What would you prefer in a drift fishing rod for steel head as far as action is concerned fast or extra fast?

Gaston,
For this application - neither.
I would much prefer a moderate action. It is really nice to have the entire upper half of the rod bend when you get a hit. It gives the fisherperson more response time. It also lets the fisherman use lighter line without as much chance of breaking the line.

Take care
Roger

I totally agree with Roger, but it depends on the type of drift fishing you are doing. You can drift pulling plugs, you can drift casting eggs and drift with spin bobbers or any other means. The rod you use should be suited to which ever method you use. Plugs should have a faster tip, eggs should be moderate as well as spin bobbers. My plug rod is pretty fast tipped, and I caught a 20# steelhead on it while the boat was tied to a tree and we were eating lunch. I just let the plug play in the water about 30 feet behind the boat while having a sandwich. Fun!!!

I usually drift cookies or yarn balls

Batson IST 1024F works really well drifting plugs.

I used to live in WA state and fish the Sol Duc on the Olympic Peninsula and I used a Loomis GL3 blank in 9'6" length that had a Moderate Fast Action. I think if you're drifting corkies w/roe or shrimp, you'll be better suited with a Moderate to Fast action blank. I definately would shy away from an extra fast action blank - personally.

So, everyone has their personal favorites, and we are in danger of augering in to the action vs sensitivity argument.

I think you are after the more sensitive rod, if you are drifting corkies and bait. These tend to be more on the fast side than moderate so let's start there. Those terms are pretty subjective, especially going from one line of blanks to another.

I'll give you a couple of good drift rod blanks I've built for customers that they like:
Rainshadow XST 1084 or XST 1085, depending on the line rating and line weight you are after.
The Rainshadow IST 1084/85's are a little softer, more moderate, and in my opinion a little less sensitive but are nice rods.
Lamiglas XMG 1102/1122, again depending on the weight range you are after. Fast and also very sensitive.
North Fork Composites ST962X2HM spendy, but a great blank, fast and very sensitive.

I live in Oregon, fish for steelhead both with drift rods like you describe, and fly fish as well. I've built many drift rods for customers and these blanks meet the need for this application. Most fall into the 8-12 or 8-17 line rating range, have a light fast tip and transmit the bottom bounce information very well. Of course this is all affected by how you build the grip and reel seat. It's usually desirable to use a blank-exposed reel seat with a trigger on these rods to gain the best transmission of vibration from the bait to your hand.

Hope this helps.

Terry

Thanks terry.just the response I was looking for

For steelhead drift fishing you want a moderate or slow action rod. The primary reason is for presentation. If you cast your pencil lead, swivel, corky and hook with a fast action rod, more of your casts will end up in a pile. Fouled gear doesn't catch fish. A moderate action allows a sweep cast which delivers the bait softly with fewer tangles. When fishing roe, sand shrimp or crawdad tails, a moderate action is a must. The sweep cast will keep the bait on the hook instead of on the bank behind you. Each major steelhead player will have moderate drift rod blanks (St. Croix, Lamiglas, G.Loomis, Talon and of course, the company I'm partial to, North Fork Composites). Even Chinese made blanks come in moderate action and are imported by some sponsors on this board. Plenty of moderate action rod blanks to chose from.

To choose a good blank, start with the amount of test and lure rating you are going to fish. Then look at length. That will narrow your choices down considerably. Your next consideration when comparing like blanks is sensitivity. Sensitivity is a little bit subjective. We're working on a way to objectively measure sensitivity, but it's a ways off. A critical component of sensitivity is weight. Weight is a deterrent to performance. So, choose the lightest blank that fits your choices. Remember that not all weight is equal. Weight in the tip will result in a poor fishing tool. If two blanks weigh the same, but the tip section in one is heavier than the other, choose the lighter tip.

On your build, make your guide train as small as possible and use as little thread and epoxy as possible, especially with those guides at the tip of the rod.

Best of luck and call us if you want to talk blanks,

Jon

X10 Jon

Roger

Good discussion. As I said, everyone has their own preferences.

The anglers I've built drift rods for, are pretty good casters, and have managed the action of a faster rod so this action is preferred, again for sensitivity. It's very important to pick a blank that will be properly loaded for the weight you will likely be using. A moderate action rod will be more forgiving from a casting perspective as Jon and Roger point out. You may find the softer rod a little less sensitive with respect to picking up bites and the bottom, but that is something to try out for yourself.

I listed the RX7 blank from Batsons as a choice for this reason. It's a more moderate action and is a good cross between castability, and sensitivity. Probably the best drift blank I've built was on the Sage 8 1/2' steelhead blank. I don't think it's offered anymore but you may still be able to find some around. Almost a perfect combination of all the above factors.

I suggest you build one of each and see which one fits your style. :-) If you are just getting started, I would lean more toward a moderate blank than a faster one. They will also be less expensive than the high end fast blanks.

Thanks Jon and Roger for adding your perspectives.

Terry

Thank you all for the tips and suggestions. I'm not new to the fishing game but as far as building I am and there is such a vast amount of blanks available I was a little lost.