Salt water set up from kayak

[pfluegerman]

Well we just bought 2 kayaks my son and I ,now I need a saltwater fly set up for striped bass here in the northeast Mass NH to be exact.any recommendations on salt water rod reel and weight size? We are intermediate fly fisherman in freshwater but never fly fished in saltwater.
Thanks

 

[Rip Tide]

I'm not going to recommend any particular set up, but just give you something to ponder.
I've hooked a lot of big striped bass while fishing out of my kayak and it's a lot of fun having them pull you around in a "Nantucket sleigh ride" :thumbsup:
Big bluefish on the other hand don't run. They'd rather battle in close and take advantage of leverage
Long rods are a big disadvantage when they do this
The big choppers will park themselves right underneath your seat to rest and with a long rod you don't have the leverage to budge them. In fact, landing any large fish when sitting up close and at water level like that is difficult.

The 9wt rods that most people use are almost all 9 foot so you're kinda stuck with that and you do the best you can.
In the past, I built myself a 6'9" 9wt, but I broke it
Now I have a 8'6" fiberglass 9/10 that I like , but I'm just as likely not to take my own advice and fish with a regulation 9', 9wt.

 

[moucheur2003]

Redington Predator 8710-4. It's a 7' 10" rod. It's rated for a #8 line but I find it likes a #9 better. Use a WF9F or WF9I for cold (not tropical) saltwater. Orvis makes one specifically for stripers, but there are lots of other choices.

 

[Hirdy]

I agree with Rip Tide on the short rods. (TFO MiniMags for me).

These short rods also love short-head lines like the Outbound Short. Since you're close to the water level, getting a lot of line in the air can be difficult, so the short head lines are perfect anyway. Get 25 to 30' in the air and let fly.

Cheers,
Graeme

 

[shopworn]

Some good suggestions.

I have only used 9 foot rods on my kayak and canoe....I like the longer length cause I can easily reach around the bow of the boat if the line goes under the craft on a drift or when playing a fish. But I can also see some advantages to the shorter rods as mentioned. I'd be inclined to start with a 9wt setup...and some of the lines with shorter heads that are designed for quick loading like mentioned.

I think there are plenty of good rods. One is the Predator already mentioned. Several of the TFO rods have the Titanium Chromium coating which makes for a tougher, more durable rod e.g. Mangrove, TiCrx...but it does add some to the cost....compared to the Pro Series II which retails for about $160.

I also think there are plenty of good reels...even some of the composites for ridiculously low prices. However, I'd lean toward something that was milled and anodized with a good sealed drag....more durable etc exposed to the use on a yak and perhaps more saltwater exposure. The Lamson Gurus come to mind but any good brand should be fine.

If the casting is not what it should be, some work and practice on a good backcast may be benefiicial. A lot of yak seats have folks leaning back...rather than maintaining an erect torso....and a sloppy backcast seems to get even worse (slapping the water etc) because the caster is in a reclining position....

 

[Rip Tide]

If the casting is not what it should be, some work and practice on a good backcast may be benefiicial. ..

Try practice casting sitting on the ground.
It's not easy and you probably won't be able to cast far.
Fortunately that's not a problem as most of the time you won't have to. Just remember to keep your back cast up, almost as if you were making a steeple cast.

My 6'9" rod could reach around the bow of my kayak no problem.
I made sure of that first thing

I have only used 9 foot rods on my kayak and canoe....I like the longer length cause I can easily reach around the bow of the boat if the line goes under the craft on a drift or when playing a fish

 

[karstopo]

I like short rods too for kayak work. One thing that's nice about an 8' or 7'6" rod is that they fit nicely within the bounds of my Commander 140. I can have 3 such rods strung and ready to go, two in the space forward of my seat, and one in hand. The two rods in the space serve as a improvised stripping platform. Let's me have some different options handy for different conditions or fish.

The tips of 9' rods extend beyond the bow of the kayak and end up causing more harm than good in this model of fishing. My situation rarely calls for long shots so whatever distance I lose casting a shorter rod doesn't come into play. For me, it's just easier fighting fish, swinging, and over all handling a short rod. I have several 9' rods, but they never make it into the kayak anymore.

 

[brokeoff]

A 9' 9 wt is a good all around rod for this area. You might not want to buy a kayak fly rod based on length that will eventually restrict you from using it on a beach, jetty, estuary, boat, skiff.

If you already have a 9' rod for most other applications then a short rod is probably a good idea.

Wulff and Airflo make lines with sub 30' heads. This will help cast the line with a single false cast.

Can you stand in the kayaks? I am looking at a L2Fish for next year. Looking forward to it.

 

[karstopo]

The Commander 140 is an excellent stand up and cast platform. I fish mostly shallow bays and marshes. I wouldn't want to use it in open deep water expanses as it isn't a self bailing model. It can handle some chop pretty well. I've never felt the need to bail out water in over 100 outings.

Standing up is such an advantage over sitting for stalking shallow water fish like redfish. You can see them from more distance and plan your approach well outside the range of alerting the fish. Doesn't mean you won't mess up,the stalk, but your options available are greater seeing a fish at 80 feet rather than 30.

I lived in the northeast and fished around Monomoy Island and Chatham MA. Certainly, a Commander would work in a place like Stage Harbor, Oyster River, Pleasant Bay, Nauset Inlet, and off the Nantucket Sound Beaches. Not going to be a vessel for the open Atlantic. Nothing wrong with 9' rods and 9 weights. Nine foot rods just extend beyond the bow which is fine if you are using one rod.

 

[Hirdy]

A 9' 9 wt is a good all around rod for this area. You might not want to buy a kayak fly rod based on length that will eventually restrict you from using it on a beach, jetty, estuary, boat, skiff.

Can you stand in the kayaks? I am looking at a L2Fish for next year. Looking forward to it.

I completely disagree with the assertion that short rods restrict use from boats, jetties, estuaries and skiffs. I partially disagree regarding the beach, depending on conditions. When you can cast well, short rods will get the fly to any point you'd reach with a 9' rod. (The length of the line is the limiting factor, not the rod.)

I often stand in my Hobie Pro Angler 14. It's a very stable platform for casting from.

Cheers,
Graeme

 

[brokeoff]

I completely disagree with the assertion that short rods restrict use from boats, jetties, estuaries and skiffs. I partially disagree regarding the beach, depending on conditions. When you can cast well, short rods will get the fly to any point you'd reach with a 9' rod. (The length of the line is the limiting factor, not the rod.)

I often stand in my Hobie Pro Angler 14. It's a very stable platform for casting from.

Cheers,
Graeme

I was under the impression that longer rods are better for casting longer distances. I can't think of many people in New England that use a 7'6" off a boat, jetty, estuary, or skiff.

I prefer that length for brook trout.

 

[karstopo]

I completely disagree with the assertion that short rods restrict use from boats, jetties, estuaries and skiffs. I partially disagree regarding the beach, depending on conditions. When you can cast well, short rods will get the fly to any point you'd reach with a 9' rod. (The length of the line is the limiting factor, not the rod.)

I often stand in my Hobie Pro Angler 14. It's a very stable platform for casting from.

Cheers,
Graeme

I end up using my 7'6" 7/8 wt fiberglass rod for just about everything including the surf when I'm not using my 7'6" fiberglass 5/6 wt or 8' graphite 6-8wt. Scott makes a Meridian at 8'4" in those 6-10 wt ranges or there abouts designed for skiff use. G. Loomis has a short stix line up in the 7-11 wt range that looks good. I think it's under 8'. I seem to cast the short rods about as well as my 9' models. It's just a little harder casting a short rod for me when wading waist deep.

 

[Hirdy]

I was under the impression that longer rods are better for casting longer distances. I can't think of many people in New England that use a 7'6" off a boat, jetty, estuary, or skiff.

I prefer that length for brook trout.

That's the common wisdom, but in my own experience, it seems to be a convention rather than a fact. If it were really true, why aren't people using 10', 11' and 12' rods to get even more distance? On the other side of the coin, why is it that spin guys usually use ~7' rods from boats & jetties?

Maybe those New England guys should try shorter rods from those platforms. I bet they won't though. Most guys here also use 9' rods, so it's a pretty wide-spread convention ...

Cheers,
Hirdy

 

[Rip Tide]

I was under the impression that longer rods are better for casting longer distances. I can't think of many people in New England that use a 7'6" off a boat, jetty, estuary, or skiff.

I prefer that length for brook trout.

It's not always about the casting.

I use a 9' rod for general purpose salt water fishing and a 10' rod in the surf.
But in my kayak, I want a short, stout rod that puts the leverage on my side when fighting a big fish
A 9' rod gives the fish that advantage and makes it more difficult to land such a fish in close as you have to when seated in a kayak.

If you look at conventional boat rods, you'll see that they're all configured that way as well.

 

[brokeoff]

The Loomis ShortStix looks very interesting.

 

[brokeoff]

There is an 8/9 ShortStix on washingtonflyfishing. Just a heads up.

 

[karstopo]

There is an 8/9 ShortStix on washingtonflyfishing. Just a heads up.

That's good to know. I keep saying I have enough rods, then I get one more. If get a ShortStix, I'm leaning towards the 7-8wt. I could probably enjoy the 8-9wt, but it might be a little more than I need most days all things considered. Although, there are some places and situations that it might be perfect...maybe I'll check it out

 

[clouserguyky]

For the sake of transparency, I didn't read every single post in the thread so this may have been mentioned.... But something to think about when getting a set up for a boat or kayak is that there may be a day where you drop one overboard by accident. When that day comes, you may regret dropping a ton of money into a boat rig. That being said, a good saltwater safe reel will save you money in the long run as long as it doesn't go overboard. Otherwise, I'd personally go with a fast, 9' 7 or 8 weight set up for flats and a 9 weight for the stripers you mentioned in the rougher water.

 

[karstopo]

For the sake of transparency, I didn't read every single post in the thread so this may have been mentioned.... But something to think about when getting a set up for a boat or kayak is that there may be a day where you drop one overboard by accident. When that day comes, you may regret dropping a ton of money into a boat rig. That being said, a good saltwater safe reel will save you money in the long run as long as it doesn't go overboard. Otherwise, I'd personally go with a fast, 9' 7 or 8 weight set up for flats and a 9 weight for the stripers you mentioned in the rougher water.

This is good advice. Rod warranties as I understand them don't kick in for rod overboard situations. For a while, I was enamored with the $900 8' 4" Scott Meridian Skiff rod, but do I really need a rod like that to chase redfish in my muddy marshes and bays? The answer was no.

I carry a fast graphite rod, but prefer casting a medium action fiberglass rod most of the time. It just more forgiving and requires almost no thought and less effort to cast. If no targets are present, I still enjoy slinging flies at whatever make up targets or structure I can find. The Cabelas CGRs are $65. And fiberglass is hard to break, plus a lot of fun when the fish bend them all the way to the butt.

 

[beef78]

The set up will really be dependent on your style and the fishing that you do. The longer the rod, the further you will be able to cast. This is important, but not as important in your kayak because you can get to the fish more easily. You might want more length if you are targeting schools busting or falsies. Also, it will help you reach around the front of the boat or other rods behind you when you get a fish that runs across your bow or stern. For large fish, however, you will need leverage to fight them. The longer the rod, the more leverage advantage the fish has against you. Also, the longer the rod, the more difficult it will be to land the fish. It all depends on what you are willing to give up and what you want. A rod in the 8 foot range should be a good middle ground. I would say the bigger the fish you expect to catch, the shorter the rod you should use from your kayak. I would buy a lower end setup because you might have to adjust based on your needs. Also, kayaking is hard on gear. There is always the chance you will break or lose a rod. Is far as reel goes, get something with a decent drag and corrosion resistance if you can. Line will usually be intermediate or full sinking unless you plan on using a lot of surface flies.


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---------- Post added at 07:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:44 AM ----------

Also, a couple tips for fly fishing in the kayak: keep the deck as clean as possible. Avoid bringing multiple rods. It is always a scramble when you hook a fish and have to decide between losing a fish, losing your rod or losing your paddle. Kayak fly fishing can be a circus. You can troll flies in a kayak until you are use to fighting fish.


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