Rick T

G''day Allen Great to see a professional opinion on this topic :thumbsup: . I know u don''t like to be pushy with promoting your rods but I do beleive u should also be replying to Bill by giving him information on what sort of rod you could build for his purpose and price range. Not only does it inform a valid customer of what is available from shearwater but it also informs and opens options to all the members and visitors including myself who are looking for this type of rod. I realise that this is really not your style and you seem quite humble when it comes to promoting your rods but most of us are lazy and will act on presented information rather than having to chase it up. Just my opinion and hope it doesn''t offend, I am not refering to force feeding us on every oportunity but giving us options every now and again would be helpful. You support the site for us and you are entitled to more than just a banner link.

Shimano SFS Squidgy Barra Spin 66 4-8kg. It is in the catelogue under the steve starling series and has been available in every tackle store I have been in.

G''day Bill Try spin rods around the 4-8kg range, I am not sponsored by anyone and not fussed what rod u end up getting but I''ll tell u what I have been using. I have 2 rods that I have recently purchased for this exact purpose. A squidgy Barra 4-8kg 6''6 matched with a 4000 shimano symetre. rod price was about $100. I have also purchased a BD Barra Hunter 4-7kg 6''6 priced at $240 and matched it with a 4000 shimano stradic. Both rods perform exceptionally well, the BD is finished a bit better and has alconite guides where as the barra has hardloys. Both are tough as (my rod holder broke before the barra rod did) and for scull draggers like myself who are not into playing pelagics for half an hour they do the job much quicker while still being challenging. They also have a stiff enough tip to work perfectly for trolling rapalas, sluggos etc. The old school fisherman would ask the same question to you, why do you pay $70 for a rod and reel when u can do the same thing with a hand reel at $10? I think it comes down to a few things such as how u fish and how often u fish. If u r sitting in a boat in reasonably shallow water (up to 20m) bottom bashing with baits then a $600 outfit will do little more than a $70 outfit unless u hook something that is going to test its limits. If u r going to accurately cast light weighted lures all day you will absolutely notice the difference between a $70 and $600 outfit with things like casting distance, weight, responsiveness and sensitivity. If you are going to be catching hard running fish consistantly you will also notice the difference between the different priced outfits. The performance of the rod under high pressure along with the reliability of a good reel will mean alot more success in landing these type of fish. The same question gets asked about braid and mono lines and again both have their applications, as I said it has more to do with how and how often you fish to whether a $70 rod or $600 is suited to your needs. In either situation I don''t think anyone should be judged by the gear they use, as long as u enjoy your fishing and can justify the cost to yourself.

not really sure why you have made that comment Naked, was something deleted from this thread? Anyway I also support our local guys (spent close to 7 grand last year) as much as possible and they support me with great advice and prices but I couldn''t get a price like that for fireline even with a discount. $7 cheaper a roll doesn''t make much difference but when I have just purchased 2 quality 4000 size reels (from the tackle store) and have to fill 4 spools with 250 yards each spool (8 spools of fireline) that is a saving of $56 for the line. Anyway thanks Wakd, u saved me a sweet penny that I can now spend at the local tackle store.

Everything sold thanks, and apologies for putting it in the wrong category.

Pete your test worked but the reply my return message has come out as a blank screen.

G''day fella''s Getting plenty of pms but they are coming in with a blank screen so I think it is not working correctly at the moment. U can catch me at work using Ricky.Turner@au.ey.com Cheers

No interest shown for this stuff so I guess it is overpriced. Lets try again Shimano backbone rod $60 Okuma epix 20 with 6lb fireline $60 shimano charter special with 30lb braid $160 If the rod or okuma are purchased with the charter special $200 for both. If everything is purchased together $240

Just noticed the charter specials are on special at campbells for $199 + $10 delivery which doesn''t help my cause :happy: so if Joe picks up the rod on sunday I will be letting both reels with braid go for $220 together. Let u fellas know now and will change s/f next week.

mate, it looks like GI Joe wishes to pick up the rod at social on sunday so on monday just the reels will be on sale. $260 and u will own both. Just don''t let your missus tell mine. :crankymissus: :crankymissus:

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G''day guys I also have an okuma epix 20 spooled with 6lb fireline. It comes with box, reel bag and spare allu spool. It has some scratches but still is in perfect mechanical condition. I''ll throw it in for an extra $20 for anyone that buys the shimano.

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G''day fellas Due to an excess of bottom bashers (I own 2 TLD 25 outfits aswell) I have decided to sell one of my rigs. The reel is in new condition and comes with the box/instructions etc. The rod is also in excellent condition. Shimano backbone 7'' 6-10kg rod matched with a shimano charter special TR2000LD spooled with 300m of 30lb Tuff Line Braid. $300 for the lot Please pm me if interested

yep, aussie made and very well finished. I''ll keep dreamin''

This is one of the ABT competitors new boat. Although I am no longer mates with him I must admit the boat makes me want to do naughty things like trade in the hornet :cum: http://www.dkgmarineservices.com/attack470ts_p1.htm

Very good point Jethro :ohyeh: Its probably an old age thing, I like picking something up as soon as I hand over the $$. I have been stung with customs duty a few times importing stuff and am now happy to pay a bit more for the gaurantee that I''ll have no hassles later on if something goes wrong. My 3 month old stradic''s roller bearing seazed last week. put it in the shop and had it back 2 days later at no cost :thumbsup: Good luck with your choice and look forward to seeing your pride and joy when she is all set up :boat1:

G''day Jethro I upgraded to the Matrix 37 and it has proven to be a great sounder for what I like to do. It has excellent clarity (b/w) for bottom definition etc and the GPS screens are awsome for trolling etc. In aussie they are around $550 at the moment for the sounder and the GPS aerial is about $300. Of course by importing u can get things much cheaper but beware of the warranty issues.

G''day Byron I noticed Mark''s old boat on a few of the websites before advertising elsewhere. I purchased my first boat from the trading post. I am fairly mechanically minded so I knew how to check the compression etc on the motor and it was almost brand new (34 hours). The bloke was building a car so the boat was no longer his toy. He had it advertised for 21k and I offered him $16k which he disagreed to. I left my name and 2 weeks later the boat was mine. I owned it for 2 years then traded it last year for 17k. I don''t think there is a need to rush for cabin boats, if u r patient u may get a good deal as there are not that many buyers around and usually the boat is a luxury item being sold for financial difficulties or other projects. I am not sure about the market for breamin'' boats, there may be alot less of those on the market

A couple of D!@#heads maybe :ohyeh: Shame, his old hornet was decked out well.

I don''t believe the average person will not be able to compete just because of the boats and $$ in these comps. It only gives the accomplished anglers a bit of an advantage but if u know the waterway well enough any of us can be up there with the sponsored/big $$ anglers. 2 nobody''s like Mick and I did ok in the aussie open and my boat was the smallest in size and hp in the field. I reckon if u have the $$ and u have a passion for competition as most of the fellas do then its great to see them investing in such sensational boats. It has definately bringing out more sponsorship deals and I hope it gets as big as the american bass tournaments. The bass anglers Triton is on its way, I am sure if u give em a visit they can order one for u mate I am suprised u didn''t look at picking up Mango''s old hornet. his new fibreglass attack looks awsome and I am sure he''ll be taking it into the racks :crybaby:

Depends what u call affordable. :confusuion: My Scotty downrigger cost $400 and it was a cheap as I would go for quality saltwater equipment. It is a manual wind with a counter and rod holder. I presume that the electronic ones would be much more expensive :yikes: :die: