Rods and reels

[ronaultmtd]

Fishing from a kayak is different from any other kind of fishing- most boat rods are shorter than rods used on shore and piers. Not so for kayaks- I have bought two new rods to be especially longer than the ones I had been using- one is a Blair Wiggins Blue flats rod (7'10") and the other is a Skeet Reese Magnum crankbait rod (7'10"). I have Abu Ambassaduers on both rods- a 4600C3 with 30 pound PowerPro and Revo SXHS with 20 pound PowerPro...the rods are bright colors- one blue, the other yellow. The Revo is a high speed model,7-1 ratio, to work frogs and burn surface lures for Snakeheads.

The rods are built using the S glas composite Wright and McGill blanks that are lighter yet tougher than regular carbon rods as it uses a layer of Fiberglas between two sandwiches of carbon materials. The 7'10" length allows you to reach around the bow when a hooked fish circles the yak. The action is medium fast tip with lots of stiffness in the butt section- another plus-should be a good rod for deep jigging bigger baits, too. Premium Fuji guides and reel seats makes for a durable product at a moderate price- $100 rod...

[DOGFISH]

I am going through that same thing with the longer rods. I have several longer blanks to be built for the kayak. However, with that said, one of my favorite rods is a 5'4" Loomis blank that I built several years ago. It is a fun rod to fish with. When I get some time, I'll build up the five or so long rods that I have sitting in the garage. The problem is, there is so much other fishing and kayak stuff in the garage, blocking the work bench. As of recently, I have been using St.Croix blanks. In the past I have used alot of Lamiglass and Loomis blanks.

Anyone looking for rods that cover wide range, don't over look the newer Shimano rods in the 7' range. They are super light and have a wide range of line weights. They are expensive, but I have not seen any other rods with such a line range. If I didn't build my own rods, I would be looking at those.

[Pinch]

I carry 3 rods, a 6'6'' MH stellalite 5/8-2oz rated paired with a Shimano Curado 201e7 baitcaster. The next rod is a 7' MH contour Rod 1/2-1 1/2oz rated paired with another shimano curado 201e7. The final rod is a Penn spinning rod MH 1/4-1 1/4oz rated with a penn reel. All are spooled with 20lb white powerpro.

[ronaultmtd]

I wanted 8 foot long rods, but settled for the one piece Wright and McGill S-Glas 7'10" rods because of their action- nice and stiff but with fairly soft tip action- the blanks load quickly and the butt section barely bends at all- plus they cast the unweighted Zoom Fluke lures a country mile-

[Grady-Black]

Longer rods are good for fighting fish around the bow but the longer handles on them are a pain, especially if you keep your paddle in your lap while fishing.

I know! I know! Buy a Hobie! Lol!

GB

[ronaultmtd]

The peddling and hands free casting definitely gives Hobie owners an edge, but when you look at the pure salt water fishermen who you see in the DVDs like Kayak Kevin and Jim Sammons, they fish out of paddle yaks- I know they are factory sponsored, but don't you think the top guys could be sponsored by just about any company they wanted?

But back to the thread- longer rods don't necessarily have to have extra long handles- my one piece Skeet Reese 7'10" rod has a fairly short handle and is easy to cast out of my kayak- the purpose built rods are the way to go. I went with a magnum crank bait model for my Revo SXHS- figure that a 1/2 Oz. Chatter bait ripped across the top of Matawoman creek's weed beds might be one bad Jose for Mr. Snakehead...

[Memory Maker]

The peddling and hands free casting definitely gives Hobie owners an edge, but when you look at the pure salt water fishermen who you see in the DVDs like Kayak Kevin and Jim Sammons, they fish out of paddle yaks- I know they are factory sponsored, but don't you think the top guys could be sponsored by just about any company they wanted?

But back to the thread- longer rods don't necessarily have to have extra long handles- my one piece Skeet Reese 7'10" rod has a fairly short handle and is easy to cast out of my kayak- the purpose built rods are the way to go. I went with a magnum crank bait model for my Revo SXHS- figure that a 1/2 Oz. Chatter bait ripped across the top of Matawoman creek's weed beds might be one bad Jose for Mr. Snakehead...

Tell me ........... who does Hobie sponsor with any of their products ......... they make high quality products and sell surf boards, sail boats and kayaks on their reputation .......... Hank Parker is the only 1 I've ever heard of ......... It was my understanding that Hank liked the Mirage drive sooo much that he approached them to promote it .......

As someone once said ......... there are 2 types of kayakers ........ those that have Hobies and those that wish they had Hobies ............

Ever heard of someone selling a Hobie to buy an Ocean Kayak ? ......... How many here have sold other yaks and bought a Hobie .........

[mmanolis2001]

I prefer rods no more than 7ft in length for my kayak. It is already hard for me to boat fish without high sticking the blank and 7ft seems to allow me to easily handle fish at the boat.

Since i build all my rods i can adjust the layouts and handle lengths to make them more comfortable. I have found 11" to 12" rear grips on casting rods to work best for me. Short enough to get past my belly and vest and long enough to place the butt under my leg and tip over the rail.

My current kayak setups are as follows.

UL spinning
St Croix SCII blank 6ft - 2lb to 6lb, American Tackle titan guides, Cork tennessee handle. Reel is a Symetre 1000 spooled with 8lb Power Pro.

Lite casting
Mud hole IM6 CRB blank 7ft - 8lb to 12lb, American tackle guides, Eva split grips and Fuji reel seat. Reel is a Cardiff 100A and its spooled with 20lb Power Pro.

Med Casting
Mud hole IM6 CRB blank 7ft - 12lb to 20lb, American tackle guides, Eva split grips and Fuji reel seat. Reel is a Cardiff 201A and its spooled with 20lb Power Pro.

Med Trolling - Live Bait
Cascade Composites Musky Blank 7ft - 15lb to 30lb, American Tackle Ring Lock Guides, EVA grips and American tackle reel seat. Reel is a Avet SX spooled with 30lb Power Pro.

Med/Hvy Trolling - Kipto Wench
Seeker Hercules Inshore Lite 7ft - 15lb to 30lb, American Tackle Ring Lock Guides, EVA grips and American tackle reel seat. Reel is a Tyrnos 10 (2 speed) spooled with 50lb Power Pro.

still need to build a nice jigging blank for the bridge and a lite spinning outfit for fresh water trips.

[CB kayak 02]

Tell me ........... who does Hobie sponsor with any of their products ......... they make high quality products and sell surf boards, sail boats and kayaks on their reputation .......... Hank Parker is the only 1 I've ever heard of ......... It was my understanding that Hank liked the Mirage drive sooo much that he approached them to promote it .......

As someone once said ......... there are 2 types of kayakers ........ those that have Hobies and those that wish they had Hobies ............

Ever heard of someone selling a Hobie to buy an Ocean Kayak ? ......... How many here have sold other yaks and bought a Hobie .........

http://www.hobiecat.com/fishing/team...s/ambassadors/

They sponsor a lot of people!

[Memory Maker]

Well ........ then I stand corrected ............

but I still don't know of anyone that's traded an Hobie for another yak ....... suppose they are out there ....... just never saw 1

but I've seen a ton trade other Yaks for a Hobie

[Grady-Black]

You Guys drinking Isopropanol again! Lol!

[Redfish12]

Memory, people trade them all the time. Ever try launching a Hobie in the surf? More specifically a PA? Not easy... OK's and other paddle yaks really shine in those environments. Look at the La Jolla guys, lots of OK's, Malibu's, and Cobra's. There are some Hobies there but it's mostly a calm day or launch from a marina/harbor type thing. If you really want to check it out, look at the South African yaks, they are intense!

There is no world's best kayak that excels in every situation. There are, however, tons kayaks that work great in some situations.

As for rods, I like the 7ft'rs. Long enough to cast far, apply leverage, and get around the bow but I am still able to get a fish in without high sticking. Here's my short list and mind you I've spent way too much money the past few years on rods!

Jigging- Carrot Stick Pro Guide 7ft rated to an oz with a Revo inshore and 15 or 20lb powerpro is my go to

Light/medium spinning - 7th St Croix premier medium power fast action (great for light plastics and plugs) with a Penn Sargus 2000 and 10lb braid

Light spinning- Ugly Stik Lite 5'6" 2-8lb and okuma avenger 2000 with 8lb braid

Medium casting- snakehead stick- Ugly Stik Inshore Select medium power moderate action with a quantum accurist 501 or Cardiff 101 and 15lb braid. It is a fun rod.

Medium trolling/light heavy- Bass Pro Shops Graphite series Musky rod 7ft MH 15-30lb and a Shimano Cardiff 401a with 40lb braid

Heavy Stuff- Shimano Teramar XH 1-4oz 7ft with a Newell 220 and 40lb braid. Come on kipto!!!

[toadfinger]

I've had many light spinning rods over the last 10 years, including some nice St. Croix & Terramar's. Believe it or not, but my preference is the BPS Bionic Blade rod, which retail for about $75 but frequently go on sale for $50. The butts are relatively short, they have great sensitivity for jigging (7' medium or medium heavy weight), lots of backbone and don't break your heart when they sink out of sight or go snap. They are surprisingly tough- I've harpooned docks and pilings with these and they've held up where the St. Croix & Terramar's break like a piece of chalk.

My favorite reel is the Shimano Stradic 2500, which is a nice light weight reel with a great drag system. Mine are all 4 yrs old or older so I expect to have to replace them in the next year or two. I'm not willing to pay the asking price for the newest model Stradic so I'd be interested in hearing what others would recommend in that reel category.

[mytmouse]

6 foot rods are my sweet spot. I have been using them since I got my yak and I like them for 2 reasons.

1) I can get them in one piece and they fit in my car... I have a yaris so space is a premium.

2) I can still clear the bow with minimum effort...

I have used 6' 6" and a 7' but I like my 6 footers. Everyone has their preference, that's just mine. I can't afford a million rods like some big spenders on the board so I keep my yak rods simple... all BPS Graphite Series rods. I've got like 4 of them... well maybe 5. I dunno. But the price is right. I can cover from M to MH applications and both spinning and conventional. They have the perfect sized butt for my rod holders. Plus they are cheap enough that if I have to replace one I don't sweat it!

I know I will need a heavier setup if I want to go for the monsters @ Kipto, or even tog fishing... but I will cross that bridge when I get there! LOL

[DOGFISH]

Whoa! I thought I tuned into a porno site, strong, stiff and yet with a sensitive tip. Just say it, big men, big rods. Just give me my big old ugly stick.