Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge - View Single Post - Trying to learn more about Rod and Reel setups

Deamon · 01-15-2017, 05:19 PM

Hey GGloryH,

Deep breath, slow down. Don't get caught up in the hype. There are a lot of great setups at significant variation in pricing. I am on the low medium end of the budget scale. Here are my go-to's.

Terramar Inshore Tmc x70H
I put Daiwa X20 SHA reels on them. Many will say this reel is too small but they're just whiny jack offs, lol. A great kayak reel at a fair price and catches all of our fish. Nothing better than fighting big fish on good, smaller gear. It's the drags and line that really matter anyways. Try to buy your reels new.

Cal Star Grafightet 700 L
And a CS 700 ML
Solid solid backbone
These both have Shimano Toriums (16 & 20) but only because they carried over from my boating days. These reels suck as kayak reels unless you dry bag them on launch and landings, which is what I suggest for all of your reels.

The fiberglass or composite rods will hold up MUCH BETTER than straight graphite, esp if you bang your rods around.
Phenix SUCKS as kayak rods and their warranty is the ABSOLUTE WORST, trust me.

If you're the type, think abt buying your rods used. Take your time and troll bloody decks. Make sure there are no bruises and CLEAN ASS guides. You'll find guys dumping great rods at crazy low prices, if you're quick. I bought one of those Cal Stars for $90. Dude needed money. Also, Cal Star and Shimano have GREAT WARRANTY's if a rod breaks, trust me.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Jim

01-15-2017, 05:19 PM	#5
Deamon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,972	Hey GGloryH, Deep breath, slow down. Don't get caught up in the hype. There are a lot of great setups at significant variation in pricing. I am on the low medium end of the budget scale. Here are my go-to's. Terramar Inshore Tmc x70H I put Daiwa X20 SHA reels on them. Many will say this reel is too small but they're just whiny jack offs, lol. A great kayak reel at a fair price and catches all of our fish. Nothing better than fighting big fish on good, smaller gear. It's the drags and line that really matter anyways. Try to buy your reels new. Cal Star Grafightet 700 L And a CS 700 ML Solid solid backbone These both have Shimano Toriums (16 & 20) but only because they carried over from my boating days. These reels suck as kayak reels unless you dry bag them on launch and landings, which is what I suggest for all of your reels. The fiberglass or composite rods will hold up MUCH BETTER than straight graphite, esp if you bang your rods around. Phenix SUCKS as kayak rods and their warranty is the ABSOLUTE WORST, trust me. If you're the type, think abt buying your rods used. Take your time and troll bloody decks. Make sure there are no bruises and CLEAN ASS guides. You'll find guys dumping great rods at crazy low prices, if you're quick. I bought one of those Cal Stars for $90. Dude needed money. Also, Cal Star and Shimano have GREAT WARRANTY's if a rod breaks, trust me. Hope this helps. Good luck! Jim __________________ Recreational Fisherman's Catch...2% Commercial Fisherman's Catch- 98% Recreational Fishing Kayakers Catch- .00001% "The reality is that the wall was built to keep all Asians ~specifically Japanese and those that think they're japanese~ out of the U.S"