I have a chance to buy a Ross Gunnison G5 reel from a buddy in another city. I want to use it on a 9ft 9wt rod for steelhead/salmon, but I am worried it might be a little big. I would appreciate any advice on this. Thanks
regards Mike
Mike,
I have a G2 that I used happily on 5 to 8 wts…IMHO I would consider it a little big…but I like smaller light reels…maybe others will weigh in…
My G-4 has landed bunches and bunches of reds, up to about 14 lb.s without any problems at all.
I LOVE THAT G-4!!
I have Ross Gunnisons in 1,2,3, and 5. The Gunnison is a standard arbor reel with the following rcommendations from Ross, I think.
G1 3 inches 3,4,5 wt. lines
G2 3.25 inches 4,5,6 wt. lines
G3 3.5 inches 5,6,7 wt. lines
G4 3.75 inches 7,8,9 wt. lines
G5 4 inches 8,9,10 wt. lines
Ross is very conservative on it’s backing ratings so you can go with a smaller reel.
I use my G5 on a 9’ 10 wt. Scott A2 and it’s a great fit. I have an SA Mastery Steelhead taper WF-10-F with 200 yds of 30 lb. micron on it with no problem and a 10 ft. Type III sink tip with the same backing on a spare spool.
The G4 (for 7,8,9 lines, I think) would probably be a better fit for your 9 wt. but the G5 would be fine too as long as your rod is not extremely light. If your rod is a 9wt. Winston BIIx, not so good!
Ricinus,
A G5 with a 9 wt is going to get a little heavy at the end of the day. I usually fish 6 and 4 lb leaders on steelhead so that big of rod wouldn’t help me a lot. I have caught a ton of steelhead on a cabelas 9.5 foot 7 wt with a G-3. I will also use an anti-reverse Billy Pate on an Orvis 10 foot 8 weight if I don’t have to fish for 12 hours on a guide trip. But then, I fish in smaller rivers so if you are casting 80-90 feet in big western rivers you may need a bigger rod. I also have a 6 wt with a ross evolution which I dearly love. Be careful though, Ross changed its Gunison design maybe 8 years ago and the new spools don’t fit the old reels. Contact info@rossreels.com and they can help you out with that.
Bob Bolton
Thanks for all the replies. I think a G4 would be a better match, but considering that a G5 is only .4 oz heavier and 1/4 in larger in diameter, I think I might go for it. This is one of those trades between fishing partners that involves very little money but lots of equipment :lol:
Regards Mike