Advice needed: surface iron rod - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

JohnMckroidJr · 06-12-2021, 04:58 PM

Hi Carlos,

When it comes to jig fishing, most anglers prefer a slow taper rod over a fast taper. During my SoCal headboat days, I used a Sabre 540(10ft) and a 220(8.5ft) both with a few inches cut off the tips to give them a slower taper. Those are vintage today.

Using a longer blank on a kayak is fine for smaller fish, but no fun when trying to gaff a trophy that is actively avoiding your attempts. For that reason, I have stuck to 7ft blanks for the fishery in SE Florida. Personally, I would opt for at least a 500 sized tern for the faster line retrieval. I like Rainshadow knife jigging blanks. They are made for speed jigging but have served me well for surface and slow pitch jigging also.

https://www.rainshadowrodblanks.com/...-knifejigging/

These blanks are affordable, yet of decent quality. The line ratings tend to be a little under what the rods can actually work well with. I wrap most my own blanks with the exception of a few that a sponsor has wrapped on my behalf. Due to the economics of potentially losing gear, I have gone with this brand since I started kayak fishing.

Seeker has a brand of rods made with endorsement by kayak fisherman Kevin Nakada just for use on kayaks. The description does not mention the taper of the blanks, so I cannot recommend a specific blank.

https://seekerrods.com/finished-rods/beacon

Everyone has different personal preferences, Good luck with your decision.

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06-12-2021, 04:58 PM	#4
JohnMckroidJr Senior Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: Fort Lauderdale Posts: 1,963	Hi Carlos, When it comes to jig fishing, most anglers prefer a slow taper rod over a fast taper. During my SoCal headboat days, I used a Sabre 540(10ft) and a 220(8.5ft) both with a few inches cut off the tips to give them a slower taper. Those are vintage today. Using a longer blank on a kayak is fine for smaller fish, but no fun when trying to gaff a trophy that is actively avoiding your attempts. For that reason, I have stuck to 7ft blanks for the fishery in SE Florida. Personally, I would opt for at least a 500 sized tern for the faster line retrieval. I like Rainshadow knife jigging blanks. They are made for speed jigging but have served me well for surface and slow pitch jigging also. https://www.rainshadowrodblanks.com/...-knifejigging/ These blanks are affordable, yet of decent quality. The line ratings tend to be a little under what the rods can actually work well with. I wrap most my own blanks with the exception of a few that a sponsor has wrapped on my behalf. Due to the economics of potentially losing gear, I have gone with this brand since I started kayak fishing. Seeker has a brand of rods made with endorsement by kayak fisherman Kevin Nakada just for use on kayaks. The description does not mention the taper of the blanks, so I cannot recommend a specific blank. https://seekerrods.com/finished-rods/beacon Everyone has different personal preferences, Good luck with your decision.