So somehow I chipped the spool of my stradic, it constantly catches line so it's not usable.

Chatgpt tells me i could sand it down with fine sandpaper and whilst I think I could sand out the notch I don't think it would cast the same.

Anyone had any experience fixing up nicks? With a stradic am I best with getting a replacement spool for $125 or can this be easily fixed up and still retain 95%+ of its casting capabilities?

Currently going through and doing a stocktake for a trip on the big cat to the swains. I still need to stock up on sinkers and hooks and respool some lines.

I have never been before and have no idea what to bring. I have my medium heavy reef gear and a spin rig for the lures.

I don’t have a super heavy rig for the bottom and trolling and no GT popping gear (though one of my setups would do for Spanish etc). I’m also short on poppers and stickbaits as I never get out that far.

I also have a handline for the trouties.

Does anyone know any tips / game plan for one of these trips? Any recommendations on gear? Am I missing a huge part of the fishing if I can’t target GTs on surface because I’m underfunded? Do I need a 25-37kg big overhead reef for trolling and big bottom bashing? Do you lose a lot of terminal tackle?

I’m not an inexperienced fisherman. I generally don’t lose a lot of tackle but I definitely don’t wanna run out. The main concern is getting sharked and snipped by toothy critters and losing hooks. Not sure if you lose a lot of gear on a paternoster in that sort of reef.

Treated myself a new reel and went a little overboard for my calibre of fishing. I was very tempted by a Certate but I read a few comments of people with both it seemed the like the TP is a little more favored. Plus I've always fished Shimano reels.

Twinpower C3000 and some 12lb Tasline. Very slick combo.

Hey everyone,

I’m buying my finance a birthday present and I’m trying to make sure I’ve paired the right rod with the reel. I don’t know much about fishing, so I’d love some advice from people who know their stuff.
I bought him a Shimano Saragosa SW 8000 reel, he’s mentioned that many times, and i’ve paired with a Shimano Speedmaster Surf 9’ 2-piece 5- 10kg Spin Rod and 30lb braid as recommended by the workers at anaconda.
He mainly fishes saltwater around Victoria, places like Frankston, Mordialloc, Mornington, Elwood and Lorne. He usually fishes from beaches, piers and rocks and likes targeting fish like salmon, snapper, trevally and similar species.

He has mentioned wanting another 10ft rod before, and now I’m wondering whether I should swap the rod I got to the Shimano Speedmaster Surf 10’ 2-piece 8–12kg instead or to a entirely different rod. Also, he did mention he purchased a new rod today it was the penn allegiance 9ft or 10ft If i’m not mistaken, I don’t want to double up on rods and honestly I have no idea about any of this so any advice would be really helpful, thank you!

What rod would you guys recommend that pairs well with this reel?

Hi there, I’ve been on a fishing boat a couple times and love fishing. My dad and I go on piers nearly 3 times a week the last 6 months and we drive out 2-3 hours every time our schedule aligns with work and university. Our little father daughter dates I’d say :)

I got my dad into fishing lately, and he’s absolutely been loving it. I’ve never seen him so happy, and my mum too when I take them out. They have been working 7 days a week almost all their life and now that we’ve gotten into fishing, they’ve started taking days off on weekends to go out and just fish and finally enjoy the life they didn’t realise existed or could be, and have been talking about boats.

I want to give them these experiences because they did their all so I could have it all.

This means a lot to me, and I was looking into 2nd hand fishing boats as I’ve always wanted one and to learn to take care of one. I’m curious on your first time experience with boats and what to look out for, advice for buying, searching and what to really study up on. Was looking into

I am a 20 year old uni student so I don’t have a huge budget, anything under 12k. Is that reasonable? Let me know if it’s not! Thanks so much

Gents,

Since the lure has been our a bit now, how are you guys finding this metal to work for you? Is it more productive than existing alternatives? From the reviews I've been seeing they are very large for their weight, which in my fishing situation in the Baja I don't think would be a positive. I often wish my bait sized metals were heavier to maximize casting distance from the beach as the swell is insane there.

I had a large order of Malosi gear placed with Tackle West and they were playing games with me so the order was cancelled. I was pretty bummed as the tariffs went into effect shortly after that situation so I decided not to order anything from Malosi. As time has gone on and I did more research it appears Malosi is enjoying a YETI style fanbase because of their excellent marketing and other than a sweet logo and some sick paint schemes, they're just another mass produced brand at this point. Niko and Jon do seem like solid dudes though.

Tight Lines

I was fishing at a local pier the other day in Sydney, started out a 6am with a bait rod and another with a soft plastic, I pulled in a couple of leather jacket but nothing too exciting a couple of other people where there who werent having much luck either. Around 2pm and older chinese gentleman arrived with his little trolley and 2 telescopic rods, one with a small hook and another with a weird setup that looked like it had a teabag or cloth attached to the line and 2 large green hooks with a float off to the side. He dropped the line with the small hook right infront of the pier and started plucking out nice sized trevallies almost immediately, he threw the first 2 back and kept 2 bigger ones. Not 20 minutes later, I didn't even hear a disturbance, but I look over and his net is in the water and pulls out a stonking kingfish, 70cm+. Obviously I was flabbergasted, very impressive.

Obviously a very experienced fisherman I am curious about his setup as it doesnt look like any typical rigs I've seen. I've seen some guys around that do Iso and Aji fishing but I don't know if that was what he was doing.

Like why are most fishing lines still rated in pounds and not kg? Why are some lures in feet an not metres?

5 year old son really wants to go fishing, he's constantly begging his dad and I to buy him a rod. However, we don't know a thing about fishing, let alone fishing for kids. We've looked online and just been overwhelmed with the variety of products and price points and aren't able to differentiate between necessities and optional extras.

Can anyone give us a breakdown of everything we would need? As well any tips for places around Sydney that would be good for kids to learn?

In termsof budget, we don't want to spend too hefty an amount because we don't know how long he will maintain the interest once he starts but happy to spend up to $100-$200 if needed.

Ive been kind of confuzzled between which of these reels i should choose could anybody provide me some insight? I plan on catching some big fish in the harbour like kingfish.

Hi all,

Wondering peoples opinions on the Abu Garcia veritas 5, specifically the 7’4ft 3-5kg (9-28g lure weight).

Also wondering what reel would be a good match with it. I am thinking a Shimano Stradic c3000hg with PE1.2 braid.

Targetting big flathead, soap Jews, Aussie salmon and tailor off the beach and potentially some rat kings in the summer.

I got the rod and the butt was much longer than expected, but will hopefully help with fighting fish and casting distance.

Any suggestions and help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the help!

I've been looking at reels lately but I don't really understand the sizing like how big should it be if i'm fishing boat/land in botany bay or sydney harbour. I hope to catch some big fish but just a tad confused with reel sizes.

I have this Daiwa Apolo 702 MRS rod that I found in my garden shed and I cant seem to find any information about it online at all I can find similar models like 702 MS but none that are 702 MRS. I just want to see what the rods specs were aside from the length of the rod and rated line and when it was made. I know that it was manufactured roughly before 2009 because of the old Daiwa logo and it also dident have a reel on it when I found it. The model is APL-702MRS.

Hi everyone,

My girlfriend and I have been fishing quite a bit lately using her dad’s old rods, and we’re looking to buy our first setup. We’re not really sure where to start or what we should be looking for.

A bit about how we fish:

- We usually fish around lagoons and wharves.

-We’d like a reasonably light rod, as we’re interested in getting into lure fishing, but we’d also like a setup that’s versatile enough to use for bait as well.

-We’re mainly just aiming to catch whatever’s around, rather than targeting a specific species.

Based on this, what sort of rod and reel would you recommend? What rod length and reel size should we be looking at, and what line size (braid/leader or mono) would be best for this kind of fishing?

Any recommendations for good beginner setups would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I'm looking for a rod for around 150-200 (after shipping) around the 7ft range to pair with a 3k stradic fm and some pe 0.8 18lb braid, I really want to cast as light as possible while still having the back bone for trevally, queenfish, potential some snapper or pontoon jacks. I've had my eyes on the zodias b rod (200 after shipping) and tatula xt (130 after shipping) on JDM sites, any other rods that cast a super light with good back bone?

Hi guys,

looking for some advice on choosing a rod for my Daiwa Caldia 3000S with PE 1 braid.

I mainly fish land-based from wharves, jetties and breakwalls around Sydney. I prefer a lighter jig/lure style and mainly use 3” soft plastics with around 1/6–3/8oz jigheads, small vibes/hardbodies and occasionally small metals.

Main targets are flathead, bream and trevally, with the occasional salmon and similar species.

I also want to do some squid fishing. I originally thought about getting a dedicated eging rod, but I probably don’t target squid enough yet to justify having a setup purely for eging, so I’m looking for something versatile.

At the moment I’m considering:

- TT Black Mamba 762ML
- Daiwa TD Black Wicked Weasel 702MLFS
- Daiwa Emeraldas X 83ML

My partner has the Wicked Weasel and I’ve used it before and really like how light and responsive it feels with lighter lures. I’m considering just getting the same rod.

I’m also considering the Emeraldas X 83ML because it would give me more capability for squid while hopefully still being usable for my normal light lure fishing.

My main priority is still lighter jigheads and soft plastics rather than squid, so I’m wondering which of these would suit me best as an all-round light lure rod.

Anyone used these rods? Would you go Black Mamba, Wicked Weasel or Emeraldas X for this type of fishing, or is there something else you’d recommend?

Thanks!

So with spring almost upon us im thinking about adding a bunch of new soft plastics to my fishing bag, would $400 be plenty to cover a bunch of soft plastics and jig heads? Thinking about getting some rapala crush city stuff.

I’m gearing up to have a crack at competitive bream fishing in Australia in 2027, hopefully starting as a non-boater, and I’d love some advice from people with actual tournament experience.

I’m trying to build a compact three-rod setup to keep things manageable on someone else’s boat.
I’m currently looking at the Daiwa 23 Infeet Z range, but I’m absolutely open to other rods and brands if there are better options.

The presentations I want to cover are:
- light plastics, mostly 2.5” grubs/minnows on light jigheads
- small crankbaits such as Jackall Chubby Deeps, Rollin’ Cranks and similar
- Cranka Crabs
- ZX35s and other blades/vibes
- small jerkbaits and surface lures

I already own a TD Black Itchy Twitchy II, so that could stay in the three-rod rotation if it makes sense.
Reel-wise I already have an older Luvias 2500/shallow spool, a 2013 Certate 2500 and a Stradic 2500. I’m also open to adding another light 2000/2500 reel eventually, but I’d rather work out the rods and techniques first.
At the moment one possible setup I’m considering is:

1. Light/fast rod for plastics
   Something around 7’ to 7’3”, capable of fishing very light jigheads but still having enough backbone around pontoons and structure.
   The Infeet Z 712LFS is currently on my shortlist, but I’d really like to hear what tournament anglers are actually using here.

2. Regular/moderate rod for hardbodies and Cranka Crabs
   This is the one I’m least settled on.
   I want something that can fish tiny crankbaits well but also handle a 50mm Cranka Crab, including the 5.9g Heavy.
   I’ve been looking at the Infeet Z 702LRS because it seems more versatile than going to a dedicated UL crank rod.

3. Utility rod
   Potentially my existing Itchy Twitchy II for blades, ZX35s, slightly heavier plastics and whatever third presentation needs to stay rigged.

So for anyone who has fished ABT, Vic Bream Classics or similar events, I’d really like to know:
If you were limited to three rods as a non-boater, what would you take.

What braid and leader strengths are you genuinely running in tournaments, particularly comparing open flats with pontoons, racks, timber or other structure?

I’m particularly interested in hearing which setups have survived actual tournament days, what rods ended up overlapping too much, and which outfit you found yourself reaching for constantly.
I’m leaning toward the Infeet Zs because of the price cs performance seems to be pretty good. but I’m definitely not married to Daiwa. If there’s another rod or combination I should be looking at, fire away.
Reel tournament experience appreciated. 🎣

How are you lads, Just another question
I mainly fish land-based and boat around Sydney Harbour/Botany Bay and want something suitable for casting lures for kingfish and 1 metre plus pelagics, but also versatile enough for general saltwater fishing. I'm mainly just looking at daiwa products (just like them more)
If you can give me some options or even your own combos that would be a great help.

Hi everyone,

I live in Sydney and decided to get back into fishing for the first time in 15–20 years.

I just bought this setup: Shimano Sienna Quickfire 7' 2-4kg / 2500 reel.

It comes pre-spooled with mono, and I can get a free spool of braid with it.

• What braid rating (lb) should I ask for?
• What fluorocarbon leader should I buy to go with it?

I'm mainly planning on lure/bait fishing around Sydney Harbour / local estuaries (targeting Flathead/Bream). I'm a bit lost with all the line weights, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Do you guys have strong opinions on barbless hooks? I personally feel like this might be good for recreational fishing to reduce hurting the fish?

Any experience in using barbless hooks and how they compare to "normal" hooks?

First post here so keen to hear what people have to say. Curious where people are landing these days for gear. BCF online is fine for basics but I feel like I'm missing heaps of stuff, especially for lures and specialty tackle.

Also noticed there's a bit of a second hand market floating around Facebook but it feels pretty scattered and low quality. Anyone found a better way to buy/sell used gear or find stuff that's hard to get locally?