Yak rod requirements

[pipnosis]

So when yak fishing whats the preferences for a rod?

Ive heard guys say 6'3" rod. Why? So you can reach the tip easy?

What else? Longer butt that fits in holders well and keeps the reel dry?

Should it be more robust? As it may get knocked about more.

I can see that its not practical to take as many rods out on the yak.

Any tips yakkers?

[agz_67]

as for length of rod i pretty much use all 7foot rods...main reason is that i simply like the feel of them...as you mentioned they are easy to get around the tip of the yak if needed when fighting fish. i know sum guys that prefer rods with slightly shorter butts as when your sitting down this can sumtimes stick into your gut or make things uncomfortable but with most bream rods you should not have this problem. as for number of rods i generally take 3 or 4...ive got a box on the back of my yak which had 4 rod holders mounted to it...each rod is rigged up for a different application so it saves me mucking round when im out there

[4weightfanatic]

Agz I think he means reach the tip of the rod with you hand e.g.remove braid line wrap etc. but I agree with you mate I only use my 702 rods unless I'm slinging heavy spinnerbaits then I use my 6'6" older Shimano Excell Weapon that is a bit stiffer. Having the longer rod is good for getting the tip in front of the yak whilst fighting a fish and they just feel nice. The shorter single handed butts do pose a small problem on "through the deck" flush mount rod holders but I just made extensions out of PVC pipe notched out to fit the reel seat and split down the side. All you need to do is squeeze them a bit and you can twist them or move them up or down. The notch just needs to be sanded fine or coated with something so it doesn't scratch up the seat or you could split some 4mm rubber tube like irrigation micro line and glue it to the inside. I use a 9 ft fly rod on my yak and never found it too long. Pat.

[chris268]

I have been taking a DSR820S i recently bought. It's 6'10" and isnt too long and isnt too short.
For 7' and up, i prefer two piece and it's easy to get rid of knots and pass line through the guides when separated.

[4weightfanatic]

Here's the best pic I can find of the rod extensions. The one on the left is notched out the one on the right not. You should be able to see the "overlap" of the PVC on the right hand one and all you do is squeeze it reducing its diameter and then move it as you wish. They are very tight and do need a bit of force to move them which is good - the pipe is 40 mm PVC. Pat.

[Da'Breamer]

I use A Black Label 6'1 and love it, fav rod atm

G Loomis DSR820s 6'10 great rod

Still use my Hot Rods Swizzlestik i think its a 6'6... very nice rod..

And Team Daiwa Advantage 7'1 ...

use all of them in my PA

[Breamobsession]

I use 6'6" up to 7'2". I also love the feel of the longer rods and have never really seen a reason to have a shorter one for Yakking. I guess it really depends on what sort of country your planning on taking it. I do a fair bit of creek bashing and it an become a bit of a pain in tight situations in which case a shorter rod may be a better option. My yak is just about as basic as it gets, pretty banged up but does the job, couple of rod holders that hold the rods fine and up away from the water. I usually only have two rods as it does become a pain on my Yak to be carrying to many, i can see the advantage of being able to carry at least one extra though. A majority of my fishing is done from my Yak so i don't personally like taking out expensive rods and reels i just go for entry level stuff, eases the pain when something goes wrong.

[Anti-Carp]

Got to agree with the above can't go past the Loomis Dropshot 820, it's unbeatable on the yak. It's the most versatile rod and is great for everything from whiting and EP's on the surface to fishing blades and plastics for jew. One thing you really need to take into account besides the length on the yak is also butt length too long it's too uncomfortable to fish and too short you'll be losing your gear in chop if you don't secure it with a leash.

[yakkindan]

its all personal preference really. you just need a way to secure your rods for those oops moments. As for using cheaper gear specifically for the yak as has been mentioned, i disagree with that. Use what you've busted your butt working for and just take necessary precautions to avoid losing it.

[joelozzy]

Originally Posted by yakkindan

its all personal preference really. you just need a way to secure your rods for those oops moments. As for using cheaper gear specifically for the yak as has been mentioned, i disagree with that. Use what you've busted your butt working for and just take necessary precautions to avoid losing it.

+1

Buy the best that you can afford and look after it.

[bargeass]

Originally Posted by yakkindan

its all personal preference really. you just need a way to secure your rods for those oops moments. As for using cheaper gear specifically for the yak as has been mentioned, i disagree with that. Use what you've busted your butt working for and just take necessary precautions to avoid losing it.

This.

The two combos I use 95% of the time for my yak fishing are both $600 plus outfits (not the dearest going around, but on a uni students budget they do the trick ) and I've never once had to think twice about taking them with me. They even go bush bashing up tiny little bass creeks... Just take necessary precautions and dont do anything stupid and you can get away with just about anything

ps. They are both 7' rods, I like the extra casting distance and the ability to get around the front of my yak when a fish plays up.

[Breamobsession]

Originally Posted by yakkindan

its all personal preference really. you just need a way to secure your rods for those oops moments. As for using cheaper gear specifically for the yak as has been mentioned, i disagree with that. Use what you've busted your butt working for and just take necessary precautions to avoid losing it.

You may have been referring to my comment about using cheaper gear for the Yak i think. I agree totally, personal preference and if you take precautions all should be fine, i just personally wont do it, crap paying career and a young family certainly does not allow me to buy expensive gear much anyway, but for the gear that i have busted my arse for i just don't wanna risk stuffing it, precations or otherwise. Just me

[pipnosis]

Hmmmm. Yesterday I used a 7" rod, went to reach the tip and !!! the reel got dunked. $H!T.

I guess there is less chance of this happening with a shorter rod. Or be more careful. I always find there is more chaos in the yak though. Wind, current, 2 rods, some tackle out, anchor rope, rod leashes . . .

[4weightfanatic]

Originally Posted by pipnosis

Hmmmm. Yesterday I used a 7" rod, went to reach the tip and !!! the reel got dunked. $H!T.

I guess there is less chance of this happening with a shorter rod. Or be more careful. I always find there is more chaos in the yak though. Wind, current, 2 rods, some tackle out, anchor rope, rod leashes . . .

That is the only real issue I think you have to deal with and obviously your in trouble if you do it in the salt. Personally I think high end gear is a bit over rated (sure to cause some consternation). Sure I can understand a beautifully balanced rod and reel is a pleasure to use and considering catching the fish is only one small part of fishing, the gear is an integral part of the whole experience. But there are plenty of examples where low end gear brings home the bacon under the same conditions as the high end stuff so again as previously mentioned a personal preference thing. I think the way you approach your fishing such as time of day,correct lure type choice,accuracy of casting and generally learning from others success where by you compare it to your methods is more important than gear used. Now I'm not saying using one of those little pink or blue rods you can buy in a servo but you can use quality brands but at the lower end of their range if your worried about potential loss or damage. I've been using the same outfit for about the last 7-8 years a Shimano Catana 702 rod and a Shimano Sienna 1000 size reel bought as a package for $99. I do use middle of the road but still quality braid using 4-6lb Fireline for quite a few years chasing black bream but have been trialling Super PE in 6-10 lb this last bass season. You've only got to go to the Bass Masters thread to see that it works for me. Like others I had a crap paying job so $15-25 lures were way too expensive for my budget and hence the dear lures I do have don't get half as close to the structure as they should. The cheaper lures I use I have no problem throwing them in deep where they should be and anyway fishing from the yak you can always paddle in there to retrieve it if it hangs up. Some of my best bass have come on the $4.97 Bat lure so I think it is a bit of a mind thing. I'm not into image I just enjoy the fishing so you won't see me wearing glossy fishing shirts with brand names plastered all over it and a boat hull covered in stickers - if your into the tournament thing good luck to you but it won't make you a better fisherman. I have eaten humble pie many times in my fishing experiences and have no problems saying I have learnt stuff when I thought I was doing alright. I'm sure I've earned more respect by listening/observing from a mentor and then put it into practise and starting to get results. Sorry if this has side tracked a bit but the gist of it all is you can use cheaper gear and have good success. Cheers Pat. PS regarding dunking your rod reaching the tip to unravel braid etc I often rest the butt of the rod at the front of the yak on the "bracket" that holds my lure retriever while I fix the tip. Its not ideal but works but you could always fix a short bit of PVC pipe to the front of the yak to serve a similar purpose.

[swan_rookie69]

diawa black label (: