Rod/Reel selection for kayaking

I would love to get another light (30-40 TVSC63L) Trevala.

but I can also see small cracks in the epoxy around the guides.

The cracks are normal in rods which are very flexible. They do not affect the structural integrity of the rod. I have not seen a structural failure on a Trevala, which is more than I can say about other production rods and in general am not a big Shimano fan. I repair a lot of rods and I have never repaired a Trevala.

One piece of advice, use gear that is specific to your fish, not your kayak. Heavy, moderate, fast, slow, short, long, fly, gear, we all fish different gear and catch fish. It's a matter of what works best for what kind of fishing and how you like to fish.

One piece of advice, use gear that is specific to your fish, not your kayak. Heavy, moderate, fast, slow, short, long, fly, gear, we all fish different gear and catch fish. It's a matter of what works best for what kind of fishing and how you like to fish.

Bingo!  Which is probably why kayak fishing specific rods have never taken off.

-Allen

I would love to get another light (30-40 TVSC63L) Trevala.

but I can also see small cracks in the epoxy around the guides.

The cracks are normal in rods which are very flexible. They do not affect the structural integrity of the rod. I have not seen a structural failure on a Trevala, which is more than I can say about other production rods and in general am not a big Shimano fan. I repair a lot of rods and I have never repaired a Trevala.

Thanks GB2. I've also repaired / built a few rods. I was just being polite since I really like the rod; these "normal" cracks are actually a bit worse than normal and there is some slight play in a guide or two. The main fault is in the thread finish, maybe they didn't get the ratio right or mix it enough, the blank is still excellent. I also tip wrapped it once and bent over the tip top when the line pulled tight. Once it finally gives up, I'll use the warranty to get another one just like it.
I even mimicked their butt section layout onto a little heavier Lami Triflex blank, that is absolutely killer.

Good to know. Trevalas are probably the most common rod used in NorCal and a lot of those guys abuse the shit out of them. It's amazing how much punishment they can take. If the guide is loose then that's a problem and I can go back to bashing Shimano. LOL Thanks GB2

Ive got a new Trevala S and used it for the first time on Sat. I found the first guide from the reel is light on the coating over the thread and it actually feels like the thread is not quite covered in spots. Im gonna see if they want to give a new one to me or maybe I should just fix it, will see.

I would love to get another light (30-40 TVSC63L) Trevala.

but I can also see small cracks in the epoxy around the guides.

The cracks are normal in rods which are very flexible. They do not affect the structural integrity of the rod. I have not seen a structural failure on a Trevala, which is more than I can say about other production rods and in general am not a big Shimano fan. I repair a lot of rods and I have never repaired a Trevala.

Thanks GB2. I've also repaired / built a few rods. I was just being polite since I really like the rod; these "normal" cracks are actually a bit worse than normal and there is some slight play in a guide or two. The main fault is in the thread finish, maybe they didn't get the ratio right or mix it enough, the blank is still excellent. I also tip wrapped it once and bent over the tip top when the line pulled tight. Once it finally gives up, I'll use the warranty to get another one just like it.
I even mimicked their butt section layout onto a little heavier Lami Triflex blank, that is absolutely killer.

Great looking rod!
Which weight tri-flex is that? They are some of my favorite bottom fishing rods.

I would love to get another light (30-40 TVSC63L) Trevala.

but I can also see small cracks in the epoxy around the guides.

The cracks are normal in rods which are very flexible. They do not affect the structural integrity of the rod. I have not seen a structural failure on a Trevala, which is more than I can say about other production rods and in general am not a big Shimano fan. I repair a lot of rods and I have never repaired a Trevala.

i broke a trevala last year setting the hook on a ling. line wasn't wrapped around the guide, there were no pre-existing issues that I was aware of, etc.... it just broke in half 2/3 of the way up.

I recently picked up a Ugly stick Gx2 casting rod for 39.99.  Stiffer than heck but it seemed to work great for the guests that brought reels but not rods up for halibut fishing.  My son caught his fish on it.  Very little flex. 

I am going to try it out the next time I go out...maybe. 

But so far for less than $40 it seems like a great buy.

Are you pedaling or paddling? I'm pretty new to this mind you, but I've noticed that longer rods (i use a 8'6") seem to work better for trolling if you are paddling. Reason being when I make a turn on my kayak while using a shorter rod, my line tends to get in the way of my paddle.

Great looking rod!
Which weight tri-flex is that? They are some of my favorite bottom fishing rods.

Thanks for the compliment! You recommended the 7020 to me a couple years ago, so you get some of the credit as well.
Funny is that I'm honestly unsure of the blank. I got it out of the corner of the Lamiglas factory and it was unlabeled. It was a 7 footer that I cut down to 6' 6". I would guess it's similar to the 7025 .
I recently picked up another similar 7' Triflex blank, a JG841MH. However, I can't find that designation on their site or in their catalog either. 

Great looking rod!
Which weight tri-flex is that? They are some of my favorite bottom fishing rods.

Thanks for the compliment! You recommended the 7020 to me a couple years ago, so you get some of the credit as well.
Funny is that I'm honestly unsure of the blank. I got it out of the corner of the Lamiglas factory and it was unlabeled. It was a 7 footer that I cut down to 6' 6". I would guess it's similar to the 7025 .
I recently picked up another similar 7' Triflex blank, a JG841MH. However, I can't find that designation on their site or in their catalog either.  :-

I lost my 7020 last year and am missing it. I picked up one their 'kayak rods' that supposedly are built on the tri-flex blanks this one is 7'6" 8-20 and I like it just wish it was a touch stiffer.
I have two spinning tri-flex rods 7020 and a 7025 and think I will probably have someone strip the guides off and make it a conventional rod ... maybe spiral wrap ....

I picked up one their 'kayak rods' that supposedly are built on the tri-flex blanks this one is 7'6" 8-20 and I like it just wish it was a touch stiffer.

Hmmm ... I sold all my Lami kayak rods because I thought they were too stiff.  I guess it depends on what you're using them for.

-Allen

I picked up one their 'kayak rods' that supposedly are built on the tri-flex blanks this one is 7'6" 8-20 and I like it just wish it was a touch stiffer.

Hmmm ... I sold all my Lami kayak rods because I thought they were too stiff.  I guess it depends on what you're using them for.
-Allen

I wasn't impressed with their kayak rods either. I didn't fish them, just gave them a couple wiggles in the shop. You might be able to tell if your rod has a triflex blank by looking about half way down. You should visually be able to see where it transitions from a graphite to fiberglass blend for the tip. It could be subtle, like dark gray to black, but you should still be able to see the color change.

I have two spinning tri-flex rods 7020 and a 7025 and think I will probably have someone strip the guides off and make it a conventional rod ... maybe spiral wrap ....

If you want the blank aligned with its major natural axis, they'd need to tear the reel seat off too. It's a bit of a debate as to how beneficial "splining" actually is; but regardless, it may be easier / cheaper to start with a new blank
However, I am a fan of the spiral wrap and recommend you give it a try.

One of my major complaints about salmon rods is the length of the handles when kayak fishing.

A recent experiment that I have done is to chop off about 4-5 inches from the rod butt. This facilitates easier removal and placement of the rod in the rod holder with the trade off being that when a big king changes direction directly under my kayak I better have a good grip. The cut was done with a hand saw and then a bolt was used inside the fiberglass and the two pieces cemented together. A wooden dowel would be lighter than the bolt and probably will be done on the next experiment.

In the second photo both fishing sticks are the same model (Ugly Stik Lite Salmon rod).