proper rockfish pole

J, I think I drool every time I see pictures of that rod Erik made you.  Someday I'll get enough WAF piled up to get one myself.  Until then I really need to check out the Baidarkas a little more closely.

Brian

Brian, If it makes you feel any better I was more than 40 years old when I got it, so you got time to save up for one,  . and KZ's a young'un like you so he should be making rods for a few years yet.

the trevalas may be great from a technical/warranty standpoint, but they are just so mass-produced and mass-marketed that I feel it takes some of the "soul" out of things. I don't like being too "me-too". kayak fishermen are supposed to be a little different. something inside me tells me to avoid those things. okuma is a little better. at least it's kayak-specific. the D-blues are at least a little obscure.

regarding eric b's note, yeah, when I say "long", I just mean "long enough for you to fish comfortably on your boat".

kayak fishermen are supposed to be a little different

We are...  One of my favorite things about meeting new to me NCKA'ers is checking out their setup and rigging.  I have yet to see any two that are the same.   Even though there are a few Trevala owners here the similarity stops there.

Besides, who's even gonna know once you cover up the brand with a pool noodle.  

Pretty much anything works for rockfish including your $75 Walmart combos. I have seen many big lings landed on very inexpensive tackle. So if you are on a budget, spending the money on a good paddle or FF/GPS might be a better investment. My favorite rig is a Calstar 700 XLH with a Daiwa Luna 300 spooled with 30# Spiderwire Invisibraid. Really a pleasure to fish and cast with but probably total overkill. 

Scott

Yeah, Scott's advise is sound. Cheap gear will work fine for rockfish, and then when you accidentally dump in the surf, drop the reel in the sand, or lose it over the side the one time you forgot to attach the leash, you won't be out too much $$.

I've upgraded in the last few years, but still use fairly cheap stuff:
rig#1: 7.5' Penn rod by Sabre 10-20lb rated and an Abu c something reel with 30lb braid
rig#2: 7' tigerstick rod, 20-40lb rated and a Penn squidder with 40lb braid

I do take some precautions to keep my gear working. I always remove & stow all reels in either drybag or waterproof box during launches & landings to keep them free of sand. I started doing this after a single surf incident that destroyed a reel I really liked.
Well, OK it didn't destroy it, but the sand infiltration did turn it from a beautifully functioning reel to a bunch of loose parts in a box.

Everybody has their own personal preference when it comes to kayak-fishing-specific gear. In that sense, there is no right/wrong way to go about it. Especially when it comes to rockfish! For example, I will never fish for rockfish with a rod longer than 7ft ever again. Been fishing 6-7ft rods for the past 2 years and can’t imagine changing.

NB, have you felt the Tiger Lite rods? I have one of the casting models and it is great for kayak fishing because it’s durable and extremely light. However, they have ceramic inserts inside the guides.
I visited Walmart yesterday and was surprised to see a new-to-this-particular-store Penn combo. It is the Penn GTO rod (with metal guides) with a GTO 220 reel. At 68 bucks, the price is right.

About those Baidarka rods. One of our brethren recently told me how upset he was with this rod. It apparently broke quite easily.

  I'm glad this was asked, because I need a suitable "cheap" rod for my Flee market penn jigmaster that Alan T just refurbished for me.  I have 7' ugly stik I got for bass fishing, but don't like the way it casts, and its heavy. I was thinking about using it with my penn, but it's a spinning rod.  I'm going to check my local outdoor world and see if they have the Ugly sitk tiger rod. 

Fishermans warehouse has the Ugly stik tiger for
"$55.99 BWS2200 7' 1 piece Med-Light 12-30 lb. 1/2-4 oz."
My local outdoor world has it for $72.  Guess where I'm not buying it from.  Damn if FW isn't on my way home! Gonna have to bend my piggy bank over a little and pry some cash out of it tonight.

Well, with apologies to the tackle geeks out there, but there is this point:

Rockfish are dumb


They don't know what kind of rod you're using.

If they're there, and hungry, and you have the right bait at the right depth, you're gonna get em.

If you're not fishing ultra light, and you can keep the fish out of the rocks and kelp, you're gonna land em.

So...

15 to 20 lb test. Heavier is unnecessary. Seven foot is a good rule, shorter sticks make it difficult to clear the bow. If you're fishing vertical, over reefs, you want a rod with a bit of backbone. If you're fishing around the kelp, you want a rod that casts well with lures of 1 to 3 ounces.

So if you want to buy for value, don't be afraid to get something affordable, like the Ugly Sticks. They work just fine, believe me. And you won't cry when you beat em up. I say don't spend more than 200.00 for the rod and reel together. If you want to enjoy the sweet feel of a little jewel like an Avet in your hand, and a more sensitive rod, then do it. It's nice to have good gear. But it won't put many more fish in your boat.

That's my two cents on the subject. Enjoy yourself!

I am over my posting limit for the day but speaking of bargain rigs, Cabelas has Penn Seaboy 185's reels for $29 in the bargain cave right now. 

I visited Walmart yesterday and was surprised to see a new-to-this-particular-store Penn combo. It is the Penn GTO rod (with metal guides) with a GTO 220 reel. At 68 bucks, the price is right.

Blimey, that'll do it.

Thank you Gentlemens...Wow...At least a 7" is what I gather...sound good to me...Now out to use $100 phone rebate to good use.  thanks again
Allan

I have the 10-25# spinning model Tiger Lite and I love it for strippers in the delta and any other places where you don't need to pull something away from rocks and snags.

I'm needing (wanting) a new rockfish/ling set up and was thinking of getting the heavier 14-40# casting rod and putting an old penn reel with it.

anybody have experience with that rod. I don't seem to be able to find one to touch before I buy.

dale

Rockfish are dumb

They don't know what kind of rod you're using.

If they're there, and hungry, and you have the right bait at the right depth, you're gonna get em.

If you're not fishing ultra light, and you can keep the fish out of the rocks and kelp, you're gonna land em.

TallPaul

I couldn't agree with your more.  I started Rockfishing using some old trout gear that I had laying around. It was an Ugly Stick paired with a Shimano Corsair. The best part  was I didn't care if the reel got dunked or I abused the equipment in any way.  The smaller RF were also pretty fun to catch on the light set up. 

Last year I upgraded to some better equipment.  On my last RF outing I broke my Trevala in half (I was high sticking the rod trying to free a snag. It was just sent back to Shimano under their warranty and I am waiting for the replacement).  After it broke, I continued to catch as many fish on the 3 foot, 2 eye stump as I did with the complete rod. 

I have the 10-25# spinning model Tiger Lite and I love it for strippers in the delta

Dang- i didn't know that strippers liked spinning rods...I thought it was just five dollar bills

I have the 10-25# spinning model Tiger Lite and I love it for strippers in the delta

Dang- i didn't know that strippers liked spinning rods...I thought it was just five dollar bills

Yeah, spelling has never been my strong suit,,,,,,,,