250$ punch/frog combo for kayak fishing?

[sgjackson]

I usually fish in a lake in Central Florida from a kayak and I've got a MH baitcaster as well as a medium power spinning rod I usually take out. I've been thinking about getting a heavy action rod so I can go after some of the bass I regularly see aggressively feeding in thick Kissimmee grass and lily pads with a punch rig or frogs. Read through a bunch of the threads here already of people asking for setups for this purpose and I was thinking of getting a 8.1:1 Daiwa Fuego CT for the reel - I like my Shimano SLX but having to take off the side to adjust brakes for wind is a little tedious and I want to try a Daiwa for the external brakes - and I've got a handful of possible contenders for rods (Dobyns Fury 765Flip, Ark Invoker Pro 74FHC, Ark Tharp King Cobra or Okeechobee Special, Daiwa Tatula or Tatula XT 7'4" H/XF). Also have a local tackle shop that stocks Duckett, Favorite, 13 Fishing, Dobyns, Denali, and 6th Sense so I'd consider anything from them also.

 

I'm a little budget constricted so I'd like to keep it around 200-250 for the combo and since I'm space-limited on the kayak I'd like to keep it to one heavy cover 50-65lb braid rod. What would you look at for a setup like this?

[PhishLI]

I got this rod for that duty on the yak:

Daiwa Tatula Elite Casting Rod 6'9" Heavy

I like a shorter rod for seated heavier work and easier nettings. Easier to pitch with while seated too.

Daiwa Tatula Elite Casting Rods - Tackle Warehouse

 

This sale price and a Fuego CT will bring you in very close to budget.

[Pogues2300]

Good suggestion. I also fish from a kayak I think from that line I’d go for the 7’1” heavy but certainly a preference thing. 

[T-Billy]

I vote Ark Invoker Pro 7'4" Mag H F. It has a pretty short handle for a rod that length, but still balances well. Great pitchin/froggin rod. Lew's LFS reel.

[casts_by_fly]

My equivalent rod is the falcon eye crosser at 6’11”. I keep it for frogs and heavier moving baits. It would punch just fine but I have another rod for that. It’s a $250 rod so out of

your stated range. To keep it in your price range, I’d grab a falcon low rider amistad. I have the expert for my punching rod and it’s a great rod for what you want. 

[LrgmouthShad]

Okay so this recommendation is going to be a bit… unique but this is what I use and I believe in it. 
 

Get a Lew’s Carbon Fire 7’3” Heavy from Dick’s SG and a Daiwa Tatula 200. 

[Bandersnatch]

Daiwa tatula 7’4 heavy (way more power than the xt) and a curado 150 or slx mgl 70

[MediumMouthBass]

Idk if you like more expensive/sensitive rods but if you want to save a bit of money heres my setup for flipping, pitching, and frogging, Daiwa Aird X Heavy rod $50, and for the reel i will change it out between (1) SLX with 50lb braid for fishing near grass and vegetation, or (2) Fuego CT with 15lb Yo Zuri hybrid for fishing near docks or areas with less vegetation. The SLX is good when fishing close quarters and doesnt really need to be adjusted but if you like the SLX and want to be able to adjust it the SLX XT is a great real for $130 (has adjustment knob). My Fuego CT feels like a really tough reel compared to my Tatulas so either reel should work very good for what you want.

[PBBrandon]

From a kayak, you probably wouldn’t want something too long. However if you want to pitch jigs into cover, a little extra length would help. Sounds like 7’-7’3” would be your sweet spot. A few really good rods that come to mind are

 

7’4” HF Tatula

7’1” HF Tatula Elite (says it’s a skipping rod but it makes a great frog rod as well)

Dobyns Sierra 735c

Dobyns Kaden 715c

Dobyns Fury 735c

 

As for reels, the fuego is great, but for a couple dollars more on Japanese sites, you could get a Tatula 100 or Tatula 80 which would be a nice upgrade

[sgjackson]

On 6/23/2023 at 5:53 PM, T-Billy said:

I vote Ark Invoker Pro 7'4" Mag H F. It has a pretty short handle for a rod that length, but still balances well. Great pitchin/froggin rod. Lew's LFS reel.

Emailed the guys at Ark about this and this is what they suggested also - think i'm going that direction. Gonna flip some guitars first then take it out. Thanks for the advice everyone!

[MontclairDave]

On 6/23/2023 at 6:42 PM, casts_by_fly said:

My equivalent rod is the falcon eye crosser at 6’11”. I keep it for frogs and heavier moving baits. It would punch just fine but I have another rod for that. It’s a $250 rod so out of

your stated range. To keep it in your price range, I’d grab a falcon low rider amistad. I have the expert for my punching rod and it’s a great rod for what you want. 

I’ve got the Falcon Expert and it can handle frogging and punching for what passes up north as moderate to heavy cover. But in Florida I agree the Amistad may be a better choice. 

[ooga0341]

 I use a 7' Kistler Graphite Heavy, and a 7'3" ALX Ikos Promise73 out my kayak for frogs. I'm thinking about getting a KLX 7' Heavy with the moderate tip in the near future to see if I like it more than the fast tip. I'm a weirdo and prefer longer rods in my kayak, but the length is personal preference IMO. I also stand up a lot in mine, and my seat is higher up (NuCanoe Unlimited & NuCanoe Flint) so I don't have many issues working top water lures with the longer rods. 

[Shadowx]

I kayak fish and last year bought a setup for exactly this and also for punching through lily pads. You need a rod strong enough to pull them out of weeds. This rod feels very light but seems quite stout. When they bury themselves in thick weeds you'll need the stoutness and be glad it's there. I lost a lot of fish and frogs before I got this setup because I used less strong rods.
Dobyns Sierra 735c
Diawa Tatula 100 Reel

Caught this one on a frog today, and 4 other decent ones.


 

[WRB]

Irod IRG754F Gen 3 excels for everything the OP wants and under $150 plus this holiday sale another 15% off!

Tom

 

[king fisher]

The combo I use punching in my Kayak is a Diawa Tatula 7.5 foot heavy power fast action with a Diawa Coastal SV reel, spooled with 50 pound braid.  I also use this combo for A Rig, Crankbaits that weigh over an ounce, and large swimbaits.  It works very well for punching, but is only ok for the other three applications. 

[Darth-Baiter]

i'm 100% kayaking.

 

my punch rig is a Levante Perfect Pitch, and a Tatula SV 103 something.  my thoughts, are the reel is making it the enjoyable part  (it is so easy to control line tension, even tho i am pitching with my weak hand).  in the CA Delta, i think i am undergunned with the rod, but it is what it is.

[a1712]

On 6/23/2023 at 5:53 PM, T-Billy said:

I vote Ark Invoker Pro 7'4" Mag H F. It has a pretty short handle for a rod that length, but still balances well. Great pitchin/froggin rod. Lew's LFS reel.

Save a couple bucks with the Lancer Pro 7'2" Heavy and a high speed aluminum framed reel of your choice. I've beat on 2 of these rods rigged with 65lb. Braid for 2+ years now, zero complaints. Brian. 

[T-Billy]

35 minutes ago, a1712 said:

Save a couple bucks with the Lancer Pro 7'2" Heavy and a high speed aluminum framed reel of your choice. I've beat on 2 of these rods rigged with 65lb. Braid for 2+ years now, zero complaints. Brian. 

I have a couple of those Lancers myself. Bought them on BOGO sale. That's what I use for froggin and I like it for that. The 7'4" Invoker Mag H has more tip and is better suited for pitching. 

[BassFishermanTyler]

I too kayak fish but got my frog rod before that. I use an Irod Fred’s Magic Stick 7’5” heavy fast. Ive got a tatula 150 on it. Fishes well and casting distance is nice. i dont flip/pitch too often so I wont comment there. It could be a bit long for some kayakers but its definitely an option.
 

Ive been experimenting with smaller frogs on a zodias 6’10” medium heavy fast with a zillion on it. Definitely better for close quarters and some smaller/lighter frogs. Just another option to consider