Kayak Fishing Rod Selection

[AEWblackeagle8]

Kayak Fishing. Looking for 2 rods/reels to do it all. What are your thoughts

[MIbassyaker]

In general, If I bring just two, I want one rod for heavier stuff (3/8 and over), one for lighter stuff (under 3/8oz). Consider shorter lengths than you might use on a boat (especially if you are short, like me -- I don't fish with anything over 7'), and possibly even softer actions. These can help in landing fish, since you are really limited by space and your own armspan. 

 

Rod 1: 6'6"-7'  baitcaster Medium-heavy power, fast action -- jigs, t-rigs, carolina, spinnerbaits, frogs, buzzbaits, walking baits, heavier cranks.

--I'm a spinning junkie and I actually get by with a 6'6" MH-F spinning combo here, but almost everyone else would recommend a baitcaster.

--On treble baits like crankbaits and some topwaters, back off the drag a bit.

 

Rod 2: 6' to 6'9" or so spinning, Medium-light power, fast action -- shakey heads, mojo rigs, weightless plastics, drop shot, finesse jigs, lighter cranks and topwaters, light tubes and grubs.

[thebillsman]

I try to keep it short

6'6" Falcon Bucoo MH - Lews Tournament Pro 7.1-1 strung with 50lb braid for jigs, frogs and soft plastics

6'6" Fenwick Silverhawk M - Lews Tournament 6.4-1 strung with 12lb mono for deep/square bill cranks, topwater spooks and poppers, jerkbaits and spinners.

For the extremely light stuff from 1/16 to 5/16oz I used a 6' M BPS tournament rod/reel spinning combo. Usually only use it with light floating rapalas and small xraps.

Hope this helps..

[singlecoil]

I don't fish from a kayak but I have noticed that Cashion has a section specific for kayak rods.  You might want to check it out.

[cottny27]

6'6" rods with shorter handles is what I prefer.  

[J Francho]

I use the same stuff I use from shore, boat, the moon...

[Turtle135]

for just two rods and reels my suggestion would be:

 

1. 7' medium heavy baitcasting outfit (I use 17 pound test mono, it fits with the way I prefer to fish)

2. 7' medium spinning outfit (15 pound braid, you can adjust your leader to match the presentation)

[faygo1979]

I use the same stuff as I would use anywhere else.  

my first questions is where are you going to fish?  

I do not fish creaks or places that are tight to get into so i actually go long with my rods to give me a little more distance and to let me set the hook a little better.  I would look at a 7'3"+ MH rod with a m-fast tip for everything rod.  For the second rod it depends on what you really like to do.  if you like crank baits,  pick up a long cranking rod.  if you like wacky rigs, ned rigs, or slider heads,  get a long ML spinning rod.  frogs or getting into really heavy cover grab a heavy rod.

[BaitMonkey1984]

In general, If I bring just two, I want one rod for heavier stuff (3/8 and over), one for lighter stuff (under 3/8oz). Consider shorter lengths than you might use on a boat (especially if you are short, like me -- I don't fish with anything over 7'), and possibly even softer actions. These can help in landing fish, since you are really limited by space and your own armspan. 

 

Rod 1: 6'6"-7'  baitcaster Medium-heavy power, fast action -- jigs, t-rigs, carolina, spinnerbaits, frogs, buzzbaits, walking baits, heavier cranks.

--I'm a spinning junkie and I actually get by with a 6'6" MH-F spinning combo here, but almost everyone else would recommend a baitcaster.

--On treble baits like crankbaits and some topwaters, back off the drag a bit.

 

Rod 2: 6' to 6'9" or so spinning, Medium-light power, fast action -- shakey heads, mojo rigs, weightless plastics, drop shot, finesse jigs, lighter cranks and topwaters, light tubes and grubs.

I go short as well. My yak rods are 6ft, even take a 5ft 6 out on occasion. 

[Rhino68W]

If it were only 2 then for me it would be the following

 

1 MH Baitcaster with 50# braid for frogs, buzzbaits, and spnnerbaits. Then tie on a FC leader for T-rigs, jigs, and C-rigs.

 

1 M Spinning with 27# braid and a Mono leader for dropshotting, small jigs, poppers, and maybe small crankbaits. 

[J Francho]

Is there some pro/con to using a short rod?  I see lots of answers leaning toward short.  Length always had more to do with what I was throwing or how I was fishing, not the boat I'm in.

 

Anyone can explain that a little further?

[cottny27]

Seems like when I'm all hunkered over in the tight quarters of a kayak the handle/butt of the rod gets in the way more.  Once you get into the 7' rods and longer then the handles just get longer.  This is my experience.  

[JustinU1X]

Is there some pro/con to using a short rod?  I see lots of answers leaning toward short.  Length always had more to do with what I was throwing or how I was fishing, not the boat I'm in.

 

Anyone can explain that a little further?

I think it's just the fact you have limited space in a kayak and a long rod is just more cumbersome.

[T-Rick]

Why only two?  Instead of trying to find 2 "all purpose" setups, why not focus on your rod management system?  I normally take 4 combos with me in the yak and have taken as many as 6.  I think I could do 12 if needed but I don't own that many :-)

[AEWblackeagle8]

Awesome thanks guys, I've got a wilderness system atak and I love it so I do have room for more than two rods. I'm also 6'5 so my wing span is pretty big. I think I might try the slowly adding rods to my collection. I have a 7 M bait caster and a 7 M spinner. Would you guys just buy rods for specific baits and lures? I am new to bassresource but I really like it already.

[flyfisher]

My fishing vessel doesn't dictate the rod i choose to use.  Maybe if i was in an old school SINK it might come into play but with my last three kayaks i have never once thought of my kayak is a factor in choosing the rod to use.

 

And great boat  i bought one last spring and it is the best fishing kayak i have been in so far....it also has room for about 6 flush mount rod holders that are not in the way at all.

[Tim S.]

Look at the *** 2 rods. The butt sections are a little shorter than typical rods and that has always made it easier for me in a 'yak or canoe. The 6'10" medium is about perfect for t-rigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, weightless worms, 3/8 oz. jigs, even squarebills & mid-depth cranks if you have a good drag in your reel. I have even thrown frogs in sparse cover with it, though it serves as my 5" topwater rod now. As for the 2nd set-up, I would get a little longer spinning combo, 7' to 7'3", ML power and fast action. It would serve you well for nose-hooked finesse plastics duties and light cranks like #5 Shad Raps and F7-to-F11 Rapalas. Whatever spinning reel you settle on, I would recommend keeping a spare spool on hand spooled with light(15/4) braid to fish tubes and other lures that have a single, larger hook.

[J Francho]

Meh, I bring my 8' swim bait rod just about every kayak trip. Never felt it was an issue.

[Tim S.]

Some folks don't like having to raise their arms up when going from a cast to retrieve position, when you transfer the rod butt from one side of the body to the other each time. It had never bothered me until I tore the labrum in my right shoulder and it now throbs like a toothache after a couple of hrs. in a yak. The paddling doesn't help much, either. But the shorter-butt rods extend the time I can fish by an hour.

[Big C]

My brother uses a 9' fly rod every time he goes out in a kayak, and he is limited to sittting (balance isn't his strong suit).  Rod length doesn't matter 9 times out of 10, if you're in a kayak or not.  Unless you have REALLY short arms.

[Tim S.]

Long grip length BEHIND the reel seat is what makes it uncomfortable for me personally. A fly rod has little or no butt and works fine in a kayak. Sitting in a kayak while casting conventional gear forces you to use upper body only to cast, sometimes with 1+ oz. lures tied on. When you stand, your entire body is used, not just your arms.

[bigfruits]

2 rods to cover it all for me would be:

GLX MBR 783c w/ 15Metanium HG - moving baits, jigs/plastics over 1/4oz plus trailer (i actually prefer this rod over my 843 NRX MBR)

NRX JWR 852s w/ Stradic Ci4+ 2500 - light plastics/jigs

[Big C]

Long grip length BEHIND the reel seat is what makes it uncomfortable for me personally.

 

 

That's a good point, I added length to a rod butt a while ago, and while it didn't make it super difficult to cast it did complicate the matter.

[Darren.]

I'll throw my .02 in here.

 

I can do everything I want with either spinning and/or

casting rods. One of each, or two spinning, etc. I will take

more, but by and large, two rods work for me.

 

As well, like JFrancho, I use the same gear I use from shore,

or wherever.

 

That said, count me in among the "shorter" rod fans.

 

I've spent years in my yak and am constantly looking for better

ways to store my rods, keep them from getting stuck or bumping

into objects when not in use.

 

My favorite is to lay the rods in front of me. Longer rods - which

for me are 6'6" - go just over the bow of my yak and at times

get whacked in wind when I'm fighting a fish and blown into

downed trees and the like.

 

As well, and this is personal pref, shorter rods are easier

to skip with as I do tend to fish in a lot of areas where there

are overhanging trees, bushes, and such. Shorter is simply

easier in those locations. And I even mean shorter than my

6'6" rods. I prefer a 5'9" - 6' for those times.

[DCales84]

Mostly use only two rods for kayak fishing as of this year. I have a "sit in" old towne kayak and have been using lightening rod shocks with one being a 7' MH casting and one 7' M spinning. Also have dedicated reels for kayak use as I tend to dunk them often over a years time. If either of these setups are damaged by trees or get dumped over board I wont be too tore up. I have taken my better setups out on few occasions but have found that having a sit in kayak the longer handles such as the ones on Duckett rods are too long and hit the seat in many cases. I also use left hand casting reels and do not switch hands so there's no back and forth between hands after casting and banging the rod into the kayak.