Malaluka any good ?

[Weedie 1]

Just picked up a Malaluka rod(RIVA 175) and a overhead baitcaster reel(VO 400).Paid $30.00 for both,Can anybody tell me if this is a good brand and what do you fisho's think of this brand.Is it a decent combo or isn't it worth its money,What do you think ? Marc.

[kayakfisher 0]

I got 2 of the rivas for 99cents years ago. Never actually used them yet! But I can tell you just by looking at them they are not quality rods. If you like them let me know and you can have 2 more for a six pack!

[T BONE 1]

Weedie wrote:Paid $30.00 for both.Think you just answered your own question there. A couple of years ago I bought one of there overhead reels, never even used it. Only thing it was good for was pulling braid off my good reels when I needed to add some more mono backing.

[smokeykebab 175]

the rods are rubbish you might as well buy Jarvis Walker or ET rods which are around the same price. The reels are manufactured by a major company that make another brand of reel I read this somewhere but can't find the info now but the reels are decent enough I have a Melaluka bait runner and haven't had any issues with it yet. I use this for live baiting regularly and have landed 20lb mulloway on it no issues. If you're fishing on a budget or you let your unco mates use you're reels then its well worth having a few of these reels spare.

[Guest SnappaHunta]

Weedie wrote:

Just picked up a Malaluka rod(RIVA 175) and a overhead baitcaster reel(VO 400).Paid $30.00 for both,Can anybody tell me if this is a good brand and what do you fisho's think of this brand.Is it a decent combo or isn't it worth its money,What do you think ? Marc.

I reckon give it a ago.Just because it's $30 doesn't mean it isn't going to work for you.A big Snapper is not going to give a damn whether you paid $1 or $1000 for a rod, if it's hungry it'll smash whateva.The only thing you might find is the gear may wear out... Just keep a good eye on it and clean it up after each trip.I swear to god some people would buy one rod over another just because it's MORE expensive.Apart from an UGLy StIK that was a gift ( my snapper rod ) , all my other rods are pretty cheap.ABU muscle tip 2 under $50Shimano Et plastics rod under $80Tsunami bullseye. $60No name snapper rod $10 Internet with a $10 reel.Oh and a Jarvis Walker 2m estuary rod my missus got me.If I needed a 1-2kg bream tournament rod, maybe... But the excessive amount of money spent by some is rediculous.I would challenge anyone to come out to sea with me, I'll fish for snaps with my $20 Internet combo and you bring a T-curve with a bloody Stella and neither of us will drop a fish !!!!!!Load of crap.... Don't listen to the tackle snobs

[Dubs The Tackle Man 0]

I dont think that what there getting at snappahunta, I work in a tackle store and have seen the best and the worst.You half right in the sence that just because something is cheap doesnt mean its useless but the general I go by is yoou get what you pay for, dont expect it to you last you a life time because you'll be sadly dissapointed.Personally I havent heard of em so couldnt tell ya if there good or badAll I can say is you work to your budget and be happy with it, it doesnt matter what any1 else thinks of it if your happy fishing with it who cares.

[Guest SnappaHunta]

That's fair mate, think I was getting a bit fired up over nothing this morning

[spog777 1]

A few years back i scored a Malaluka rod and reel set for a coupla bucks at a garage sale. The rod was a shocker but it served its purpose as a starter for my son and the reel exploded first trip out-hopefully youve scored a better quality deal-i hope so. Let us know how it all went as i dont like bagging stuff on just my personal experience :S

[Ben m 0]

SnappaHunta wrote:

Weedie wrote:

Just picked up a Malaluka rod(RIVA 175) and a overhead baitcaster reel(VO 400).Paid $30.00 for both,Can anybody tell me if this is a good brand and what do you fisho's think of this brand.Is it a decent combo or isn't it worth its money,What do you think ? Marc.

I reckon give it a ago.Just because it's $30 doesn't mean it isn't going to work for you.A big Snapper is not going to give a damn whether you paid $1 or $1000 for a rod, if it's hungry it'll smash whateva.The only thing you might find is the gear may wear out... Just keep a good eye on it and clean it up after each trip.I swear to god some people would buy one rod over another just because it's MORE expensive.Apart from an UGLy StIK that was a gift ( my snapper rod ) , all my other rods are pretty cheap.ABU muscle tip 2 under $50Shimano Et plastics rod under $80Tsunami bullseye. $60No name snapper rod $10 Internet with a $10 reel.Oh and a Jarvis Walker 2m estuary rod my missus got me.If I needed a 1-2kg bream tournament rod, maybe... But the excessive amount of money spent by some is rediculous.I would challenge anyone to come out to sea with me, I'll fish for snaps with my $20 Internet combo and you bring a T-curve with a bloody Stella and neither of us will drop a fish !!!!!!Load of crap.... Don't listen to the tackle snobs

This is a load of crap!!!^^^^^^^. They are tellin Weeedie that malaluka is a crap brand because it is lol. No one is gonna tell him that they make sick arse rods and reels because clearly they dont. If someone wants to spend heaps on good quality tackle then good on em if they got the cash. Its only gonna work out better in the long run when your still usin the reel in 5-10 years time . Dont knock someone for usin and payin the cash for a top end reel if you havent used one yourself for a season or more.

[Midcoast angler 0]

I'm with you snappahunta.. I believe it doesn't matter what you paid for your gear, it will still catch you fish.. I think some people forget that not all that long ago people used bamboo rods, and they would pull more fish out of a river system in a day than majority of you would in a 3 months.. Like with anything you don't blame your gear!

[Guest SnappaHunta]

BEN.You ever used a Malaluka rod????? My no name Snapper Rod on closer inspection is a Malaluka ( don't know what model) suprise suprise, it catches snapper!My fishing mate used to work in a tackle store for many years and he still fishes the top gear and n my opinion it's pretty cool gear, but apart from his fly rod, I can't see where the gear I use is crap??Ive got nothing against those with their $700 rods, what I do have something against is people bagging something someone else has bought. Obviously there is BETTER gear out there, but with technology today, the lower range stuff is pretty damned effective.

[Ale 301]

In regards to rods only: (I only use brand reels)I have a mixture of rods, some brand name, some not so. The fish cant tell the diffrence, as long as your happy and it works, do it. I have a 15kg Malaluka Commander, yet to land a fish on it, but looks as well made as a Jarvis walker or Penn type rod. My mate has a 24kg malaluka light game stand up, again, looks the same.I also have a Sambo elite 24kg stand up and it looks really good, yet to hook a fish on it.But do have another mate that has the jigging version and has caught many a Samson and Kingfish on it out at Rockly, hasnt missed a beat. They look very similar to a Wilson live fibre.Neither of them have cost more than $30 delivered.In conclusion, for my bread and butter gear, the stuff I thrash everytime I go out, Il spend a bit more and get something that will last. If its specialized gear, that I may only use a couple times a year Il do the research and shop around.I was willing to take the $30 risk and upon inspection of the goods once they arrived I choose to use them. At the end of the day, its only fibreglass, you do relize that a shimanno rod probs cost $10 to build in china? probs in the same factory that a Malaluka costs $5 to make?I figure if I spend $30 to catch a 45kg kingfish, its a fish of a lifetime, if the rod is throw away after, so be it.Im willing to risk breaking it.I actually landed a 25kg jewwie of screwpile jetty as a kid on a $90 kmart penn combo, the real seat on the rod was buggered afterwards, but I landed the fish, threw the rod away and still have the reel.

[weaver 271]

Load of crap.... Don't listen to the tackle snobs

Ive got nothing against those with their $700 rods, what I do have something against is people bagging something someone else hasbought

This makes no sense, isn't that what you did with your tackle snobs comments?Weedie asked for opinions,

Just picked up a Malaluka rod(RIVA 175) and a overhead baitcaster reel(VO 400).Paid $30.00 for both,Can anybody tell me if this is a good brand and what do you fisho's think of this brand.Is it a decent combo or isn't it worth its money,What do you think

Its is a no name brand with a bad reputation made from cheap components, stay away from them mate!Like Smokey kebab said get a cheaper version of a well known brand before you buy this stuff, Sure you can fish with it and it will catch fish no denying that but if it breaks etc where is the warranty that comes with trusted brands?Fisherman are tradies and we like to use the best we can get that will stand the test of time, a tradie on a work site wont be caught with a shit no namer brand why because it will usually pack in during a job, Yes at times these brands will be purchased on a get me out of trouble basis but you go to any work site and you will see name brands because they are bulit to perform the tasks and take the knocks and punishment.No black and decker here or super cheap auto $15 specials.. give me Hilti, Hitachi, Dewalt, Milwaukee etc, Shimano, Daiwa, Berkley, G loomis.Get what i'm saying?

[penthrox 0]

Look at it this way,Professional tournament fishos use name brands for a reason. Whilst some are sponsored and get their gear others are not. I personally use a fireblood combo and a Nitro Vapor rod with a 2010 certate 2000 for my soft plastic needs. I have 2 cheaper combos and I know which ones I am going to trust to catch my fish. It comes down to a myriad of things which help people decide which gear to buy. It may be money, brand loyalty, recommendations, aesthetics etc.In the end I know that a cheaper reel isnt going to tolerate a 1000lb marlin like a high end reel would. I have seen the drags lock up and people loose good fish because of inferior gear. Whilst some maybe happy replacing a reel once every season that is fair enough but if you look at the average price for a decent cheap reel is say $50-$60. If you replace it every season because of wear or breakage then over 10 seasons you have spent the same I would have to get my certate or fireblood which is still going as strong as the day I bought it. Not to mention the worksmanship is better which inturn provides a much nicer fishing experience. My godfather fishes KI 4 times a year with his KMart specials. Daily he bags out on squid and KG Whiting. After each time he is finished his trip he bins the reels as they cop a beating for the 3 weeks he uses them. Its cheaper for him to replace instead of having a service. The first thing to go is usually the roller for the line on the bail arm. Last trip I gave him my higher end combo (which was overkill) to use for a trip and he came back with the same amount of fish though his arms were not as sore from holding up a heavier rod (same size) nor was his back. He is now converted and went out and purchased a sol combo for his fishing adventures. So in regards to weedie I have not used a malaluka rod though the consensus isnt good. If it works for you then great and I understand money is tight. I invite you one day to try my gear in a side by side comparison just to compare. I know Salisbury Tackleworld has layby there and I am currently using it to grab my next rod and sexy pink tackle bag. I am very impatient person and I always want my gear straight away though I learnt very quickly to save money or layby better equipment as in the long run it was worth it. I have snapped 2 surf rods in my life. One was my fault as the rod rubber on roof racks all the way from paralowrie to salt creek causing a week spot in the rod, the other was a cheaper brand from Big W and it snapped on casting a sinker out only for live baiting. I was well within the specs of the rod and it still snapped. So layby better gear pay it off as you go it will certainly make you happier in the long run! It goes to show that you can teach an old dog new tricks though as I learnt with uni you must be able to back it up

[penthrox 0]

SnappaHunta wrote:

Weedie wrote:

Just picked up a Malaluka rod(RIVA 175) and a overhead baitcaster reel(VO 400).Paid $30.00 for both,Can anybody tell me if this is a good brand and what do you fisho's think of this brand.Is it a decent combo or isn't it worth its money,What do you think ? Marc.

I reckon give it a ago.Just because it's $30 doesn't mean it isn't going to work for you.A big Snapper is not going to give a damn whether you paid $1 or $1000 for a rod, if it's hungry it'll smash whateva.The only thing you might find is the gear may wear out... Just keep a good eye on it and clean it up after each trip.I swear to god some people would buy one rod over another just because it's MORE expensive.Apart from an UGLy StIK that was a gift ( my snapper rod ) , all my other rods are pretty cheap.ABU muscle tip 2 under $50Shimano Et plastics rod under $80Tsunami bullseye. $60No name snapper rod $10 Internet with a $10 reel.Oh and a Jarvis Walker 2m estuary rod my missus got me.If I needed a 1-2kg bream tournament rod, maybe... But the excessive amount of money spent by some is rediculous.I would challenge anyone to come out to sea with me, I'll fish for snaps with my $20 Internet combo and you bring a T-curve with a bloody Stella and neither of us will drop a fish !!!!!!Load of crap.... Don't listen to the tackle snobs

Challenge accepted! What we need to do though is see who is more comfortable and have repeated trips with the same gear on some bigger fish. We can then get a better judgment of whos gear is going to stand up. After 5 years we can pull them apart (providing yours is still going) and check all the internals of the reel and the overall standing of the rods.

[spog777 1]

wow some feedback. I thought Weedie was just after news on how people went with the Malaluka brand. Just as an add on my son still has the rod which after a rebuild settled ok-i dont know if it came from the shop or had been doctored but the guides were out of whack and once reset to correct positions is still going fine. As to other name brands im no expert as all but 1 of my rods have no name-just blanks or oddments ive picked up over the years and rebuilt or patched up so im pretty ignorant on the name side of things-hell i think my dearest rod cost aroud $10 (not pricing for rebuild). So Weedie just put the gear to work and let us know how well it performed as a good feedback on and item/brand can be very useful to us all

[Guest SnappaHunta]

Absoluteley no idea how either Marlin or Power Tools came in to the equation.Take karma point from me is a bit too petty, was pretty sure you could freely express yourself, opinions etc on this forum, if knickers are going to get twisted over the tackle snobs comment, then c ya's all on the water....cause I'm no longer interested .CheersJohn Snappa Hunta

[Lipstix 0]

Tackle schmackle. For at least two years I was using a cheap rod that was snapped in half and put back together with sealent lol. Caught loads of fish and it served it's purpose. Not everyone has a million dollars to spend on fishing gear and if your gear is cheap and you can still catch fish it just means you are a better fisherman/woman. ;p

[penthrox 0]

SnappaHunta wrote:

Absoluteley no idea how either Marlin or Power Tools came in to the equation.Take karma point from me is a bit too petty, was pretty sure you could freely express yourself, opinions etc on this forum, if knickers are going to get twisted over the tackle snobs comment, then c ya's all on the water....cause I'm no longer interested .CheersJohn Snappa Hunta

The two came about trying to prove a point to you. If someone like weaver who stands high in a lot of peoples books and is a professional writer tells me something I am going to listen. This forms part of his livleyhood and im sure he wouldnt be writing for a magazine if he didnt know what he was talking about. I mention marlin as they are a sports fish and I dont think you are going to find too many people chasing them on jarvis walker reels. You do realise that this isnt a personal attack just a difference of opinion and no way reflects on ability at all.The fact that people put skill markers on gear is laughable. The fact remains I know in 10 years with constant use my gear will be fine and your more than likely will not./end rant

[freddyboy 5]

i own 3 malaluka rods they go well with my tld50s,,, caught this fish with one last year,, no complaints here ,, cheers freddyboy

[Ben m 0]

Was more so referin to the reels, i still use a couple of cheap rods and cant fault them. I wasnt tryin to bag weedie and his choice of gear in my post, im not fussed what gear he buys as i wont be usin it. But why tell the bloke it will be sweet for chasin big snaps etc. What if he goes out chasin snapper hooks into a huge eagle ray and his reel blows up, which would be very likely have seen it with that sorta gear plenty of times. Hes gonna jump back online spewin with everyone for tellin him that his reel will be fine. Shimano and daiwa are pumpin out some very cheap but reliable gear these days and at least if you blow one of these up you have a good waranty and more readily availible spare parts etc. Snappahunta just peeved me off a bit with his hypocritical comments. Good luck with ya new set up weedie hope ya slay em mate.Ben

[westside 0]

Ive got nothing against those with their $700 rodsWhere can I get this $700 RodPerfect for my $1500 50th Anniversary Exist

[Del 245]

i used a rod and reel for close to ten yrs for fishing land based for whiting and garfish back home at coffin bay.. only really got into good quality gear once i came here. as i caught fish every trip no need to upgrade. then again at coffins.. you can just about fish in a bucket of salt water and still catch a feed ;)in short... the fish cant tell the differenceBUT YOU CAN.my previous set up at coffins, Shimano solstice 1000 and a butterworth 6'6 rod. my loves of now.. Sol, Excellor, Sahara, Pflueger Trion Tailwalk Trinis and my recent purchase a G Loomis 842-2,i dont expect the fish to know im using high end gear.. but i sure as hell notice how much if a pleasure it is to use!!!!but i still love my butterworth/solstice combo when back home!only you can answer the question of how good it is.. it may do all that u expect.. or it may fall apart while baiting up..

[penthrox 0]

freddyboy wrote:

i own 3 malaluka rods they go well with my tld50s,,, caught this fish with one last year,, no complaints here ,, cheers freddyboy

Thats a big salmon you have there!(sarcasm) In all seriousness nice fish mate

[Del 245]

hahha Penny! you read sunday mail fishing report too???(sunday mail actually had a big SAMPSON fish labelled as a SALMON)

[Dubs The Tackle Man 0]

weaver wrote:

Load of crap.... Don't listen to the tackle snobs

Fisherman are tradies and we like to use the best we can get that will stand the test of time, a tradie on a work site wont be caught with a shit no namer brand why because it will usually pack in during a job, Yes at times these brands will be purchased on a get me out of trouble basis but you go to any work site and you will see name brands because they are bulit to perform the tasks and take the knocks and punishment.No black and decker here or super cheap auto $15 specials.. give me Hilti, Hitachi, Dewalt, Milwaukee etc, Shimano, Daiwa, Berkley, G loomis.Get what i'm saying?

Would have to be one of the best ways to put it wevs.

[penthrox 0]

Del wrote:

hahha Penny! you read sunday mail fishing report too???(sunday mail actually had a big SAMPSON fish labelled as a SALMON)

Im glad somebody got it

[Lipstix 0]

Can't quite see what the fuss is about, I don't know if many of the later comments actually READ what SH posted. Every post he made in this thread seems FAIR. Went to send him a PM and his profile is now BANNED. Strange!!

[Del 245]

basically my posts where supporting " cheaper gear" but GOOD QUALITY cheap gear. a shimano solstice 1000 bought when i was 12 is still actively fishing today and im 30!!! the rod was a 60$ rod 18 yrs ago and its still productive!theres cheap.. and then theres cheap and nasty!

[penthrox 0]

I also support cheaper gear however being called a tackle snob because i like to own good fishing gear isnt the best course of action to take on a site dedicated to fishos of all budgets. I dont call anybody a cheap ass or a dole bludger (nothing insinuated here just making a point) because they buy cheaper gear. If that is the way you want to speak to other fishos then this really is the wrong place for you....

[Del 245]

Lipstix wrote:

Can't quite see what the fuss is about, I don't know if many of the later comments actually READ what SH posted. Every post he made in this thread seems FAIR. Went to send him a PM and his profile is now BANNED. Strange!!

Banned??? i just checked it comes up fine to me???

[Guest admin]

Lipstix wrote:

Went to send him a PM and his profile is now BANNED. Strange!!

SnappaHunta has decided to delete his account by using the option in his profile.Once this has been done, the account is automatically banned pending deletion by management.

[Del 245]

my bad.. i was looking at Weedies,

[Lipstix 0]

If anyone actually read the posts you would see that he wasn't saying people who buy expensive stuff are snobs he was defending the guy that started this post from the people who were just being rude and telling him his new rods were crap. I joined this site hoping to pick up some tips but if THIS is the way you treat people That are asking for advice then it is clearly not worth the effort. And if you didn't already notice snappahunta Isnt on here anymore.

[penthrox 0]

Although i normally am reserved i got involved in this "discussion" because of the same reason. If you check one of my posts it actually offers help and advice direct to weedie. I never personally attacked anyone and with sh comments it can be portrayed many ways. That is one of the biggest problems with type is that you cant understand how it is portrayed if it was spoken. Sarcasm and joking around you get in someones voice doesnt convert to type. Noone wanted SH to go but that was his decision. Just because people dont agree with you is no reason to leave.Anyway back to weedie. Mate if it works for you then great if not my offer still stands mate.