Rod for soft plastics

[Guest fishum]

In a previous post I asked about casting soft plastics around the onkaparinga river as using soft plastics are new way of fishing for me.As I arrived into old noarlunga yesterday arvo it started raining so I went under the south road bridge,the maximum distance that I could cast out was about half way across 20-30meters and no wind.For those who cast a couple hundred casts a day I can now understand what it means to have the right balanced out fit and quality.After 50-60 casts I noticed my rod was now becoming my enemy as it was too heavy.I used a Jarvis walker black queen glass rod thin and 6'6 long and a michell 1000 spinner,first with 20/6 spiderwire then changed the spool to 10/2 lb spiderwire and got to around 30meter casts but found this line likes to float.Which I thought may spoil the lures action compaired to nylon.The question is what type of rod should I use if I?m going to cast soft plastics in the coorong of the boat.The main target will be those small mulloway but they will have plenty of room to have there run as minimal obstructions.Things that need to be considered is other people onboard the boat so too long a rod is not practical.Looking for advice on rod reel and line.I?m hoping that the rod would only be made from hollow graphite (light)don?t know about slow or fast taper.Don?t really want to go to any thing expensive at this stage unless I?m getting catch results then I?ll spend more $Any advice would be appreciated..Pictured below is the minnow which I have from 3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9 inch.some advice on size too.http://www.fishyorkepeninsula.com/images/attachments/JBGf7kEl__th_banjo_lure.jpg[/img]

[coonta kinta 1]

Fishum, I'm using a 2-4kg 2pce Strudwick. I gotta say i love it, but then I havent been exposed to some of the other brands about. The top guys would be using Nitro's and Black Diamonds. I think I've seen the Strudies for around the $100 mark on the net. May have been a tad under actually on one particular site {SMILIES_PATH}/undecided.gifI've matched this to 1500 Daiwa Exceller and 4lb Fireline. Aparantly, the Shimano Raiders and Steve Starling Series rods are also worth a look and would be cheaper again than the strudie. A good idea would be to check out some of the breaming sites for some second hand gear as these guys seem to be upgrading constantly. Sites like Breammasters and Australian Fishing Forums have some good classified sections with kind of stuff

[Big Ian 0]

while Im by no means an expert on rod and real outfits and the balance thereof, I think the main problem is that you are trying to catch fish without a hook

[brenton 637]

You can get a Shimano Catana 7"ter for about $50 which is all i,m using ATM and does the job,if you have a bit more to spend i,d go the Berkley Dropshot or the 7.2" Raider for around $100 they are a fair bit better but it depends on your budget eh cheers brenton

[Ranger 48]

This is the thing most dont realise until they've spent a few hours casting constantly. It soon becomes tiring, hence a light well balanced outfit is a must for this sorta fishin.High modulus Graphite is the go, so that you get strength as well as light weight, bearing in mind that the higher the graphite content, the more brittle it becomes, and that's why these graphite rods are expensive, coz the high quality/high modulus graphite is much stronger than the cheap stuff.The longer the rod the longer the cast you'll get, and I'd suggest between 6'8" and 7'2".If you dont wanna spend big bucks, nip into whatever tacklestore you prefer to use, and check out some of the "off the rack" rods these days, coz you get some real quality stuff nowadays. Have a look at the Daiwa range (Bluebacker, Saltist, SOL, Zero, Advantage, Saltwater, Tierra, Heartland, Procaster) and I'm certain you'll find something amongst that range to suit your needs while working within a budget.Also, with these rods, your first impression is that they are very light and flimsy for the job at hand, but don't be fooled. Some of these rods have awesome pulling power.I guess the important thing is to make sure you have your reel with you, and to fit it to the rods to get a feel for the balance of the outfit. Some of these rods even utilise a weight system within the butt, which can be inserted/removed to adjust balance.Decent quality braid is the next step, so that it flows through the eyelets easily/smoothly and has less wind resistance, so don't skimp on the line once you have the correct outfit.Also, if you're targetting schoolies, I'd suggest something with a larger line holding capacity than a 1000. 2000-2500 would be my own choice, and something with a very smooth drag system.

[Ranger 48]

Fishum, if it's any help to ya, I have quite a range of these rods here, from the budget end of town right through to top end stuff.If you'd like to have a look at them at some stage and compare them, I'd be happy to lend one or two to ya to try them out before making a decision on what you'd like to purchase, just as long as ya remember, break it and ya pay for it, coz mine aren't for sale!

[coonta kinta 1]

http://www.breammaster.com/forum/showth ... 1113  {SMILIES_PATH}/wink.gif

[Guest fishum]

Big Ian wrote:I think the main problem is that you are trying to catch fish without a hookThe hook is infront of the lure..Ranger wrote:and I'd suggest between 6'8" and 7'2".that length i can cope withI would prefer to use braid so for those soppies which strength and brand name as good flow off the reel and through guides needs to be considered.In all cases another baited line will be over the side while doing lure casts.Last year son in law threw a hard plastic lure out and on the 2nd cast hooked up on mully so obviously lures work for the coorong

[Ranger 48]

Problem with these being the length. Aust post doesn't like anything of that length, so you'd also have to factor in the cost of a courier from NSW ($30+) and a rod tube to put them in.This would pretty much rule out all but the Angler rod, coz you'd purchase the others new for a few dollars more, and even the Angler would end up costing somewhere in the vicinity of $160 once postage is included.

[Ranger 48]

I would prefer to use braid so for those soppies which strength and brand name as good flow off the reel and through guides needs to be considered.

For schoolies/soapies I'd be considering 8-12lb, and the choices are wide.Problem being, every angler you talk to will suggest a different braid. Quality braids on the market at the moment include: TD Sensor, BassHard, Nitlon, Sunline, Saltist, and many more.Compare line thickness and suppleness, then feel for something with a smooth coating.Problems with all braids are wind knots when casting and knot holding power. You'll only discover this by experience. So if one braid gives you problems, ya might wanna try something else next time you respool.A spare spool for ya reel would be handy too, coz if you also intend to use this outfit for Bream, you'll find that you're fishing too heavy, so ya should consider having a spool of 4-6lb on hand for this application.

[Buff 0]

On a side note what size leader are you using? as this can have an affect on you catch rate.For around the Onka 4lb is a good size for bream and will handle small Mullies as long as you have your drag set correctly.For heavy snag areas I will go up to 8lb with some people going for 10lb.A just legal Mulloway I got from West Lake on 6lb fireline, 4lb (cheap and nasty) leader, Gamagatsu #2 - 211 jighead with a 2" Minnow Grub in Pumpkinseed {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif.If the budget can stretch a bit, Waterboy has a Strudwick SoftBodz 1-3kg 7 foot 1 piece rod with recoil guides, a very light and responsive rod in excellent condition at a fantastic price

[Smiley 8]

Looks like you're doing a fair amount of web-based research which is good to let you know what's out there. However, i warn you about selecting something based solely on the informaton from the net. There is such a vast difference in what people prefer when it comes to rods, the best way is just to get down to STW and feel a few in the hand. I have picked up rods that are $80 and feel better, to me, than some that are $400. I'm not saying that the $400 rod is not worth it, just that the $80 rod felt better for ME.When people say that this rod is better than that rod for the same money, there are people that say the opposite.The main thing to consider when getting a rod is it's action and whether it's action suits you. I like my rods a little stiffer in the top half than most, Med/fast to xfast taper. All my rods are 1-3kg or 2-4kg and 7foot in lenght. If you're looking at long casts with plastics i wouldn't want to go much heavier as you just won't be able to load it up when casting.The first thing i do when i pick up a rod is to wobble it side to side to see where it bends and how quick it recovers. For example, if you pick up a raider and wobble it it feels like jelly, bends 2/3 of the way back down the blank and when you stop it takes a while for it to sort itself out. On the otherhand a rod like a Flueger triton(i think) when you wobble it behaves very differently. The tip moves much more sharply, the blank bends about half way down and when you stop recovers very quickly, this is how i like my rods. I then get someone to load it up for me so i can see what it's like under load, look at where and how it bends, how hard you think you can pull on it.Once you work out what sort of action feels the best to you start looking at price. In most, if not all cases you will find a rod with the action you like in all price ranges. This is where good staff and a well stocked tackle store can help you out, they will help you find what you are looking for. The diferences will be the weight, components and brand name. In my opinion the action is the most important thing, get it right and a $80 rod will feel awesome, get it wrong and a $600 rod will feel like sh....... You get the idea.My best advice is to go see Kym at Salisbury Tackle World, he'll sort you out and get you headed in the right direction. He got me set up when i first got into bream fishing several years ago and i havn't looked back since.

[Ranger 48]

The main thing to consider when getting a rod is it's action and whether it's action suits you. I like my rods a little stiffer in the top half than most, Med/fast to xfast taper. All my rods are 1-3kg or 2-4kg and 7foot in lenght. If you're looking at long casts with plastics i wouldn't want to go much heavier as you just won't be able to load it up when casting.

I too lean towards a fast action rod! Having said that though, if you look towards a slower action, this will help you to really load the rod up on the cast, and you can then punch the lures out further.

if you pick up a raider and wobble it it feels like jelly

My 6'8" Rack Raider feels like a broomstick (so does the 7'2" Bream Finesse), and it's heavy!

[Guest fishum]

Yesterday using the black queen rod showed that was a slow action rod by going on info supplied so far as loading it up it would create quite a curve and casting further than the other rod earlier I tried as I wanted to cover more distance.So much info has been supplied on the soft plastics fishing and I?m getting the picture that not any old rod will do.When breaking strain is mentioned I assume your talking braid but are you guys saying that if your using 4,6 or 8 lb that must be the breaking strain yes/no

[coonta kinta 1]

When we refer to strengths such as 4lb 6lb, 3kg etc etc, we are generally referring to the breaking strain of the line. whether it be the braid main line or the mono leader. these weights are also mentioned when talking about rods as this is the reccommended line weight for the rod. Hope that makes sense to you {SMILIES_PATH}/undecided.gif

[Ranger 48]

When breaking strain is mentioned I assume your talking braid but are you guys saying that if your using 4,6 or 8 lb that must be the breaking strain yes/no

Bearing in mind that braided lines break ABOVE their rated strength.

[Guest fishum]

When we refer to strengths such as 4lb 6lb, 3kg etc etc, we are generally referring to the breaking strain of the line. whether it be the braid main line or the mono leader. these weights are also mentioned when talking about rods as this is the reccommended line weight for the rod. Hope that makes sense to you {SMILIES_PATH}/undecided.gif

Ok ..So when we talk leader I would have thought 4,6,LB would be a bit light for mulloway (teeth)or do we start to lose lure action going to heavy.As for the soft lures it?s going to be these banjo?s which have a life like swim and will travel sideways up to 30cmGot an idea the answer will be go light and live with some bust offsi prefer to use braid direct to lure..good/bad ideaAnd the other thing i want to clarify is that i'm using a bream stick for mulloway..correct

[coonta kinta 1]

Fishum, the teeth on a schoolie whist sharp, are'nt really made for cutting so bite offs would be a rare thing. The lighter material B/S is mostly suited to bream, for the likes of mulloway, u would probably upsize to 10-15lb, but it would depend on the size of the fish you are likely to encounter. In your case, not being familiar with the lures your using, its hard to say for sure, but a heavy leader may affect the action of any lure. A lot of this stuff is finessing the presentation. Thats why we sometimes have to go down to ridiculous b/s in order to elisit a strike, especially in clear water.This is also why fishing strait to the braid is not reccommended.As for your comment of fishing a bream stick for mulloway, well this is not really correct as they are not bream sticks, they are soft plastic or spin sticks. I guess you could say you are using a bream stick, but its a beefed up bream stick if thats the way you want to look at it. Take a look at the article written by Adam Todd in the latest edition of SA Angler and see what these beefed up bream sticks are doing.

[Ranger 48]

So when we talk leader I would have thought 4,6,LB would be a bit light for mulloway (teeth)or do we start to lose lure action going to heavy.Got an idea the answer will be go light and live with some bust offsi prefer to use braid direct to lure..good/bad ideaAnd the other thing i want to clarify is that i'm using a bream stick for mulloway..correct

I would suggest/have suggested 4-6lb is too light for Mulloway. As mentioned earlier, I'd be looking at around 8-12lb mainline, and I'd put around a 12lb leader onto this. Yes the Bream boys do pull Mulloway on 4-6lb, but this as by-catch, and that's because they're targetting Bream not Mulloway. For Mulloway they would upgrade.No braid direct to the lure, coz braid has no stretch. You need a flourocarbon leader of around 4-6' to put a little stretch into the line and act as a shock absorber.You're not using a Bream rod, you're using a finesse rod, and I'd also suggest 2-4 or 2-5kg is gonna be plenty big enough.You aint gonna snap the rod or line, coz that's why you have a drag on the reel. Abrasion against them lil grinding teeth can cause a problem, but that's something all fishos risk. The problem you will find, is if you get onto a "large" mulloway. You're gonna have to take chase and let it tow you around, or it could end up spooling you, and that's why I suggested the lil 1000 reel is far too small to target Mulloway.

[Guest fishum]

Today i came across a Penn rod this particular one was 2-4kg but I had forgotten the name of it and I couldn?t find it on the Penn web page..details:Cork grips grey in color with a sandpaper type finish on the blank,retailing for around the $300 mark,they come in a padded tube with a nylon black cover..any ideas what?s its called.

[Guest fishum]

Did a bit more searching..Got an idea its this one:What are your thoughtshttp://www.jarviswalker.com.au/product. ... 17&id=1333PENN PRO GUIDE RODS Blank: Hi-Modulus 46 tonne (IM10) graphite, woven graphite mesh overlay, Fuji Alconite Guides. Bindings: Black with gold trims The Penn Pro Guide XDS series has been constructed using the very latest in carbon fibre technology. Designed by Australian anglers for the purpose of fishing with soft plastic lures, Penn Pro Guide rods are available in both spinning and baitcasting configurations. You?ll love the crisp actions and lightweight feel of these superbly made rods from Penn.All rods are built using only the highest quality components including Fuji Alconite guides Fuji reel seats and AAA cork grips. Penn Pro Guide rods come with their own cloth covered rod tube. http://www.fishyorkepeninsula.com/images/attachments/ZdMsUiAu__pro_guide.jpg[/img]

[Ranger 48]

The Pro Guide 7001 SP certainly looks the goods. I don't know much about the Penn or Pfluegar range though.I know that I must be sounding like a Daiwa rep by now, but check this range out and compare before making a final decision: http://www.daiwafishing.com.au/daiwa.cf ... ighttackle

[brenton 637]

I thought that you were looking mainly for bream rods but with all this talk of mully there iis one that played with yesterday and it seems like a pearler and is on special on grand junction road...the diawa 7.6 coastal,i was looking for a Tica graph extreme myself but looks like i,ll have to order one in. chers brenton

[Guest fishum]

I'll probably go with the Penn offer.Big saving of retail..There were 600 supplied for a special offer for australia and i came across a bulk supplier.Would of liked to know if any one has one and there thoughts.buy one $120 buy 3 $110 each buy 6 or more $100 eachI'd buy 6 but casting them all at once could be another problem

[tonyb 1,017]

Top class little thread this guys, lots of passion and great advice :icon_exclaim: My two pennyworth is for the Shimano Raider 7ft 6 in two piece. Paid $150 for mine when they were fresh, saw them on sale at Ray and Annes not long ago for $100. Thought I'd get a spare and was telling Yakattack about it when he offered me one for $90 through his store. Just love this outfit for Reddies and Bream. :icon_e_biggrin:

[Cal 480]

Anyone here recently been on the Turps ..................anyone ;D ;D :icon_lol:

[brenton 637]

Not me Cal but i did lash out on one of the 7.2 raiders a little while ago and have christened it with my H/B pb etc love it for the money $90 at another sportfishing store.I did end up getting the Daiwa Coastal for the Hb mully thing and for $100 i love that as well.I must say that some of the off the shelf rods are brilliant for the money,no doubt not all agree but with 3 teeenages and a house to pay for i,m getting good value for money i reckon. cheers brenton