Yak trolling rod & reel?

[ronaultmtd]

Like everything else- depends on your priorities- a cheap camera takes pictures so does a Leica...

[DonV]

Like everything else- depends on your priorities- a cheap camera takes pictures so does a Leica...

Hate to say it but it sometimes also depends on your budget. Food shelter and the family's future security always take priority. I appreciate nice gear and surely don't recommend something that it just going to cause frustration and aggravation. But there are some real values to be at surprisingly low price points if you are a careful consumer. I have some reels that I paid $25 for going on over ten years of moderate use with a good bit of abuse thrown in and they still work as well as day one. Some very very nice rods can be had in the $25-$75 range. A $400 reel is not going to bring any value to me. If anything being on the kayak and having the fear of losing it or damaging I'd find an aggravation. Rather have something that gets the job done just as well and that I can use and abuse and not worry about.

[mweber02]

Yak trolling rod & reel?

My take on deciding a price point is with emphasis on the intended task. When we troll on a yak we don't need a sensitive $100+ rod. My $30 BPS graphite series rods work great for trolling. With reels you can justify value for higher cost depending on durability, available drag and other features like a reliable line counter if so desired.


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[Mark]

I’ve noted before on this forum that fishing equipment has improved greatly over the years of my angling experience (roughly 50) without a corresponding increase in price. I’ve seen it specifically in the improved smoothness and utility of spinning and baitcasting reels. Graphite rods were very expensive when they were introduced but are not so now.

I believe for most of us who kayak fish, moderately priced gear will suffice and provide long service if maintained. I’d avoid big box store rod and reel combos if you want prolonged dependability. But the typical offerings from Bass Pro and Cabela’s (store brands and name brands) in the mid-price range are highly serviceable for the kinds of kayak fishing I do, mostly casting and some trolling.

What I want most to avoid is equipment failure while I am on the water – a rod snapping, a guide breaking or a reel jamming. I’ve been doing well in that category so far. No breakdowns. Of course, that could be due to the fact that I rarely catch large fish! Legal-sized fish yes, but enormous ones, no.

And I find that 2500 series spinning reels and light to medium light graphite rods work just fine for the trolling I do.

The price ranges of my gear follows:

Spinning rods and reels -- $175 combined.
Baitcasting rods and reels -- $250 combined.
Flyrods and reels (and lines) -- $200 to $600 combined. (Depends on weights and age -- my older fly rods actually cost more than my newer ones.)

I am certain that even If I replaced my gear with more expensive combinations, I would not catch or boat more fish.

[DOGFISH]

That is all good advice above. However, along with the bigger fish and the larger lures of the spring you need a rod with heavy enough an action to get a solid hook set with those larger hooks. Recently, one of the better rods that I have seen in the moderate price range is the Penn Battalion. You can find these in a conventional spool version or a spinning version, with the action to set hooks solidly. They are carbon fiber, light and with a line range that will suit the kayak troller. You could also not go wrong with the Shimano Teramar. I build my own rods and use a very heavy casting rod blank in the spring and a lighter casting blank in the fall. I prefer a conventional spool reel for either season. I am a spool and line counter. I like to know how far my lines are out and the conventional spool reels allow me a better estimate. I also lean toward longer rods in the 7 to 7.5 foot range. I like the arch that those rods provide. In a kayak they provide enough tension on the line to always keep up the slack. Sometimes with the shorter heavier rods, from a kayak, you will not keep pressure on the fish at all times. As mentioned earlier, it is different than trolling in a boat, where keeping pressure on the line is not a problem. Good luck with your selection.

There is a huge difference in a quality rod. There is a completely different feel and sensitivity that the rod will provide. As I stated you want to match the proper rod to the style of fishing. My suggestion as to price is to buy the best and lightest rod that you can afford. As for the reel, it must be smooth and with not a lot of play in the handle and spool.

[ronaultmtd]

Today I turn 71 years old...and my budget is like everyone else- Mama wants to know what is being spent...but my arms, shoulders and wrists are not the same as they were forty years ago- I have a Shimano 2500 Stradic CI4 + with 10# braid and a St.Croix MoJo Inshore medium light fast 7' rod that weighs absolutely nothing...the lightest fishing outfit made- and you can feel every weed, the slightest nibble and when you set the hook, the rod shows why you spent the money...I may cast a few hundred times each fishing trip...a light weight spinning outfit is "priceless" compared to the heavier, less responsive rods...and the rod is the most important component in fishing, more so than the reel...

[Oldbayrunner]

Like everything else- depends on your priorities- a cheap camera takes pictures so does a Leica...

And anyone who really knows the art of photography, understands cameras and truly how to use them knows it doesn't take an expensive leica to capture stunning photos.

[ronaultmtd]

No but it does take quality glass lens to show good detail when you want to enlarge the picture and print it for framing...you get what you pay for- there are no free lunches in this world- a cane pole and a bobber can catch a world record fish...as will a handline...let's face it, guys- we have chosen to kayak fish to simplify our fishing...yet we buy $1000 (+) ultra-high resolution Lowrance and Hummingbird electronics with GPS/downscan, chirp, side imagining, zoom technology that most bass pros use on the profession tournament fishing circuit...and then bitch about spending $129.00 for a quality rod...

[Steve6902]

My FF was $100 bucks.

[ronaultmtd]

Mine was $300 off on sale for $549.99...

[Oldbayrunner]

Really? I could show you countless really good photographers not including my self that have stunning photos using Sony, Pentax, Nikon, Cannon Fuji etc. with consumer zoom lenses. In the past I've sold my photos in galleries, won a few competitions and have been an avid student of photography since I was 10 years old. Your right good glass helps but it isn't necessary. This is a friend of mine from California's works. He uses a Sony with Consumer zoom lenses. https://www.flickr.com/photos/inter211/

Besides I don't see that anyone is bitching about spending $129.00 on a rod and I do believe most users on here aren't using $1000 + Electronics. I believe most are saying it isn't necessarily a must that one does. You buy what you can afford for your enjoyment it isn't about how much one spends it's about the enjoyment regardless of what one spends.

[ronaultmtd]

To each his own...I'm done with it- just trying to share experiences and make suggestions to help new to the sort- don't want any arguments- free advice is worth exactly what you pay for it-

[DonV]

No but it does take quality glass lens to show good detail when you want to enlarge the picture and print it for framing...you get what you pay for- there are no free lunches in this world- a cane pole and a bobber can catch a world record fish...as will a handline...let's face it, guys- we have chosen to kayak fish to simplify our fishing...yet we buy $1000 (+) ultra-high resolution Lowrance and Hummingbird electronics with GPS/downscan, chirp, side imagining, zoom technology that most bass pros use on the profession tournament fishing circuit...and then bitch about spending $129.00 for a quality rod...

At the same time my consumer grade DSLR and the nice glass I caught on a bargain can capture stunning images that way more than meet my expectations. My $350 Sigma lens is very comparable to the $1800 Canon L glass and if the L could bring me any improvement I doubt I or many others could see it. I need to work on my skills more before I would see any benefit or value from the vastly more expensive gear. There is actually an article on one of the photography sites where famous photographers were given about the crappiest point & shoot cameras you can find and amateurs were given top of the line full frame DSLRs. Surprise of surprises the pros captured stunning museum worthy images while the amateurs got snapshots.

Maybe I'm just snapshot fishing but the gear I have, that I chose carefully, fully meets my needs, is a pleasure to use and catches me fish with no problems. Yes maybe a $400 dollar combo may have some extra sensitivity, better rod feel, or smoother drag but I really don't see any way that it could bring $300 of more value to my fishing.

From experience I have found that cost doesn't always equal value and determining your needs should play a big part in purchases. I don't doubt a $15000 mountain bike is built better than a $500 one but do I need it for riding a slightly rough path through the park on the weekends.

BTW My kayak was $369.My rod reel combos usually run a good bit under a $100 and my FF was $99 AR. Tackle I can't even guess but I do know that them cheap old paddle tails far outfish many of my $10 lures on many occasions.

[mike o]

I 've always been frugal but as I get older I am willing to spend more money to save the aggravation you can get with cheaper reels. I use 2500 stradic ci4's. I did pick up some diawa Procyon rods for around $50 when they discontinued them. I wish I could find some more. Last year I bought a cheap Cabella's ultra light reel I read about on line. I frequently use spoons with fire line on my ultra lights. The reel looks nice and is smooth but the problem is the line always twists on it. So I basically threw $40 down the drain. I have never been unhappy after buying quality gear but many times I have been unhappy after buying something cheap.

[mchottie]

It's true you can catch a fish on a hand-line, but it's also true that your fishing productivity is only as good as your gear. I've blown through (4) inexpensive reels before spending the money on a Penn Battle II 4000 saltwater series, and it has been worth its weight 10x over I've also picked up higher end lightly used gear including rods and reels, for a pretty significant discount, all of which still work flawlessly even thought they have some scratches and dings.