Rollas

If you could find one I would go GUSA Double Helix. For the money though see if you can find a blank you like and build it yourself, its not that hard and gives you something to do over the winter. More than happy to show you how.I have built a number of rods now that I could never have afforded if I bought them as a custom. Cheers

Seems I am not alone!One of my all time favourites for baitfishing is a little Calcutta CT50' date=' spooled with 4kg braid on a 5'6" Wilson Sovreign flickstick.I've put it through hell' date=' it's fallen to pieces once, had the drag replaced, but it just feels right, and I keep hammering it to death.My "go to" rods are many and varied dependant on the situation at hand. Ya can never have too many toys![/quote'']Ranger I just got a new set of carbon tecs for my little 50, poor thing has had the level wind worm drive done, main bearing, and the line guide replaced in the last 6 months. Should

Whiting - Calcutta 50 on a IMX CB560 or close to that running 20lb braid.Snapps Offshore - Trinidad narrow 16 on a HB60 30 - 50 running 50lb braidSnapps Inshore - 5500C Abu on a 5'6 4 - 6kg Abu Morrum graphite running 20lb braid.I like to swap around a bit though but always seem to pick up these ones on the run out the door.UHR - I sometimes switch my spool over to low stretch test mono when fishing the comps for 8kg. On the saltiga 4500. We use it for switch baiting little sails and marlin and I have a lot of fun with it but I always go back to braid when I am back here.

Just wondering what everyone uses for the different types of fishing we all do. I am sure that there are as many different combos in use by the members as there are boats in the gulf!Offshore Snapper - ?Inshore - Whiting?Any other?

Hey Nanman, whats the Torque like to use? I was kinda keen on one for a while and then they brough out the lever drag version and I thought that was even better but you dont hear anything about them. Looking online there is not a lot of people using them either.Rooboy,your right, on the money about using elephant gun gear. You tend to leave it at home after a while because your using the lighter gear. Its nice to have but at the cost of it sitting around is it worthwhile when you could get something that you will use more often. I reckon 50lb braid should handle most situations and if not then

Each to their own I suppose, me personlly, I much prefer a rod under 6ft so its easier to move around the boat without hitting the canopy, radio mast (VHF- UHF and AM-FM) or the console when running around from one side of the boat to the other. I can move it around the outboard easy enough and I reckon you get more lifting power out of the shorter rod than the longer one of the same breaking strain.I am only short so maybe thats another factor as well!

I agree that it would be terrible but only because of the PE rating. If it was lower then I dont see what the problem would be for using it for bait fishing?If it was PE 3-5 then it would be better suited with a lighter tip to feel the nibbles. What reel are you gonna match it up with?UHR why do you need 6 ft for your bottom bouncing?Cheers

Nice pictures, not much on the actual fishing. Signed up though so will see how it goes.Cheers

Thats a mammoth effort...top catch on that sort of gear whyallabrad.

Classic, few "caught' in that one....

Milky's grow twice the size of bones if not bigger. there have been reports of bones growing bigger than 16lb's though but they are a rarity.

cough cough bullshitt.. cough cough..

WTF! I told them not to sink it to close to the mouth....!Idiots.

In the Whitsundays there are a couple of estuaries that hold Milky’s and they sit in the filthiest of water slurping down the weed floating on the surface. Have not landed any as big as your pics but a couple about half that. The big ones just blew us away.Windy Bay on Hazelwood Island was good spot for them as well and we would pick up bonefish as well. Old man tried to eat a bonefish thinking it was a whiting. You have never seen so many ultra fine Garfish like bones in a fish that weighs 2 – 3 kg.Heard that they soak Milky’s in vinegar for a couple of weeks and it disso

Weigh them in the net. I put the hook of the scales into the handle of the net and that way the fish is supported. You can then deduct the weight of the net from the total.Doesnt hurt them and you can do it as soon as you bring them in the boat. Helps if the snapper lead is still in the net....

Sampo snaps are good.With snaps you really do get what you pay for.I reckon you could run 100lb wind-on no problems. At the end you can either run a snap swivel or a solid ring. Depends on what you want as the weight of a quality snap and swivel is going to drag your line down but a solid ring is a lot lighter. Then run a metre and a half of 100 - 150 lb (depends on how touchy they are) to the hook. If you can run more then do it but it comes down to what your fishing from and how long your rod is. If you cant lift the bait out of the water it gets annoying having to grab the line and lift the

Not good enough, but was it an import? If so then thats the cost of it. I have a few top end Daiwas and like UHF I had the roller bearing fail, the pin that holds the handle together fail and a spool bearing fail. All different reels from Sol, Luvias to Saltiga. All of them had their drags changed after a couple of reef trips in 2007-2008 which literally destroyed them. I think I look after them well and they do the job well.Anyway Carbon tex Drag washers are the best. Smooth as silk and give you an extra couple of kilos of pressure.

Afishyfish your right, I would just expect it that if you intend to release the fish its treated with respect anyway. If your using a lip gripper or gaff the fish still needs to be handled correctly. I suppose some people are a little miffed on handling fish the correct way and supporting, using wet rags or gloves and if possible keeping them in the water instead of being brought into the boat in the first place.

As T Bone said, you can only gaff a fish you intend to release if you lip gaff it. Just like having a big hook go through their mouth. Gaff it anywhere else it will die.Cheers

Now thats what you call fishing! Nice work there mate. Got to be in it to win it as they say. Cheers

It will.I would upgrade the drag to carbontec so you can at least put some decent pressure on the fish. And a harness...Braid is fine for sharking its just expensive when you get snapped off when a boat runs over your line 400 metres away because they cant see it.cheers

Ahh well if you can recognise me then the game is up! Better get a new head to put up here!

Didnt weigh it which was a pity. Caught Southside near Tapley's over 6 - 7years ago. Was my first Snapps caught in S.A when I got here.Maybe 12 - 14kg.

I think it really comes down to what your doing at the time, if its lumpy and your having troubles standing and my favourite is when you have just been blown away and need to get the line back into the water with your hands shaking like a madman....If your fishing Braid to leader with no Spliced loop then practice the Surgeon knot with 7-8 twists. Make sure you wet it when you pull it together and it should look even in the twist when its done. If there is Mono leader all on one side cut it and do it again. Its just practice. I use this for Everything from 4lb braid to 50lb braid and up to 100

The longliners all use Circles nowdays. I dont think there are too many using standard J hooks. The drag of the 5klm line as used down here in the gulf would be the same as a 1 - 3 kg drag setting on your rod. Just enough to keep the tangles away but enough to pull the hook out of the gullet of the fish into the corner of the mouth. As for what bait they use, well it depends on who and where I suppose. Have not been out on a longliner here in S.A yet. Be a great experience. I like that fact that with a circle when your on - your on. With a J it can fall out 10 seconds into it and you dont kno