Surf rod?

[HooperJaws]

We call them beachcasters but I think you chaps call them surf rods.

I'm from Lowestoft (east coast of UK). I fish the beaches in my local area using various baits, catching whiting, dabs, bass, smoothhound shark, cod. The fish aren't that big, upto 4kg maybe.

Anyways, I'm in Australia for the first time, visiting family in Brisbane. I arrived a couple of days ago, and brought a reel and a few bits and bobs along with me. No rod though. I need a 12ft or longer surf rod that can handle a bit of a thump without snapping.

Does anyone on here have an old rod I can buy cheap? Even a long bit of twig and a few shower curtain rings might do.. ;-)

I'm hoping to sneak away from the wife for a little fishing sesh or two over the next few weeks, maybe someone in this area might want to show me how it's done? Cheers in advance, Cliffy.

[fishychrissy]

Gday Cliffy,
Been a while since I fished back over there, still remember nights on the beach in Kent when the shingle banks froze so it was nigh on impossible to get back up the beach!
Mate, as you probably gather, fishing's a little different over here but still apply those same principles and fundamentals to the fishing and you'll get results.
How much do you want to spend on the rod, I've got a Team Daiwa Paul Kerry 13M that I brought over 13 years ago and it's still going strong.
Also got a 13ft Butterworth medium action, good for Tailor and small Shark off the beach.
You don't need to cast too far and you certainly don't need 200g with fixed wires like Dover Breakwater lol.
How long have you got in Brissy? Northside or Southside?
I'm out at work at present but more than happy to give you a few pointers if you get stuck.
Once you try the fishing here you'll never want to go back...don't know how people can live in that place???
Anyway, enough of that.
Cheers

[HooperJaws]

Hiya mate.
Yeah fishing back home it's hard work some nights. My daughter and I entered a competition in aid of cancer research which was only a few miles north, in great yarmouth which was in springtime. It was so cold I had to sit for an hour in the car (an old volvo with heated seats) to get some feeling back in my ar$e. Daughter caught the biggest flattie that day and walked away with fifty quid ($80). Paul Kerry (signature on that rod) is a local legend, as is Dave Docwra who was officiating that day and helped us both with some tips.
Yeah fishing does look a bit different. I watched a vid on YouTube yesterday, some chap fishing with what looked like a centrepin reel? His trace looked like a ping-pong sized lead bullet free running bolt-rig style, with a single hook. His bait looked familiar tho: a variation of ragworm. There's also fun to be had catching on jellies and plugs but I'm rubbish at that back home, so will be bait fishing first (once I've got a rod).
I'm here for a whole month, I'm a school teacher back home so the wife planned our trip over here to fit the school hols. I don't want to spend too much as the rod is likely to end up on eBay five weeks from now, I might only get a handful of uses out of it. Unless I can convince the brother-in-law to take up fishing after I leave. I'm staying in the city, off Stanley street (east Brisbane). We're going to noosa on Friday and I've convinced sister-in-law to try and catch her first fish so want to find a rod before then. How much do you want for that Paul Kerry? Im not overly bothered if the rod is rung for multiplier, but I brought an old fixed spool reel.
As for not going back -well if the wife had her way.. Lol. Although so far I can defo see the attraction. The city is decent and clean, the people are friendly, and I can't believe that this is actually your winter - the weather is fab.

[HooperJaws]

Anyone else on here with a surf rod please speak up! By the way, can anyone on here comment on which fish are the ones worth eating? Back home the tasty fish are Bass, Dover Sole, Cod, Dab. If desperate, whiting (the whiting we get are not like over here, they are bland and the texture is poor.)

[fishychrissy]

Sorry Mate, I don't think I could part with her and then you put her on ebay in a few of weeks time, we've shared too many good times together, caught plenty of good fish with her.
Sorry.
May let you borrow her if you like...anything to help out somebody loco enough to spend the night on a freezing beach - I know exactly where you're coming from Brother.
Old Mate in the clip would have been using an Alvey, the classic sidecast reel.
A paternoster rig the same as the ones you use for Cod and Whiting in Suffolk are the go, or just a running sinker rig with a longer bottom snood. Don't need that much weight just adapt it to the amount of run there is or wave action.
Ganged hooks are the ones to use for Pillies or Gar, just a variation of the Pennell rig with an extra hook, ganged instead of snelled.
Beachworms look a bit like King Rag but get as long as your arm. Good bait for a lot of Fish, bunched up they are great for Jew if you're that lucky.

[HooperJaws]

Thanks, I'll take you up on the loan, and promise to see you right if I damage it. Not likely to happen tho, I can only hit about 100m with my 'ariel' otg cast which isn't likely to snap any half decent rod. Nice to hear I won't need big distance to find a fish tho.
A king rag as long as your arm is quite a worm. Glad I brought some large hooks with me, any bigger and I'd need a sharpened anchor. Im also looking forward to watching my sister-in-law try and feed a hook to a worm for the first time. By the way, is there a particular bait shop you recommend?
I'm having a good day - rod problem solved and I've just been to the gabba and seen the lions win. Double win!

[fishychrissy]

Don't fish with bait much Mate but the tackle place at Carseldine on the way out of Brissy does I think, as do the places on Bribie Island.
If you went somewhere like Woorim on the surf side of Bribie you could try chucking a lure out at first and last light for some tail or or chuck a bait out for the same. The lure being a 40g ish metal like a Spanyid Raider or Halco Twisty, just chuck it as far as you can and wind quickly. Not too quick because they say Tailor react to a slower retrieve than a flat out one when you're targeting bonito, tunas or macks. Pillies you can pick up from most places but some brands are better than others. I use a bait elastic and whip em onto the hooks like you would a peeler crab so it withstands a longer cast and any pickers that might be present.

[HooperJaws]

Cheers for the tips. I've sent you a PM regarding borrowing the rod.

[fishychrissy]

Cliffy, you need to clear some of your PM's, it's full

[HooperJaws]

Oh right, was only a couple in there, didn't realise only a few in inbox and outbox would jam it up. Have cleared it.