Questions on first conventional, general purpose setup

Hi

I would really appreciate some feedback/responses on my first conventional rod/reel setup that I am looking into buying. This is going to be a general purpose setup for salmon, lings, rock fish, and may be small/med halibut for under $400.

The rod is going to be a 2-piece 6’6” Trevala (Med power and M/F action, 30-80 braid, jig wt: 70-200 grams). The reel will be a level wind Penn Fathom 20 (LH). My other reel options are also level wind: Daiwa Saltist 30 or a Shimano Tekota 300. The braid will be powerpro #65 depth hunter which is a metered line—I don’t have a depth finder yet!

My questions are:
- I am getting a 2-piece rod for the ease of transporting. Is it better to buy a one-piece and sacrifice the ease of transporting it?
- I see that there are two other Trevala rod models: S and F. They are $50 to $100 more. Does anyone know if it makes sense to get any of these, instead of the regular Trevala?
- I had bad luck with a Daiwa surf spinning reel in the past, but the Shimano experience has been very good.  I never had Penn, so I am not sure what to expect but it looks and feels great. Any feedback on these would be great.
- While trolling, I am used to of hearing my Shimano spinning reel click when the line is pulled out, but I don’t know if a conventional reel would do the same. Do any of these reels make a clicking noise when set to low drag and the line is pulled out?
- Is the Powerpro depth hunter a good, strong line or should I get a regular braid?

Thanks
Irfan

All my rods are 2-piece except a 4-piece fly rod.  I've never had an issue with a rod being 2-piece and it is a helluva lot more convenient to transport.  6'6" seems short to me, but opinions differ.

I have a couple small Shimano spinning reels which have given good service in the salt.  I have a large Penn spinning reel which has also given good service in the salt.  I aggressively rinse everything with fresh water.

You can put together a general purpose rig for less than $400.  Kayak fishing can be harder on gear than boat fishing.  Gear gets wetter, and banged up a bit more due to the more confined space. 

I'm not sure of the difference between "regular braid" and PowerPro, but I've been running regular PowerPro #50 and it seems to be doing fine.  Every once and a while I strip off the first 10-20 feet where the most wear occurs.

Almost all of your conventional reels will have a "clicker" which engages on the spool shaft.  That means if the spool is rotating, it is clicking if the clicker is engaged.

Regarding rods,  in my opinion, your not putting the rod to the test as much from a kayak as you are from boat or bank.  You can only put so much pressure on a fish from a kayak before your being towed around or pulled in.  Where some feel the connection point of a two piece is it's weak area,  I don't know when you will put it to the test in a kayak.

With the quality components "guides, seat, handle material and good quality blanks" that you can get on rods in the $75 to $150 range,  it is up to you to decide what the extra investment will provide for you when fished from a kayak.  I am not that familar with the Trevala rods.  I would think the S and F indicate Slow or Fast action

One problem with Daiwa is they make some very cheap / inexpensive reels,  along with some very nice and expensive versions.  So it is one of those brands that a bad experience with their entry level gear should not keep you from considering their higher end products.    Their Saltist Spinning reels are very popular with the surf casting crowd on the east coast.

 For many decades "Braided Line" was what people called Dacron based line. Before that it was braided cotton or linen.     Then came what many called "Super Braids" which are a made from ether Dynemma or Spectra which is much smaller than Dacron and of course mono,  for the same line test rating.  Now I think when people refer to braided line, they are speaking of the new super braid line.   At most sporting good stores now,  you can only find Dacron as sold for fly line backing or leader material common for sturgeon fishing. 

I believe Power Pro Depth Hunter is the same as their standard version, except the color changes to help determine length of line that is out.    I have tried several versions of multi colored trolling line but always loose track of how many times the color has changed.   
I like their Super8Slick as it slides over the guides smoothly compared to standard which you can hear the texture of the line as it goes over.... if that makes sense.   
 


 

My questions are:
- I am getting a 2-piece rod for the ease of transporting. Is it better to buy a one-piece and sacrifice the ease of transporting it?
- I see that there are two other Trevala rod models: S and F. They are $50 to $100 more. Does anyone know if it makes sense to get any of these, instead of the regular Trevala?
- I had bad luck with a Daiwa surf spinning reel in the past, but the Shimano experience has been very good.  I never had Penn, so I am not sure what to expect but it looks and feels great. Any feedback on these would be great.
- While trolling, I am used to of hearing my Shimano spinning reel click when the line is pulled out, but I don’t know if a conventional reel would do the same. Do any of these reels make a clicking noise when set to low drag and the line is pulled out?
- Is the Powerpro depth hunter a good, strong line or should I get a regular braid?

Thanks
Irfan

-Two piece rods are fine, especially when you're talking about such a short stick.  Since a 6'6" rod that'll jig won't have much give, make sure to run a snubber when salmon fishing.
- Penn makes a great reel but it's a bit of winch.  I'm biased but I much prefer the feel and performance of my Daiwa Lexa and Saltist LC reels in the applications you're describing.  The Saltist LC 20 would be a good fit because the line counter will let you know how much line you have out at any given moment.  This is really useful when salmon fishing or when jigging without a depth finder.
- Most conventional reels have a clicker option.  With such a short rod you might consider just leaving the reel in freespool but with the clicker on when trolling. The extra "give" will let the salmon chew your bait longer. When you hear the reel scream, engage the spool to sink the hook.
- Depth hunter is as good as the single color line.  65lb braid is pretty dang strong stuff.  Make sure to use a lighter leader or put a 25 or 30lb detonator in your line.  Most people would be extremely hard pressed to break off a snag from their kayaks with 65lb braid.   

-Spot-

-Two piece rods are fine, especially when you're talking about such a short stick.  Since a 6'6" rod that'll jig won't have much give, make sure to run a snubber when salmon fishing.

If you're set on going with a shorter rod, the Trevala is as good as any.  The Trevalla TVC-66M is one of my go to rods for bottom fishing.  As a "jigging" rod, it is not as fast action as some other rods.  One thing I'd ask myself is what sort of fishing I would be likely to do more with this rod.  If the answer is bottomfishing, then the shorter rod will be fine.  If the answer is salmon fishing, then consider a longer rod (8' to 8'6") with a moderate action.

If you have longer arms or a shorter boat, a 6'6" rod is workable to get around the bow.  If you have shorter arms or a longer boat, then you might find the 6'6" rod too short.

For NW fishing, I wouldn't worry too much about 2 piece.  You'll be fine.

-Allen

Have you considered the tekota 600lc?  you would get a line counter that way.  I would echo what spot mentioned about the braid.  I run 65 on mine and, when it wears out, will go to lighter line.  If the line itself snags up it is a bear to get undone in the yak.

You're going to need a longer rod if you plan to catch salmon with it.  Like Allan said, 8 to 8'6" and that can still be great for bottom fishing  as long as your jig isn't too heavy. 

I use the medium Trevala two piece rod and a Tekota 500LC, like them both, and it does fine on salmom if you dont crank down the drag.  The Trevala is short, but the medium has plenty of bend.  I also have used a 8' Lamiglas fiberglass rod - it bends real nice so its very forgiving with barbless hooks and braid.
When using over 10 oz. weights for halibut, I use the heavy Trevala.
The Tekota is a line counter, and has a clicker - though I've never felt the need to use it - I'm always watching the tip for bites or seaweed.  Tekotas have a nice smooth drag right out of the box, which is a must when using braid and going barbless.

Thank you all for your very helpful responses. Now things are more clear to me:

- Line counter reel is the way to go, and now I have to decide between Saltist 30LC and Tekota 600LC.
- I’ll stay with the 2-piece medium Trevala 6’6” but will also look for a 8’ to 8’6” Salmon rod.  Later on I may get a Heavy rod for Halibut.
- Since now the reel will be an LC, I’ll get Super8Slick line. Need to decide between 50 and 65.

Thanks
Irfan

40 is what I would run.

- I see that there are two other Trevala rod models: S and F. They are $50 to $100 more. Does anyone know if it makes sense to get any of these, instead of the regular Trevala?

The S is the lightest of the three models and also has a bit more "bling" with the green finish, aluminum trim rings and a split grip. I have the medium-light paired with a Team Daiwa Advantage HSTA and love the combo. Most would not like it due to the mental block of such a light rod being capable of bringing in larger fish. The only thing I could call a miss is the lack of a substantial foregrip.

The F is supposedly the new flagship of the series. I've wiggled them and the main thing I noticed is that it has uber-hard silicon carbide guides.  Definitely overkill for anything around here. They also claim a new blank composition. Probably something like all the new nano rods that have been coming out lately.

Does it make sense to get the upgraded models? That's up to you. I personally want one or two of each, but sense isn't involved with that line of thought.

Have not used the Saltist, but I have to say that the Tekota LC (I have the 500LC w 30 lb braid) is an awesome reel for most everything in the salt.

The Takota 600lc is bigger than you need.
The 500 is plenty and I've thought of stepping down to the 300.

Sent from my Motorola Flip phone.

If you get your 6'6" in the heavy variety, it will work great for bigger lings and halibuts, as well as yanking rockfish right up from the depths.

8 to 8'6" will work great for big lings and any other bottomfish, as well as salmon.

Truth of it is, a 7 foot ugly stick will handle everything but a large Halibut.

I agree with Lee. I use a penn 320 6' 6" med/hvy setup and he is right, you can use it for anything and it does hank the bigger lings and such right of the bottom as well is very durable and reliable. I also use the ugly stick 7" setup and it works great as well.