Need help for new rods and reels

[carving it up]

G'day
I'm about to buy some new gear and need help badly
i want to get some good quality stuff need a rod for flicking placcies for bream and flathead about 2-4kg and reel to match it loaded with 4lb braid.
Also want a similar outfit but with a baitcaster so obviously need to know what sort etc..
I also want a heavier rig for using placcies on snapper.
Any help, experience, details and prices would be greatly appreciated as i intend to find something on Saturday 27/10
Cheers
Bazz

[Blackened]

G'day

This is a big can of worms you've opened up. the only real bit of advice I can give you is set your self a budget if applicable and then run with that.

Personally I have a live fibre lightning strike 10 rod, which is 7' and 2-4kg... plenty for snapper and enough for flathead. Matched to a Daiwa sol 2000. This is spooled with 8lb stren.

The rod retails for around $120 and the reel mid $300's. The reel I believe is the most important big and with 2 spools, you only need one outfot for fish 2-4lb for bream and 8-10lb for snapper.

Pretty simple really, may also pay searching for all the sp threads and see what the others are using.

Dave

[nabs]

It really depends how much you want to spend. Let us know your budget and we can work from there.

[carving it up]

Hi Nabs
i want quality stuff so i dunno i suppose up to around $500 for a complete outfit
Cheers

[Jeremy87]

Now days the list of rods in the 2-4kg 7ft range is near endless. T-curves, and starlo stick pro series should be worth a look, you may even find a loomis or two that just make budget, pflueger also make some really nice rods now. Daiwa has been bringing out some really nice rods now that have that japenese made feel and look (though mass produced in one of the lesser asian contries) that should slot into your price bracket.

For a reel i would go a 2000 daiwa sol or tierra or a 2500 shimano twinpower
You may also be able to pick up old 2500 shimano sustains for cheap at the moment with the new range just coming out. I hate 1000 size shimano's the spool is just too small and it leads to all kinds of complications.

With the price bracket your looking at i would suggest forking out the 50-60 bucks and getting either flammell pe or daiwa sensor braid. It would be a shame to get a nice rod and reel and then fill it with sh!tty fireline.

[Why-ting]

G-day Bazz. Mate i would be looking at a sol 2000 about $320 For your spin work. I have 3 of theses and cant fault them. They are alot better than my stradic 1000's.

As for bait casters I would recomend a daiwa Zillion or Alphas if they slot into your price range. Very compact, very stong, very smoothe.

As for rods you have to get something that feels good in your hands. There are alot of rods out there, depends on what length you like.

I dont know where you live but if you can get to Redland Bay Fishhead is definatly worth a look. Duncan has just got alot of rods in from japan and also got some new egrell rods in this morning. He carries all top of the line gear and can match the rods up for you in the shop.

Happy hunting mate

Whytey

[breamnut]

sol 2000 and burkley tourniment series rod. this is a nice rod and 1 below the protactic and 1 above the normal dropshot.
both sol and twin powers are good reels and you will be happy with either.
sol goes for $300 and rod for around $180

[richieboy]

Carver: Hey mate, depending on how long you are willing to wait, I will be selling all my bream gear after fishing the Bream GF in Port Macquarie early November.
Reels include Daiwa Sol 2000's, stradics and ATC Sticks as well as all my lures SP's and Jigheads.
All the gear is less than a year old and I'm only selling due to my move up to Darwin at the end of November.
If you are keen, PM me and I'll let you have 1st dibs champ. Cheers,

Richie

[alleycat]

Dont discount the berkley dropshot 7ft2 in 2-4 kg for snapper, its a great rod and just loads up, ive caught good mac tuna on mine no worries, also pflueger trion make a good rod for bream ect, new shimano styardic is now out, would be good in 2000 size or twinpower or diawa sol, dont go too big, all you need is a reel for 120 metres of 8lb braid..

[brrbear]

Dont discount the berkley dropshot 7ft2 in 2-4 kg for snapper, its a great rod and just loads up, ive caught good mac tuna on mine no worries, also pflueger trion make a good rod for bream ect, new shimano styardic is now out, would be good in 2000 size or twinpower or diawa sol, dont go too big, all you need is a reel for 120 metres of 8lb braid..
never ever seen a good mack tuna yet;D

[finding_time]

never ever seen a good mack tuna yet;D


Gees i have!! Sliced up into strip baits or live in a tuna tube with a 12/0 circle briddled to it's face, either way there good mac tuna;)

[mattooty]

For line id be looking at the new sunline super pe thats just been released, its one of the best braids to be released and is a very good price! (same price as fireline)
And for reels id be heading towards the sol 2000.

[revs57]

Hi CIU

For $500...hmmm lets see.

Penn ProGuide 7ft 2-4kg Rod, around $200ish - the ProGuide is a high modulus graphite and usually comes with a rod tube
Penn Affinity 2000 8 ball bearing, smooth as drag, lovely reel around $150ish
6kg Suffix performance around $40ish
And $110 for a quality leader, jig heads and plastics!

this is a lovely outfit - I was using one today with Swano

I reckon you could do better than those prices when you're ready to buy. These were the boat show prices as I remember.

I know Sundown Marine will look after you with a sharp pen if you go to the North Side. I'm not sure if Ausfish has a southside tackle sponsor, but I know Toni at Water Tower Bait and Tackle Manly has the gear in stock and is looking after Ausfisher's too.

You could spend a lot more on a rod with something like a custom Egrell which is an exceptionally lovely rod but at around $350 plus for the rod, you'd need to weigh up if the extra money is worth it. They are a very nice rod though

Cheers

Rhys

[Mike_W]

A lot of people have mentioned the Diawa Sol 2000, why not get the Sol 2500 and have almost double the drag of the 2000. One spool with 4-8lb line and the spare spool with maybe 14-20lb braid, it should handle almost anything around South East Qld?

[carving it up]

Thanks for all the great input guys i really appreciate your ideas and advice. Interesting point made by Mike_W. Do you think it's worth going for 2500 sol rather then the 2000????
Barry

[revs57]

G'day again Barry,

I thought I'd mention the Rapala Braid Concept. I've got a 6-12kg 7ft I use for snapper in 60mts plus with plastics...absolutely beautiful for that style of work. Not sure if they would have a 2-4 but reckon it would be worth checking out if they do.

Cheers

Rhys

[nabs]

For your bream/flatty combo I would reccomend getting a 2000 Sol and a loomis GL2 dsr820s. This will be a bit more than $500 but you can also use it for light squire work. Spool it up with 4lb and 10lb braid and that would be a sweet combo.

[Jeremy87]

A 2500 daiwa is fine for larger lures/heavier line class but will not balance properly with your regular 2-4kg spin sticks making it harder and more fatiguing to use. Trying to cover multiple bases with lure casting tackle should be avoided at all costs in my opinion. However i tend to like to fish the max line class a rod is capable of handling (for a 2-4kg rod i run 3 or 4kg line) so if something more challenging does hop on you have a bit of grunt to fall back on. If you want a light outfit and a mid weight outfit then buy two rods and two reels. I hate the idea of having to change over rods and spools if i want to fish a heavier line class, i take an outfit for each situation i am likely to cover in a days fishing. For example a day out on the bay i'll take a 6lb and a 10lb outfit for flicking rubbers at bream and reefies and a 15lb and 20lb outfit for spinning for tuna and mackeral. This way i have a light line class for each application and a heavier back up rod. It also means that if i have problems with a rod out on the water then i can just retire it for the day and pick up the next one. This is particularly good in spottie season when all 4 rods are rigged with a slug so if i'm bitten off i can grab another rod straight away and get straight back into them.

[NAGG]

If my budget was $500 / outfit ....... I'd look at the Nitro range of rods ( low $200) matched with Daiwa Sols ...... & for a baitcaster .... spend a little more & buy a Daiwa Zillion & match it with another Nitro
The Nitros are a well made (locally designed rod ... IM8 Graphite ,,,, made in China) .... 2 piece & have a great warranty ( They replace either section for $60) ..... Nagg
PS ..... With the $A on the up ...... You could look at bringing reels like the Daiwa Certates out of Japan .... for only a few bucks more than the Sols.

[carving it up]

Thanks heaps guys for all your help, i'm going to run with the Daiwa Sol 2000 model can pick one up for $289 New at the local tackle shop. In fact i might actually grab 2 and pass on the rods as i have a shimano backbone elite 2-4kg and a berkley dropshot 2-4kg and that way i can match up rod and reel, as it is i've got an ebay reel a sunday 4000 (a bit big but 12 ball bearings and has been a great reel for $30) on one and a crappy Shimano Aernos 2500 (which i think is just the crappest reel for $70 i ever spent) on the other. This way i can rig up one spool on each with 4 & 6lb for bream or flathead and on the other spool 12 &15lb braid for snapper.
Cheers and a big thankyou to everyone who has provided input for me it is extremely appreciated to all and now i also have the heads up when i get some more cash for a new rod
Cheers again
Barry