What bottom fishing rod/ reel do you use?

I'm curious to hear what everyone is using.  I'm looking at using a Abu Garcia 6500 with a 7 foot MH rod.  What are your thoughts?

Depends on where and what you're fishing for. It can be an ulra-light rod with spinning reel for rockfish, a med/light steelhead rod with Calcutta 200 to a med Shimano jigging rod with
Calcutta 400 for Lings. A heavy Shimano Trevala Butterfly jigging rod with a Penn Senator 113h for Butts. Good luck making your choices. It's like golf(which I play around every 5 years). A different club for different situations.

I use a 7 foot MH Diawa Sealine. It's been an excellent rod for both bottom fishing and salmon. For trout and other freshwater, a 5 foot ultralight is the ticket. I also use braided line for both salt and fresh! I have always wanted to try the ultralight for rockfish!

I once read a post on another forum where the poster stated "I never take a rod / reel out that I would shed a tear over if it goes over the side"

For that reason, I picked up a couple of cheap Shimano TDR 7' Medium Heavy Rods and Okuma Magda Pro line counter reels just for bottom fishing from the Kayak.     If I had to watch something like a Calcutta go over the sides because of my butter fingers ...... I would be crying like a school girl     
To me, bottom fishing for moderate sized game is not very demanding on the gear so even the cheap stuff should get me by.    I am still new to Kayak Fishing so maybe in time and after a good bit of surf launch / landings under my belt,  then I might bring out the better gear.

Your suggestion would be fine.  I use a 7' Shakespeare Ugly Stik Tiger (M) and an AB 7001.  If it went over the side, I'd cry over the reel, but I use a leash.  You often need a bit of weight to stay on the bottom, so pretty much any moderately stout rod/reel combination should do. 

For rockfish I use a MH ugly stick with a saltstriker reel.  For deeper waters with big ling I'll be using a Penn fathom levelwind on an ugly stick tiger lite rated for 50-100 pound braid.  I don't actually expect to catch something that big, but if I do, I'll be ready.

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I love my Shimano Trevala MH and Abu Revo Toro combo. Light enough to fish 1oz jigs strong enough to fight the biggest ling cod and 50+ halibut. Loaded with 50# braid, 23# of drag and left hand retrieve  it is money in a low profile package that allows me to palm the reel and doesn't wear me out. The only place it falls short is when 12+ oz are needed to hold bottom, then the big guns come out.

Thanks everyone for sharing.  It's fun to see how much everyone's equipment differs.  Please keep sharing.

I've been using my old steelhead (8'6" Lamiglass Trophy IM7 graphite, ML action, rated for 8-12# line for drift fishing) and salmon (older Fenwick glass 8' med action) spinning rods for casting jighead plastics for rockfish, drift-fishing sandshrimp (yes, with pencil lead!) and other baits for Greenlings, Cabs, Rockfish, Lings and whatever else might be in the relatively shallow waters I do this kind of fishing in, and surf fishing for Redtails. I have a couple of old spinning reels (Penn Spinfisher 450ss,
Shimano Sedona 400) that I use, and just bought a new Penn Sargus.

 I am now looking to buy a dedicated surf perch spinning rod 9' for casting from the beach, medium action, that is rated for 1/2 to 3 oz lures. 3 oz is the biggest pyramid sinker one usually needs when plunking in the surf with lighter tackle.  I usually use a 2 oz. for this.
I also sometimes use a "drift fishing" setup with 3/4 to 1 oz egg sinkers, which slide on the main line, when the surf is small and the perch are in close.

For casting to the jetty from my yak, I plan to start using an old 6' 1-pc Abu-Garcia Conolon 800 MH spinning rod that I dredged up from a creek bottom a few years ago (had a Taiwan-made Mitchell 300 on it). I think it has the right action and is heavy enough for the job, as well as being shorter than my other spinning rods for the yak. It would make a good jigging spin rod, I think. I won't be taking the 8'6" Lamiglass drift rod out in my yak for bottmfishing any more.

For jigging straight up and down from my yak in deeper waters (Lings, Cabs, and other gnarly things), I bought a 1-piece 7' MH Ugly Stick, model # CAL 1101, which I think may be one of their cheapest sticks!  It's actually a decent rod, and seems about right for jigging from the yak. A really big Ling would stress this rod to its limits, but then I think I'd go for a sleigh ride before the rod broke.
I have a cheap Okuma reel on it now, loaded with braid, but would like to upgrade to a better one that has left-handed cranking.

Berkeley Ramsey IM8 and an Abu6500 with spectra

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Berkeley Ramsey IM8 and an Abu6500 with spectra

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Works perfectly!

Would that Abu 6500 be the C3 model? I'm looking at the 6501 (left hand crank). 

Are any of the cheaper Abu baitcasters decent reels, or should I just go with the proven, most popular model? I had to ask,  being as "frugal" as I am.

I'm looking at the c3 or c4 unless I can score a great deal on a bcx.  I've read mixed reviews on the bcx but for the right price I'll give it a shot.

I love my Shimano Trevala MH and Abu Revo Toro combo.

I love my Revo Toro Winch. What a boss. Plenty of drag for just about anything, I use it for bottomfish in the salt, & it's plenty for keeper sturgeon in the river. Casts light weight very well, and is so much more comfortable than a big round reel.
For my rods, I'm a custom rod builder so I build my own, on blanks(mainly Lamiglas, occasionally Batson or others) that have qualities which make an awesome yak specific rod.

I just read thru a bunch of reviews on the BCX, and I came away with similar mixed feelings about it. Cabela's is trying to move them right now by offering a combo deal with one of their Pro Guide casting rods for $85. Reel goes for $65 in the 6601 model.
I'm in no big hurry to get a new level wind. I'm looking for a good deal.  I still have two old Penns: a 109 and a 209. These are still working trolling/mooching reels. The 109 gets used trolling for salmon in the rivers. Has a weak drag, but I still have a thumb, in spite of my efforts at devolution. The 209 works fine trolling in the Bay. Its all I ever have used for salmon fishing in the salt, other than my Penn 450SS Spinfisher.

I'm looking at the c3 or c4 unless I can score a great deal on a bcx.  I've read mixed reviews on the bcx but for the right price I'll give it a shot.