Pikeman12 Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 Hey guys I am looking for a rod for kayak/canoe fishing. Here are some things I am looking for in it: Medium Heavy (this rod is for sitting with a bobber or light bottom rig with live bait alongside my kayak.) Length: 6- 6'6 Sometimes on a canoe with 2 other people so i would like it to be shorter. Weight: Plan on attaching at most a 1 oz sinker to it plus bait. I plan on pairing this with a daiwa BG 4000. Will most likely be using 15 lb mono or 60 lb braid. Again i dont plan on casting too many lures, mainly live bait, as i float down the river lol. I know most bass rods would be fine for this so I am looking for opinions on some of the more durable ones for this type of fishing. Thanks again guys! Tight Lines! Quote
Allen Der Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 i have the perfect rod for you if you were open to a bait caster. it's a walleye bottom bouncer rod Quote
Pikeman12 Posted February 4, 2019 Author Posted February 4, 2019 45 minutes ago, Allen Der said: i have the perfect rod for you if you were open to a bait caster. it's a walleye bottom bouncer rod I am honestly open to anything at this point. Most people are telling me to just find a med heavy bass rod with a good backbone if all im looking to do is hold a live bait rod on the kayak. What do you have in mind? Quote
GrumpyOlPhartte Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 @Pikeman12: Just a thought: I fished from a sit-in kayak for three years ... and since I always wear a PFD ... I found that rods with longer butts were not only cumbersome, but occasionally got hung up on my PFD. I switched to those with shorter butts. My personal preferences are Manley Rods, which have adjustable-length butts, and St. Croix Mojo Yak Rods, made with shorter butts. I also switched to an inflatable PFD which is much less bulky than my old PFD. While I did modify my casting style to accommodate longer-handled rods, when I set the hook and felt a nice fish on my line, all my practice went out the window and I have lost fish when my rod butt and PFD caused me to momentarily lose control of line tension. This is just a consideration when you are selecting a rod, regardless of the power and length you select. Oh, and even in a SOT kayak I find the shorter butt is still easier to manipulate. 2 Quote
Super User Spankey Posted February 4, 2019 Super User Posted February 4, 2019 I’m not a kayaker but recently did see a bunch of the Mojo kayak versions. At first I didn’t quite pay attention about it than it hit me when I was looking at standard Spinning and casting Mojos. Shorter butt sections. Made sense won’t bind you up at life jackets. Not sure if any other manufactures are doing it. Good luck on your search. Quote
Super User Darren. Posted February 4, 2019 Super User Posted February 4, 2019 (edited) Berkley Lightning rods at Walmart, Bass Pro... MH spinning at 6'6". Would suit your needs. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Berkley-Lightning-Rod-Spinning-Fishing-Rod/237483006 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Berkley-Cherrywood-Spinning-Rod/32928133?selected=true Had a 6' model, which unfortunately met its demise in the spokes of one of my sons' bikes as they were making their way home from a local pier. What are you going for with an outfit like that? Edited February 4, 2019 by Darren. Link added, comment added. 1 Quote
Birdman2136 Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 Depends on what your price range is... The guy above mentioned the Berkley Lightning Rods. For a low priced rod those are tough to beat I really enjoyed mine when I first got into bass fishing plus they are durable and affordable if you happen to break one. Right now I have rods from ALX, St Croix, Kistler, and Dobyns. I enjoy all of them for certain reasons.. Quote
Pikeman12 Posted February 4, 2019 Author Posted February 4, 2019 3 hours ago, Darren. said: Berkley Lightning rods at Walmart, Bass Pro... MH spinning at 6'6". Would suit your needs. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Berkley-Lightning-Rod-Spinning-Fishing-Rod/237483006 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Berkley-Cherrywood-Spinning-Rod/32928133?selected=true Had a 6' model, which unfortunately met its demise in the spokes of one of my sons' bikes as they were making their way home from a local pier. What are you going for with an outfit like that? Honestly I’m going for whatever bites . Just putting a large live roach or small cut bait and see what hits. That’s why I figured a med heavy rod would be sensitive enough for smaller fish but be able to haul in a 15 lber or little more if I happen to hook it. 1 Quote
Pikeman12 Posted February 4, 2019 Author Posted February 4, 2019 A couple guys have suggested the St Croix Mojo inshore in a medium heavy. https://www.tackledirect.com/st-croix-mojo-inshore-casting-rods.html Seems like a good option. Quote
Subaqua Adinterim Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 If you are pairing it up with a BG4000, keep in mind that you are seeking a spinning rod, not a casting rod. The Berkley rods mentioned by Darren above are good for the application you are looking at; or you may even try an Ugly Stik in the length and power that you are looking for, which will hold up to just about anything you will hook into and will not break the bank. Best of luck. PS As far as the mojo bass kayak rods, I believe they are all 7' or longer, which is longer than you want. Personally not a big fan of the SC yak rod idea, as I have regular 6'8" mojo bass spinning which works just fine in my kayak. If SC made the yak rods 6'8" or shorter I might think about it. 2 Quote
Pikeman12 Posted February 4, 2019 Author Posted February 4, 2019 15 minutes ago, RichPenNY said: If you are pairing it up with a BG4000, keep in mind that you are seeking a spinning rod, not a casting rod. The Berkley rods mentioned by Darren above are good for the application you are looking at; or you may even try an Ugly Stik in the length and power that you are looking for, which will hold up to just about anything you will hook into and will not break the bank. Best of luck. PS As far as the mojo bass kayak rods, I believe they are all 7' or longer, which is longer than you want. Personally not a big fan of the SC yak rod idea, as I have regular 6'8" mojo bass spinning which works just fine in my kayak. If SC made the yak rods 6'8" or shorter I might think about it. Thanks for the input. I am glad to hear these rods will be fine. I wish the mojo yak came in shorter lengths as well, and I am kind of surprised they don't. Regardless, my first impression was that bass rods wouldn't be able to hold up to bigger fish, but obviously that is not the case. 1 Quote
Dens228 Posted February 4, 2019 Posted February 4, 2019 8 minutes ago, Pikeman12 said: Thanks for the input. I am glad to hear these rods will be fine. I wish the mojo yak came in shorter lengths as well, and I am kind of surprised they don't. Regardless, my first impression was that bass rods wouldn't be able to hold up to bigger fish, but obviously that is not the case. I caught a 48" musky on a $100 MH/Fast bass rod with a 5 inch Senko. A bass rod can handle it just fine! Quote
Crow Horse Posted February 6, 2019 Posted February 6, 2019 I'm on the flip side of this regarding rod length. I have a 10' yak and I've found that a 7' rod allows me to play a fish around the bow without issue. A shorter rod might be an issue. Just something to consider.... 1 Quote
Brad Reid Posted February 6, 2019 Posted February 6, 2019 57 minutes ago, Crow Horse said: I'm on the flip side of this regarding rod length. I have a 10' yak and I've found that a 7' rod allows me to play a fish around the bow without issue. A shorter rod might be an issue. Just something to consider.... I think it could be an issue, Crow Horse, but I can't recall even a single instance for me personally where it has ever even come up. For the sake of convenience, I keep my 15'3" Meyers Sportspal Canoe down at the boathouse where I can just drop it in and go fishing in a moment's notice. I sit in it about "midships" so I have a good solid 7+' in front of me (more than most all kayaks) and the bow tip is much farther up and out of the water than any kayak and I can't think of even a single incident where I had a line issue with a fish crossing my bow. Usually, if a bass is going to make wide runs and swings, it seems to happen early on just after the hookset when plenty of line is still out making it a non issue. By the time I have a bass near my yak or canoe, it is largely spent, energy-wise. For sure, many bass have that "reserve," that one more burst of energy we have to deal with at the landing. If it happens using a short rod up near the boat where it'd be the sort of issue we are describing, what I would do is treat it exactly the same way I treat a bass that runs directly underneath the vessel. I'd just drop my tip down and continue the fight on the underside of the boat until I regain control of the fish. And, it is a whole lot easier to control that "under the vessel" final surge by a bass with a 5'6" rod than it is with a 7 footer since you don't have to plunge the rod as deep. Brad 1 Quote
Super User NYWayfarer Posted February 6, 2019 Super User Posted February 6, 2019 1 hour ago, Crow Horse said: I'm on the flip side of this regarding rod length. I have a 10' yak and I've found that a 7' rod allows me to play a fish around the bow without issue. A shorter rod might be an issue. Just something to consider.... I agree. I like rods 6'10" to 7' when kayak fishing. That's the Goldilocks size for me. Not too short, not too long, just right. Quote
Dens228 Posted February 6, 2019 Posted February 6, 2019 Mine are all between 7 foot and 7-03..........I'm 5-09 and in a 12 foot kayak. I don't have any issues with the length. Quote
Brad Reid Posted February 6, 2019 Posted February 6, 2019 For the fishing the Op is describing, 7' seems so excessive especially fishing tandem with other anglers (up to 2) in the tight confines of a canoe. I did find the rod I'd recommend, a St. Croix PS60MHF, and I think it would be perfect . . . though its lure weight range extends only to 3/4 oz. But, you aren't describing long casts but rather lobbing out a bobber/sinker/live bait presentation on a slow drift on rivers. This is the shortest MH power I could find in the St. Croix line. If you drop down to a 5'6" length, M is the highest available power from the same manufacturer. This one is a PS56MF, the rod I never leave at home. Brad Quote
Crow Horse Posted February 6, 2019 Posted February 6, 2019 17 minutes ago, Brad Reid said: And, it is a whole lot easier to control that "under the vessel" final surge by a bass with a 5'6" rod than it is with a 7 footer since you don't have to plunge the rod as deep. Another good point to consider. How one plays a large fish is another variable. I've had large bass cross the bow and go under the yak. A shorter rod makes controlling a fish easier when close to the yak. Again, on the flip side, a longer rod makes controlling a fish that is hell bent on getting wrapped around my anchor line or drag chute a bit easier..... After rereading the OP's question, for his requirements, the shorter rod would be a better choice ( 6- 6'6 )........ 1 Quote
Brad Reid Posted February 6, 2019 Posted February 6, 2019 12 minutes ago, Crow Horse said: Another good point to consider. How one plays a large fish is another variable. I've had large bass cross the bow and go under the yak. A shorter rod makes controlling a fish easier when close to the yak. Again, on the flip side, a longer rod makes controlling a fish that is hell bent on getting wrapped around my anchor line or drag chute a bit easier..... After rereading the OP's question, for his requirements, the shorter rod would be a better choice ( 6- 6'6 )........ For sure, good points. And, each of us have different skills, preferences. I don't often have an anchor out but no issue here for the OP who'll be doing, I guess, a controlled float down lazy rivers. One of the clumsiest looking moments in kayak and canoe bass fishing for newbies occurs at the actual landing. It is totally different than from a high boat deck . . . with us being so low to the water. So, what often happens is the kayaker rears a long rod back to lip the bass with his other hand just to find out that he or she has too much line out and room for the fish to fight. Lots of bass become un-buttoned because of loose line at this point. Oh yes, for sure! I have missed some really nice bass pulling them up right next to my canoe or kayak, lost them in the final seconds. Brad Quote
Pikeman12 Posted February 6, 2019 Author Posted February 6, 2019 I have been originally fishing like this with an old medium heavy 6'6 shimano fightn rod. What do you guys think of the Fenwick HMX/HMG? It seems like it has the length im looking for in medium heavy and can throw up to 1 oz. Quote
Super User soflabasser Posted February 6, 2019 Super User Posted February 6, 2019 Lots of good responses. It would be a good idea to add a small section of pool foam float (enough to make the rod float) to the rod you plan on using for kayak fishing. That why you can get your rod back in case it falls in the water while you are kayaking. 1 Quote
Crow Horse Posted February 6, 2019 Posted February 6, 2019 4 hours ago, soflabasser said: Lots of good responses. It would be a good idea to add a small section of pool foam float (enough to make the rod float) to the rod you plan on using for kayak fishing. That why you can get your rod back in case it falls in the water while you are kayaking. A leash might be a better option. Virtually everything on my yak is leashed. I use NeverLost leashes. Top quality and priced right or you can DIY...... Quote
Super User soflabasser Posted February 7, 2019 Super User Posted February 7, 2019 Most of the kayakers down here do not use leashes since they get in the way and prefer using a small section of pool foam float. It works great, does not get in the way, so you have more time to focus on fishing and less worries about losing gear. Quote
fluna Posted February 10, 2019 Posted February 10, 2019 Bass Pro is putting that Berkley rod on sale next week at the Fishing Classic, also will be offering trade in sale on other rods. I use a Fenwick HMG 6' from my kayak and my son use teh Abu garcia Villain 6'3" and have had no problems. I tried a 6'6' Vendetta last year and it worked fine. I would not go above 6'6' personally Quote
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