Rod/Reel selection for kayaking

Hi all,

In looking at equipment, I am not sure what to look for as far as rods and reels that would work well with a kayak. I imagine you want something long enough to pass in front of the kayak bow, but not so long that if you have to high stick to net a fish that you're busting your rod. 

I mainly intend to fish for salmon and bottom fish, with the occasional sturgeon trip on the Columbia or Willamette Rivers, and any suggestions for rods/reels that you've had success with would be appreciated.  Right now I have an 8' 6" Lamiglas Classic Glass downrigger rod paired with an Abu Garcia C4.  I plan on upgrading the reel to a Shimano Tekota with a line counter once I save up.

Surely you will get many different opinions because its more of a preference, but just about anything will work with a kayak that you normally would any other way. Even a Barbie pole!

I find a 6 or 6-1/2 rod is perfect for me for reaching around the bow on a 13 ft kayak. I have a 5 foot rod that I absolutely LOVE but does not feel right on the kayak. I have also come to learn that you don't need big rods and reels for the type of fishing you are highlighting. Medium to Medium heavy action. Smaller is better in this sense and lighter if you can to save your arms. The C4 is a great reel and so is the Tekota, but he only thing I use my line counter reels for is trolling to know my depth. Now I instinctively count pulls or mark my line with fingernail polish. Otherwise I would suggest you reconsider why you want a line counter.

You opened the can of worms again  . For bottomfish I like a 6'6" rod in. I use tsunami rods(sapphire and white hot) all under 50 bucks and have handled 7'-8' sturgeon. I don't own one but I I see lots of ugly stick tiger rods for bottom fish and sturgeon. For salmon I like a 9'-10'6".I use okuma SST and celilo rods and love them(personal preference). They are a great price and performance is great for entry level.I have used them for salmon,catfish, sturgeon.the celilo is a tad stiffer but its my favorite.

I ordered a Penn squall 20 level wind from big fish sports and I love it($20 cheaper than anywhere else).I also use a Penn 209. both for bottomfish and sturgeon. Salmon I like the daiwa 300L.

8wt 9 foot fly rod!

8wt 9 foot fly rod!

Like I said... Even Barbie poles! 

Rods I like about 6 ft. I like them super fast action sets hook better and control us better. . Slow action just makes netting  harder.

For reels I like lever drags. I'm constantly adjusting drag and it's much easier and more precise with a lever drag. I use release sg, aver sx, and Shimano tld

If you ask my dear hubby, he says depends on the fishing.  So he has 15+ rods.  I have three- one being a tiny 2 foot midget rod.  I tend to like shorter poles as long as they reach over the front of my kayak (Revo11).
Have fun!

Your 8'6" salmon rod with the Abu c4 is a great combo to start with and you can certainly use that to fish for salmon, sturgeon, and bottom fish if you wanted to.

Your next upgrade is probably a shorter bottom fishing rod with a little more power for lifting lingcod off the bottom.    The classic budget combo for this is a 7' ugly stick tiger with something like a Penn gti 320.    A more modern alternative would be a 7' inshore rod combo.   These are basically salt resistant, beefed up, bass fishing rods and reels.   They're lighter in your hand and unless your bouncing really big jigs for lings they're a lot more fun for bottom fishing.





 

Definitely get the Tekota- best line counter reel on the market IMO.  If they made it in a left hand model everyone would be using them.  I love the line counter for bottom fish as well as salmon.  Salmon and jigging rods are easy to come by on sale.  Just switch out the reel for different situations.

Anyone can catch fish on gear, once you catch something on a fly you will be hooked!

For jigging a lot of guys use a Trevala rod matched with a Lexa or Revo.

I agree that the Tekota is a great line counter.

Anyone can catch fish on gear, once you catch something on a fly you will be hooked!

+ 1/2  (I'd give it a +1 if not for the backhand at conventional gear...)

My arm length allows me to reach around even my 15" kayak with a 7" rod.  For me, anything 8" plus makes getting the fish within range of my net more difficult.      I picked up some cheap gear for my first season fishing from a kayak.  Especially since I paddle,  I figured there would be a learning curve juggling gear and I did not want to sacrifice an Avet or Calcutta during that learning process.   Now that I often take friends out in the kayaks, that cheap gear is what I lend them to use.
 

I have a Trevala S (6'3" 50-80 TVSC63MH) that I use for jigging.  I love it! It has caught everything from kelp to Halibut.  It is awesome or sturgeon, too. Get a line counter for your salmon rod and put the C4 on the Trevala.  That is a nice light-weight jigging set-up that can handle big fish. I use a C4 on mine for bottom fish (lings etc...) and if I am targeting sturgeon or halibut, I put a larger reel on.  I would love to get another light (30-40 TVSC63L) Trevala.

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

I've been using the ML version of the TVS, and love it. I'm amazed at its abilities, but I probably wouldn't go any lighter. It's pulled up some decent sized lings with moxy, but I can also see small cracks in the epoxy around the guides.