best rod for trolling springers in a kayak

I'm looking forward to trolling for springers this year from my kayak. I've done this many times with decent success from power boats, usually using 9 to 9 1/2 for medium action rods (Lami XCC934), running a flasher/ herring rig.  Now that I have a decent yak, I'm wondering what rod to use. I'm thinking short would be better for controlling the rig and hopefully a fish. Most of the shorter rods appear to be stiff back bouncer types.  I'm thinking a XCC803 might fit the bill (8'). Any other recommendations?  Also, what about a net? I've only done bass fishing in lakes with my kayak, so a lot of this is new to me.
Thanks!
Mark

The 803 is my favorite salmon rod.  The one-piece can be inconvenient at times, but the rod is great.  8' is a great length for kayak fishing.  The 802 could definitely handle springers too. 

I learned from (lucky) experience that having a long (9') rod, weight, flasher, and leader to bait leads to a fun time netting a wild Chinook from the kayak! I would say you're on the right track thinking of going shorter, I will be following this thread as well to see what others recommend. 

Everyone his going to have different opinions but,  9' to 9.5 medium to medium heavy rods are my preferred rods.
Netting a salmon solo can get tricky but with a salmon net with a 4 ft or so handle it is not to bad.  Probably the most important thing to remember about netting a salmon from your kayak is to reduce the spacing on your trolling rigs so the hooks are about where the reel is.  If it is much longer you may not be able to reach the fish.

I'll second what Nate said.  A long rod with terminal gear that isn't longer than your rod.  A shorter rod or limp noodle rod will result it more thrown hooks.

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I'm partial to softer rods with a more parabolic bend.  This can make a difference in converting nibbles into bites.  Also, I feel that the softer rod allows you to keep more pressure on the hook when they thrash, resulting in fewer thrown hooks. 

-Mark-

i fish springers with an 8ft 2piece 8-12lb medium lamiglas. It's an oldie that my neighbor gave me.  I have other rods but this is my first choice.  I'm not usually dragging a lot of lead in heavy currents, so I can get away with this lighter setup. I've not had many thrown hooks, but with lighter gear it's a fair fight with a nook, and can be challenging if there are sea lions nearby.  Very excited for springers this year!!

This is all great advice & consistent with the way i choose to fish with a longer rod. I know some very opinionated guys that would argue the short rods but to each their own. Hands down these Lamiglas XCC rods have won my vote but the length will vary for me depending on the fishery, current, depth, presenting terminal gear etc. Big water & heavier currents requires heavier dropper weight so i like the longer 9'6" that will maintain a softer tip despite trolling 12-16oz.
If youre effectively trolling the "skate board" rotating flashers youll need a heavier weight than if youre trolling herring. The the longer heavier rods that can maintain a soft parabolic bend & set the hook from the butt can make a big difference. Lamiglas Kenai Kwik series is just phenomenal in this department.
Also, if you're a paddler not a peddler youll need a longer rod for paddle clearence.
These guys are spot on addressing leader length with these longer rods. Looking forward to testing other top shelf rods like the Cousins' Columbia Composite Series.

+1 on the long limp one, being mindful of terminal tackle length, and the Cousin's CC rods as well. I've been using a 9' Talora since 2010 with great success, but got to play with a Cousin's CC rod after MurseStrong brought them to my attention in another thread. Going to have NEMrod spin a custom on that blank before the fall run gets cooking!

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I like a 10' 6" medium action, heavy power rod - soft tip, long and parabolic bend, heavy butt section.  The past couple of years it has been a Daiwa  DXSD1062H.  I did pick up a 10' 6" Lami X11 this winter that will likely kill some fish this year too.

I may need to try a longer heavier setup.  Thanks for the suggestions.

I switched to a 9.5 foot Lamiglass X11. Inexpensive when on sale during Black Friday sales or Salmon season at Fisherman's.  I love the long bend and since I have switched, I have lost very few fish. The few I have lost were all natives anyways, (I am sure) so no big deal.  I also like the ability to use a longer leader with the longer rod.  Although, I have since switched to the LongLiner for my dropper (http://www.anglerinnovations.com/products/longliner) so I can have as long of a leader as I want without affecting my netting ability. This switch came due to a very sad fish tale from Buoy 10 one depressing August day. It truly was a Dismal Nitch that day.  It still haunts me at night.

Great insights on rods to choose! Thanks!

Fred "True" Trujillo

I switched to a 9.5 foot Lamiglass X11. Inexpensive when on sale during Black Friday sales or Salmon season at Fisherman's.  I love the long bend and since I have switched, I have lost very few fish. The few I have lost were all natives anyways, (I am sure) so no big deal.  I also like the ability to use a longer leader with the longer rod.  Although, I have since switched to the LongLiner for my dropper (http://www.anglerinnovations.com/products/longliner) so I can have as long of a leader as I want without affecting my netting ability. This switch came due to a very sad fish tale from Buoy 10 one depressing August day. It truly was a Dismal Nitch that day.  It still haunts me at night.

Not to derail the Salmon Rod discussion, but the longliner looks like a great tool, it says it will work on up to 10oz of lead also. Could easily save the added distance between the weight and flasher if it works well. Have you tried it yet?

the longliner looks like a great tool, it says it will work on up to 10oz of lead also. Could easily save the added distance between the weight and flasher if it works well. Have you tried it yet?

I have used one for trout, kokes and steelhead.  They work great for fishing down 6' and back 100'.  They are a little plasticity and I wonder about durability.   I only used mine twice and realized I liked a downrigger better.

For salmon they might work well with skateboard style flashers where increased length between the flasher and weight can change the amount of kick delivered to the hook.

For fishing triangle flashers most people fish the weight on a slider directly in front of the flasher with a longer leader than the skateboard style.  It wouldn't be much help in shortening the overall length between salmon and net.