While I’ve fished causally for years I’ve never gotten into it to the point I know what brands of equipment are good or not so I need some ideas.
I’ve noticed that even Wal-Mart has rods with reels on them that don’t look much bigger then a spool of thread. What I’d like is something small like that but collapsible if anyone makes that and makes it decent. I’ve seen that Cabela’s makes a rod where the line goes through the rod instead of having eyelets, which is a neat idea as well. Something I could pack out of the way in my canoe or possible even get into a backpack would be great.
Any ideas?
2PC
Most collapsible rods are pretty much junk.They work but bear in mind the more sections/ferrules you have the less feel/sensitivity as well.Id suggest getting a decent quality 2pc or at the most a 3pc rod.Action depends on the species you’ll be fishing for.Generally a light or medium action will cover most fresh water needs.For salt you might need to go a little heavier.Ive no experience with the line thru the blank design.Good luck!
Lightweight tackle for kayak fishing
I would agree, the majority of collapsible rods I’ve looked at are not ideal, though there may be an exception. I have had a lot of fun fishing out of my sea touring kayak, out on the ocean with a good lightweight 6’ 2pc carbon rod (medium action) and a small baitcaster reel (Penn). The ‘micro’ size and weight are easy on the arms and provide good feel when fish are nibbling… I use only small bait and occasionally lures on 8 lb. line, don’t want to catch (get caught by) anything too big out on open water! It all fits easily into my hatches when taken down, complete with a small tackle box (I use a soft zippered nylon ‘lunchbox’ with an unbreakable plastic inner box). It’s by no means out of the question to raise a 12-15 lb. fish with such a setup!
Collapsable rod
The only one I’ve used that was any good was made by Eagle Claw. It was a 4 piece backpackers rod that was an ultralight and could be converted from a spinning rod to a fly rod. As a fly rod it wasn’t that good, but not bad as a spinner. It handles 2-6 lb. test line. I use mostly ultralight tackle (both spinning and fly) out of my kayak. My 6’ 2 piece rod is pretty easy to handle. Most ultralight rods are 5’ or less and one piece. Still not a problem in a kayak.
Again, Eagle Claw makes a nice 6’ 2 piece graphite rod that will throw anything from 1/16 oz to 3/8 oz. Couple that with a ultralight reel that handles 2-6 lb, test and you can have alot of fun. Little fish are fun and the bigger ones are a challenge.
Mistaken?
I might have misunderstood what you were asking.When you say colapsible are you refering to rods that break down into separate,individual pcs or a telescoping rod that colapses down within itself.
Telescoping rods
If you mean telescoping rods. Run! Those things are horrible and not worth owning. I have one that I use to cast my Smartcast fishfinder. That’s about all it’s good for.
re
Either way, so long as it will break down small enough to fit in a backpack. For panfish it looks like any rod with one of the smaller reals will pack in a canoe nice and small anyway. I might just get an ugly stick or something and I’ve never tried using a baitcaster so I may get a cheap one to see how I like them. (any recomendations?)
So with that… can anyone point me to a good fishing gear forum so I can nag people whith more experience than me on what I should spend my money on 
Cabelas
For years I agreed with all the other poster here that telescopic rods where all noodle sticks. Then a friend showed me a telescopic rod he bought through Cabellas. Needless to say I ordered two the next day and have been happy using them since. Considering they are telescopic they are good stiff rods for casting long and fighting decent size fish. By decent size I can attest to 18” to 26” trout and pike up to 35”. That may be small for some of you, but it floats my yak.
The price on these telescopic rods are a steal at $19.00. At that price it’s a worthy try for all you sceptics. Heck, their selling lures for more than that today.
Go to http://www.cabelas.com and do a search in their item # search box for IE-112334.
Telescopic Rods
Chris, I have made fun of my buddies that used this things, but this year one of them bought the Eagle Claw for $20 and he is catching fish. They are quite a bit better than they were several years ago. I am not going to buy one, I am going to steal his and tell him it feel overboard, FBI (Full Blooded Italian), he might go for it.
Correction: $19.99
Baitcasters
Shakespeare makes some inexpensive baitcasters. I have 2, both have adjustable magnets to help prevent backlash. Neither one was more than $20. They don’t cast all that far but good enough to catch fish. I also have a top of the line Pinnacle without magnets. Tension is controlled by the freespool knob. It’ll cast about a mile. You have to thumb that thing the whole way though or you’re in for a major backlash.
If you’re looking for a light action rod for the baitcaster, Eagle Claw makes a nice one for about $20.00. Most of my medium action rods in both baitcasting and spinning are made by Castaway. They’re made in Texas and very popular here on the coast.
If you want the ultimate in light tackle action consider learning how to use a fly rod. It’s not that hard to do and fish are a blast on those light, limber rods. I’ve nearly been spooled a few times by big bass and redfish.
pack rod
– Last Updated: May-05-04 8:29 PM EST –
Shakespeare makes a nice 4 piece pack rod you will want to get the graphite one with the cork handle much nicer. You can find it in both a 4.5 and 6 foot length. I have the 4.5 and it make a great pole to pack for trout. Here is a photo http://www.thesportsauthority.com/product/index.jsp?productId=981454 (I have never ordered from here its just for the info.)
fishing forum
I suggest myfishfinder.com
The folks there are quite friendly and very knowledgeable.
Cabelas
I have a very small (1 foot that expands to 4-5 feet) telescoping spinning rod with a light action Shakespear Excursion bail reel (4 lbs test line). I got the combo from Cabelas, and I always keep it in my car, ready for action. Works great and has caught many bluegill and bass. Only complaint is that bail sometimes doesn’t snap shut automatically on the retrieve.
make it count
I fish a lot. By that I mean every day in the summer. The last thing you want to do is buy trash that you have to replace every year. Telescopic rods are trash. You can get a very nice set up for 60 to 70 bucks. That includs reel and rod. Shakespere rods are worth the money but the reels are trash. The reel is the most important thing. That is where to make the investment. If you buy a cheap reel you will only end up frustrated when the thing fails in the middle of no where and fish are biting. Just stay with name brands. Shimano, Abu Garcia, Diawa, and maybe Mitchell. Plan on spending at least 30 to 40 dollars on a reel. Otherwise it is a waste of time and money.
PS
Stay away from baitcasting reels unless you are a jedi master at using them. They will cause you to have a major brush fit when your boat is full of 150 yds of mono. Get a spinning reel or a spin cast.
telescoping rod
I have a telescoping rod and a 9’ rod with a mini reel on it that is used exclusively for panfish(cricket and worm fishing). It’s perfectly adequate for this type of fishing. If I’m fishing for anything over 2 or 3 pounds, then I use something more suited.
The 9’ is more high end, and “nicer”, but the telescoping rig is much easier to negotiate in the kayak. Both catch fish and are ok for this kind of fishing. Think, “glorified cane pole”.
A couple of things to bear in mind
with the “thru-the-blank” type rods. Since the line runs through the rod and not thru rod guides on the outside, any debris, dirt, slime, alga, etc etc will end up IN the rod vs. deposited on the rod guides where it’s easier to clean off. The interiors of these rods can get gummed up in a hurry if you fish waters which have a lot of foam or alga or other substances suspended in the water. Plus, if you have a line break in the middle of a trip, they are an unholy B to try and reload inside a Kayak. A line break on a standard rod is difficult enough to deal with without having to thread new line through a long skinny tube.
Just a personal opinion formed out of experience.
where to look for answers
You might want to try Kayak Fishing Stuff; the people are nice and knowledgable, but tend to give out longwinded answers.
Telescoping Rod
Decades ago, when I was but a sprout, driving a VW bug, I procured from somewhere I can’t recall, a telescoping 6 foot, 6 inch rod. Thing collapsed down to about 18 inches. It was probably a Shakespeare, because it came with a really crappy reel, that I immediately replaced with a medium saltwater reel. As I recall, the rod was a medium saltwater action, with a very stiff base, and a nice whippy end. I loved it, but someone stole it out of the back of the car when I was in college. I must have used that rod for about six years, and caught everything from bluegill to medium sized redfish on it. I’m really glad to find this thread, because I had completly forgotten the possibilities of a telescopic rod in a kayak. Just bear in mind that the guides have to be on the largish side, just like on a non-telescoping spinning rod.