Centerpin rods

Centerpin fishing is one of the most productive ways to catch trout, steelhead, and salmon in rivers because the extra-long rod and the Centerpin reel allow the angler to present a bait under a float to the fish better than any other method. Using all the right gear and tactics will help you catch more trout and steelhead.

Centerpin fishing is also known as float fishing with the exception that you are using a specialized reel called a Centerpin reel instead of a spinning reel or a baitcasting reel. Either way, you are using a very long and fairly light rod.

Centerpin fishing has become very popular with steelhead and salmon anglers around the great lakes region and on the West Coast. Some guys are even fishing the bigger trout rivers using a Centerpin reel and they are having great success.

Centerpin fishing is rumored to have actually started in Europe where carp anglers fishing lakes, lochs, and rivers designed a round reel with no drag so that the current or even the wind would allow their bait to move freely through the water once they set their rod down to wait for a bite. Once the reel started to spin faster they knew that a fish was on the line.

In the great lakes region, it is believed that the first anglers started fishing Centerpin reels for steelhead on Lake Ontario rivers on the Ontario Canada side around the 1980s and now it seems like 8 out of 10 anglers use Centerpin reels.

Shortly afterward reports of anglers catching lots of steelhead and salmon all around the lakes were heard but it really didn’t catch on until mid-1990s.

West Coast anglers also started using Centerpin reels on the steelhead rivers there but it really didn’t take off until around the year 2000.

The Centerpin reel is a large rounded spool reel that is usually between 4″ and 5.5 inches in diameter and the spool sits on a single pin (or post) in the middle of the base.

Centerpin reels allow the angler the free-spool the line off the reel which allows them to get long controlled drifts. Anglers can then use their hands to slow the reel to control the speed of their float and their bait which is critical to catching more fish. This is the primary reason a Centerpin reel works better than a spinning reel when float fishing.

Centerpin fishing requires different rods than other fishing methods do and the Centerpin rod is an important part of the whole setup.

Most Centerpin rods are long and are between 11 and 14 feet long. The benefit to a long Centerpin rod is that it allows you to keep the line off the water for longer which improves your presentation. The longer rod also acts like a giant shock absorber to protect your light leader on the hook set and while playing the fish.

The type of river you fish will determine the best length of rod for you. The size of the fish will also determine the size or strength of the rod.

If you are planning on Centerpin fishing smaller rivers that are 10 to 20 feet wide or rivers with lots of trees and brush to walk through a shorter 11-foot rod might be best for you.

For Centerpin fishing on rivers that are from 20 to 60 feet wide, a 13-foot Centerpin rod is best. When I am Centerpin fishing and When I am guiding I use a 13-foot Centerpin rod for both small and large rivers. 13 feet long is a great all-around Centerpin rod length.