# Length of rod for a yak



## FletcherG1991 (Apr 17, 2007)

After deciding to get my first yak i have also decided that i need a new combo (another exuse to get another rod and reel !)

Now ill be getting a Daiwa Zillion (don't know wether to go speed or power version yet) and was thinking about matching it up to a ..... well i havn't exactly made up my mind yet, maybe a Crankbait, Bronzeback or something similar and fishing 10 lb.

Anyway the problem is that these rods are about 6'6" now normaly this would be no problem but i have been told that this is to long for a kayak. Why is it to long for a kayak ? are the longer rods to hard to control fish when ou are low to the water ? i would have thought that the longish rods would have been an advantage if you have to lead the fish around the front of the yak.

I will be chasing mainly bass, flatties, jews (soft plastics and hard bodies), if there is a school of fish busting up then i will be casting lures at them and that sort of thing.

Cheers,
Fltcher


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## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

Hi Fletch,

I find the compromise is something which you can still cast your bait / lure the distance you require, and a rod short enough to reach the tip if you have to re rig, fix tangles etc. 6'6" to 7' is fine for lighter lines. If your planning on a heavy outfit then shorter would be in your favour. 
Spot on with having to clear the front of the kayak, I've lost good fish this way, but I think I had no chance anyway!!
Also consider if you are planning on trolling 2 lines, shorter will keep those diving lures deeper, and as the yak may turn with a fish you have to clear the lines behind you.

Happy shopping!!

Cheers Dave.


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## Nodds (Feb 28, 2007)

Dave73, I don't get what you mean when you said shorter rods will keep your diving lures deeper? Iv'e only been trolling on a yak twice but our rods were almost parralell to the water and sticking out both sides of the yak. As I wan't to go fishing in shore I'm after any tips i can get :wink:

cheers nodds


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## kilkenny (Nov 27, 2006)

Got both the 3.6 and 4.6ft ugly sticks, when casting these dont get smacked into the trees behind me , you never need to put a fish round the bow or stearn as your boat will turn round with the weight of the fish. I got the smallest Synergy egg beaters on them both and 6lb ice line. Used to fly fish all the time but if you want to catch fish modern plastics are the go.
Kilkenny.


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## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

My rod holders dont really spread that wide just really stick up perpendicular to the water, therefor the rod tip is quite high on a longer rod..
As for those fish making a fast run across the bow close to the kayak...I've paid the price.


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## Nodds (Feb 28, 2007)

Thanks Dave73 I get it now :wink: and yeah I nearly lost a real good flatty a couple of days ago coz he went around the bow 3 or 4 times and as my rod is a 6' spin stick I had to move forward to avoid the line touching the boat coz 2lb breaks way too eazy. So my next rod will be a 7' or 7'6" to avoid the line rubbing on the yak while staying seated. Hope this helps Fletcher1991 

nodds


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Nodds said:


> Thanks Dave73 I get it now :wink: and yeah I nearly lost a real good flatty a couple of days ago coz he went around the bow 3 or 4 times and as my rod is a 6' spin stick I had to move forward to avoid the line touching the boat coz 2lb breaks way too eazy. So my next rod will be a 7' or 7'6" to avoid the line rubbing on the yak while staying seated. Hope this helps Fletcher1991
> 
> nodds


The downside of going longer is the need to highstick when bringing the fish close to the yak. This can break fragile graphite spin sticks. I prefer something around 6'


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

kraley said:


> kilkenny said:
> 
> 
> > you never need to put a fish round the bow or stearn as your boat will turn round with the weight of the fish.
> ...


Kraley: I reckon we must be battling different fish!

I have video footage to prove it. This footage was the 10kg+ king I had to cut off on Saturday. In two seconds the yak turned 180 degrees. Ask Couta1 or Spottymac who both have a full res CD copy of the video which was mounted on the bow of my yak.

Big fish (over 5kg) - Short, strong rods and heavy braid - The fish rights the yak every time! PM me your address and I'll send you a CD.

If I was using light gear I'd probably opt for a slightly longer rod that cleared the bow. With heavy gear I'll let the tackle do the work.


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

The uncompressed footage is 650mb and my Quicktime compressors suck big time which is why I haven't done the youtube.

I'll happily pop a CD copy in the mail for you.

If you want to have a go at recompressing for Youtube go for it when it arrrives.


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## Nodds (Feb 28, 2007)

Yes Peril you are rite graphite rods are fradgile and don't handle high sticking much at all. My next rod is going to be a Silstar power tip or a penn type of rod in the 6-8kg or the 7-10kg range, I'll run about 6 or 8lb fireline on one spool and 12 or 15lb on the other. I'm hoping this will let me hunt jacks and allow me have fun  inshore or offshore without needing to bye too many rods (not that thier's anything wrong with geting more rods it's I can't afford $$$ it  ) this is the plan anyway :wink: 
If it's flawed pleeeeaaase let me know.

cheers nodds


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Nodds said:


> Yes Peril you are rite graphite rods are fradgile and don't handle high sticking much at all. My next rod is going to be a Silstar power tip or a penn type of rod in the 6-8kg or the 7-10kg range, I'll run about 6 or 8lb fireline on one spool and 12 or 15lb on the other. I'm hoping this will let me hunt jacks and allow me have fun  inshore or offshore without needing to bye too many rods (not that thier's anything wrong with geting more rods it's I can't afford $$$ it  ) this is the plan anyway :wink:
> If it's flawed pleeeeaaase let me know.
> 
> cheers nodds


It is flawed. Rods make an enormous difference to casting distance. If you want to flick unweighted or lightly weighted (less than 4g) sps and small hbs (SX40, poppers etc) you will be limiting your casting distance enormously with a 6-8kg rod. Also you will not enjoy casting for several hours with a heavy rod and reel.

I understand your compromise is driven by $. You might consider focussing on one type of fishing and getting the outfit to suit, then branching out when you can afford it. For example, get setup for the 12-5lb fishing will still allow you to bait fish or troll small lures in the estuary, with suitably light leader. Just be careful to set your drag to match your leader rather than your mainline


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## Nodds (Feb 28, 2007)

Thanks Peril, I get were you are comming from :wink: My graphite stick is a 3-4kg unit and this will remain my rod of choice for sx40 and popper action coz it casts great and has never let me down. I will eventuly get a better reel, one that comes with a spare spool so I can keep my 2lb on one and maybe get some 4 or 6lb on the other. I have allways fished light but the other type of fish I want to target will require heavier gear wich is uncharted ground for me and I can't wait to have a crack at it. 

cheers nodds


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## camel (Oct 4, 2005)

Big fish on light tackle and even small but fast fish on light tackle can and often will pass across the bow or stern of the yak faster than they will pull the yak around. That's where longer rods can be invaluable. I fish at the lighter end of the scale and I've built most my own yak rods, making most of them long enough so I can pass my line across the bow with ease yet still access the tip to sort out tip wraps. For my kayak that works out around 6" 6' to 7" 2'. That's the system that works for me. But every one has different preferences and that's the beauty of fishing there are no set rules.

Regards

Anthony


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## FletcherG1991 (Apr 17, 2007)

Looks like my 6'6" - 7" rods won't be a problem. I may have to get a slightly longer net to prevent high sticking (rather than one that has a handle of 30ish cm).

The reason why i like the longer rods is the ability to cast lighter lures easyer. No point getting out there with a school of Kings busting up and not bieing able to cast a lure because the rod is to short to cast the right lure.

I just hope these rods will have enough guts to fish for Kings and stuff but still have a whippy enough tip to cast smallish bass lures.

Looks like the Crankbait will be fine.

Cheers,
Fletcher


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## kilkenny (Nov 27, 2006)

Been up north to lake Macdonald today KRAYLY.....got me a Bass a yellabelly and a SARATOGA.......all on my li'l roderick,,,,,,what U get hooked up with Anzak day? 
Kilkenny


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## camel (Oct 4, 2005)

One way you can safe guard your against high sticking is to back your drag off when your fish is by the kayak. Sometimes it will take a bit longer to land the fish but its worth it.


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## kilkenny (Nov 27, 2006)

Guess there aint no fish down on Pyrmont any more Kraulz, U got any Saratoga in the parammatta river then...duh ...whats a toga?..
Tight lines and cold Kilkenny.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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