I just picked up an 11'5" ft browning noodle rod rod for 25 bucks at the swap meet and i took it out to dash point for salmon. i floated small cutplugs and was getting a lot of strikes and a had a few on, but i couldn't get a good hookset. this rod is really limber and i put 6lb. flourocarbon like to take away line stretch but i don't know if there's a trick to hooksets with these kinda rods but i wanna keep using it as i can get my bait out farther and still use light tackle. i need help bad

uuuuhhhhhhh, what exactly were you expecting with a "noodle" rod?
I wanna be there when a 25+lbs. king picks up your cut-plug, good luck.

Hey AkKings.....you need to get an attitude adjusment. The party asked for help - so what's your problem?

Posh, Don't need an attitude adjus(t)ment nor do I have a problem, just wondering what he was expecting from a noodle rod, if its hook setting power he's not going to find it there.

I would try two or three good pumps when setting the hook. I have an old Lamiglass S glass noodle rod and it is blast to fish. Other then that, a big fish will be hooked, so hold on and pray no one crosses your line.

I find insanely sharp hooks help.

I gladly pay the extra money for 'em.

gregg

Spokey,

I'm familiar with the technique I believe you are using. Years ago, I used to fish off of the Edmonds pier for salmon. We would use just a cut-plug herring with no weight, and let it slowly sink and drift with the current while the reel was in free-spool, and the line would start to pay out when a fish picked up the bait. A lot of guys would make the mistake of setting the hook too early. This might be what is happening to you. Next time your out and a salmon picks up the bait, let him run with it at least to the count of 10 if not longer. I can see where you want to use the noodle to help cast the herring, it's tough with no weight for sure.

My advice, ditch the flourocarbon line and spool up with a quality 10lb. test mono. Use STICKY sharp hooks and let the fish run with the bait as long as you can stand it. When setting the hook with the noodle, don't use a sharp upward motion like you would with a heavier rod, use a long sweeping hookset, reel down QUICKLY, and set the hook again. If you are able to combine all of these elements, you should have more success. Now actually LANDING a big king with a light noodle well, that's another story...

Good luck

Noodle rods are a big deal over in Michigan, and are used primarily on steelheads and a few salmon.
The thing that seems to work best, is using a very fine wire hook and light line. They were created by Dick Swann, and were made to land big fish on light line. They were a big fad about ten years ago, and everyone had one. The bummer is that you hook a fish in a tight spot, and it puts everyone else out of commission until you land their fish. This caused tempers to flare on crowded rivers.

You have little or no hook "setting" power with a noodle rod. It's more of a lean and lift, as it takes these rods a while to "load up". Same thing with casting them. Casting is more of a sweeping motion, if you want to get more distance. The fish get beat up by fighting against a rod with virtually no bottom to it.

I don't think you will ever get a heavy hook to drive in to a salmons mouth using a noodle rod on a consistent basis. It just isn't set up to work this way. The other thing is, if fishing warm water, you can count on killing most of the fish you hook and land. They have their place, and I enjoy using them in extremely cold water temps (39 F or less) for winter float fishing steelies with crappie jigs and waxies on 4 pound test. They are really nice for fishing ice cold frog water. Makes the fish fight a little better in icy cold water, and I think the mortality thing is OK when the water is this cold.

I have two of them in the closet that get used about twice a year. Good luck, and hope you have better luck with your noodle rod on salmon than I have.

Hawk

You use crappie jigs for steelhead? Are they the rubber bodied ones or the marabou ones?

Use a 10'6" Fenwick rate 2-10 LB. most of the time. And have found if you have any slack in your line you don't get a good set let the fish pull until the guy next to you see it hit. Then let it rip I have never snaped a leader on the hook set. So don't baby it.

I would say when you detect a take...reel like hell until your line gets taut...then slap your a** with the tip!

FJ...out.

I have fished noodle rods for a good ten years now,my first being a browning 10'6".You have to be ready for the hook set at all times.Your rod has to be as low as you can work it and still detect the strike,pick up whatever.You have to give that rod all the arc or swing you can.There is no reel trick to it,they are very limber rods and you have to exagerate your hook set with them,especialy with kings.Match the pole with the fastest retreive you can,no less than 5/1.

When it comes to barbless hook fishing they are your best friend.The limberness makes it reel hard for a fish to get the slack to slip the hook.I broke that browning a few years back and immediatly started loseing fish with an 8'6".I fish kings early in the morning before they hit the depths and are feeding in 30' of water.they would jump and shake my hooks with the short rod.

When running cut plug with one you get the time to let the fish chomp on the bait so do not be afraid to,like FJ said ,and reel down then give the fish the almighty KAWACKA.The salmon seem to chew a little longer with the soft rods.

Akings; 48lbs out of the Iverson hole on a cut plug.The rod was over strung with kevlar though.I did beach it in a good twenty minute fight though.I would be afraid to tangle with one that had a 100'+ under it though.

Don't give up I will never trade my long rod..

hey thanks for the tips, i really like the rod and i'm planning on fishing it for the rest of the season so i can get used to it. I'll post a pic of the first big'un i get on it

Cool responses. This thread could have gone two ways and I think it was great that people cared
enough to help out. That is what makes this a great board.

Spokey,

I'd echo Hawk on his advice to use very, very fine wire hooks. Heavy hooks have no chance of getting very deep...

Also, if freespooling cut plugs, I'd close the bail and reel until there's a pretty healthy bend in the rod and then smack it.

Fish on...

Todd.

P.S. Hawk, gonna see you out this fall again?

Hey Lead Thrower: I use the rubber bodies with the little tentacles off the back end. 1/16th ounce and 1/32nd ounce heads tipped with a pearl white or hot pink body. You can also tip the jigs with wax worms or a tentacle of squid. Those super cold water fish just love that tiny stuff.

Todd: Plan on coming out about the same time as last year, but maybe a week later. Only thing that will keep me from coming, is if I get drawn for a mosse liscense. It's a one liscense in a lifetime deal, so I have to make hay if I get drawn. Odds are skinny. 208 liscenses with just under 6000 guys applying. If I don't get drawn for a moose liscense, I'll be standing on my favorite rock whackin those silvers again.

I heard rumors that you guys are expecting another bumper run of silvers. In a way, I hope I don't get drawn for moose, as my plans are to fish for 9 days this time. That would sure beat the hell out of draggin a 1000 pound moose out of a mosquito and leech infested bog in Northern Minnesota. Take care, and I'll post some Alaska pics in a couple of weeks. 4 of us are heading up to fish with Bob, Mike, Todd, and Corey. I'll let you know how the flippin showdown with Corey turns out.

Hawk

Thanks much will keep that in mind this winter.

Hawk,

I guess it's a win-win situation for you, eh?

If you're going to be out for nine days this time we'll have to get out for more than just a buttload of hatchery silvers.

Maybe some hog fall kings?

How about fishing about an hour from where we did last fall, less silvers but large amounts of fall summer runs, too?

Big dollies? Early winter runs?

It's tough to beat the middle of October for not knowing what's chewing on your bait until you see the flash!!

Fish on...

Todd.

Count me in. Chuck will be coming with me again. And yes, he is still as ugly as he was last year. If he wasn't such a fish catchin fool, I would divorce him.

Like you said, the moose/fishin thing is an absolute win/win scenario. I would be up for some hog Kings. I was thinking about headin North of where we were last year, and go for some of those kings that Robbo toys around with.

I'll find out by the end of the month, if I get drawn for a moose tag. If not, I'll shoot you an e-mail, and maybe we can hook up on some bang maggot fishin.

You may also consider trying power pro or fireline in the 10 to 14lb range. The small diameter allows you to cast light bait a heck of a lot farther than mono of similar lb rating. You will also not have to deal with the line stretching so much. With a noodle rod, you have so much give in the rod, and with a lot of mono in the water, you have a lot of stretch in the line to deal with. Makes hooks sets nasty as you've seen.

Sharp, thin, barbless hooks, a long leader and good knots, and use a long sweeping hook set. And if you are catching the fresh salt water salmon to eat, and the beach is not crowded - who cares how long it takes to land. Just have fun with the challenge!

Good luck!