storm boy

I just took the opportunity to measure up mine :-) I fish low mount, but temporarily mounted a reel 900mm up from the butt. The first guide is 1750 mm up from the butt, or 850mm from the nominal "up reel" reel position. The stripper guide is 20mm which would be fine for multipliers but fixed spool would require some mods. If you were really fussy you could change the stripper guide for the next size up, but there is no real need to do it. You could even use the same coasters as I have in the pics but just strip back the top few inches of foam grip and cover the exposed blank with heat shri

Hi Plankton, Have you thought about rewrapping part of a SA rod to suit hi mount? I'm pretty sure one of the guys has done this with his Poseidon P5. Cheers! SB

If the use of the reel is for surfcasting baits, you cannot go past the Penn Squall 12 or 15 which Plankton alluded to. Magnetic cast control, huge gears and drag, awesome casting performance but with user friendly graphite frame gives you a reel that has everything you need. I have had fancy billet reels (Avet SX, Avet JX, Penn Inter Torque 100, TG-F1) but the pair of Squalls (12 and 15) are always the first reels I pick up when going surf fishing. They are just so functional and reliable. Regards, SB

Hi Plankton, I had a play on the weekend with this: http://www.bigcatch.co.za/shop/blue-marlin/rod-bm-bronzie-t53-13-8ft/ I was practicing over grass with 9oz and the thing hardly even bent :-) The UK rods are certainly nice (think Rolls Royce) but the South Africans have a good range of great casting rods at decent prices. Freight does add to the cost but as far as heavy or long distance rods go, we are pretty limited here in Australia. South African rods such as Kingfisher and Blue Marlin are good value for money. Regards, SB

Hi Newtontoney, I have an Avet SX MC which I have had for a few years, and is a very nice reel. Early on I pulled the reel down, greased the carbon drag with Cal's grease, and filled all the bearings with marine grease, with the exception of the spool bearings, in which I used a drop of Corrosion X. The manufacturer's drag ratings are spot on, and a full set of spare bearings is available from the manufacturer (USA) for around $60 plus postage. Not a reel I would dunk in the surf but very well made and very tough. They can bring in line like a winch when you need to Regards, S

Hi Newtontoney, 60 grams is going to be toward the lower end of casting weights for the Abu 7000. IMHO a thicker line would be better on the reel as it will cause fewer backlashes, something like 20lb mono (minimum) or 50lb braid. I use both mono and braid off the beaches, I love the sensitivity and strength/diameter ratio of braid but prefer mono for it's abrasion resistance, stretch once a fish is on, and also because it is better when there is weed about. When casting lures for salmon I tend to use mono of about 8lb breaking strain on an Abu 5000 reel as it just balances up so w

Just double checked, the one I have is actually the 7'6" 2 piece, lure rating is 15-45g. Regards, SB

Here's one of the fish Raiders and Gillies Baitfish are also good options, but the Samaki remains at the top of my list, less than $10 too. Regards, SB

This one is my personal favourite, flies well on the cast and really works. It's a Samaki Flash 55g, colour is Blue Mac. The outside colour tends to peel off after a few dozen salmon , but still works well. Cheers!

One that comes to mind is the Raider Snapper 7' 3" 2 piece. Good for snapper and would also be good for casting metals etc at salmon. It's a good rod and is also well within your budget. Cheers! SB

I use the Gemini Splashdown sinkers which incorporate a bait release clip for clip down rigs, they work very well. I think SFS may be getting a few soon to trial.Cheers!SB

Here's a pic of mine.I used some balloon wheels from kayak trolley, and a contractor from work kindly made up a suitable axle. The handle section is from an old brushcutter, the wooden base clips onto the axle/handle and is held there with a tie down. The balloon wheels make it float on top of soft sand, they are well worth the investment.Cheers!SB

No worries, the other Black Point is pretty much Point Lowly, near Whyalla, which you have listed. Cheers!SB

Thanks for that macca02!Just one item, one of the locations is listed as Black Point, there are at least two Black Points that I am aware of, both popular fishing areas. One is on Yorke Peninsula, the other is on Eyre Peninsula near Whyalla.Cheers!SB

Try Penn 10X leader material if you want a tough leader. Not exactly invisible as it is pretty much white in colour, but seems to be very abrasion resistant.Cheers!SB

I was down at the Mouth this afternoon with the kids, not there for a serious fish but just to have a bit of fun. It was pretty quiet, the only things being caught were salmon trout. This was during the middle of the day though with minimal tides and almost no water flowing through the Mouth.I'd suggest waiting until the tides increase a little and then go for an evening/night fish. The Outlander should be fine, the only spot which might be a bit questionable is the soft sand just before the Mouth itself, but there's km's of fishable beach before that. Just let your tyres down to 15-18 PSI fir

Just had a go at static magging the Squall 40LD for casting and thought I'd post some pics of the inside of the reel for those interested.First pic, new static mags at the top of the side plate, I think I might have to add a couple more magnets.Next, Nice double dog ratchet, should be pretty hard to break this one.Next pic shows the stainless steel gearing.Next shows the drag, nice wet (greased) carbon fibre.Last pic shows the end of the spool with the drag reassembled. This is where lever drags have an advantage over star drags as when drag is being pulled it does not place pressure on the ge

I have the Squall 12, 15 and 40LD. All are excellent reels. The 12 and 15 are the first ones that I grab when going surf fishing, good tough reels and great for when distance is needed, very smooth drag too. The 40LD I have spooled with 25lb Ultima Distance, intending to use it for sliding big baits for sharks. I have had a few casts with it but I will have a go at adding some mags for spool control. It definitely has potential.Cheers!SBEdit: Just realised the reels on the rods in my avatar are the smaller Squalls :-)

Crusher, I'm looking at selling the Snyder 5120 but couldn't PM you for some reason?Let me know if you are interested. :-)SBRod has been sold, sorry for the digression everyone :-)

Crusher, I'm looking at selling the Snyder 5120 but couldn't PM you for some reason?Let me know if you are interested. :-)SB

Love the brevity!He's on the ball as usual Cheers!SB

I only fish for snapper land based and my rig is a little different to most, but my favourite is a snelled gang of three 3/0 Owner SSW Cutting Point hooks. If I run out of the Owners then a Gamakatsu Octopus is a good alternative.Cheers!SS

G'day Komodo,I'd love to give your offer a go but I live in Adelaide :-( . Also I cast pendulum style normally with 4-6 oz, which would tend to make the rod even more telescopic than the manufacturer intended, as it really loads the rod deep into butt section.What are the manufacturer's specs on the rods? And what is the distance between the reel seat and the butt cap? Any specs and details appreciated.Cheers!SB

I have a couple of Century surf rods which I love to bits, they really are something different to what we normally get here.The Poseidon P5 rods that Kelvin alluded to are a well priced, great casting rod, and surprisingly light to hold.This is my next salmon lure casting rod, if my wife lets me :-)http://www.centurysea.co.uk/sea-rods/vectura-ti-11/Cheers!SB

Agree with you there Ausea. I have stripped down and serviced a mates 4500Z and 6500Z and the reels are extremely well made, they stand up well even when copping a flogging.Cheers!SB