anyone centerpin in AK?

[Adam Gibbs]

just getting into pinning, and wondering if anyone on here does it? whats your setups, and what kind of water do you fish? thanks. adam

[DRIFTER_016]

When I first visited Alaska in 2003 there was no one running a center pin except me. :cool: Since then the number of pinners increases every year.
Last fall I saw probably 20 pinners in my time there. There are several places in South Central Alaska to buy pinning equipment and supplies including Mountainview Sports and World Wide Angler in Anchorage. Billy and Dusty at Alaska Troutfitters in Cooper Landing (I heard they bought a new place and am not sure if it is using the same name or not) also carry CP gear. Rigging for the most part is no different than in Michigan except that for the most part the baits are beads or flies. Roe is used when permitted for salmon. It is a very productive technique there and most of my fishing is done with a pin. I do bust out the bottom bouncing, spinning and fly gear as well.

[yukon]

Dan Hardy on the Kenai does.

[Adam Gibbs]

what species do you pin for? i imagine kings would almost be too much, but im not sure. i would think my loomis 1601 would be good for anything up there expcept kings. am i right?

[DRIFTER_016]

what species do you pin for? i imagine kings would almost be too much, but im not sure. i would think my loomis 1601 would be good for anything up there expcept kings. am i right?

Yep, you would be correct.
I was using a 15' Raven IM8 to catch silvers to 17#'s in the Kenai last September. I have inadvertantly hooked several kings over the years and just pop the leader right away. It's something to see when a 60 or 70 pound king comes out of the water on the hookset though!!! :eek:
I took some video of my friend fighting one on the Middle Kenai last year that was 60 pounds or so. I really need to edit that footage down. :rolleyes:


FYI for most of my fishing there I use 6 and 8 pound Maxima Ultragreen leaders and floats that are 15 or 20 grams. My mainline is 12# Raven.
I will say that when a big bow or silver gets out in the current it is pretty darn hard landing them on light tackle. I think the best rod for the bigger fish and bigger waters would be a Sage Z Axis 7 wt spey conversion. You can run 15 or 20 pound mainline and 10 or 12 pound leaders. If you're catching smaller trout and dollies it's a little overkill though. Another friend of mine has a 9-10 wt GLX spet conversion that handles very nicely and is quite light. I'm waiting for the day he wants to sell it.............he's always buying and selling his gear.

[Adam Gibbs]

i was up in sitka this summer. not too much in the way of fishing, except we were catching dollys everyday at the mouth of a river. i didnt have a pin at the time, but looking back, i wish i did. that would have been a riot.

some guys here will pin for kings, but ours only get 25-30 pounds max. also, you will sometimes get a spring king in april and may while steelhead fishing, but they are full of fight, and usually break off right away.

my mainline is 12 pound siglon and i run leaders anywhere from 4-10 pound depending on the water im fishing. that will usually handle anything that michigan offers.

post up some pics of your centerpin fish, if you would like. love to see them alaska pictures. thanks adam

[DRIFTER_016]

Ok, here's a couple for ya.












Those should keep you going for a while.

[ak_powder_monkey]

the folks at WWA in Anchorage are pretty devoted to pinning.

I think you should be real careful when C&R fishing for trout with those, especially if you are doing 100 foot drifts or something, long lines and lack of drag cannot be good for landing fish efficently. I'm sure others will argue that but its just me $.02

[alaskachuck]

I got to watch ole Drifter work his centerpin last year. 1st time I had ever seen it and pretty impressive. Man talk about a drift for sure. I also did see him get the spinning gear out too

Now if I could only get him to light the lantern

[DRIFTER_016]

I got to watch ole Drifter work his centerpin last year. 1st time I had ever seen it and pretty impressive. Man talk about a drift for sure. I also did see him get the spinning gear out too

Now if I could only get him to light the lantern

I guess you had your eyes shut the day I was swinging leaches. :rolleyes:

I'm not getting any where near that lantern of DEATH!!!!!!!!

[MRFISH]

gotta ask...

okay...so as I was reading this thread, I kept hoping someone would ask or explain it more...but to no avail. What is pinning/center pinning? Thanks.

[JohnSWA]

C'mon Dave! Break out the videos!!!!

[alaskachuck]

Well it is a type if flyrod fishing. It is a reel that is so smooth that you can let the current take your indicator and it will just spool out with no resistance. Just a long natural drift for as much line as you have. One of the smoothest things made. Drifter can give you all the details. He uses a big old honking rod and can toss the inital cast out anywhere. Then it just drifts and drifts. no striping not nothing. They are not cheap though. I had never seen it untill last fall and it is quite impressive.

[kgpcr]

What is the difference between a fly reel and a pinner??

[alaskachuck]

If you pull on the line on your fly reel it will stop from your drag. If you pull on the line on a centerpin it goes and goes and goes. It is so balanced. Drifter chime in on this. Your the expert i have just watched.