Salmon river gear help needed

[zeke83]

I went for my first trip to Pulaski for the salmon run last year. I had a great time but I was very unprepared. Im looking to get a complete set-up from scratch for CHEAP....like walmart stuff. 

 

I dont know if I'll be able to make it up there after this year or not, so I dont want to invest a lot of money. 

 

Searching on the walmart website I found a pair of TEXSPORT stocking foot waders, and I see they have some felt sole boots. 

 

Some things I know I need help with are a rod, reel, polarized glasses, hooks, and bait.

 

I just want to go up there for the day and enjoy the experience, and not regret missing a day in the deer stand

 

Thanks

[turkeyfeathers]

Buddies fish there a lot. All flyrods with sucker spawn patterns and egg sack like flies. 

I have felt lined waders and love them. For some reason I thought some waterways ban them but i may be confused. Maybe look into that but don't think this is one of them. 

Bought my daughter some great polarized glasses at Gander Mtn for $15. Wally World should have similar. If you're using spinning combo I'd get some Berkley's power bait/eggs or such. 

[beachpeaz]

"cheap" and Salmon fishing don't go together in my opinion.  I fish the salmon run out of Lake Ontario into the tributaries every year and learned the hard way my first time.  I had a nice 20lb + king on the line and he shredded my monofiliment in a matter of seconds and was gone with my $15 lure.  You can go "cheap" but in the long run, it will cost you more.

 

I upgraded to a 30lb spider wire that was like $40 for 1 spool, but that shit doesn't break, PERIOD!  It would have saved me $15 for the lost lure the first time.

 

If you are fly fishing, i can't help you.  But, if you are casting, don't go cheap!

[ATbuckhunter]

Rod: Your going to have to bite the bullet on this and get some good quality gear. My suggestion is to get a Cabelas 10ft med Fish Eagle 2

 

Reel: Also spend some money and get a Shimano Sahara 300 or 400 if you like. I've caught hundreds of Salmon and Steelhead in the last 4 years with this and i have done ZERO maintenance on this and it feels like butter. Cabelas started selling this combo at around 150 (170 Separate) bucks

 

Terminal Tackle: Get a bunch of split shot and a couple hundred good strong hooks. You will loose a lot of tackle, especially when learning to fish the river. Eagle claw hooks are good and pretty cheap but once they go dull just throw it out and get another hook...no point in sharpening these hooks.

 

Waders: Also not a place to go cheap. Get a good quality set of waders that will last you a long time. Last thing you need in a fast flowing river is wader problems. DON'T FORGET A WADING BELT. Waders fill up like balloons with out these. 

 

Bait: I use Atlas mikes single eggs which I prefer to real egg sacks. Only about 5 bucks and you get like 50 pieces and they have them in  huge variety in color.

 

Line: I use 12lb Chameleon and its some of the best line you can get. The line is brown so it blends in with the water unless the water is super clear. I fish the town rapids and I find this line hard to break sometimes. 

 

If you have any other questions, fell free to pm me. 

[HuntOrBeHunted]

Well if your fishing up there and looking to do so cheap I figure your using a spin rod.

 

Ive been fishing up there all my life and the things I need most and find best are.

 

1. Your fishing pole lol.

 

2. Chest waders.

 

3. Flash light.

 

4. Big net.

 

 

 Them are the main things to get before season if you have no gear. Check ebay for Red Ball waders they are cheap. I have had my pair for 3 years and no problems yet !!  Wal-mart has cheap rod set ups that will land a salmon. And the light is needed for the morning i'm sometimes hanging around for a hour waiting for sun up and trying to hold a spot.

 

 

There's a bunch of facebook pages and other websites that give you more info and daily updates when the season is going.

 

Salmon fishing is the best ever I love hearing them jump before sun up everyone talking smack and getting their stuff ready lol !!! It keeps me busy untill bow season lol.. Goodluck

[Zem18]

My BIL and I used to go up and fish the Salmon River with our 6 1/2 foot bass rods using 20lb monofilament. Not the best gear but landed fish and lost a bunch too.

I upgraded to a 9ft Great Lakes noodle rod with a no name reel and 17lb test line. The longer rod will take up some of the fight and your arms will thank you.

 

Good waders are a must so shop around.

Used to buy the fake egg sacks in the glass jars. Caught fish with them. Then saw a fly fisherman come down and cast into a pool 40 other guys had been fishing for hours. This guy hooked up instantly and landed several fish. Lots of pissed off guys but my BIL and I were laughing. We asked him what he was using and all he said was black fly and he showed us.
Now I will share the secret with all of you on the black fly. First choose a good hook, semi circles worked good.(can't remember specific name or brand) Then go to the local craft store and buy a package of black pipe cleaners. There about 10 to 15 -10 inch pieces in each package. Cut the pipe cleaners into inch or inch and a half pieces. Then wrap one piece around a hook and you have yourself a black fly. The hooks are your biggest cost but it works.

 

We watched a bunch of fishermen and women and asked questions as well. Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation. You never know if you will find the next secret such as the black fly.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Zemmer18

[stoneam2006]

Yard sales to picked up some nice stuff at those I have passed

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk

[ATbuckhunter]

My BIL and I used to go up and fish the Salmon River with our 6 1/2 foot bass rods using 20lb monofilament. Not the best gear but landed fish and lost a bunch too.

I upgraded to a 9ft Great Lakes noodle rod with a no name reel and 17lb test line. The longer rod will take up some of the fight and your arms will thank you.

 

Good waders are a must so shop around.

Used to buy the fake egg sacks in the glass jars. Caught fish with them. Then saw a fly fisherman come down and cast into a pool 40 other guys had been fishing for hours. This guy hooked up instantly and landed several fish. Lots of pissed off guys but my BIL and I were laughing. We asked him what he was using and all he said was black fly and he showed us.

Now I will share the secret with all of you on the black fly. First choose a good hook, semi circles worked good.(can't remember specific name or brand) Then go to the local craft store and buy a package of black pipe cleaners. There about 10 to 15 -10 inch pieces in each package. Cut the pipe cleaners into inch or inch and a half pieces. Then wrap one piece around a hook and you have yourself a black fly. The hooks are your biggest cost but it works.

 

We watched a bunch of fishermen and women and asked questions as well. Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation. You never know if you will find the next secret such as the black fly.

I was waiting for someone to bring up that secret. I have had good luck with red and blue piper cleaner as well. 

[wdswtr]

My BIL and I used to go up and fish the Salmon River with our 6 1/2 foot bass rods using 20lb monofilament. Not the best gear but landed fish and lost a bunch too.

I upgraded to a 9ft Great Lakes noodle rod with a no name reel and 17lb test line. The longer rod will take up some of the fight and your arms will thank you.

 

Good waders are a must so shop around.

Used to buy the fake egg sacks in the glass jars. Caught fish with them. Then saw a fly fisherman come down and cast into a pool 40 other guys had been fishing for hours. This guy hooked up instantly and landed several fish. Lots of pissed off guys but my BIL and I were laughing. We asked him what he was using and all he said was black fly and he showed us.

Now I will share the secret with all of you on the black fly. First choose a good hook, semi circles worked good.(can't remember specific name or brand) Then go to the local craft store and buy a package of black pipe cleaners. There about 10 to 15 -10 inch pieces in each package. Cut the pipe cleaners into inch or inch and a half pieces. Then wrap one piece around a hook and you have yourself a black fly. The hooks are your biggest cost but it works.

 

We watched a bunch of fishermen and women and asked questions as well. Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation. You never know if you will find the next secret such as the black fly.

OH my this is too funny!  I still only use the small black stonefly on a heavy #10 hook.  8# flouro leader. Cant tell you how many people eventually ask what the heck Im doing.  I have given more of those black stone flys away over the years than I have ever used myself.  Everyone throws all sorts of garbage at these fish and that little black fly looks natural to them teamed up with light flourocarbon leader is the magic ticket.  Its funny I will land a fish and just about everytime someone moves to where I was standing, so I move down and catch one where they were just fishing. Which I feel is a huge benefit to me.  I will sneak up and down the whole as much as I can. Earlier in the season when the fisherman are just about nonexistant I will move a couple feet up or down with every cast.   I live right there my whole life and learned more about fishing that river by getting at a high point where I could watch the fish and there reactions to fishermans presentations.  You can literly watch over and over fish move right out of the way of fishermans presentations and soon as the hook and line passes them they move right back to the same exact spot.  With 8lb leader you dont land them all but the key with light tackle is the flyrod and reel with the smoothest drag system you can afford.  The rod takes the blunt of the stress and the smooth drag keeps things flowing with less sudden line shock.  Its actually not black pipe cleaners.  Its a material with a lower profile and denser fiber but I suppose the black pipe cleaners would work as well. 

Anyhow my best advice for the OP is head down to Pineville Tackle and you can get some good equipment for cheap that will last you a long time.  They have combo setups from flyrods to center pin combos.  As far as waders go dependant on time of year and water temps to fish the salmon comfortably you need 2 sets of waders.  A breathable set and a BOOT FOOT neoprene set.  This is the one purchase I recomend not skimping on at all.  You can have the nicest rod,reel and and 10 tons of tackle and if your not comfortable, cold or sweating your gonna hate life.  The neoprenes for cold water fishing but a boot foot, your feet will thank you.  I have several pairs of waders and my first purchase of neoprene was a stock foot set.  My feet froze, think about it you slip a boot over a waterproof neoprene sock and then get the boot totally wet, now step out of the water in cold weather and your boot freezes and your feet are now cold.  Rubber boot foot and heavy wader socks are must if fishing the late season or steelhead.  If you are fishing early on many just wear shorts and no waders at all.   Screw Walmart help the small local businesses.  You will get a lot more advice out of a local shop if your purchasing equipment from them as well. 

Edited June 19, 2014 by wdswtr