slinkymalinky

Best wishes Byron. Hope you don't give the nurses too hard a time Talk to you when they let you out! Cheers, Tony

If they're good friends just be honest with them and tell them you need to split costs... $10 sounds cheap but you know the costs for you boat. Personally I wouldn't take guys fishing who didn't offer to share costs. The reality is I nearly always try to refuse because it all tends to even itself out in the end. My fishing mates are pretty much the same. I try wherever I can to give them money for costs. It's pretty funny, I've even found cash hidden in my ashtray by mates who insisted on paying their share. I personally just had to sneak a substantial payment to another raider for his boat windscreen (I broke it by accident)... He wasn't going to accept the cash so I had to give it to a 3rd party and in the end he couldn't refuse the money even though he tried Cheers, Slinky

G'day relapse, It sounds like the washer you found is one of the spacers that adjust the shape of your line load. They sit on the spool shaft under the spool. As for the oiling port I've never had a problem with them. It probably just got done up too tight in the factory but I'm sure you could get a replacement with no problems from Shimano. I've got a bunch of Stradics and they're fantastic, reliable work-horses for me. Cheers, Slinky

Happy Birthday Little Bro and other raiders :1happybday: Cheers, Slinky

Grant spends a lot of time at Clarrie Hall and I know why... it's a beautiful piece of water. Fishing it successfully in winter takes some very specific techniques and the great result shows how well he's got them wired. Just don't expect him to let you in on his little secrets. He's taken me up there twice now and we haven't boated a single fish yet. Now call me suspicious but ??????????? Well done, mate Clarrie Hall Dam

Orange Seal bearings are good but: Abec 7 bearings are overkill for some applications and reels. For bearings that influence casting distance, ABEC 7 bearings will make a positive difference. For other bearings, ABEC 5 bearings are fine. Much less expensive and still a lot better than the standard bearings in a lot of reels. Ceramics are another kettle of fish with good and bad points. I use ABEC 7 ceramic hybrids (ceramic balls, stainless steel races) in all my baitcasters as spool bearings. They increase casting distance a lot because they have less inertia due to the lighter material. They're corrosion resistant (but not corrosion proof). BUT they're more expensive and also noisier than stainless bearings. Put your first set into a baitcaster and you'll hear the difference every time you cast. I love them but then again I love tinkering. Shimano AR-B bearings are IMHO the best bearings included standard in any reel off the shelf (at least from the major manufacturers). I wouldn't swap them out unless they're worn or damaged. And then, in a spin reel I'd be happy with ABEC 5 bearings unless I was putting them in a Stella or similar. Cheers, Slinky

G'day Relapse, For any reel models not listed, all you need to do is to measure the existing drag washers. You'll need an accurate measurement of the inside diameter (diameter of the hole), outside diameter and the thickness. The best way is using a set of digital calipers which you can pick up cheap from any auto store. Many Shimano reels share drag washers so you'll probably find that washers to suit are readily available. I've attached a list of carbontex washers that Smooth Drag have as stock items. Carbontex_washer_sizes.pdf Cheers, Slinky

Hi ReLapse, I get all my Carbontex washers from Smooth Drag in the USA. Sad to say but better prices, more comprehensive range, better service and faster delivery than anywhere you'll find locally. Cheers, Slinky

:1happybday: Happy Birthday Raiders. A special hip hip hooray for Mike... good on you mate. Cheers, Slinky

It might be a Slender Roughy??

And I'm spewin too!! Even though you didn't land any of the bruisers from the close mark, I bet you had a blast there. Some good fish in the end from 'Old Faithful'. Cookie, your bearings arrived on Wednesday so I'll sort out the TLD for you this weekend. Cheers, Slinky

Happy Birthday, Raiders. Big hugs and Kisses from me and from the girls, Roberta. Hope you have a lovely day with lots of pressies. Best Wishes, Tony :1happybday:

Fishing reels follow the 'law of diminishing returns'. As you get up in price the difference in performance per $ you spend is less. For example the difference between a $100 reel and a $200 reel is a lot more than the difference between a $300 reel and a $400 reel and so-on up the scale. As Ceph said, their definitely is a difference in performance in a variety of ways... and quite a marked one if you're comparing something like a Stradic to a Stella. It really all depends on what you want from your reel. Some people love just fishing with the best possible gear, regardless of the kind of fishing they do. And fishing is about enjoying yourself so if you have more fun with a $1000 reel then the money is less important (if you have it of course). Some just like the feel of those extra performance characteristics. Similarly, if you fish at the high end of performance and really push the limits of gear (tournament breaming, fishing ultra-light relative to what you're chasing, jigging, GT fishing, etc, etc) then the ultimate in performance and durability becomes much more important. A mini minor will get you from a to b just like a ferrari but each driver will have different reasons for buying each car. Reels are just the same... You could catch fish on a stick and a bent pin if you really wanted to but better gear will perform better. You just need to decide what sort of gear makes you happiest. Cheers, Slinky

Yep... those options are based on combo prices. I think you're being very sensible and your budget will get a very good 'start-up' snapper outfit that will do exactly what it needs too. The upgrade in reel would give you a noticeably better drag performance and durability but isn't strictly necessary. A bream outfit is really too light for snapper plastic fishing but I have 2 types of outfit I use. One is a 4000 size reel , loaded with 20lb braid (and I sometimes swap to a spare spool of 30lb) on an 8kg rod. The other is a 2500 size reel loaded with 12lb braid on a 5kg rod. At the moment, my combos are an Abu Soron STX40 on an 8' Daiwa Sol 8-17lb rod and an Abu Soron STX20 on a 7'6" 2-5kg Lox. Cheers, Slinky

4000 size reel... have a look at an ABU Cardinal, Shimano Sedona, Pflueger Asaro, Daiwa Regal. Get a rod in the 6-8kg bracket that is 7' long at least (my snapper plastic rods are 7'6 - 8' so that I can get longer casts when drifting). Berkely Drop Shot rods are great value as are Pflueger Trions, Shimano Raiders. If you can stretch your budget just a little to maybe $300 you'll find you could get a worthwhile upgrade to the reel to maybe an Abu Soron SX or Shimano Symetre. Cheers, Slinky

Easy to find almost everywhere. The way to fish them up this way is to find some good rocky shoreline that's hit by good current. Then use a jig head that will let the prong drift down the 'wall' rather than plummet to the bottom. Keep it as close to the rocks for as long as you can, fishing down the contours. Cheers, Slinky

G'day Tom, My #1 favourite Jack lure on the Gold Coast/Tweed is the 3" Atomic Prong in Pearl White colour. Closely followed by Atomic Tomato coloured Squidgie Fish in about the same size. Cheers, Slinky

G'day Shark, The best way to get spots is to have a look at the many GPS marks available publicly. here's a start The Peak is a good place to start if you're after kings. There are literally hundreds of marks. Once you get them, add them to your GPS and once on the marks explore around with your sounder, marking waypoints on any spot that looks good. Keep your eye on the sounder while you're travelling too. Most of everyone's very best spots aren't the ones listed publicly... or at least are particular areas of known grounds. Cheers, Slinky

Good on you, Browney. :thumbup: Cheers, Slinky

+1 for Hornes waders. I grew up trout fishing in Tassie so have almost spent more time in waders than in pants Hornes are the best value and most reliable and comfortable 'plastic' waders you'll find. Other brands have always let me down one way or another. If you ever want a pair specifically for cold water/weather, try Fly & Dry neoprene waders. Cheers, Slinky

Congrats on the PB, Swordy. The cold doesn't look like it's worrying you at all with that smile on your dial. Cheers, Slinky

G'day Phil, The best book on reel maintenance is the internet. Have a look through the reel and tackle maintenance forum on Fishraider. Cheers, Slinky

I can't comment on the bunks... haven't slept on-board. As for the trademarks, forget the fancy names... but the features themselves seem great. The hull is the softest riding plate hull I've been in. The sharp V doesn't compromise stability at rest though, because of the hollow tunnel underneath that allows for the entry of water as ballast at rest. It also tracks really well with the waves from behind. The hull is very stiff and solid too but I couldn't really tell you how much different it is from other brands. Cheers, Slinky

G'day Yarra, If you're happy doing spin reels, overheads are actually a lot easier. My reels get fully serviced by me either once a year or after any extended trips (like a week in Townsville or a 4 day Monduran bash). If you want to get them serviced, either get it done by the dealer or give Global Tackle a call. They service reels and do a great job. Cheers, Slinky

G'day Pred, I'd pop in a vote for a Bar Crusher. I've now fished a number of times with Browndog in his cuddy cabin model (it's the 640 I think) and it's a weapon. It rides really smoothly, is incredibly stable at rest, is awesomely fitted out for serious fishing, and handles nasty bar crossings with ease. The only negative is that it could do with a set of clears. We fish the reefs well wide of the Tweed in it and it inspired a lot of confidence and is magic to fish from. I've already dropped many hints about how good it would be if we had one ourselves. No luck yet but I'm working on it. Cheers, Slinky