out..

They are a bit cumbersome though.  And ugly I guess, but?

I'm going to be using a knuckle busting single action mooching reel at Moutcha.  It's a lot of fun that way.

-Allen

That's what I decided to do as well.  I picked up a new Shimano 4000GT for $55 Can today at a local shop along with a Shimano Talora 9' rod with Fuji guides.  I am glad to hear that somebody else is going to do some knuckle busting. Well, hopefully not. It does hurt as I seem to remember.

I remember as a kid hooking onto a decent fish and burning my fingers when the tips of them dragged on the line on the spool before I could increase the drag.  Only 9 more sleeps until Moutcha.

I'm surprised that you are having the uniknots slip out on you, Kallitype- I don't know that I've noticed any of mine slip/fail. As a FF guide I tie a LOT of knots, and most of them are uniknots for fly-to-leader (for dries.) I also use them for building tapered leaders and adding topshots of mono to braid mainline. It seems like all mine fail at the turn of the hookeye, which makes the "eye-crosser" appealing. Have you tried pulling slowly to be able to actually see what's happening? Adding a wrap or two, extra, sounds like a good idea, too.

  I have not used uni-knot for about 6 years, ever since the Sportsmen's show where the line tester showed it to slip.  I lost a big king one year, the mooching leader was tied in with a Uni-knot (15# Ande) and the knot was about 1/2 there when I reeled in..  couldn't tell if it broke in the knot, or on the hook. So I went to the improved clinch for leaders.
   When I did the breakage tests last week, the uni-knots broke in the wraps, the Palomar usually broke one of the 2 turns around the hook eye..here's a broken Palomar



  I'm going to update the thread to "Knot Strength, Part 2" and do a series of 10 eye-crossers,  10 snell knots and 10 San Diego jam knots in 10# Big Game.

http://www.netknots.com/html/san_diego_jam_knot.html