Quote:
Originally Posted by kevbeer
....I saw it in turners outdoorsman....
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Eh, you lost me at Turners. There is A TON of great used gear available online, and MUCH better shops than Turners. SoCal has a huge amount of high quality stuff on the resale market that wont break the bank. Your buddies suggestion is a great one, but there are numerous options out there.
Rod length is a matter of preference. In my opinion, if I'm casting and covering a lot of water, I would stick to 8' rods. If you are dropping directly down into kelp, or just pitching bait/plastics to targets, 7' will work. I have and use both consistently. When you get out there in the open water and need that extra distance, or accuracy, you will see what I'm talking about.
I used to think I needed shorter rods for the kayak, and then I learned my gear better and got more comfortable. Now I fish the same way/gear on my kayak as I do on charter and sport boats.
Casting vs Conventional vs Spinning. Lever drag vs Star drag. Glass vs Carbonfiber vs Composite. Braid vs Mono vs Fluoro. All of the gear out there can be used to accomplish what you are looking to do so long as its setup accordingly. Here is my suggestion on kelp fishing...
7-8' carbon or composite casting stick in a moderate weight (30lbs ish.) You want a fast tip and strong butt section to put pressure against the kelp. I would look into finding a 300 or 400 sized casting or conventional reel, then fill it with 50-65lbs braid. The braid works like a saw against the kelp aiding in slicing through it. Depending on the bite or visibility, you can terminal directly to the braid, or tip it with 3-4' of fluorocarbon leader.