# What sort of gear do you take out in your yak?



## 004dam (Sep 22, 2010)

Only just starting to get into some kayak fishing for the quick easy sessions when the boat feels like too much work. My main light rod is a samurai 201/ 2000 bluvias. I am a little reluctant to get it splashed by salt and what not for several hours Feels much safer in a boat . I presume alot of you guys take certates and things out Do you find keeping some good maintenance they are surviving pretty well?


----------



## imnotoriginal (Jan 13, 2008)

None of my gear is that expensive, but my old sedona is only just dying now after 7 years, 3 of which it has been my main kayak reel. I don't mind using decent gear if I'm just in the canals. It takes a top level doofus (like me last year) to roll a yak in the river. I'm willing to risk it, but it's your own personal choice to make.
Joel


----------



## feelfree09 (May 5, 2009)

i took my steez and megabass out everytime for about 6 mths. never had an issue


----------



## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Like to buy reasonable gear and just make sure I give it a light spray with fresh water and/or saltex type product. Not had any issues so far.
Like most others I also make sure all rods are leashed incase of rollover or clumsy hands.


----------



## rino88 (Sep 10, 2011)

Lapse said:


> Up until this point I have been using the cheapies mainly:
> I have a fleet of Siennas which have held their own on some decent fish. My oldest one (which was the 2nd reel I bought) is a 2500 size with 4 lb braid. I still take it out on most trips.
> I have tried a few daiwa excellors - very smooth at first, but after time they get chunky pretty quickly.
> I have a penn spinfisher that after 2 or 3 trips the anti reverse failed.
> ...


I've been using a Shimano Sedona 2500 for the past few months and it's a great reel, good drag and has never missed a beat. I found myself in need of another reel so I gave a Shimano Sienna 2500 a go, for the price it's a smashing reel and I will be going back to buy more. I use to run Berkley tournament braid on my reels but didn't like it, so I moved back to using Platypus Low Stretch, a quarter of the price and has excellent knot strength and minimal stretch for a mono line. 8) If I'm feeling lucky I might take out my Abu Garcia 4600C4 baitcaster.

I have 2 single tray Plano tackle box's I take out, one with hards and the other with soft plastics (berkley and squidgies) and jig heads.

I've recently just ordered a landing net from www.bassaction.net , should be interesting to see how it goes.

Basically I see it as if you can't carry all the stuff you need under one arm then you have too much! :lol:

If you want to look at some cheap rods then check out these guys on eBay. They have super fast shipping and all their auctions start from 99 cents :shock: - http://stores.ebay.com.au/premiumfishingauctions
I have a PELAGIC PRO-TEAM SOFT PLASTICS FISHING ROD 6FT6 3-6kg that I run with my Sienna and it rocks!


----------



## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

It's a water sport. Stuff gets wet with salt. If we are to yak rather than motor boat, it just works that way.

Find reels that are at least nominally resistant to water and salt, then look after them. Or buy disposable stuff. I've been setting $100 - $150 for rods and $250 - $300 for reels. They get rinsed every trip, lannox every 4 trips (ish) and reel grease any time they look like they will take it. Also formal service once a season. They get utterly dunked in the briny every single trip. Still going strong in 4 years.


----------



## Souppy (Feb 12, 2011)

i use a daiwa zillion baitcaster, shimano baitrunners in 3500 & 2500 plus a shimano sahara all in the salt. not one of them have any problems, i just rinse them all with fresh water after a trip and every couple of trips i give them a spray with tackle guard. once a year i get them properly serviced.
the zillion and the sahara took a dunk in the ocean once when i sank the yak (any SA yakers will know that story) and they r both fine (i did send them off for a full service after tho)


----------



## scoman (Oct 4, 2010)

I have been Yak fishing for a little over a year now and my gear has changed a fair bit in that time. I started with a shimano slade 2500 on a $15 1-3kg Jarvis Walker rod and a shimano Hyperloop matched (very loose use of the word) to a 6ft 6-8kg ugly stick. These did the job for a couple of weeks until the gear upgrade addiction began.

I made a number of purchases that saw little use, all cheap gear, like a shimano alivio 2500 ET combo that I thought would be good as a back up and a number of cheap rods to match to the 2500 slade.

Eventually I realised that I can only really manage two rods at once on a yak in the estuaries. So with the aussie dollar going well and some insane clearouts on a U.S online store I made some purchases.

I now have some better gear with a daiwa viento baitcaster and a daiwa tierra 2500 spin both matched with shimano catana reel and am really loving the better quality. Collecting gear is almost as addictive as the sport itself and you will find yourself looking around at rods and reels to fill gaps in your lineup. But the fact is you can catch fish on anything, just think about your purchases in terms of will this really suit my needs or is it something that will gather dust in a month or two when I change my mind/ see something better/ etc...........

Don't know if thats any help or just made it all the more confusing....... Im off to look at ebay as I need something to fill the gap between my light bass outfit and my medium bass............. oh bugger :lol:


----------



## bruus (Aug 27, 2010)

scoman said:


> Im off to look at ebay as I need something to fill the gap between my light bass outfit and my medium bass............. oh bugger :lol:


A handline? some new lures, spinnerbaits, maybe even a spare reel just in case one buggers and you start missing out on bass. Or maybe even a quality sounder thats on sale so you know where the fish are :lol:


----------



## bruus (Aug 27, 2010)

At the end of the day I don't think it really matters, just take whatever you feel comfortable with for the fishing your doing. And secure it to your yak if you want to keep it. I have never hooked up to anything really big so my gear has been easily sufficient, My most expensive piece is a reel that was on sale for $99. I'm sure i'll pick up a new rod and reel one day though for some bigger fish but i'm still hesitant to spend too much, mostly because I can't bring myself to spend the money on something more durable.


----------



## actionsurf (Jul 8, 2010)

I'm a fan of the Shimano 2500 Sienna's. For $55 they're top value. The two I own have never missed a beat and they're covered in salt every trip. A rinse in fresh water, a little oil on the roller arm and in the handle seat and they are good to go. Smooth drag and handle good fish.


----------



## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

i figured that if you spend the extra money you'd get a product that was a little more resistant (getting what you paid for)
so far with 3 stellas i've been proved right
they've been in and out of the yak for 2 years and gotten majorly wet in both fresh and saltwater on every trip and on non-yak trips as well
i give them a light spray with warm water when i get home, air dry and polish with a soft cloth and they haven't missed a beat

as someone mentions - its a water sport - your reels will get wet no matter whwere or how you fish them
its how you look after them after and between trips that will determine how well they treat you in return
and that applies to cheaper reels etc as well as more expensive ones as well

realistically - you've got some nice stuff there - whats the point in having it if you can't/won't use it?
otherwise its a chocolate teapot


----------



## goanywhere (Feb 22, 2011)

The thing I love about this forum is that there are plenty of people with heaps of experience but it's not dominated by snobbish 'purists'. Some fishing forums and particularly clubs are dominated by a few who look down their noses at people who just want to enjoy the activity and don't care about keeping up with the 'Joneses'. That's why I will never join a club again (I am sure lots of you will know what I mean) :? .

I have enjoyed a lifetime of fishing using cheaper gear and while I don't have any reels that have lasted more than a few years I have caught my fair share of fish over the years and had an absolute ball. Now I am looking at setting up a decent yak fishing kit but still not top end stuff. I have just bought a Penn Applause 1000, and it looks to be a solid unit, and a Shimano 602 spinning rod that looks like it will be a good mate. I might look for a Shimano Sienna 2500 as my next unit, mated with possibly a 3-5kg Aqua Tip or something simillar. I don't think I will need much more than that, maybe keep another combo in the yak as a backup, but that will be about it. I can't handle more than 2 rods without getting into a mess anyway. :lol:

Other than that, I have a good selection of soft plastics I am been learning about, and have just bought a few nice blade lures after all the good reports.

The great thing about fishing is that the various options are limitless. I am only just really getting into yak fishing. I have had a cheapie plastic Chinese import for a season, and quickly decided that I needed something better, so I have built a JEM Sabalo, which I expect is going to put me right in the sweet spot as far as platforms goes. Now I am going to concentrate on kitting up properly for yak fishing over the next couple of years with some slightly better gear.


----------



## rino88 (Sep 10, 2011)

As always...just waiting for the next pay cheque to roll in to buy more gear :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## Criterious (Oct 15, 2007)

Another vote for the Siennas here. I have 6 of them in regular rotation 2 x 1000s, 2x x 2500s for chasing bream, whiting, flathead and I have 2 x 4000 that I use when chasing Snapper, Tuna and Macks. Never missed a beat yet even after being totally submerged.


----------



## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

anselmo said:


> i figured that if you spend the extra money you'd get a product that was a little more resistant (getting what you paid for) so far with 3 stellas i've been proved right


Yep, and I'd just love a Stella or two. The only thing is I can buy 3 Stradics for the same price. Next step for me was to a Biomaster SW. In time I'll upgrade each spinning reel to Stella's but for a $250 budget the Stradics are awesome.

Not disagreeing with you at all anselmo, just taking my time getting there.


----------



## rino88 (Sep 10, 2011)

I'm sorry...all I can think about every time I see a post talking about Stellas I keep getting this playing in my head -






:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


----------



## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

I've got two stellas (2001 series) and now a Tuff Tackle Diablo that I never take them on my yak because my other reels are just as capable of pulling fish. So far the Van Staal has been the best offshore yak reel I've used because the only maintenance required is a quick squirt with the hose to wash the blood off. This reel cops full saltwater immersion. Although I'm not a big fan of it's braid line lay and the drag will never compare to a Stella in terms of smoothness, it's got heaps of cranking power and it's 100% waterproof. The VS should last a lifetime on the yak.

My mid season snapper reels are a whole different ballgame. All three are Penn Mag-power 3000's from BigW and I only buy them when they're on special at around $35 each. Right now I also have two of these still in their unopened packages ready to go if some reel death occurs. These reels have pulled multiple shallow water snapper and jewies from 1kg-15kg on 20lb braid. They're a great size for SP's and have a bigger drive gear and stronger drag than almost all of thier <$50 competitors. I settled for the MagPowers after destroying maybe 10 other 1500-4000 series brands in the $20-$250 price ranges.

In pelagic season while slow trolling the Shimano TN-40N overhead sits on one side and the Van Staal on the other. I often also take a midpriced (sub $300) 5000-8000 eggbeater loaded with a SP for a flick while I'm on a downcurrent drift. I really like the drag pressure and smoothness of the Okuma Salina II but would choose the higher speed model next time. That said I love the retrieve rate and feel of the Stradic 8000 but I hate the clunky old school drag.

The VS and Okuma Salina II were provided free of charge to me ages ago. With all reels except the VS, knowing how to pull them apart and relube is the reason they all still work. There's no way the Okuma, Penns or TN-40N would have gone the distance if I didn't pull them apart regularly.

And if you're wondering why I don't take my Stellas out on the yak it's simple - They've got too many parts for me to want to stuff with on a rebuild or relube.


----------



## fishcq (Oct 2, 2011)

I take 2 rods generally, a loomis GL2 with a daiwa HRF baitcaster, and a carrotstick with a quantum smoke baitcaster. I also have a shimano sienna 2500 that i want to get going but need to pickup a rod for it, i used to have it on a 3piece travel rod until i broke the middle seciton.

2 tackle trays and my soft plastics pouch, lip grippers, pliers and leader thats about it really.

most of my fishing is river mouths and estuary after Jacks and barra anywhere from 600mm to 1000mm+ both my baitcasters handle this well and handle light stuff also.

It's hard trying to work out what to take, there is so much you could take, I try to to keep it minimilist but it doesn't always work, before you know it you have anchors 3rd rod, extra tackle box, landing nets etc etc.


----------



## hoops (Jan 24, 2012)

What do most of you guys use to put the fish in you catch ? 
cheers


----------



## bnsyak (Dec 13, 2011)

For rods, i've got a pen powergraph on a daiwa d shock (just a cheapy till the dosh comes back)
and a abu black maxx on a shakespere firestorm, no worries yet and the powergraph is 3 years old now.
To land fish i've got aset of lip grips and just wear gloves with the thumb and index finger cut short.
once in a coles cold bag with an ice brick, if its only a short trip i'll tie off the net bag


----------



## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Well said goanywhere, each to their own. My fishing gear is on the cheaper side including braid which I don't pay over 6c/metre for. On the other hand my kayak is a Hobie but there are plenty of members here with $300 kayaks who have just as much fun and are as "successful" with the fish as anyone else. Expensive gear is nice, it's generally better quality and if it helps make your fishing experience more enjoyable then go for it. Just don't feel you need to feel part of the team.

I personally choose to keep my fishing as basic as possible and therefore don't have a fish-finder. I understand the benefits of using one but choose to not have the hassle and just take my chances and wing it.


----------



## Puggy (Jun 30, 2011)

Been using an Okuma Epix 6500 which I picked up for $45 and a PENN Spinfisher 650 for $99 for my gummies with to 5-10kg ugly sticks , for whiting and snapper (not many over 5kg) I have been using a 2500 DAwia Crest and 3000 Okuma Avenger with a 2-5kg silstar crystal powertip. My lure outfit for squid, pinkies, salmon etc is going to be once I purchase a reel other than my sustain 2500 Dawia Aird and Pfleuger Trion 2-4kg.


----------



## cheaterparts (Jul 3, 2010)

if on a gummy hunt I take ebay 3 Oh rods - I have 2, 8 - 10 kg ***** rods and a 10.15 kg pelagic rod
the 2 lighter rods have penn 100 surfmasters and the heavier rod a penn 501
and I take a light bait rod incase there are some sambos or mullet around for some fresh bait

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
if doing a whiting run I take 2 light bait rods normaly pelagic with ebay melaluka reels
and at least 1 gummy rod some times 2 with some thing to run a squid jig ( that could at times be a hand line for a baited jig )

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm setting up some heavier gear atm to try for a bronzy or 7 gillers this year off the yak 
and for that I have a 5' 9 " penn rod 15 - 24 Kg with a penn 330 it will be loaded with 60 lb braid and use wire trace
( the 80 lb leader we use for gummys got biten off a few times last year so going heavier is more to see what was doing it )


----------



## Guest (Feb 3, 2012)

I takw 2 rods mostly. A Pfluger Asaro 2-5 Kg with a Stradic 3000 FI and a Pfluger suprem AST 4-8 kg with a Sustain 5000 FE


----------



## Fritz (Feb 8, 2012)

I take four rods with me on most of my trips. Two rods for trolling, one for spinning and the last one for jigging.

The trolling rods are two Talevera's (TEC-66MH ) matched with TLD 20-40. The jigginf outfit is a Trevella rod (TVS-66 MH )This covers all my jigging and jigging for live bait. Here I use a Saragosa 8000. Lastly the spinning outfit is a nother Trevella but here I use the TVS-70ML. Here I have Stella 5000SW. This outfit does all the spinning, popping, soft plastic and even the live bait jigging when the current is not running to fast.


----------



## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

spooled1 said:


> And if you're wondering why I don't take my Stellas out on the yak it's simple - They've got too many parts for me to want to stuff with on a rebuild or relube.


I like your approach. I'm guessing that it takes me three or four years to match the punishment your kit takes in a single season. This would completely change perspective.

Query for all the big fish hunters - what is the heaviest rod/reel you use and why? I have this theory that rod/reel sizing on a stink boat doesn't apply to yaks in the heavy category. Basically on a stink you pull the fish to the boat (yes I know that game fishers chase the fish, but all the same). On a yak on a big fish you pull the yak to the fish. Or at least the drag setting as felt by the fish is maxed out once the drag is enough to start towing the yak. I'm guessing this starts at about 5-7kg. Certainly 24 kg drags seem pointless to me.

This is of course a trolling perspective. Bottom bashers would be able to use a lot more drag.

Thoughts?


----------



## Fritz (Feb 8, 2012)

You right dru. It only takes about .5kg to move a ski around in the water. Thats if we talking trolling. If you look at my post above you will see the tackle I use. My trolling sticks have 35lb line and my jigging setup has 50lb braid and thats heavy so that I can put more presure on the fish and bring it up faster so that I dont get taxed.


----------



## simond11 (Aug 29, 2005)

I take out 3 rods with me - a Nitro Viper matched to an Abu Soron STX60 reel ( soft plastics), a Nitro Godzilla matched to a Fin Nor Ahab 16 (live baiting, downrigger) and a jigging rod matched with a Penn 750SS. The latter is not ideal, as the retrieve ratio on the Penn is not the the best for jigging. Currently looking at another reel for this purpose.
Cheers


----------



## MrFaulty (May 15, 2008)

I havent read all the comments so apologise if im repeating someone else:

I have fished with cheap and good reels, unfortunately all my cheapish reels have been shimanos (up to a symeter) and I have killed them all - I tend to take them swimming a bit!

My good reels - best is a Daiwa Millionaire X overhead, followed by a Tierra - last.

I had a Daiwa Regal Z 1500 (nol longer available) which took a dunk some years back (2009 I think) in the surf at Hawks nest coming back from Broughton - Rural, Gamefisher and Yankatthebay can tell you how amusing it was, alas I cannot! also stuck in the cockpit (sit in kayak) wilth my regal was the symetre. When I got home I stripped both reels down, washed and reoiled - also checked the bearings - noneof which needed replacing - then reassembled. My symetre at the time was about 6 months old and never been swimming, my regal was about 7 years old and had been dunked previously. The Symetre has since been binned (about 6 months ago) due to a broken part which was not replaceable; the regals still going strong.

The point is not that Shimanos shyte and daiwas great (although this may be true ;-) ) but that you get what you pay for, and baring losing stuff, if you buy something decent and maintian it, it will outlast cheap stuff over and over, hence (IMO) purchaising cheap stuff is often false economy; this isnt saying you need to spend hundreds and hundreds.

Anyway rant over!


----------

