Travel rod options possibly for peacock bass in FL

So we are going next month to Fort Lauderdale next month for the wedding of my wife's friend. Staying a week. My wife Is going to be tied up doing maid of honor things and I will have many hours to myself....to fish. I will go to the dinners and such and her husband to be and me are not super kindly to one another so I doubt I will get invited to golf. (He and I had words over him scolding a kid that was not his a couple years ago) His loss, I am a terrible golfer so for sure he and his pals would win and I would buy drinks.

I have basically 4. full days to fish the canals, ponds, lakes and salt water on my own. My wife asked me if I would be OK by myself. I told her I love her enough to do this for her and I would deal with it so she could have fun with her friends. A man can smile inside I think with a straight face.

So I would like to buy a couple of travel rods. One spinning and one casting. Any tips on peacock bass would be appreciated.
So any hints as to a good travel rod? I do not want to spend a more than say $75-80 per rod as I have not needed one in over 50 years of life and really do not want to invest in $150 rods. Is a decent rod that can handle good size bass and peacocks that is in my budget possible?

Telescoping or 3 piece better?

Cheers!

I am not a big fan of telescoping rods. Okuma makes several different styles of travel rods that are good. The most trouble I have had was finding a model that is medium or medium heavy. Most of the travel rods are med light or light. I have a pile of then that I have tried and broken. Travel rods are typically more expensive. Normally, I just use one of my 2 part rods and put them in a short tube. Good luck on your trip and post some pictures when you get back.

Thanks, will be in a month and a couple weeks. I would be ecstatic to catch a peacock and maybe a big snakehead.

Falcon makes a 3 piece lowrider travel rod in both casting and spinning that comes with a travel case. The casting is medium heavy fast, the spinning is medium moderate (both 7 ft). I believe St. Croix, Diawa, Bass pro, and maybe Shimano make travel rods.
Travel rods can be kind of expensive. The Bass Pro brand would probably be the cheapest option. I hope you have a very nice trip sounds like a lot of fun.

Just go to Walmart when you get there and buy some economy rods and just leave them when you come back.

There are plenty of peacocks and places to fish for them in that area. I fish for them at least a couple of times a year down there. I fish mostly between lake Ida (Delray Beach) and lake Osborne ( Lake Worth). That’s about half an our north of Ft Lauderdale but any canals and lakes you can get access to should have them. I’ve caught my biggest ones on live shiners but I’ve also caught them on rattle traps, crappie jigs, and flies that I tie for bass. As far as rods go it just depends on how much you want to spend. I have three of the 4 piece ugly stick spinning rods. My wife and I never travel without them. They are not pretty but they are dependable and about $40. These will fit in a carry on bag. I also have several St Croix travel rods that run $120 to $250. The idea of just buying a Walmart rod works too. If you have access to a kayak that really opens your possibilities tremendously. The peacocks really like hugging tight to bridge pilings, boat docks, and other types of structure. There are a lot of other cool fish too including clown knife fish. Let me know if you have any other questions and I’ll try and help.

I forgot to add if you are interested in a kayak charter that we have caught a lot of fish with the Deep Blue Kayak Fishing guys.

Thanks Jaustin that is awesome info. I will look up the kayak charter. Because I will be alone for 4 days, fending for myself I bet she would let me spend a few hundred $ on a guide trip.

You guys have done what I hope to do!

Cool looking fish.

Although out of your price range, I’ve had excellent luck with Gary Loomis Travel Rods by Temple Fork Outfitters

I really like the St. Croix Triumph Series travel rods myself, but they run around $150 or so. The quality is fantastic and they feel and perform like a 1 piece. I use mine all the time even if I’m fishing locally and not traveling with it.

You can go into a bass pro shops or a cabela’s and buy their cabela’s/bass pro shops house brand 4 piece travel rods and they are much more affordable. I want to say they run anywhere from $35 to $70 depending on model if I’m not mistaken.

Thanks, read a bunch of reviews on amazon. The cheaper rods might be OK for crappie or bluegill but peacocks fight like maniacs. Still gonna get a couple. Will post up if I manage to catch a decent peacock, still over a month to wait.

Look at fenwick hmg travel rods. A little more expensive but they seem to have good reviews and include cases.

I have checked rods on the plane many times. Both in a commercial rod holder and homemade pvc with solid cap on one end and screw in cap on the
other.

I have fished out of Ft Lauderdale for Peacocks with a guide. Lots of fun. I have also fished in Haulover inlet for Tarpon , More fun.




Good luck

MO

My wife and I often travel with a full-sized rod tube, but in certain circumstances that is not possible so we started researching travel rods.
We had the same questions as you and couldn't find many (any?) answers, so we put together a brief guide to travel rods.


Travel Rod Resources

Thanks pete

I would go with the Falcon 3-piece travel rods and then sell them after your trip or go the Walmart route and leave the rods.
If you are going to buy travel rods, do it soon as many are sold out and on back order.

I did as mentioned above... Packed my tackle and bought a decent rod/reel combo from walmart when I arrived. Left it with a kid who was there on vacation with his family, along with a bit of tackle.

I have a couple of Okuma SST travel rods that have handled any fish we caught in the surf during our yearly trip to St Pete including big snook so I'm sure they will handle peacocks or whatever else you run into in those canals. They pack well, are fairly sensitive and have decent backbone. Got mine at about $70 each a few years ago so they should still be in your price range. I also have a couple ugly stick travel rods which are ok but they feel bulky compared to the Okumas. I tried a buddies basspro adventure telescoping rod and it was pretty decent; preferred it to my ugly sticks but felt the okuma was much better. Good luck.