BuckWild

Not surprising he got towed fishing with a locked drag! Anyone know the estimated size and weight?

Not exactly squid jigs but I clean all my hardbodies at the same time I do the dishes. I use an old toothbrush to scrub away any built up gunk

I'm happy for you to test these baits on me first (minus the tuna oil). I like baits cooked medium thanks?

Yep, totally agree with you. My comment was more targeted at those who can't come up with a coherent non-emotive argument. There's a lot of abuse going on over that FB group so I'd rather a mass copy and paste than some of the vitriolic drivel that's coming out right now. These are scary times for us fishos and we need unity.

I've joined the FB group and just looking at some of the comments, the biggest impediment to our cause are fishermen themselves. As a group, we are so fragmented that the other side will be rubbing their hands with glee. One poster sent a message to MP Felicity Wilson saying he hoped she died of stomach cancer. That'll do wonders for our cause?‍♂️?‍♂️ What we need is to formulate an articulate response (something like what luderick -angler posted) when filling out the surveys, so that we can all copy and paste, rather than shoot from the hip like Mr Stomach Cancer Guy Cheers Col

Too frustrating for me, especially when you're trying to stay in contact with the lure and the wind blows your line all over the place

Yeah I've seen the Howler's on the WFF youtube vids. They definitely look the goods. They're on my list if I go the custom route

That is exactly how I hold my rods I grew accustomed to the short butts as that's what I started on when I first got into lure fishing. Although I can fish with the longer butts, it's just not as "comfortable" if you know what I mean? With my Daiwa Gen Black, when I'm working the lures, the butt sometimes either hits my forearm or my fat gut ?? I don't have this problem with the Raiders, but as I said the rod feels heavy and unbalanced, and can get a bit tiring casting over a 4 hr session Getting my tax return soon, the longer this thread continues the more I'm convincing myself to spend it all on a Bream Buster and an Exist/Stella ????

Looks like I'm being nudged towards the custom route. Never quite understood why the butts have progressively gotten longer over the years. FFS they're only bream! My first rods were a Strudwick Sic Stic Pro and a Squidgy Spin. Both had short butts. If you have a look at the Millerod Bream Busters, even they still have short butts, so don't understand the trend with long butts.

Hey Derek I already have both the rack raider and bream finesse. Whilst both fit the butt criteria, i find both rods heavier than my other rods and they don't balance well with my 2000 certate or 2500 Stradic Col

I kinda wanna avoid this route, hence I prefer off the rack. Most of my rods are $130 and under, and are a few years old already, assuming a mod would cost ~$50 I just don't think it's worth it

Yeah definitely want a 2 piece mate, but that rod sure does look sexy

That is a very nice butt! ??? I see it's a 1 piece, do they come in 2? How heavy is the rod? I find my rack raider a tad on the heavy side and it does not balance well with a 2000 Certate

Definitely a drummer (pig), One of the best fighting fish pound for pound

Hi All Does anyone know of any bream rods (off the rack) that have a small butt? All the modern rods these days have a butt that's too big for my liking (yeah I don't like big butts?) I'm after a rod in the 6'8 - 7'2 range, 1- 4kg. To show the size I'm after, the pic below is of a Shimano Rack Raider, MajorCraft BassPara and Daiwa Gen Black (Itchy Twitch). I want something similar to the Shimano Rack Raider. Cheers Col a

My fishing is predominantly shorebased, and there are some spots where I have to lift my fish up about 1m (I dont carry a net) to bring it in. I've caught a few flatties on 3lb and the times I've lost them was when I've tried to lift them up. The breakage has always occured at the lure end. Same goes for when I'm snagged and need to bust myself off. Just use a few more wraps if you're fishing that light.

I bought it off Plat. Currently selling for 4500Y but with current conversion rate its about AU$55 . If it makes you feel better, this is my 2nd one after I lost my first! Have a look on fleabay to see if they have it any cheaper What's also good about this little tool, is that it folds up nicely to fit in your pocket/bag, and it ties well even on a windy day. I'm unco when it comes to tying knots but this tool makes it so easy. If I was to lose my 2nd one, I wouldnt hesitate buying a 3rd

I use the knot assist 2.0 tool. See my previous post

I use the FG down to 3lb with ~30 wraps. Any knot failures usually occur on the knot at the lure end. I wont use any other knot now. Previously used the double uni, but the strength and thinness just don't compare to the FG

Spot on. I ended up paying ~$40 for a Knot Assist 2.0. Best $40 I've ever spent

That is true, but I also believe it is all part of the learning curve. Personally, I just don't think mono cuts it. Casting light jigheads at a reasonable distance with even 2-4lb mono is difficult for a seasoned angler let alone a beginner. You really need to develop a feel for casting lightweights so might as well learn now.

When I first started out, I made the mistake of going cheap. Once I got the hang of fishing with lures, I ended up significantly upgrading my gear and the original combo is just gathering dust and rust in the garage. If you're willing to wait a little bit longer, I suggest saving up for $300-$400 for rod/reel and getting yourself mid-level gear rather than entry level. You should be able to find some nice rods from $100 - $150 (such as the Shimano Raiders or Daiwa Generation Blacks) and the left over can be spent on mid level reels such as your Shimano Ultegras/Stradics etc . You'll end up saving money in the long run as you won't be continuously upgrading your gear. My go to reel at the moment is still the original Daiwa Certate from 2004 and I recently just bought a Raider from Dinga for $105. If you're willing to shop overseas, you can also buy some nice rods for <$100. I bought a MajorCraft BassPara rod for ~$80 a couple of years ago and I think you can still buy them.

What is your total budget? I think a lot of people make the mistake of budgeting for just the rod/reel, and forget to factor in braid/leader/lures which can easily add another $100 on top of your rod/reel budget. Then once you finally catch your first fish on lure, you will be hooked on spending your money on more lures and any budget you have goes flying out the window ??

Thanks for the suggestions guys. The BTR is currently spooled with 20LB braid. The Terez does the look the goods but I would really prefer a 2 piece

Hi Raiders I've been given a Shimano Baitrunner 4500 and need some rod suggestions. Rod would be used for both boat and land and predominantly used to target jews and flatties. For convenience I would prefer a 2 piece. Willing to spend up to $200. Got a weekend on a houseboat on the Hawkesbury at the end of the month so am looking to buy soon so it can lose its viriginity that weekend! Any suggestions?!?! Cheers guys