plankton

I guess it would depend on what you want to use it for and what line you're planning on using. A 200 is on the lighter end of jig rods, so i assume it's not going to be for long range stuff, jigging kingies and sampsons, more like snapper and bight redfish. So maybe 20-30 pound braid? If that's the case, then you probably don't need to spend the money on a Torsa, get something like a Tyrnos 8 or 10.

I would say go for a 2500 size reel. The 4000 is definitely overkill when fishing with 6 pound line. I would avoid the 1000 size reels because there isn't enough line capacity when using 6 pound line, not that you need it for casting distance or fish taking huge runs, but in the unfortunate event that you have a line mishap while out on the water and have to cut back some of the spool, the extra line capacity will allow you to continue fishing and still be able to cast reasonably well.As far as reel brands, if you're happy with your current Shimano then stick with them and just get the one tha

jagger wrote: I saw the same thing at Bashams a few weeks ago, dead eaglie high up on the beach, some people are just ignorant!

I managed to add two more species to my personal list over the holidays, eagle ray and port jackson shark, unfortunately both were caught while pursuing the still elusive mulloway. I look forward to adding callop to my list soon as well.

When you put braid on a spool put on just enough to cover whole spool once or twice, then wrap it with electric tape and continue filling the spool. If you don't do this the braid will slip on the spool, some people also put a bit on mono backing on the reel and this works as well. Also, when filling a spool with braid you need to put it on with as much tension as possible otherwise it can dig in and cause problems when you're casting.As far as knots, I feel the best braid to leader connection you can get is to tie a bimini in the braid and then attach the leader with and albright. This works

It depends on what you're after, the best days I've had salmon fishing have been with a stiff breeze(20+ knots)right in my face. A good onshore breeze pushes baitfish in close, and where there's bait there's bound to be predators. Of course after a day or two it will get too weedy to fish effectively. Conversely, when fishing with lightweight gear for things like yellowfin whiting that eat off the bottom it's nice to have a gentle breeze, especially at your back, or none at all. If you want to get a balloon out with a big bait for sharks then you really need a good offshore wind. So depending

I've got a Daiwa Sealine X 50, it's a great beach reel, holds 300 yards of 40 pound mono, has a nice smooth drag, and casts very well. I haven't caught any big mullies with it, but it handled a fairly big eagle ray a few nights ago no problems. I've got it paired with a Tica Dolphin rod that I brought from the US, it's a great series of rods but unfortunately not available here.

I've often thought that a change in air pressure can put the fish off, especially when a low pressure front is moving in, also the tides are slowing down now approaching the dodge and a lack of water movement can often put the fish off as well.

Great, inexpensive, tough reels. The two biggest models ( 8 and 9 series) are quite heavy and the circumference of the spools is massive, so not the best casters in the world unless they're on a rod with a really big stripping guide, but would work great for offshore jigging.

I've never had a Stradic, but I've heard good things about them. I'm a Penn guy myself, but I've owned many small Shimano threadlines and they're great value for money.

Take a look at the front of the reel. Not sure why the extra rod clamp, maybe it was for catching really big mechanical sharks.

Nice old Penn you've got there, couldn't tell you the year, but I believe that the thing with the hooks is a rod clamp, the hooks go on the reel and the curved bit of metal goes under the reel seat. If no one can tell you the year it's from, try sending an email to Penn with the serial number.

I would say that if your set-up has been working for you over several years then stick with it, don't let your mate put the scare up you, have confidence in what you know works.

I do the same things, throw diced pillies in by hand every so often, a little tuna oil from a squeeze bottle, and for longer sessions I'll bury a bit of both in the sand. I've also had good luck using left over prawn crackers all crushed up for bread and butter type fish off the beach and sometimes I'll make my own whiting nuggets to use.

Cal's post made me think, with the Aussie dollar really strong against the US dollar right now it's a great time to buy gear from the states. Having moved here from the US, I was really shocked a the high price of certain fishing gear, especially reels and braid. That being said, my favourite beach overheads are the Daiwa Sealine X series. They're excellent casters and the drags are great. I've got the 50 size on my big beach rod and I run300 yards of 40 lb mono on it, and I want to get the 30 size to replace the Penn 777 Enforcer I've got (the forerunner to the Kimberleys, made right alon

rocknev wrote: I've never used an Alvey but I have heard that they are great for surf fishing. I like the fact that there are so few moving parts and, like you say, it can just be dunked in the water for a clean. Is it easy to learn to cast one? I may have to borrow one sometime and give it a go.

I have to disagree with a lot of the other posts. I feel that overheads are the best reels off the beach and for fighting big fish. They will cast much further in the hands of someone who knows how to use them and are much better at picking up line on tough fish. Yes it sucks if you drop it in the sand and they're a bit tougher to use in the dark until you get used to it, but if you're halfway decent at casting one in the day you shouldn't have much trouble. As far as those newer Abus (the ones that end with an "i" ) I have heard that they are not nearly as good as the older ones, but I ha

I'd fill it with 15 lb. line, I don't see any reason to have 450 yards of 12 lb. on there, and then you can use it on all of the rods you mentioned.

I assume you're going to be using bait? If that's the case, I prefer to use mono when bait fishing, just like the extra stretch it gives. For that reel I would use 20 pound line and you should be able to get around 300 yards on it, which I consider to be the minimum amount of line on a beach reel, not necessarily for fish running but if you have to cut back during the day 300 yards of line will give you a bit of a buffer. If you want to go heavier you could use braid, maybe 50 pound, and put on a topshot of mono to give you that nice line stretch when a fish takes your bait.

statesquider wrote: I feel it's hard to beat Maxima, great line, not overly expensive, and you can find it anywhere. I think the spools are 330 yards.

Thanks for all the replies, I've got to get into some tackle shops and check out some of these recommendations.

HT-100 is Penn's own proprietary brand of drag material, and in my humble opinion is the best drag made. The washers are usually a bit thicker than carbontex so it's not always easy to make the swap between the two. I think the Tani site has a thread about the size of various HT-100 washers for reference of using them in other brands of reels.

Softy wrote: Just what I was gonna say, it's great when he goes out on charter boats, the skippers all look like they want to throw him overboard. I think that's the reason I still watch, I'm waiting for the day someone does. :woohoo:

Took a teaching job out in the country for the rest of the year, the only fishing show I get now is "Fishing Australia" on WIN, possibly the worst fishing show ever made, but I usually watch it cause it's all I got.

Thanks DoRi 34, I need to check out that Starlo rod next time I'm near a tackle shop, I'll let you know if I'm interested. If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to sell it if it's brand new?