Newb Fishing questions

[taggermike]

If you're already comfortable with it there's plenty of spinning gear that is great for bay and lagoon fishing. And a vast and confusing array of baitcasters, as you're discovering. If you stick with shamano and daiwa its hard to go wrong. Both make quality reels in lots of sizes and all price points. For bay fishing a small reel is fine. You put braid on it and you'll have plenty of capacity. For rods I prefer some thing fast action with a high graphite content. An out fit I have and really like is a shimano caenan on and old shimano V rod. Works great, is light weight, and was affordable. I'm also still using a shimano bantem that has to be 30 years old. 1 bearing, one bushing, and going strong. Let us know what kind of fishing you're planning to do and I'm sure the wealth of info and experience on this board can steer you in the right direction. Mike

[GkT]

Yeah im liking the baitcasters! A little learning curve but you have so much control once you get the hang of it. I think the srt up i have now will be fine for bay bass fishing, but i know as soon as im comfy on this boat im gonna want to get out to the bigger fish. For YT and the like im assuming a bigger size reel, heavier rod ( what lengths are good?) And a heavier line and leader? 60# braid?

[addicted2sp33d]

I'm with you... I usually prefer spinning, but on a kayak, I recommend the baitcaster because of the concealment of all the moving parts.

I tried using my spinning gear on one of my first trips, and the spool kept hitting my leg as I was cranking. It was really annoying.

Also annoying, on my first trip with a baitcaster, I got the mother-of-all birdsnests because I did not change the "friction knob" after I switched from crankbaits to an iron. It was horrible.

Remember to adjust the "base drag" when changing terminal tackle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwGNLqXEJYY

For the rod, pick one that has some backbone to it, but is also long enough that you can pass the tip around the bow of your kayak without releasing your primary grip. For me, that's an 8'0 Shimano TDR.

[FlyFishinYakr]

YES, all the "new" stuff is cool.
Unfortunately for me, some of my local/long range equipment wouldn't transfer well to Kayak fishing!
Most of the new stuff I own would be too expensive for me to take out and accidentally have a "yard sale". Plus I'm not too confidant about the durability of some of these new materials. There's nothing like good old E-glass. Flipping on a launch or landing in shallow water probably wouldn't hurt any of my Calstars/Seekers (25+ years old) or my pocketbook but my new Terez rods I would imagine would snap like toothpicks!
They are beginning to come out with some great Saltwater specific baitcasters now.
The regular round casting reels nowdays all seem to be well shielded from saltwater exposure and a simple thorough rinsing should be sufficient for cleaning. More thorough servicing might be necessary depending on frequency of use.
Rods (as mentioned by a previous member should be long enough. (8'+) to go around the bow or stern of your Kayak with a fish on.
Braid seems to be the wave of the future as far of fishing line although there are times I like mono for the stretch. Like for fishing . I'm not aware of any brands of braid that have problems, I know someone @ Shimano that gives me promotional spools of line occasionally (received a promo sample of the new Slick 8 last year...seems smoother than the old Power Pro, can't wait to try it!). Almost everyone makes a braid or so it seems. Jerry Brown seems to be a favorite, I personally like Power Pro. To each his own.
If deciding on using braid there are two caveats I have to mention.
#1: Reels, make sure you get one with enough drag pressure (example; the Avet 'Raptor' series over the standard ones!). For baitcasters the Abu-Garcia Revo Toro NaCl 50 or 60's (they each have 22#'s of drag, I just bought 2 of the 60's), DIAWA Lexa 300 or 400's (they have 25#'s of drag). Shimano doesn't have a baitcaster yet with enough drag to handle braid (I own 3 Curado 300 EJ's with upgraded drag washers that help. All these baitcasters mostly have enough braid line capacity (250-300 yards of at least 50#.)
#2: Rods, when chosing a rod try to find one that has Ceramic type guides [Hardloy, Alconite, SIC {Silicon Carbide}, or TiNi{Titanium Nitride}]. Standard braid like Jerry Brown, original Power Pro and DIAWA Samurai are abrasive (which is why they cut through kelp "like a knife through butter") and have been known to "groove" standard chrome and cheap ceramic guides which can damage your top-shot if you're using any.
Because of this I built a dedicated 40# live bait Kayak trolling rod with ALL roller guides (I also had an extra custom Calstar 6455 rod that I built back in the mid-80's I needed to replace the guides).
You don't need to spend an arm, leg or Kidney for a good outfit. Look up "Fishoholic" on the boards here. He sells used stuff and many of the other members here refer people to him if you don't mind "used" equipment (in good to very good condition), are working on a limited budget or just don't know what will work for them just yet.
I hope this helps some, this is just my .02.
These observations are just my opinion and some other members have differing opinions, so take it all in and even check your local tackle shop for suggestions. Finding the "right" equipment can be just as fun as fishing.
Best of luck finding the equipment that fits your preference.
FFY