Mike, that explanation really helps! What happened to those 'chovies, though?
That was something I was a bit worried about. The 700H is a fast action and has a really stiff tip and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to cast live bait effectively, but really, I chose the Phenix as more of a casting rod for irons and anything else I may want to throw since I can't drag live bait for very long without getting a little antsy or bored. Your suggestion about picking up a lighter rod for that application sounds good, and I may eventually get that 670 after all.
William, yup, BTB = Beyond the Breakers.
There's another good yak site I enjoyed reading when I was in Texas:
www.texaskayakfisherman.com
If you scroll down, there's a page dedicated to BTB fishing. Those guys mostly fish for reds, sharks, kingfish, and occasionally tarpon but there's definitely a lot of good information about rigging, etx... etx...