Boat Rods

[Raven]

I am still learning about rods.... and if someone could point me to
the link i'd appreciate it...or tell me what is a good rod for stand up fishing in a boat...that has the real strength for fighting a big ole cow.

Things are changing for me...and i should be buying a house this year and a boat and its the "time of year to dream of gear". Thanks.

ps i have my surf rod.....but was thinking of something shorter 8'.....beefier.... i have like four rods but am still dreaming of more.
and dont want some cheapo power stick. i tried doing the st. croix thang online for rod selection and it wasn't very informative.

[taJon]

It seems like an open ended question. Not to discourage you or anything but most on here seem to think that you need different rods for each application.

What type of fishing are you doing, trolling, livelining, jigging, etc... would all get different types of rod recommendations.

I'm pretty much a newbie too so good luck.

Personally I will be getting some new rods this year. Prob. a 7' tsunami spinning rod and some custom stand up gear from the Outfitter.

[Raven]

like for example fenwick had this 7 foot rod that
was primarilly for steelhead salmon that had a real
strong back bone to it... and i was thinking that a 9' foot
plus surfcasting rod would be kinda big for use in a boat.

my very first saltwater rod was solid fiberglass and 7 foot long.

for fresh water rods i have a berkly lighning rod thats good for small mouths
and largemouth bass and ugly sticks but i wouldn't think to use them
for a real large fish of 30 lbs and up.....was my thought.

[thefishingfreak]

7' acid wrapped custom stick.
you know whear

[Roger]

Spinning? conventional? casting close? casting far? casting what? bottom fishing? livelining? fishing around rocks? fishing shallow sandy stretches? deep water?

Answers to any one of these questions will influence the advice you'll get.
FWIW, generally speaking, 7' is a good size for a boat. The heavier the gear and quarry, the shorter the rod. Also, I don't think you really mean "stand up" fishing because that refers to tuna gear used in a special harness that allows you stand instead of sit to fight the fish.

[Raven]

throwing plugs mostly... i've caught fish i couldn't even turn before that spooled me...with rods that had no backbone -but i was standing on shore...

i have three big rods... , but nothing shorter for use in a boat.....
that i consider a real strong rod....i guess i'm under the mis-conception that theres a need for a shorter rod on a boat...

[Roger]

Originally Posted by Raven

throwing plugs mostly... i've caught fish i couldn't even turn before that spooled me...with rods that had no backbone -but i was standing on shore...

That was the reel's fault or how it was set, not the rod.

[Raven]

i think your right...

[Fishpart]

Call Goose, he builds a nice eel/live bait drifting rod. You'll want some 7-8 foot spinners to plug with. I have a batson 967 that is nice for plugging. Have an Ande stock 8 foot spinner that is good for big plugs and can be used to drift eels and such..

[Raven]

but i'm just in the exploration phase currently and i take my research quite seriously and investigate my options sometimes years in advance of anything i purchase.....as i don't even own a saltwater boat yet which would be the logical first step. I saw that one photo of the boat with all the (looked like) surf rods with the silver van stals and began to wonder about what makes a good boat rod for flinging plugs for stripers and if they were a specific or different design.

[Mr. Sandman]

I do a bunch of spin casting close to the beach (eels and plugs) from a boat. My favorite boat spinner is a (7 or 7.5' st. Croix about 20# class) with a shimano thunnus baitrunner spinning reel with braid. I had two more made just like it with some minor custom upgrades and had the st Croix re-wrapped and new guides two seasons ago. These are all set up for boat eeling and plugging. Fighting a fish is a pleasure on them. It feels like lighter gear but can take a bass of any size. The thunnus is a little overkill for bass but works with braid better then the other baitrunners. If you are on a tighter budget look at the Tica and Tsunami lines with a peen or shimano baitrunners.

IMO baitrunners are great for this type of fishing. You have the option to deadstick eels with the baitrunners. They work great on a boat. The thunnus is a bit bigger and heavier (and more $) but is a better reel that can stop a tuna. I personally feel the standard baitrunner is lighter and adequate for sb but does not work as well with braid.

[Raven]

i have a penn power stick with a shimano 4500 baitrunner on it...
and it's what i'd use for either some pluggin or chunkin....
i like those reels myself...
when i put it on my surf rod it was a bit too heavy...
so i'll be in the market for a new real this year....
what model or action st. croix's did you have....that you liked
and you thought were good sb rods.....sandman?
so i have a point of reference.
i see a psrs106mh2 19.5.... thats like 230 bucks
looks heavy duty.....i'll still have someone local build the rod
but i'm doing my homework....

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by Raven

I am still learning about rods.... and if someone could point me to
the link i'd appreciate it...or tell me what is a good rod for stand up fishing in a boat...that has the real strength for fighting a big ole cow.

Things are changing for me...and i should be buying a house this year and a boat and its the "time of year to dream of gear". Thanks.

ps i have my surf rod.....but was thinking of something shorter 8'.....beefier.... i have like four rods but am still dreaming of more.
and dont want some cheapo power stick. i tried doing the st. croix thang online for rod selection and it wasn't very informative.

If you're looking to take your surf fishing skills and plugs and apply them from the boat 2 or maybe 3 rods tops could cover it. We've been sort of specializing in this off Newport for the past few years. It's deadly way to fish and you'll be amazed how big the fish are that will come up and hit a topwater during the day if you're casting at the right places.

For production rods, the new Loomis Pro Blue series is tough to beat. Big cork grips, all sorts of lifting power, and a tip capable of ch#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&g Danny's and big needles into the suds. It'll spank any sBFT you encounter as well. Extremely light rod considering it has so much power.

There's also a rod in their Live Bait Series (LR844S I think) that makes a great slightly lighter counterpart to the Pro Blue. It to can throw a 2 1/4 Danny but it's not too much heavier in hand then a heavy freshwater bass rod. It can also handle your lighter surf plugs and plastics. Not as much lifting power as the Pro Blue, but we've taken 40+ pound fish on it. It's cheap for a Loomis too but still has the lifetime warranty.

Put a 6000 Spheros on the big stick and 4000 on the smaller one and declare victory. 20 or 30# Fireline on the big one and 14# on the light one. That's pretty much exactly what we've been using on the guide boats the past few years where they see daily abuse in the hands of clients because they're effective, (relatively) inexpensive, extremely durable, and backed by the two best warranties in the business, Loomis and Shimano. You can obviously bump up to Van Staals, Stellas, or Saltigas if you want, but as a boat reel the Spheros is almost impossible to beat regardless of price. It even has the same drag as a Stella in the 4, 5, 6, and 8000 sizes from what I can see.

[Raven]

outstanding information !!