I am fishing in RI in bays from a kayak or piers and docs. Was thinking a 3000 stradic or vanford with an odm dna 7’ or 7’6 inshore but I know nothing. What lb line is good? Also would it be able to be used off partyboats in NY?

3000 size spinning reel is right idea. There are potentially better more sensitive freshwater bass rods to pair it to though. Check out the cooking and fishing channel on YouTube for tutorials and gear reviews, although he’s mostly from shore. I surf fish for fluke myself but NJ where we have flat beaches, so not sure how that compares to RI on a boat where you might have deeper water / faster current and need heavier weighted jigheads.

Fluke fishing and the gear you use is relative to depth. In South Jersey I can use 1/4-3/8 lead heads and gulp jerk shad or sand eel and get down to 10' in fair current. There are some spots I fish where I need to go to 3/4 oz heads a couple hours before the tide begins to slow down.

An ideal inshore fluke rod is very similar to a SH rod. You want a light, balanced and sensitive blank, with a crisp tip. You cast into the current, let the jighead hit the bottom and snap the jighead off the bottom and let it pendulum back down on semi slack line and repeat.

A lot of the bites will come on slack or semi slack line, so sensitivity is huge. 7'1-7'6 length is what most guys like. A longer blank gives you more control and allows you to move more line without using the reel. A longer blank, with enough power, can also help you control fish close in, which is where the majority of big fluke are lost. Drifting in a yak or on a boat, you don't need a 7'6, but covering water from the bank, that longer length can help. A lot of brands are putting out 7'3 length M powers, which are a good do it all length. Shorter blanks, 6'6-7'1 are good for vertical fishing and help limit the distance you move the jig when you twitch or snap it. The shorter blank is also lighter and just offer a better balance.

Theres a big misunderstanding in fluke fishing where many guys want the jig or bait to be on the bottom. Fluke have a wider range of vision above them then they do in front or from side to side. You really want that jig to be just above the bottom. Early in the year fluke are like bass. They sit in the softer dark mud to stay warm and feed. Once the water warms, they begin to target larger prey and are willing to stalk or even come up 10 or 20' if they really want it. Ideally you want that bait to be just a couple of feet above their head, making bottom contact every now and then to ensure you're in the strike zone. Line and leader choice is critical.

Most anglers and myself favor braid. It gives you a big advantage in sensitivity and strength in a very small dia. The drawback to braid is that it floats. Since it floats you have to mend line constantly if you are drifting a parallel with the bank to ensure good contact with the bait. You can learn to read the floating line like a strike indicator in situations when you have no contact with the jig.

You want to stay around a #1 Japanese braid or #10 US braid. The thinner line will have less water resistance, allowing for lighter weights, smaller bows in current and a better connection to your lure. The leader material is even more critical. FC is a must with floating PE. I like to use at least 6' of Blue or Gold Label, and up to 14' if I can get away with it. For targeting fluke in shallow water, Im using #10 or 12 leader the vast majority of the time. I'll use #15 if in and around rocks, barnacles or cover, but that thinner line lets the bait much more naturally and sinks very well, which makes a big difference.

When you get into deeper water, where you have to use a few oz to stay close to the bottom, then heavier leader and line, especially when fishing in and around wrecks or reefs is needed. At that point, low pro or round reels are the way to go IMO. In fact if Im drifting for fluke on my boat, I generally use casting gear, unless its really shallow or I'm using really light or small baits.

The 7' L ODM would be the way to go if you HAD to pick the ODM. It would be a great all around inshore rod, but IMO you can get a rod that is little better suited for fluke for less money.

You want a rod that has a crisp tip, but when hooked up, you want a fairly parabolic action while hooked up so you don't lose too many fish.

A lot of FW bass rods work well for fluke as that same action and power is versatile for bass fishing. Generally the ideal rod will be some kind of M power, whether its a stout ML or Mag M. The longer rods are nice for ditance and controlling fish close in, but you it can be hard to find a 7'6 M with a tip that isnt too soft or too long. Sensitivity is key, especially slack line sensitivity and a long soft tip section on a 7'6 will really hurt sensitivity.

I liked the 7'2 ML, but I felt like it was just a little underpowered for some situations and Im not a fan of locking nuts above the reel seat. The newer Zodias line has fixed that issue and they have a 7'3 M+, which will not only make for a great fluke rod, but be great for weakfish and schoolie bass as well.

I really like some of 13s M power blanks. Their 7'1 and 7'3 3/16-5/8 Med power Fasts work really well for fluke and the powers and actions are really consistent throughout their rod lines. The action changes slightly as the blank quality increases, so keep that in mind. The quality of the blanks they use are of note as well. Normally for $100, youre getting a 24 or 30T blank. I think Jynx ($80) uses a 24T, but the ($100) Oath uses a 36T and Myth and Muse ($200) use a 40T I also really liked their MagM blanks. I have a 7'5 Omen Black MagM F and its an outstanding inshore rod. Great rod for 1/2-3/4 plugs and 1/4-3/4 oz jigheads/bucktails. They discontinued the MagM blanks a few years ago, but 13 recently put out MagMLs for strolling minnows. The 7'2 is rated 3/16 to 3/4, which is very close to what mine is rated. (1/4-3/4) I dont think the new Mag blanks are offered in as many rod lines, but they have them in Oath and Myth, which are $100 and $200 respectively.

There are some great Tatulas too. The 7'2 MH Tatula Cork and 7'1 MH Tatula Elite would work really well. One of the best mass produced fluke rods is the 7'6 ML+ Steez. Its just perfect, but now its almost $800. They used to make a Tatula AGS that was very close to it, just slightly less power, but the tip is spot on. The 7'6 Tatula AGS Feider is the newer model and supposedly its still really good, but I havent been able to get one in my hands yet. Do not confuse that with the lighter 7'6 Tatula. The lighter 7'6 just doesn't have the power in the mid and lower section.

You asked about fishing from a party boat. If youre in deep water or heavy current, most of these rods arent going to be of much use. You could use them to throw plugs or artidicials at busting fish, but bottom fishing would require a rod that can handle a few ounces of lead.

Most of the rods mentioned will work great on yaks. Some guys like a longer rod in a yak so they can get the tip around the front of the boat with a fish on, to switch sides during the fight. Other guys like shorter rods, with shorter rear grips, so they dont get in the way, it's all just preference.

Reel wise, you want the lightest reel you can get. I kind of favor 3000s because the handle is usually longer and you get a little more IPT, but with some reels the weight different between a 3k and 2500 is almost an ounce. At that point I would take the lighter 2500, especially if it a Daiwa.

The whole "frame flex' narrative is so overblown. Your drag should be set at 3 or 4lbs, (no more than 6lbs, ever) so the drag will give long before the stem of the reel will flex. Its really hard to beat a Stradic FM, but I do really like the larger gears on the Daiwas, especially the MQs. The amount of power you get out of a Tatula or Ballistic 3k is very impressive. The Sol MQ is one of the most impressive reels I've ever put my hands on. Theyre stupid light and crazy smooth, yet they have good power when you need it. I don't think I would be using them for gorilla blues or albies, but for fluke, schoolie bass/blues and weakfish they're great. I wish I would have bought a few when they were $350.

If you want to go with a Shimano, I would go with a Vanford for a light finesse reel or a Stradic FM for a AL frame do it all reel. The Shimanos have the best line management, which is a plus when taking up slack line. Both reels are proven and will work in SW for a long time so long as you maintain them, but that's any reel.

On 5/25/2026 at 9:28 PM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

You want a rod that has a crisp tip, but when hooked up, you want a fairly parabolic action while hooked up so you don't lose too many fish.

Would the avid inshore series St Croix work for that? I heard the tip is a little soft, but I love the St Croixs I already have now.

Caught on 13Fishing Omen Green ML and Zillion. Always from a kayak.

Nothing para about this rod, but a long, fast mid and powerful butt.

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

Caught on 13Fishing Omen Green ML and Zillion. Always from a kayak.

Nothing para about this rod, but a long, fast mid and powerful butt.

Its ML 30T toray, it doesn't take a giant fish to get the blank to load deep into the mid-section.

I have the 7'1 M F OG2, and while it takes a little more to really bend that rod, it's like the majority of the common 30T M power F rods, in that the blank will bend deep through the mid-section, close to the stripper guide.

On 5/30/2026 at 7:22 PM, fishinnont said:

Would the avid inshore series St Croix work for that? I heard the tip is a little soft, but I love the St Croixs I already have now.

I used to love SC, but theyre doing some things now that I'm just not too thrilled about.

The Avid Inshore has been one of the most consistently loved family of rods in the NE. I can't tell you how many people are running a 7'6 M F with a VR 50 or 7'6 MH F with a VR 75.

When SC went with the new SC iii+ blanks, some of the models have super soft tips, which isn't bad, but for whatever reason the sensitivity took a big hit. My ML Victory is like that, feels great in hand, but the tip is all glass.

SC changed their FW power ratings to be more inline of the rest of the industry. ML were 1/8-1/2, now for freshwater rods, Legend Tournament and down, MLs are 1/16-3/8 with a much lighter tip. Inshore and Legend Elites/Extreme have the older power ratings which is a good thing.

The M power AI (Avid Inshore) are great do it all blanks. They are slightly heavier than what I would normally run for a dedicated fluke outfit, but for someone just getting into it, theyre a great choice. The F actions have a wide sweet spot and can fish plugs or soft plastics very well.

For you I would recommend the 7'3 M F or the 7' M XF.

The more versatile rod IMO is the 7'3. It can literally do a little bit of everything, 3/4oz plugs and under, soft plastics, jigging for tog, even bloodworms under a float.

The 7' M XF is going to be the more specialized blank. It will be more sensitive in general, specifically with lighter jigheads. It will fish twitching plugs, like catch 2000s, subwalks, x raps, smaller pencils and poppers better than the 7'3.

The best thing to do would be to get both of them in your hand and go from there.

Do you know what reel you're going with?

On 5/31/2026 at 10:30 PM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

Do you know what reel you're going with?

Was going to go with the stradic c3000 because they are so cheap jdm and Ive already used the 4000 fl for trolling for stripers and blues.