TexasKayakFisherman.com

Hello!
So finally did the jump and got my wading gear and soon the kayak! But I need to upgrade my fishing outfit. So I’m trying to decide, I will be getting either the Laguna Liquid M 6’6” or the Waterloo Salinity 6’8” and either the Daiwa Coastal SV TW or the Curado DC. Which combo will be better for Corpus/Rockport areas?

Snakemau25 wrote:Hello!
So finally did the jump and got my wading gear and soon the kayak! But I need to upgrade my fishing outfit. So I’m trying to decide, I will be getting either the Laguna Liquid M 6’6” or the Waterloo Salinity 6’8” and either the Daiwa Coastal SV TW or the Curado DC. Which combo will be better for Corpus/Rockport areas?

Currently, I own three Waterloo Rods with one being the 6'6" Salinity. The Salinity I own is older and I believe a Med-Lt rod, but it's the rod I grab when I go wade fishing. I used to throw a higher end Laguna rod (TX Wader) and it was a fine rod as well. So, really you'll be pleased with either rod. If you can get your hands on them before purchasing and give them a wiggle you may find one of them has the action you prefer.

I have no experience with either reel, so I can't be too much help there.

Both reels are a good choice for reliable casting without a lifetime of experience on baitcasters.
The guys on Bass Resource report that compared to non-chip-control, chip-control reels in general cost just a bit of distance for their improved cast reliability (read built-in backlash prevention by chip continuously modulating spool tension).
However, under the buck fever of sight-fishing, this could be just the ticket.

You may want to pick based on spool capacity and whether you want to fish fluorocarbon or thinner braid. Both cast distance and backlash control are improved by keeping the mass and inertia of the spool as low as possible. A big deep spool with a half-mile of backing and braid doesn't gain you much on that low-mass, low-inertia thing.

My most recent inshore addition was a Lew's SP, with low-mass spool bearing swap, and the thinnest braid you'd ever want to use on a baitcaster. First fished it last trip and loved the result, but fishing this tiny braid isn't for everybody - this is also a niche combo I set up for 1/8-oz. You're mostly going to be throwing 1/4- and 3/8-oz, easier to get reliable distance on most reels.

That’s a good point. I’m planning on using 10-30lb braid and flouro leader mostly. As for the rods I will go check them out next weekend and see what feels better.

btw, if you need to calculate spool capacity for different lines, this online calculator has proved very accurate:
https://www.pattayafishing.net/fishing- ... estimator/

This version works great for stacking lines of different diameter, e.g. mono backing with braid on top.
https://www.pattayafishing.net/advanced ... estimator/

I backed two of my braid spools with Red Label 20-lb, which works very well, because it only takes about 20 yards backing to fit my working braid. Can make it a bit lighter using Big Game nylon mono for backing.


for big diameter change, use Alberto or improved Allbright knot to get a low-profile knot that will lay flat on your spool.
The key to getting a clean knot is remember which direction you wrapped the loops, and roll the loops in the same direction while you're tightening the knot.
Do this while you're gently tightening the tag ends, and tighten the standing ends last.
This is the shallow SP spool, which just has standing mono - doesn't need backing.


Same knot works great for braid to shock tippet, and there I'll add a drop of Zap CA+ to seal the knot.