New beach outfit..

[Gavinsp]

Hi guys,

Looking at getting a good quality beach outfit before the tailor and salmon start running here in QLD.

The rod I looked at was a Penn Prevail 12' 8-12kg.. too heavy?
Was thinking of a Penn Spinfisher, they seem to reliable and quite robust. Just not sure what size to get to suit that particular rod.
Will most likely run 15lb mono.

Can anyone shead some light on that setup or maybe suggest something better?
Will have a budget of around $400


I would still like to be able to use the setup for bream, dart and other usual beach species too.

Thanks in advance,

Gavin

[nigelr]

Penn Spinfisher 750ssm would be fine as long as you were vigilant with maintainance, or the Slammer equivalent, though I'd look at a Gary Howard Surf Classic medium or the perennial Fish Seeker MT7144 in comparison to the Penn rod.
Prolly go the Surf Classic myself, great blank. I'd prolly throw the Shimano Spheros 8000 into the reel mix also, but the Spinfishers are very competitively priced atm in comparison.

[Horse]

I would try and stretch the $$$$ to put a Penn SSV reel on the rod. They are pretty well sealed compared to other reels. It will blow your budget a bit but well worth it in the long run. The outfit would really suit throwing metal at Tailor etc. Its a bit too much stick for your average Dart or Bream. If you are going to target them you are better scaling back the gear to suit

[ozynorts]

I read the title and thought I was going to see a mankini or some thing.

[Gavinsp]

So Horse, you're saying maybe go back to a 5-8kg or 6-10kg?


The Penn SSV reels look good too, would you recommend 5500 or 6500?

[robvee]

Penn Spinfisher IV is going for $89 + FREE 300m Rovex braid at a well-known store in SouthPort ........ BARGAIN !! They are indestructable reels (as long as you don't treat them like an ALvey and roll them in the sand after each cast)
I would get the 6500 for tailor/salmon/jew, they are solid and heavy reels, so not ideal for spinning unless you like a workout at the same time ;-)
Personally, you could catch bream/dart on that setup with 8-12kg rod - but it won't be as much fun as targetting them on a small 10ft rod or so with a 4000 size reel.

[MudRiverDan]

I would probably go a 13 ft or 12 ft - medium surf.

Well worth taking a drive to the tackle shop and checking them out, the main thing you will find that a lot of them are not spin, they are Alvey style rods, but there is still some good spin rods and quite often the spin rods are of course tuned a bit more towards Tailor rather than dart.

I don't usually plug stores but honestly in your circumstances you would be better off going into Tackle Warehouse and having a look and a chat, personally I think they stock a pretty nice selection of beach rods.

Just don't go under 12ft, you will feel better with a bit of casting power.
Also try and keep your setup light weight and balanced, you will know what I mean when you pick one up that is lighter.

Dan

[nezevic99]

The Gary howard surf classic medium would be the perfect rod for what you want to do. Match that to a reel you are happy with that will hold at least 300yds of line and you won't go wrong. It'll have enough grunt to stop something bigger if you hook it, but will still be nice catching dart and bream.

[Horse]

So Horse, you're saying maybe go back to a 5-8kg or 6-10kg?


The Penn SSV reels look good too, would you recommend 5500 or 6500? I would check out the casting weights rather than the breaking strain rating. If spinning is your intention then 50-100gms is what you are looking for in a heavy spin outfit. If you are going to fish baits then anything up to 200gms is reasonable. As Robvee said the same outfit will catch the smaller fish but not as much fun. 10kg is all I ever use off the beach and if you think that is too light just try and break it over a working curve on a 12' rod. I would go with the V6500 and might even consider the Liveliner option if bait fishing a lot

[Gavinsp]

I think I've decided I like the Prevail rod, feels very similar to the shimano aerowave composite in it's action, though its half the weight. The guy I spoke to at tackle warehouse recommended a pflueger salt 60, which is well priced and seems great.
I will just save more money and get a separate setup for bream/dart like a gary howard breambo or similar.

Thanks everyone for the tips and advice.

I was thinking of using 15lb mono, a friend suggested 15lb braid and top shot with mono?
What does everyone run?

[MudRiverDan]

For braid I tie a shock leader on about 15 ft as thin stuff tends to whip my fingers, so I tie about 15ft of 20lb-30lb fluro off with a slim beauty, then you can run whatever you want off the end after swivel, sinker, swivel, then your leader of 50-70cm (leader can be 10lb fluro if you like or 80lb mono, its just the leader, depends on target fish), also helps if there are rocks around.

If using mono I just run mono straight through, with a fluro leader.

If you go with a shock leader, don't go overly heavy as it raps the guides on cast.

You can still catch stonker bream, just change the leader to lighter as required.

It sounds heavy but it is only for the cast, hopefully some more experienced guys will post some advice to clarify stuff.

as for mono or braid there would be nothing wrong with using either.

Dan

[Horse]

15lb mono sounds good to start off with. Braid has its positives but can be a pain in the rear with wind knots and tangles especially at night. If throwing heavier weights jump up to a heavier shock leader

[seccoo]

Mate a great beach outfit to try if you wanted to try something different would be a alvey 650b and a Gary Howard greenback "13 6" I use that combo and have never had a problem with XOS tailor great setup and I would never change as I said only if you wanted to try something different

[robvee]

I have a SALT 40 on a 7ft Shimano Snapper rod for the boat .... to say I LOVE this reel would be an understatement ....
Solid, light, pretty to look at, and a sweet-sounding, smooth drag.

For beach fishing with baits I use an overhead, with a 14ft graphite casting rod (South African habits are hard to kick) If fishing bait I prefer braid - you can feel the slightest nibble thru the waves, and when hooked you feel every headshake.
I have lost more fish on braid compared to mono when spinning though. My theory is that the zero-stretch of braid results in the hooks pulling easier during that first hit & run. I have tried setting the drag lighter, but then the jerk action I give the lure doesn't work as well coz it's just peeling line off. Anyway, have fun - look fwd to hearing reports of how you go.

[spears]

Hey GAV if you are looking for info or reviews on the pflueger salt 60 you can find the info by searching for a Penn Battle.It's the same reel with a different name and colour.