Shown on the right in this photo is the new Soron STX 40 spinning reel from Abu Garcia. It is the first spinning reel, or any reel for that matter, that has been specifically designed for fishing super lines. It is an ideal piece of gear for float fishing for steelhead, as shown in the photo, which was taken recently on the upper Columbia River. The Soron has some excellent features, like a silk smooth drag, which was a real blessing when landing the fish shown above and others taken from my Lund recently. The Soron drag is the sealed Carbon Matrix, and you won’t find a better one on any reel. The X-Crattic alloy frame and side plate are something that I haven’t seen (or felt) before. The spool is dual bearing supported and the retrieve (5.1:1) is effortless, as there are 11 bearings at work, and it has instant anti-reverse. The main shaft and other hardware are stainless steel, complimented by Durogear gears and the Everlast bail system. All the features I have mentioned are way over the top compared to other spinning reels I have owned, but here’s the kicker: the spool is specifically designed for the spooling and capacity of required of today’s super lines, which is what most serious bobber and jig anglers use. There is a pair of O rings on the spool with make loading the reel with super line easy—and it won’t slip! No more backing your reel with mono to prevent the super line from slipping around the reel spool. Put all this together and it means that there is just one reel to buy if you are serious about fishing for steelhead with a bobber and jig. I really love mine and so do the people that have used it to catch steelhead with me.
I also wanted to give you some additional information about bobber and jig fishing, since we’re on the topic. From Buzz Ramsey at Berkley is another in his series of Reports, and this one is on “Float Fishing Steelhead”. You’ll find this report loaded with great tips and tackle suggestions. I really like these Reports from Buzz. I always find something that I can apply to my fishing and they are a life saver for the beginning angler.
Click here to download Page 1 of this report.
Click here to download Page 2 of this report.