Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Favorite travel rod for fishing

I’m getting more and more into destination fishing and looking to get some rods that come apart in at least 3 sections in the 40lb line class range as well as some medium heavy rods

You might want to reconsider your priorities, especially if your destinations require an airline flight. Why pay big bucks to go fishing and then take substandard gear? Take the most enjoyable gear you have to make sure you enjoy the trip. Many airlines have baggage exemptions for sporting gear so you can bring long tubes for the rod(s) without much, if any, extra charge.
RB

I have flown with two piece rods broken down (in a tube) as checked luggage with no issues. Longer than 4 or 5 feet might be an issue.

Irving,
I follow StriperOnline as those guys treat their gear hard, and the type of fishing they do is very similar to what I do in Peru looking for Corvinas (seabass, very similar to stripers).

I recall someone mentioning the Fiblink brand as fairly good specs Chinese products and their MoonSniper rod being a copy of the Penn Battalion. I had never payed attention to it on Amazon, but the reviews are quite good, so I just ordered a 11ft MH for surf fishing for big reds, drums and small sharks. I will report, but if anything like the Penn Battalions and Prevails that I had tried (at half cost to those) the rod will be worth it

They do make 3 and 4 piece rods, which may be cheap enough to buy and try prior to your trips and decide if something better is required

I have an LL Bean MH 7'6' spinning rod that I use (10-20 lb test). Breaks into 4 pieces and for the amount it is used has been a decent rod. My brother just borrowed it for a trip and he is getting one. Said it handled small tarpon, grouper and jacks just fine. Again for a more occasional use it gets the job done.

Buddy goes to the Caribbean every year and uses a Tackle Direct Silver Hook. He says he likes it.

Another buddy can't say enough good about the Tsunami 3 piece rods. He did break one last year high sticking a fish.

Asquith 10 weight.

Never leave home without it.

Hell for 70 bucks I will
buy one and put it through hell and let you know when I get back from Panama in a few weeks. I'd love to know more about your trips to Peru

Irving, happy to chat more about fishing and Peru

Im peruvian (US citizen now too), and we travel back every year. I try to go out for doves at least once or twice when there. Sometimes it's awesome, sometimes we get skunked, bit there's no limits. so "skunked"s still twice the limits here in the US. Of course it is nothing like going to Argentina where you kill thousands, but shooting 80-100 birds in a good morning and spend some time outdoors is fun. This is all with friends from there, and looking at different places where birds may be feeding, not an outfitter setup.
Fishing I've done less in the past few years, as it requires more time (about a 250mi drive one way, South of Lima) and we spend 2-3 nights sleeping in a shack and driving the beach looking for activity. We pack everything that would be needed as it is truly middle of nowhere, no outfitter, just hardcore Fishing.
It is cold water and mainly targrt corvinas and flounder with jerkbaits and jigs as sargassum can be a floating carpet. Rods are 9-10ft MH, reels in the 4-6k size, and could fish open beach or rock groins boulders within the same morning

I have some gear in Peru from before I came to the US and I've taken some over the years, but now I mostly fish the Tx Gulf when out with the kids. where I'll test the Fiblink as soon as I get it (11ft MH)

The northern beaches of Peru have warmer water and you can get Mahi mahi, snook, groupers, amberjack, and if trolling offshore the usual pelagics.
What do you target in Panama?

Why it's the Pocket Fisherman by Ron Popiel of course !

. Currently I target whatever fish happen to be biting, my luck has been with big Roosters mostly, some Almaco jacks, in two weeks I will be back down targeting tuna. Peru is definitely on my list of places to visit. I am thinking Bolivia to target Arapaima.

Irving, I think I may have said it here before. I have a long Plano rod carrier tube that i've taken all over the damn world. Had one airline beat the crap out of it, but my rods were still In great shape inside the tube. You Would have laughed if you'd seen it when I got it. It had a big curve in it.

I take my reels in my carry-on, along with a bunch of different lures. You'd be surprised how nice local fishing guys can be when you give them something like a Mirrolure, Zara Spook, or a couple paddletails. Most places, They can't even buy that kind of stuff and even if they could, it would be stupid expensive.

I remember one guy in particular who was a waiter at a restaurant right on the beach in Tulum, MX. I had seen him out on the beach fishing that morning, so I gave him some Capt Hank Brown jigs and a Mirrolure as a tip. He was so grateful. I had some great conversations with him about fishing and lots of other things. That's how I found out about the black panthers in the jungles around Tulum. It never hurts to spread a little joy when you're out in the world

I agree with you a hundred percent a little kindness and humbleness goes a long way and I can never have two many friends. I always bring a few gifts for the local captains and people I come across. I’ve got a couple headlamps and leathermans just for the occasion