barker

Braddles, mate I will give you a run down on the real world attributes of the Z30 and you can load up the Shimanofish and Daiwa pages to read the specifications. Keep in mind the Saltiga is a complete metal job with all the mechanism built onto the sideplate. The gearing is also enclosed thus waterproof. I will not try to compare or comment on the Trinidad having never owned one, only to say the sideplates are composite not metal. The body size of Z30 is roughly 2 1/2" diameter and about the same across . It weighs about 445 grams making it a very compact and lightweight reel suitable for jigging etc. as the dreaded overhead flop over is minimized. This compact design does however limit the line retrieve to about 36"/handle turn as a full spool is smaller in diameter than some. The 5.4:1 ratio helps but if flat out speed is your quest particularly in water around 100 metres plus, then check out the Trinidad retrieve rates. Being built to tight tolerences and with high quality in mind, the Z30 has an exceptional feel and smooth operation in all aspects. The star drag wheel has the 'clicking' graduations and will pull 22lb (10kg) of drag all day long. Startup is smooth anywhere throughout the spool. To emphasise the reality, this reel is smooth in every operation - drag, spool spin, when retrieving and clicking in and out of the clutch lever. The clutch automatically engages upon retrieve, good for jigging, and the spool completely disengages for great freespool spin. Casting is a dream with this reel when you back off the preset, not being the best overhead caster, this really blew me away for ease of control and distance. Put that down to the smooth operational capabilities, not me. Spooling up is a treat as there is an arbor that allows braid to be tied directly to the spool without the need for mono backing, thus capacity is about 280 metres of PE4 (roughly 40lb) with room for a good length leader. Care should be taken though to watch for corrosion as braid is notorious for harbouring salt right down deep on the spool and the differing metals - alloy spool / stainless arbor - can be succeptable. It is wise, though time consuming to de-spool and thoroughly dry both braid and spool every now and again. Although I treat mine like a baby afterwards, it gets a lot of hard use and it doesn't mark easily. If any of this can be used in your comparisons along with the makers specs. of bearing counts, ratios etc. I am glad to help and hope you can choose a Trinidad model to suit your requirements.

Thanks to everyone for your encouraging remarks. Hope to hear of some similar reports from you all soon.

Hey Byron, have you managed to get out amongst it lately? It is good to hear from you and I hope you are feeling well. Alex would be doing alright for himself up there I am sure.

Thanks Diver1 and Nathen. Glad you fellas enjoyed the read, hope you guys can get out and into them yourselves soon.

Doug, good onya mate for a trev of that size. He would have given you a solid fight. Well done. We get some of those bigger models whilst jigging kings and there isn't much difference in their power runs. Trevs. are considered among the best fish as sashimi. For texture and the lighter taste they are great.

hey ratboy, stay where you are mate, give us half a chance at some winter fun. nah - it would be good to see you. It would be pretty good if they did hang around, you never know. A couple more bigger ones amongst them would be better though. I am thinking of having a cast off the rocks for some, haven't really put any time into that and knowing they are there gives me a bit of encouragement. The plastics and the jigging was good fun mate. We got a little one up on the 6lb setup we had for squid, and lost another two. You would have been frothing. Might see you soon eh.

Thanks Kiwi Dan and peterS, it was on Thursday and good fun utilising all the tactics. Coastie, I reckon you should get a good go at them up your way if they are schooling around the back of the boat like Yakkas down here. How is that left in your avatar?!! Thanks Byron, the usual time and place. It was like a take away shop.

Hello all, as my boat hadn't seen the sea for a few weeks and my mate for a few months, it was time to have a crack at some winter kings. The idea was to take a few squid as backup to jigging the peak. As none of our usual haunts produced the backup, we headed north out of Botany dragging a few lures - just happy to be on the water and having a few laughs. Up near Maroubra my mate was beginning to wonder out loud if anything was going to happen and the run out to the peak was looking less likely as the wind hadn't abated. Added to the fact that he didn't have any smokes or coffee (our guaranteed strike attractant), it looked like the jinx had been completed. Just on cue at one of the summer locations, a double hookup and the call was for salmon. Nah - kings, in seventeen degrees. Not to be disappointed with a couple of sub-legals, it was suprising non the less as the winter models are usually larger specimens. For the next two hours we got another fourteen on trolled skirts and divers, flicked plastics and even a couple jigged out of twenty five metres just for fun. Three legals came home to break the bangers and mash streak of late, and my mate had a grin from ear to ear and a new found boost of fishing enthusiasm.

a few nautical mile out to the north east from botany heads.

hey brickman, just wondering if your mate might do me a good deal on some of those pavers behind him. doesn't look like he needs them with his grass being so healthy. regards, barker. p.s. - if he is thinking of getting rid of that 6 inch pipe, i'll take it off his hands also. black it out or lose it.

MM, great fish mate, that 51cm model is a beauty. good on you blokes for getting out there early. tell em nothin' - take em nowhere mate. hah hah.... unless you moved along before taking your pics, thats enough of an idea for even the average joe. great work and good to see some more southside guys.

Thanks to all those for reading the report for what it was and said. We appreciate your encouragement. Glad to hear most took it as we did... an opportunity to get amongst what is obviously a big boaties domain and get ourselves a fish or two. Can't say I appreciate the speculation cast by those who know nothing of ourselves or the way we go about things. To be politically correct and keep you all happy while you have a dig unfounded... sorry for getting amongst YOUR gig , don't worry as we have only caught good YFT while fishing on bigger boats. Hope that keeps your dream alive, regards, Barker.

steveo, mate that is a good question that can only be answered by you. Nobody has a big boat first up and experiences learned in smaller craft slowly increase your seamanship. Each step up in boat size and sea conditions changes your comfort zone (for better or worse) and increases your skippering abilities. Primarily you get to know your boat better, both mechanically and for its seaworthiness. Just to put things into perspective a little. I have fished Browns on a number of occasions with a couple of very capable mates in their 38 footer. Nine times outta ten we have cruised out and back in varying conditions and felt fine. Once we had a nasty trip home due to an unexpected weather change and it was another experience taken in with caution, and we learned a lot more of the boat and our capabilities. Another trip saw us lose an engine and the ensuing actions to get organised and back gave us more knowledge of the disabled boat and its workings. We regularly fish The Banks, The Peak and other offshore locales in a 17 footer. Having done this many times in the same boat and other smaller craft, we really understand how each boat behaves in varying conditions and more importantly, the mechanical condition of all the engines. In each and every occasion the real message is - get to know yourself, your boat and your engine and be honest with yourself and your mates. If you feel uncomfortable, say something. Saying all that, I feel very happy going to Browns in the 38 footer having seen and experienced the varying conditions that have prevailed SO FAR. Personally - a noted seaworthy hull on a twin powered 21 footer would be my guess as to the least I would prefer to be out and about in unexpected conditions with similarly capable friends. Please remember the original report concentrating on the exceptional window of opportunity presented and our obvious caution and preparation leading to another experience taken onboard. Regards, Barker.

Oh yeah, have a look in the first photo, there is our safety brief sign and the drum of fuel we had in reserve. Told you we were well prepared... my mate is just checking how much we used. Hello Byron - as you would know we did everything in our power to feel safe, and if the unexpected came - dealing with that would be paramount. Good to hear from you mate, hope you are feeling better soon.

Just to clear a few things up, yes the photos look weird as with trying to get them good enough to list there is a lot of contrast put on and with the late low light and showers around, the flash had to be used. As for my mate - well you know when all your concentration is on skippering and when you get back the pressure is off... and with a few showers about... On a serious note - this topic was never meant to encourage foolish behaviour as can be felt by the composition of the words concentrating mainly on planning, safety and preparing for what may be. The fishing really was a bonus to what we previously discussed between ourselves as the primary objective - having a go with caution. Please do not see this report as anything other than a window of chance taken and enjoyed while we could. Barker.

Hello all, after reading all the recent Sydney YFT reports, my mate and I decided if the right conditions presented themselves, we would have a go getting out to Browns to get amongst it ourselves. Firstly, I've gotta say this wasn't some foolish whim for the sake of some fish. Having been to and caught my share of good fin in bigger boats, I know its no walk in the park.With his newish 520 Top Ender stocked with all the required safety gear, extra fuel and food/water provisions - we figured the conditions forecasted for Wednesday to be the go. We also promised ourselves, regardless of the fishing, to head back early in the afternoon before the predicted late front. Tuesday probably turned out to be the better day condition wise, but the going was okay and we got to the shelf in about an hour where we put out a couple of skirts. After a half dozen stripeys the next was a double hookup and after a better fight, a small fin was at the boat. Some dubious decisions saw him go back and we kept trolling to the mountain and beyond to the east for a few miles. The current and temperatures looked the goods around the eastern and southern areas a few miles out, so we stuck to that. Another hour or so trolling for zip and it was time for a change. A fair few boats were out, mostly drifting, but not looking like the afternoon bite had come on yet, so we headed back to where we had hooked up earlier to cube. No more than five minutes of cubing than some eight to ten kilo models were up and about. We were onto our first of four in an hour of fishing, the pillies ran out and our promised arvo return was on. The going on the way back was a bit tougher, however with the front showing we made good time without bashing ourselves about. Back through perfect smooth Botany with some lightning and light showers was pretty much perfect timing. All up it was really satisfying to get amongst what is obviously some great fishing off Sydney without feeling outside of our safe comfort zone. Regards, Barker.

thank you all for your interesting and informative replies. seems as though the E10 is definitely a no go, higher octanes are usable and a semi-synthetic premix oil would be the best bet for cleaner running/protection/etc. next decision is whether to drive around using petrol - to find regular unleaded petrol - to save on filling the boat with high octane unleaded petrol that gives no noticeable performance gains. regards, barker.

hello all, having looked through the posts and read the advice against using E10 unleaded, i was wondering if the higher octane rated unleaded fuels are recomended? a few of my local servo's are only stocking the E10 and not the regular anymore, so what to do? i run a 1999 model yamaha 85hp cv 2 stroke. ps. by consensus the xd-50 oil sounds like the recomended premixer for good performance and lower emissions, any opinions or alternatives? thanks for any help. barker.

ceph, thanks mate for your help. what you say certainly sounds about right by the rod attributes. i am looking at about $250 and includes this rod, the t-curve bluewater spin 5-10kg and the starlo pro-tourno model. customs are a bit x'y, but i have seen a jason bennett, ian miller and the daiwa's that really make me want to, but won't.... yet. am looking at seven footers, don't mind 1,2 or three pieces, good balance with a 4000 to fish up to 20lb mono/braid for mostly wash fishing inshore reefs with unweighted baits and lures. any suggestions around two fifty would be most appreciated. thanks again, barker.

zook, mate thanks for your input. surely if they do a good fly rod the transition to spin should hold up. the cork does look and feel of good quality, but i guess time would tell. i've got my eye on this particular rod for its great balance with a 4000 reel and the quality build/components. it also has a pretty broad line and cast weight rating, conversely giving it great feel and power without being too fast in action. thanks again.

i recently upgraded as you are from a symetre 2500FI and bought a 2008 sustain. saved the few extra dollars and am very happy i did. strong and smooth as previously noted and waterproof drag. i have fished mine hard in adverse conditions over the last few weeks and found it to be great. braid and mono 8lb, mostly wash fishing and getting a workout/over from the odd drummer/trevally/bream. it casts well due to the new line lay and spool design and is really smooth with the extra bearings. spare spool is identical to supplied one and overall it feels robust in build. can't fault it yet, am very happy so far. do your research and decide what your style of fishing would benefit from in the way of features and buy accordingly. each upgrade DOES offer rewards, however each price point offers great value for money throughout the range.

hello all, i have had a look at the seven foot 10-25lb spinning rod and am wondering if anyone has had any experience with this or other rods in the TFO range. it is the three piece TiCr model. any opinions would be greatly appreciated. thanks, barker.

well done guys, not just on the fishing but also your report. no need buying $10 magazines full of superstars. with genuine emotion packed photos of your mates accompanying some funny and informative words - thats what we really want to see and read. thats fishing, thanks mate. i am sure all who check this report would agree, I WANNA GO!

herdsman, improvise mate - keep it simple - run a no.3 (100 gram) or bigger bean sinker up to a swivel tied to the end of your mainline. from this tie a six to twelve foot (up to you) trace of about twice your mainline poundage with a rig at the end to suit your style of fishing and bait. drag this around slow in a likely place at the depth you figure their at with your drag on strike. give that a go.

have always wanted to have a go with a b/c and after following this and other posts for some tips decided it was time. didn't go mad with high priced gear but got what sounded like might help make things a bit easier, with good quality none the less. as you can probably tell, things went well and the buzz i have from todays practice session is very encouraging to say the least. sure the nests played their part but with 12lb mono and a hookless 15gm raider, unpicking was no problem and made me all the more determined. a few thoughts back to the tips and an adjustment here and there really had me excited with my new found fishing learning curve. you start to think of the situations these skills could be used for and to be honest, i always knew casting an overhead would be of great benefit to my preferred fishing methods if i put in the time to learn. i do know, as with all fishing techniques, there is much and always something to learn - but the afternoon practicing and the evening actually getting followers on the slug really have me encouraged. thanks to everyone putting up tips and just for starting/continuing the threads on b/c's - i appreciate and now understand your enthusiasm. i feel like a fishing newby all over again and it is great. barker.