Kayak fishing rod/reel selection

Hey there. So I am a newbie to kayak fishing and the only gear I have is an old 8 foot spinning rod and reel. In the Pacific NW, what do most folks use for bigger fish like salmon or even bottom fishing saltwater? I know most selections are based on the type of fish you want to go after, but should I consider bait casting reels or spinning gear for my next purchase?

If you currently have a spinning rod, your next combo should probably have a bait caster on it.  I carry both when I go out, but I always reach for the casting reel first.  As funds allow I'll be replacing my spinning rod with another casting rod, because I almost never make casts when I'm fishing in the salt; I'm either trolling or jigging.  A casting reel gives you much better control over the line leaving the reel.

a lot of different opinions as you might suspect. but the beauty of kayak fishing in my opinion is that it is a super forgiving platform. heck, we have a Barbie rod tournament for halibut off kayaks next weekend and we catch fish.

I like shorter stiffer sticks because the fish are easier to guide into the net or grips. I like lever drag reels because you can adjust on the fly which is important because while you might have a higher drag setting when playing a fish with both hands, you usually land fish with just one hand so a tight drag makes it hard to hold on. 

generally speaking a rod should be long enough you can get around the front or back of the kayak if a fish takes off.

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Casting reel way more comfortable for inshore/offshore from kayak, imho.

My first kayak fishing rod as a MH 7'6" casting Okuma that I think is like 10-30. I love that rod as an all around kayak fishing rod. It worked great for salmon, sturgeon, and bottom fish. Later I replaced it with more specialized rods for each but I often still carry it as a back up.

I pretty much stick to baitcasters for two reasons:

1)I have trouble with the spinning reel bail hitting my thigh - I don't like to hold the rod high enough to prevent that from happening.

2) I like to use my thumb on the spool to control the line. I really like that ability. I find I don't need to mess with the drag very often - just set it on the light side and use the thumb to add pressure when needed.

The only time I use a spinning reel on the kayak is when I am using my 5' UL rod for small fish and/or light lures.

For salmon and bottom fish I use Shimano Tekota or Penn Squall reels. I'd recommend getting one with a line counter, especially on a kayak. 


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Buy as many different ones as your wife will let you. Also, the 9 1/2 door lamiglass x11 in 1-6 oz is a great low cost salmon rod. It can be found on sale for around 60$ during salmon season. Pair the with a baitcaster of choice, I prefer linecounters, and you are set for fall and spring salmon.

Just go with what works well for you. I fish spinning gear unless there's a compelling reason to fish something else. I like that with spinning gear I can drop jigs with zero friction (which allows me to fish lighter gear) and cast a mile without paying any attention to the reel. I also like how easy it is to just slide into my rod holder and retrieve quickly by putting just the butt of the rod in. You can do that with a baitcaster, but then your reel is upside down when you grab your rod. I know how to use baitcasters and I don't have anything against them, I just don't personally prefer them.

I really like the Cabela's brand "Salt Striker" reels. I have 2 of the 4000 size and I've put 3 years on them now I guess and I've had zero problems. IIRC the 5000 size and up has heavier drag if that's a big deal to you; personally I don't see the point in more than 5 or 6 lbs of drag in a kayak.

As for rods, again, whatever works for you. For rockfish I like a freshwater or inshore rod because they have shorter butt sections which seems easier to handle in the kayak to me.

I'm not a salmon expert. I think most folks would agree that salmon setups can be used for rockfish but probably not the other way around. I caught my first kayak coho last year. I paired my Salt Striker spinning reel with a 9ft graphite rod and it felt about right. A chinook will test this setup I'm sure.

+1 on the salt striker spinning reels from Cabelas I have the SS65 and used to use it all the time for sturgeon. I also have at least on of each of the smaller sizes and mine are going on close to 8 years now.

Also, I caught several chum salmon on the SS50 with a 7 foot 8-17 pound spinning rod. What a hoot!

Got my new reel today, rod hunting the next week but need to find something decent that won't blow the budget.



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