Hugo

Del, I picked the rod up from Steve on Grange Road. I also had a 9 foot 2 piece glass spin stick and a 5120 made up as an overhead with the rope grips. All great rods. The low mount you grabbed can pitch a 4 oz sinker and a salmon fillet no problems. It's not built on an extended 4120 as its too tippy, can't remember what blank he used. Either way, it will cope with most Mullies and mid sized brown coats.

Heading slightly off subject, I recently shelled out 5 bucks and scored enough redgum sawdust and wood chips from a local cabinet maker to last me for years. I blend this with off the shelf hickory or whatever else you get in the small woodchip packets from camping and outdoors shops. Most furniture makers would be happy to let you have some if you offer to pay and take your own bags. Should save you heaps in the long run.

6 inch Phillips head screw driver and 30 seconds on the grinder to get a nice sharp point. Works a treat.

Brenton has nailed it with either a 3000 or 4000 sized reel. No need to go bigger than these reels as they have around 7-8kg drag and enough line capacity of either 15 or 20lb braid to tame any snapper. Only reason to go bigger would be if these reel sizes don't balance with your rod. Not much difference in line diametre between 15 and 20lb braids, I have both breaking strains on all my 3 -4k sized reels and most break above their rated breaking strain. I mainly use tuff line and it has never failed (just my knots).

Southie, photography can be nearly as addictive as collecting fishing tackle! Canon 650D is a great camera and will last you for years. Suggest doing a short photography course, usually a 2 day job to fast track getting the best out of your camera. Good luck, look forward to viewing your pics.

Have a look at the long cast reels offered up by shimano and Daiwa (Saltiga surf, emblem pro, windcast etc, depending on your budget). Balance up nicely with 8144's.

Yonks ago, before Daiwa, Shimano etc got their act together with their bigger eggbeater reals, Pen spin fishers were one of the go to reels on west coast beaches (for those that didn't use Overheads), and on offshore charters etc where big fish were the targets. The US made versions were solid as, I have a 750 and an 850, both bought in the 90's and they still get a run from time to time. Compared to today's high end reels, they feel very heavy and industrial, but they are bullet proof. I use them on my Daiwa em cast 9'6" and 7144 rods on the beach and on my equally old 6' glass snapper rods i

Agree with Kuerschie about using mono in preference to fluorocarbon. Fluro tends to sink and pull the nose of the lures under, where as mono allows them to skip across the surface better. I don't bother with loop knots for surface fishing, just tie straight onto 4lb mono. OK to use bigger lures to 70mm especially if the surface is chopped up by wind (Sugar pens are excellent for this), ecogears and 3B scum dogs when it's calm. I use prawn type colours and patterns in summer, but it pays to understand what the whiting are chasing in any given location and try and match lure colours. If the whit

I have been using the PR or Mid knot (google will bring up heaps of good sites with instructions on how to tie this knot) to connect all my leaders to braid for my surf rigs, both egg beaters and overheads. I can only successfully tie these knots on 20lb braid and up, as the knot slips on any braid too thin, but they are brilliant for casting and they don't break. As they are so low profile, there is no chunky knot to bang through the guides, so you can let full on casts rip for as long as your arms last and not be concerned that the main line to leader knot is going to fail and your lure or s

I've been using Adagio 105 Heavy lures for salmon, need to replace the treble with a Decoy single hook in size 2. About 30g, holographic sides flash really well, they cast well and salmon love them. For snook, find it hard to go past minnow style lures. I keep tying on the 90mm Bomber long A's in gold color. The rattle helps, not that snook need too much extra incentive to have a swipe. Sticking with trebles for snook though, drop too many on singles.

I can also vouch for the sugarpen. I had success in a few spots on the YP on incoming tides last summer and autumn. I found it best to locate schools of whiting with bait and then break out the stick baits. The Ecogear PX55 also works, with by catch of tommies and mullet common if they are about. I have not had the same success with poppers that I have had with stick baits, but it's what works for you. All hits have come by keeping the lure moving,stopping it seems to put the whiting off and they swim away. These lures worked a treat on flathead also when I fished northern NSW whilst on holida