JET01

Mate have a look at the daiwa range if you're into aesthetics... You can "pimp" those ones. I reckon the most aesthetically pleasing reels would have to be the CI4 Stradics.... I own the 1000 and 2500, and love them to death... Not for the aesthetics, but the overall package... strong, smooth, light, and great value for money! (Shimano's also around the corner so nice and easy to get serviced)

Been using a Stradic Ci4 1000, very happy with it, but thought i might take the opportunity whilst overseas in Guam, seeing the dollar is so strong at the moment. Only fish in Botany Bay and the Hacking at the moment, but looking at getting into fishing for Mulloway and Kings... would the 2500 be a better idea as it would still balance up with all my 1-4kg T-curve flights. Who out there owns/has used a Stella 1000/2500? Would the difference between a Ci4 be that significant.

I spent a few hours around Grays Point last weekend. Only a 55cm flatty which was great for dinner... but nothing else. Might head out on Friday again.

Underwater Camera? Give me a break, why don't you just throw a stick of dynamite in the harbour like Dundee did... Unless you're making a living from fishing you should only have a sounder that does depth and shows bait schools and structure...

If that happens to me then i'll just got back to the good old fireline crystal.

Thanks for the replies. I ended up getting 2 spare spools. 1 x 1000 Microline Spool, and a 3000. The good thing about the Ci4's is that the 3000 fits on the 2500. So i can hold a tonne of line just in case I hook up a massive jew or king. I bought 2 spools of Fireline Exceed. 300m of 4kg/8.8lb and 135m of 6kg/13.2lb. the 4kg/8.8lb is 0.12mm thick which is the same as the 3lb fireline crystal. How awesome to have such strong thin line. will put the 6kg on the 3000lb spool and use it when i'm going for jews and kings. Had a 4hours out in the yak today for only 2 barely legal flatties. A big one chewed through my 6lb leader in Woolaware Bay, I know full well the 10lb is better for flatties. I didn't get to see it, but i could feel the weight. Fireline Exceed. No a bad thing to say about it. Is a bit stiff out of the packet like most lines, but i'm sure it'll soften up like the crystal did when it was new.

I bet that's the same fish i scared off shortly after the christening ceremony i had for my new Revo... I scared it off near the island that's across from the caravan park. Nice Shovel mate... I look forward to upping my PB into the 80's soon.

I'd been fishing with 3lb Fireline crystal for about 4months on a Stradic CI4 2500. I got bitten by the tackle bug and bought myself a new setup going down to the Ci4 1000 and spooled with 6lb Sunline PE, liking the idea of thinner diameter and higher breaking strain. When fishing the 3lb Fireline Crystal it was rare that i'd ever get a wind knot, or have problems with knots. The Sunline PE was the opposite. Not only do i get wind knots, but also tend to lose a lot more tackle to what seems to be the braid cutting through the 6lb vanish/rovex flourocarbon leader. I've lost about 3 HB's spinning the flats. Not from getting hits, just from jerking the lure through the water and eventually cutting the leader. Has this happened to anyone else? I tried doubling the braid and re-tying, but it still happens and the thicker knot (improved albright) catches on the recoil guides on my t-curve a fair bit more too. It's my day off tomorrow and will be going to shimano to get a spare spool for my Ci4 1000 and 2500 (hope they have them in stock). I just cant decide what line to put on the new spools. I'm thinking about giving the new Fireline Exceed a go, but noticed it's really thin. I normally fish 10lb vanish for Flatties and 6lb Vanish for Bream. And only take 2 rods out with me in the yak, 7ft and 6'6 T-curve Flights with 2500 and 1000 size reels respectively. I use the 7ft for SP's for flatties and the 6'6 for HB's and smaller SP's for bream. I'm having some problems deciphering the thickness measurements for all the different brands of braid. from the purefishing website 4lb crystal is 0.13mm in diameter. I'm guessing the 3lb would be around the 0.10mm mark. So trying to keep the thickness aroung that 0.09-0.15mm mark what would you put on these spools? 1000 SP's/HB 1000 SP's/HB 2500 SP's/HB 2500 SP's/HB/Blades for Bigger fish, like jews and kings.

What ever you do, don't get the model that comes with 2 women in bikinis.... too much maintenance, and i hear they can be noisey at times

If anyone could give me a heads up on where to get some squid in Botany Bay, i'd love a heads up.... Going to try and get a Kingie from the yak on the weekend.

Is that 1kg all the way through? Or are you allowed to have a leader of say 10lb flouro to help with the flatties abrasive teeth? Very interested in this form of competition.

I should be out in the Hacking tomorrow around Grays Point unless the weather is super nasty... I don't mind a drive so if anyone's going to head out into the Georges, Cooks, or Botany Bay, let me know. I'm in a blue Revolution. Don't have a flag or anything on it yet, and get around in one of the yellow life jackets out of my tinny. I'll upgrade to one of the slimline ones when i get home from my next trip.

First dawn service i've missed for 6 years. Pretty gutted. Have a good day out there everyone. See you on the water after 9am tomorrow.

I only ever lure fish for flatties and bream, so I really love the simplicity of yak fishing. Stuff all maintenance too! It's great to be getting some exercise while fishing too. I just wish there was a way to make the hobie's go backwards !!!

On Thursday night I picked up my new Hobie Revolution, just in time for the long weekend. We packed up and went to Bendalong for a few nights to going surfing and do a bit of fishing. After a good surf on Friday we were all tired and had a few beers and went to bed. After breakfast on Saturday morning, I prepared the revo for it's maiden voyage. I had a small christening ceremony for it then put it in Lake Conjola near the inlet at around 1pm. Had a bit of a paddle around to get familiar with everything then headed into the lake for a fish. Could see a few small whiting, but because the Lake was so busy with holiday boaties, there didn't seem to be many fish around. I headed over to a small island across the way from the Caravan park and scared a big lizard off a shallow bank it would've gone 80cm+. I got a little excited thinking I was going to get a few fish. Flicked lures and a hard body, but didn't get much more than the odd tug from small whiting. Pretty disappointed i headed back to the camp site. We headed home sunday and I got the to drop me off at Gunnamatta on the way home. I headed off and after about 20mins of flicking a 3inch minnow around the moorings I picked up my first legal fish in the yak going 27cm to the tip. I put it in the live tank in the hope i'd catch a few more for dinner. The rest of the session proved to be pretty quiet. with not enough fish for a feed the bream went back in to fight another day. Had to deal with a lot of inconsiderate mariners though, one especially in a big flybridge cruiser. 4knots around moored vessels!!!!!! SLOW DOWN YOU MONGRELS!!!! Good thing was the revo handled the boat chop well. Going to head out on Tuesday if the weather is ok. Hope to see a few fellow Raiders out there getting into it before the water gets too cold.

You're not wrong at all... I was out in Gunnamatta Bay yesterday and the drag clicker on my 2500 Stradic Ci4 broke... I caught a bream shortly after. It put up a great fight, but without the zippy noise of the drag, I didn't feel the same satisfaction for some reason.

Yeah I have a roll of cheap mono that I use as backing. There are only a few reels that have the new microline ready spools. Eg cI4 1000ml. Abu STX.

Well done mate. Nice fish!

Just got a Stradic Ci4 1000 and a shimano T-curve Flight 6-6 1-4kg rod. Put some 6lb Sunline on it, and still getting used to how thin the line is. Got a massive wind knot yesterday on the 3rd cast. Then smooth sailing after that. I feel like i'm fishing with nothing in my hand its so light. Great setup. I love getting new gear!

As far as i'm concerned, the American Express Card of soft plastics is a 3inch Nuclear Chicken Minnow. Caught Kings, Bream, flathead, snapper , catfish and whiting on them. Or the 4inch if you need a bit more size.

what ever you do, don't touch rovex. It frays when merely tieing knots. I've been using Vanish in 10lb for flatties and it does a great job.

While i was away for work with no boat, or anywhere to fish, I popped into the nearest tackle shop to get my fishing fix. I've recently purchased a Stradic Ci4 1000, so needed some new braid. While i was looking at the range of braids they had the salesman came over and explained a few of the differences. I couldn't make up my mind so went for a bit of a browse to help make my decision. One of the salesman then asked me about which knots i use, he then broke into a full on knot demostration for me with what he perceives to be the best knots for soft plastics fishing. The Albright and then an improvement on what i know as the blood knot (standard way you tie a hook on), instead of just using the single strand, he doubled it over tied the knot with 2 strands. If that makes sense. I haven't looked on youtube for any tutorials but i'd imagine there are some on there. He used some 50lb braid and flourocarbon to demonstrate the superior strength of both knots. I really couldn't believe the difference. They are what i would consider at least twice as strong as the Double uni and the normal blood knot. It's going to take some practise to get really good at the Albright as it's a bit more fiddly than the doulbe uni. To make things worse i just bought some 6lb Sunline Super PE which feels noticably thinner than 3lb Fireline. This is going to make it really tough on slightly windy days. I'm going to have to get in the habit of making sure i'm fully rigged up before putting the boat in the water. Anyways, if you're new (or old) to lure fishing and use a knot to join a leader to a trace, seriously consider the albright, it's lower profile and will cast a little better, and is stronger so you'll get the most out of the breaking strain of your line. Can't wait to try these new knots tomorrow. I'll be out in the Nomad at Towra most of the day fishing for some flatties, might even sneak up the Cooks if the wind picks up in the arvo.

Nothing like a kingie on light gear... I know EXACTLY how you feel... although yours looks a little bigger.

Just wondering what rods you have your STX10 reels matched with? And is there much of a difference in casting distance between 1000 and 2500 size reels? I want to buy a new reel to put on a 1-4kg 7ft t-curve flight for use on the flats. I have a 6'6 t-curve with a stradic ci4 2500, but it's 200g doesn't balance the 7ft rod so i can't just buy another one. After all the talk about the stx10's i'm thinking of picking one up. I'm reluctant after reading in a post a while back that 1000 sized reels don't cast as far as a 2500. I'll be using 3 or 4lb braid. For flathead and bream.

My girl's an engineer and did a study on the cooks river when she was at uni. When i first started fishing the only thing she said was "Under no circumstances are you to bring fish home that you caught anywhere near the Cooks river... So i fish Towra in the hope there's a gangland style rivalry between the cooks and towra flatties where by they don't encroach on eachothers' turf I'm normally a catch and release fisherman too, unless i forget to take something out of the freezer for dinner, then i go fishing after work in the hope i'll be able to use the fish as a bargaining tool to calm down the