Having not been salmon fishing in a year, I think I may have forgotten their power. Hooked one drifting eggs today, probably would have gone 30lbs+. Fought it for a good 10mins before the hook popped out. It almost spooled me twice, even with almost 200 yds of line on the reel. What a fish. I also saw a couple other fish, but the bite was pretty bad because of a big rain we just had. The water was like chocolate milk, and the river was roaring. I was using a 3000 sized spinning reel, a 6'6'' medium spinning rod and 12lb 832. 20lb braid and a 9' rod next time...

I lost 30lber too a few weeks ago! Thrashed in the shallows wraping up my line in the tip and broke my rod! My 10 6' is now just a 10'   What streams are you fishing?

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Having not been salmon fishing in a year, I think I may have forgotten their power. Hooked one drifting eggs today, probably would have gone 30lbs+. Fought it for a good 10mins before the hook popped out. It almost spooled me twice, even with almost 200 yds of line on the reel. What a fish. I also saw a couple other fish, but the bite was pretty bad because of a big rain we just had. The water was like chocolate milk, and the river was roaring. I was using a 3000 sized spinning reel, a 6'6'' medium spinning rod and 12lb 832. 20lb braid and a 9' rod next time...

Despite what the spool says, a 3000 reel (at least shimanos) in no way shape or form will hold almost 200 yards of 12lb braid. I use 10lb braid on my sahara 3000 and I can barely fit 150yds on it. But still any fish that can pull that much line is a beast, no salmonid in Virginia is capable of that!

3000 size Daiwa Ballistic will hold 200 yards of 12lb braid without backing.