Choosing Rods and Reels for Kayak Fishing
Gage Gordon
For anglers, the backbone to our hobby are our rods and reels. No matter the location, technique, or species, there is an outfit that we need to get the job done. Now choosing a rod and reel is not only daunting, but individual. It’s never a one size fits all approach.
With thousands of manufacturers in the market I want to walk you through a few things that will help you choose the best equipment for yourself and what I have found that works for me.
Establishing What You Need
When looking for a new outfit, I encourage everyone to talk themselves through these general topics.
Budget
While this has no effect using the rod and reel, it can impact your entire fishing experience. Overspending can make for an upset significant other, stress, and possibly needing to work overtime to make up the difference.
o Do you have to buy additional gear like a reel, line, tackle, or lures?
o What does paying more get you?
o How long do you expect this rod to last you?
These answers are different for everybody and can even change through phases in your life. Creating a budget and sticking to it will ensure that your actual fishing time is enjoyable.
Target Species
Fish come in many sizes and strengths. Determining what you will be targeting will help you narrow down what rod you need.
o Are you primarily targeting smaller species like trout or crappie?
o What about larger fish like bass, pike, or redfish?
o Will you need something that handle multiple species and sizes?
Technique
There are many ways and methods to catch fish. None of them are better than the rest, but you will need to ask yourself what you want to do. Remember that the weight of the lures that you use plays into the overall weight that the setup will need to handle.
o What kind of lures or bait do you want to use?
o How heavy will these items be?
o Will you transition from one technique to another?
o What size line do you intend to use?
Choosing The Equipment
This is where things start to come together, and you will use your answers to the previous questions to narrow down your search.
Rod and Reel Size
There are five main components to a rods size:
o Power: How much weight is needed to bend the rod.
o Action: The point on the rod where the rod bends when pressure is applied.
o Line weight: The range of line weights that will be best suited for the rod.
o Lure weight: The range of lure weight that the rods are designed to handle.
o Length: The overall length of the rod from butt to tip.
There are three main components for reel sizes to consider:
o Gear ratio: How many times the spool rotates with one turn of the handle. These are typically broken down into 3 classes; slow (5.5:1 to 6.6:1), medium (6.7:1 to 7.9:1), and fast (8.1:1 and higher). The higher the class the more line that the reel will take in with one turn of the handle.
o Drag: How much pressure the reel can put on the fish.
o Weight: How heavy the reel is.
Kayak Specific Considerations
Now that we have answered the basic questions, let’s look at what to consider for the kayak.
Rod Butt Section
This is the section of rod from the reel seat to the butt. This piece plays a critical role in both weight distribution and leverage when fighting a fish. If it is too long it will tangle in your clothes and PFD. Too short and it will put a lot of pressure on your wrist.
o Are you going to be casting and retrieving lures all day?
o Do you need to winch in large species?
Setup Weight
While this is something that plays into fishing regardless of your boat size, it is even more important in a kayak. Our boats are propelled by ourselves and after a long day of fishing it can be a battle to get back to the launch. Keeping the overall weight of your setup down can give you the strength to make sure you get home safely.
Multiple Rods
With multiple rods you can have different lures and presentations ready to comb an area completely. This reduces the amount of time you spend tying on different lure and increases the time you are fishing. It also provides a backup in the event something happens to one outfit. Now we also need to store all those rod and reel setups, the tackle, and be able to easily reach it on the water.
o How will you store your unused rods on your kayak?
o Will there be snag hazards that can damage rod tips such as bridges or trees?
o Do you plan to utilize multiple techniques or fish multiple rods at once?
Cost
While this may seem the same as budgeting, it isn’t. Your budget is what you can afford to buy. Your cost is what you can afford to lose. There are countless things that can go wrong on the water in a kayak. While keeping yourself safe is priority, there is a risk that you can lose gear that isn’t leashed or has floats.
o If you lost all your gear what is the replacement value?
o Would it keep you from fishing until you replace it?
o How high is your risk tolerance to losing your gear?
The Final Piece
After you answer all these questions for yourself, I would recommend finding several options that fit your criteria. There is not a standard when it comes to rods and reels. A medium power rod from one company will behave different from another. A reel that is listed as a 2500 might perform like a 3000 from someone else.
Find a local shop or plan a trip to a larger store that has those options in stock. You honestly won’t know if it’s right for you until you get it into your hands. I have had many rods that looked great on paper, but just didn’t feel great in the store.
There are also many great combo outfits that have been created to work well with one another. Starting with one of these, or even keeping one for a backup, is a great way to enjoy the sport.
And lastly, keep your tags and receipts! Most stores will let you return items within 30 or 60 days if you have the original receipt, and you haven’t beat it up. If you don’t fall in love with it take it back and try the next one on your list.
If you have any questions or would like to see a write up specifically discussing any of the criteria above, leave a comment below!