St. Croix’s Mojo Yak Rod, for kayak fishing, probably made the most splash among new rods this past year.

What’s the scoop on the rod?

When rods are designed, they're usually designed for a specific species.

But the Yak, part of St. Croix’s Mojo family of many types of rods, is designed for how an angler fishes in a kayak.

The tight quarters is one issue, and the split grip helps with that.

“It’s like waving a magic wand,” Benton Parrott, a champion in kayak fishing tournaments, said.

“… the shorter handle and butt design really helps me make more efficient use of the limited spaces I have in a kayak …,” Jamie Dennison, also a pro kayak angler, said.

The grip is a unique plastic that’s super tacky, because hands are seldom dry when kayaking.

The graphite rod, available in various spinning and casting models from 7 to 7 ½ feet, is meant to have generous backbone to hoist a fish up from water level yet sensitivity “to understand exactly where your lure lies beneath,” literature says from St. Croix.

The Kigan Master Hand 3D Guides are meant to be strong yet slim for durability and castability.

The guides are intended to be strong because every inch of a kayak, except the seat, is hard.

These are the main features.

For more details, visit St. Croix’s website.