thefunkychicken

Gday.I started this rod a while agohttp://www.strikehook.com/forum/35-bait-a-tackle/112797-3rd-and-4th-home-build-attemptsand have finally made to progress.I've decided that it's going to be a gift for a dear friend who has a degenerative nerve disease (similar to MS). He probably won't even use the thing but if he does, it certainly won't see much abuse. As a result - and after seeing some photos elsewhere - I've decided to go a bit "outside the square" with some of the finishing.The rod is a 7' 2-3kg Samurai with more than a couple of hours worth of work in it. One more coat of clear epoxy a

Gday.I don't reckon this one would go even close to some of the monsters that others have caught but this one's got to be close to the biggest I've seen in the flesh.It tasted pretty nice by the way.Cheers.

I posted a reply to this topic a little while ago but it's not here. I wonder if the moderators are onto me???Anyway, I digress, my rod of choice for this application is a Tica 9' 2 piece. It's rated at 8 to 15lb but is plenty light enough in the tip to detect bites on bait or lure. I find it also has enough guts in it to throw a decent sinker or lure a sufficient distance.Judging by the replies on this topic, there are obviously more than a few good rods here that'll the do the job required of them. It's almost hard to go wrong given the breadth of gear that's on offer to us nowadays.Anyhow,

If the karma button was still on here I'd throw some your way. Good fella.

That's a great write-up Ale, and a very sobering review of a potentially life-threatening occurrence (I can't call it an "accident"). I reckon you've probably given a few people a bit of a kick in the pants regarding safety and preparation (myself included).HOPE FOR THE BEST, PLAN FOR THE WORST.Top post. Glad to hear that a few wrinkled fingers, some lost gear and a buggered boat was all that was suffered; there have been more than enough souls already surrendered to the water.Cheers.

I've got a pair of Hornes and love them to death.

I'm disgusted by this. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one.A perfect example of how our oceans are being killed by countless un-noticed blows.That's raping of the sea if I've ever seen it.Fate strike me down if I ever do anything like that to my mother nature.I will take fish from the ocean. I love eating fish; but I love having a battle with a fish, shaking hands with it it, then waving it goodbye.Sad days my fiends, sad days.

I'm far from an expert on such matters but they look like TT Blades to me.Hope this helps.

Fantastic fish. Would've been a great strike to see on a surface lure.Well done.

I've got a 13' Sensor Surf (the heavy one) with a big Baitrunner D on it. Fantastic rod in my opinion.Cheers.

Without following the crowd.... I have a SOL 2000 and am very pleased with it.That said, I have had a Shimano Exage 2500 for a few years now and even after giving it a fair bit of punishment without a huge amount of TLC it is still smooth, strong and in great order.I recently got a Stradic 3000. It looks & feels great, it takes more line than the SOL 2000 (though it is smaller, but heavier), I'm yet to take it out for a field test yet though.Q: Which one's my favourite without considering the price?A: SOL.Cheers.

And if you use anything to scrape the frost off the inside of the freezer, use a PLASTIC spatula - not the metal one or the BBQ scraper.They have a habit of making a big mess of your freezer's insides.

FushLups, nice buy. Bloody flash reel you've got yourself there.

For big, thick lines like that, I think you're better off using a bimini twist then a double uni (that's my choice). On lighter lines I use an albright but I don't reckon it's the way to go with that heavy stuff.Cheers. Tight knots.

I've got a 12000 D.It's a big reel and pretty heavy but I really like it.Maybe I should've gone for 1 size down but this one's manageable. I haven't had anything really big on it yet but it'll do the job I'm sure. Cheers.

Bugger! Just looked at the pictures. Let me assure you: that bump in the epoxy in the middle picture is just a figment of the photo.I nearly ruined my pants on seeing that.

Well, Dad's rod is now finished.Got home from work this morning, had a camp for a few hours, went and had a couple of cold ones with some mates at a footy game then returned home.When I was happy that I'd shaved off a few scummy tails and warts and prepared the rod to its nice last finish, I set up the BBQ rotisserie and got the epoxy ready for the final coat. It's had a couple already a few weeks ago, but not wanting to rush things I waited until work was over so I could make the last coat look the best that I'm capable of. I took my time putting it on then left it to spin itself stupid for a

Thanks for the additional info. I'm just about decided on a Stradic 3000.Cheers & thanks.

Have a squiz in the Bait & Tackle section, there's a few topics on home-building rods. The price is not prohibitive and there's products for every budget. Be warned: it is highly addictive. I'm presently in the process of building my 4th and 5th home-built rods and rebuilding/refurbishing a good rod I got 2nd hand.PM if I can give you any more info.Cheers.

Thanks for the reply mate.

I tend to think along the same line as BillyPerry.I've found the "helicoptering" rig a pain in the butt on more than a couple of occasions.Though on the other hand I have found that sometimes the knot or snell on the hook can get jammed in the sinker's hole after a cast. I'm not sure how natural a bait would look with a lump of lead 20mm from it. I've really only found this a problem on light tackle though.Good luck with it.Cheers.

Gday all.I'm thinking of getting a new reel and am un-decided between the two models: Sustain 3000 and Stradic 3000.It's going to be used as a bit of a jack-of-all-trades set-up with a 7 to 8 foot rod for whiting, salmon trout, flathead, schoolies, etc.Does anyone have any experience with either or both of them?I know they're on a different level of price, is this an accurate reflection of their quality or lack thereof?If I go for the cheaper Stradic will I be kicking myself in 6 months, wishing I'd spent the extra $$$ on the Sustain?Any advice is greatly appreciated.Thanks and cheers.

Gday all.After the first 2 home-build attempts, I've been pretty pleased with the results.http://www.strikehook.com/forum/35-bait-a-tackle/101934-first-home-build-attempthttp://www.strikehook.com/forum/35-bait-a-tackle/104046-second-home-build-attemptThe first one (cheapie glass rod) casts a slug pretty well, I haven't loaded it up on a fish yet but I did give it a simulated test. I whacked a reel on it, threaded the line through the guides then tied the line to the bull bar via some scales, set my drag appropriately and walked backwards. Nice working curve, no creaking, no cracking around the

Roger that.I'm borderline pedantic about looking after things.A while ago I Inoxed & WD40d EVERYTHING in my house made of metal. You name it, it was sprayed or wiped. I have a mate who had an old FJ47 Toyota trayback which looked about 1 week old, his secret? WD40 and Lanotec.The fishing gear gets a regular spray, I rinse my gear the second I get home from the water, even if I'm going to be using it 12 hours later. However, I'm not as keen as the dude in the Sunday Mail, I don't take my gear into the shower with me.Yeh, pedantic I know but I've got tools and fishing gear thats 20 years old

Gday.It can also have a bit to do with where you're fishing:If you're bottom bouncing of Adelaide then 30lb should do you well but if you're heading to Jurassic Park or around the bottom of the EP or KI then 50lb might be better in case you run into a dirty great big groper or something.Also, if you go for a heavier line it might be a bit more useful for shark fishing off beaches, jetties, or boats if you're into that sort of thing.There's pros & cons of heavy line and ups & downs of lighter line, it's a pay-off and you don't get anything for nothing. You've jsut gotta get your ideas t