tackle info request

Just looking for some tackle advice before my trip. I purchased a salmon/steelhead spinning rod/reel combo from the fishusa site (Eagle Claw Granger GRX 8'6" rod with an Okuma Safina Pro SPa-50 reel). Looks like a decent outfit for the money.
 
The reel holds 300 yds of 12lb test line. Just wondering if that will be heavy enough to land a salmon should I be fortunate to hook up with one. Looking at getting the P-Line Floroclear line from basspro. It's a flourocarbon line so thought it might help get more hits and the line has great reviews. I can get it in a 15lb test as well and guess that the spool would probably hold 200-250 yds of 15lb test.
 
Would the 12lb be strong enough or should I go with 15lb but lose some yardage on the spool? Don't want to break off a fish, but don't want to get spooled either. Will probably fish some of the other creeks besides the Salmon River if that makes any difference.
 
Any bait suggestions? I live in Knoxville and fish the Clinch river for trout down here. Have found nightcrawlers to be most effective bait here. If they won't hit them, they won't hit much of anything. I suppose the crawlers would work for steelies, but not sure about the salmon.
 
Finally, my buddy I'm staying with has a fish cabin on North Sandy Pond (he lives in Knoxville too, but goes up a couple months per yr). Planning on bringing my kayak up and fishing the pond a little as well. Just wondered if that would be a worthwhile endeavor and what to expect to catch in the pond this time of year. Any fishing suggestions for the pond would be appreciated as well. Went up in March and we did some pike fishing, but I was about a week too late for the really good action. Still a great trip though. Fished the Salmon in a few spots as well. Nice river.
 
Thanks in advance for any advice/suggestions!
 
 

Thanks for the info and quick reply. The reel comes bare, so I will need to spool it. The P-line is not 100% flouro so it isn't as expensive (600yds for $15.00). Good point though about using a weaker test line as a leader. Would 10lb line for the leader be strong enough? Will prob just spool the reel with the 12lb P-line as it has good reviews for the line, if the 10lb would work as leader. Will just buy a small spool of 10lb and be able to make plenty of leaders from it. Also it is acceptable to drop a short line from the barrel swivel and add splitshot to that isn't it? (as long as it doesn't hang below the hook is my understanding) Just think that way the weight would break off or slip off if hung in the rocks without losing the rest of the rig.
 
One other question: concerning the yak. You said, "I'd strap the yak if I was you". Did you mean "scrap"? If not, what do you mean by "strap the yak"? Nothing registering with my brain on that at the moment.

What does it say on the rod blank just above the handle for line test?

Good advise.  If you want the chance to catch steelhead or browns, then you should rig for trout, as mentioned above.6-8# leader probably, depending on the water conditions.  You are not going to stop a king, at least not a fairly fresh one, with anything less than 20# test or more.  Sometimes they decide to play nice and stay in the same hole you are fishing, sometimes you can follow them downstream.  If a decent sized, fresh king wants to go, and you can't follow it, just break it off and try for the next one.  If you fish a rig that can better handle a king, it will be hard to get the trout to take.  Your rod is similar to the one I usually use.

I use 10 lb in the winter and spring for steel but cant seem to stop breaking it on Kings. I'm up to 15 or even 17 the rare times I go back to a spinning rod for the big guys.

Rod maker is telling you that its tip is not designed to protect anything less than 10 pound test. That will be in your hands.

For Salmon I have had good luck with size 6 and 8.  For steelhead size 10 and 12.  I mostly use flies tied on the scud style hooks. 

#2 4 6 . I fish bigger stuff. It don't sneak up on any of them. Salmon or steel when they are aggressive, and thats the ones I'm after, they take big stuff greadily.
I would go the 15-12 or 10 # test route myself.

Tell us how that thinner diameter holds up to abrasions.
Best of luck

Again guys, thanks for all the great feedback! Gives me some things to think about and consider.
 
I will definitely report on the Tectan line when I return. The big attraction was getting 18.9lb line at a 12lb line diameter. I would think that the line would hold up to abrasion at least as well as 12lb line anyway. The reviews for the line were all very positive, so we'll see (check them out on the fishusa.com online store site). I plan on fishing for the full 7 days, so if the line doesn't meet expectations on day one, I'll have something else spooled up for day two - perhaps one of the suggestions above. My hope is the line will be great as advertised, since I plan on using the 3 or 5 lb test on my ultralight rigs I use here on the Clinch for trout. The water is really clear and I think this smaller diameter line could be a great benefit - especially in the quest for some of the larger/smarter 20"+ fish. Again, I'll report once I know something.
 
Counting the days down. Will hopefully have some pics of some nice fish to post upon my return.
 
Thanks again guys for all the suggestions and tips. If you think of anything else that might be helpful, pass it along. It would be appreciated.

Wader had a great point with line class rating printed on rod. Just some food for thought here. I ha ve a 13 ft. G loomis spinning rod that is rated for 6-10 lb line. But I have gone down to 3 lb. At times and have handled fish just fine. So experiment to find what works best for you. Printed line class rating isn't always exact.
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