New Fishing Reels and Rods for Fishing in Alaska in 2016 

Eagle Claw Wright & McGill Salmon Rods
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Including 14 technique-specific rods, this new lineup was developed to function perfectly using today’s most popular angling methods, providing both performance and affordability. 

Cousins Columbia Composite Series CC 1054 TG Salmon Rod
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The Columbia Composite Series rods from Cousins Tackle include nine new rod models engineered specifically for “rod holder” Northwest salmon and steelhead fishing techniques. With perfectly designed actions for trolling baits and spinners, wobbler fishing, fishing off a downrigger or anchor fishing with plugs, these rods will cover all your salmon bases for that next great Alaska trip. We are suggesting the CC 1054 TG salmon rod as an ideal first choice.

Daiwa Aird-X Rods
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Daiwa’s sensitive, strong Aird-X line of  rods are made from a high-quality graphite material that’s combined with “Braiding-X” construction to reinforce the blank and reduce blank twist, making them a solid choice for long, rod-bending days on the hottest salmon holes.

Ugly Stik Tiger Jigging Rodsugly_stik_tiger_jigging_rods.jpg
Ugly Stik Tiger Lite jigging rods are versatile rods that can be used across many species from coast to coast. The famous Ugly Stik construction gives these rods an advantage for fighting trophy-sized fish.

Scott Meridian Fly Rods
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The all-new Meridian saltwater rods were built with Scott’s award-winning ReAct technology to create a series of rods that are remarkably light, while still generating exceptional line speed and power. Though designed for the salt, these rods would be at home in many of Alaska’s big-water river settings, powering large flies to chrome kings or hefty fall rainbows.

Okuma Guide Select Classic Salmon Rods
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Okuma’s high-power Guide Select Classic Salmon Rods promise to be exceptionally durable rods and match perfectly to all of Alaska’s river back-trolling and open-water trolling techniques. Small-diameter, high-strength carbon composite blanks excel in herring trolling, plug fishing and diver/bait applications, while precise actions allow striking fish to gain a solid hold of bait or lures and turn their head before coming up against a powerful butt section that drives hooks home. Five models are offered in lengths from 9- to 10.5 feet.

St. Croix Legend Elite Rods
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Completely redesigned for 2016, the flagship St. Croix Legend Elite series rods features 57 spinning and casting models, including 19 rods constructed particularly for salmon and steelhead applications—all with dramatically improved balance and unprecedented sensitivity. Legend Elite blanks are engineered with St. Croix’s exclusive Integrated Poly Curve tooling technology and their new Taper Enhancement Technology that provides unique, computer designed-and-cut patterns for improved actions and increased sensitivity.

ECHO Base Fly Rods
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The new Base fly rods from Echo are an outstanding entry-level rod, utilizing the latest materials and technology to produce quality and performance for one of the most affordable price-points around. Checking in at under $100 per rod, these four-piece, medium-action rods are exactly what you need to get into the sport, or as a backup to your regular stick.

Islander Precision Reels MR2LA Mooching Reel
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The MR2LA is the newest edition to the Islander lineup, and the single-action, direct-drive reel relies upon the framework of the MR2 and its free-spool capabilities but it also incorporates a large arbor like the MR3. With this large arbor comes the space for a larger sculpted drag knob that allows for easier drag adjustment. Like all of Islander’s mooching reels, the MR2LA is built for harsh saltwater conditions. 

PENN Warfare Level-wind Reel
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The PENN Warfare level-wind reel was engineered to be an extremely versatile all-around reel at an affordable price. It features a lightweight graphite frame and side-plates with aluminum frame rings for improved rigidity to prevent frame-flex. HT-100 drag washers provide smooth drag under heavy loads, and line capacity rings eliminate the question of how much line you have left when fighting a fish. 

KastKing Royale Legend Baitcasting Reel RS1000H
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This low-profile bait-caster offers a precision gear structure, 11 + 1 shielded stainless-steel bearings, a forged aluminum spool and a smooth carbon-fiber drag. Available in left- or right-handed models with twin EVA grips, this could be your Alaska go-to bait-caster for either salt- or freshwater applications.


Ross Cimarron II Reels
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Setting the standard for affordable large-arbor fly reels, the Cimarron II incorporates a superior drag mechanism that is extraordinarily smooth, heat resistant and provides incredible stopping power, having been upgraded with new composite materials and stainless steel components that result in over twice the drag strength of its predecessor, the CLA. The series is fully machined out of a proprietary aluminum alloy, fully anodized for protection and built to take the type of abuse Alaska’s fisheries are known to dish out.  

Redington Behemoth Fly Reels
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The new Behemoth reels combine a powerful drag with a unique die-cast construction and a durable, interlocking, large-arbor spool design that both looks and functions like a premium reel. Sized from trout and grayling 5-weights up to saltwater- or king salmon-ready big-game sizes, this series offers both performance and affordability to beginners and Alaska veterans alike.