Introduction // Halibut Rod

[Fish]

Hi, I'm new to the forums been lurking for a while very interested in kayak fishing always been on bass boats //charter but like the idea and simplicity of kayaks.

Question about halibut rod reels what's a good baitcast setup you recommend for lets say newport bay ,line size, rod action, line capacity , rod length that kinda stuff

[Dail14]

I use a penn defiance reel on an uglystick. Its not fancy but it does get the job done . Regardless of brand for the rod you want something with a good bend at the end to absorb the head shakes they are famed for. I also use 50 pound braid spiderwire for my main line. It doesn't seem to discourage the butts from biting and is strong enough that as long as you have your drag set correctly it will not break. You also will want to make sure the reel has a bait clicker for when you use live bait. Even if you never plan to use live it is better to have the option. Make sure the setup is strong enough in case you hook up to a good sized one as they will punish any weakness with escape. Sorry I cant really help you with more specifics but I don't have multiple set ups like most of the members on here. Hopefully they can chime in on more specific rod and reel models.

[AirborneYak]

I really don't have anything to add and I'm sorry for that. I just wanted say I'm surprised that Fish was available as a username still. Tight lines!

[Fish]

Thanks Dail for the suggestion , I may consider an ugly
Stick considering most of my rods sound a bit to stiff also on a tight budget . Yes I was also surprised I got the name hah :P

I guess is have to put together something along the lines of saltwater // fresh water rod , have an older classic abu garcia with a pretty good line capacity and maybe something a bit softer than a flipping stick.

[LawDog]

Shorter rod the better. 9/10 your not casting but drifting. Shorter gives you more power to pull up from bottom. But keep in mind I like the option of sweeping from left to right or vice versa so 7 ft in my minimum on the trident 15. But yes as before mentioned look for a soft tip with a decent backbone. I like mono for butts because of the stretch. Line strength depends on where your fishing but 30-50# is pretty standard. Floor leader is a must. More abrasion resistant and harder for fish to see. For the reel stay away for the super high speed. And 15 lbs of drag is all you really need, with butts you operate at less than 10# anyways. Anything more I find to pop the hook too easy. And make sure it's made for saltwater. I like to also include ease of maintenance in my buying criteria. Hope this helps

[taggermike]

Good advice given so far. I'll add that line capacity is not a huge deal. Bays are not too deep and halis are not going to run hard and spool you. I like lower gear ratio retrieve reels because I do not pump the rod when fighting halis but rather attempt to grind them smoothly to the surface. My all time favorite bay hali out fit was an 8' parabolic graphite allstar rod with a penn international bait caster. It had 30lb braid and used 12-15ln fluoro leaders. Mike

[oneyedeer]

kayak fishing is not as simple as you think

[jorluivil]

I would stay away from anything that is stiff

all kidding aside.

Keep in mind that halibut are known for their head shakes so a stiff rod will only increase the chances of losing the fish; if there is no give in the rod what will give? the knot, the swivel, your line? You need something to act as a shock absorber, the line alone sometimes is not enough. If you have the money invest in a G-Loomis, if not go with a Teramar in the medium action range

[makobob]

Walmart in Vista had 7" Ugly Stick, 12-25 lb on sale for $39.97 today.

[Fish]

Originally Posted by oneyedeer

kayak fishing is not as simple as you think

Well I mean no gas motor or trolling motor hehe

[Fish]

Thanks for the replies all I have a good idea now of what I should get.