Rod fell into overflow pipe of tub pop-up drain

bathtub

I have a Kohler pop-up tub drain and the lift rod fell off the crank piece of the overflow hood assembly. What's the best approach to try and fish the rod, spring, etc., out? Obviously, I don't want to remove the tub.

Alternatively, can I replace with a toe stopper style drain stopper? For now, it's a $5 rubber stopper…