wakd

Hi Jatman, Yabbie is back open today (we were open Saturday too, but had Sunday/Monday off)! Feel free to give us a call and we can see if we have the part for you. Cheers, Ben.

Jackell, Feel free to give me a call at Yabbie if you have no luck with anyone more local - 9524 6488, you can always chuck a line in the Georges while you're down here Thanks for the rap Pedro. Cheers, Ben

Thanks for the replies and advice guys. I ended up buying some Fireline XDS 7kg for the Tica. The FinS 20lb is going on the Chronarch. Will see how that goes...

Hi Folks, I just received two new reels this week. A Chronarch 101A to match up with my BD Bass Predator 3-5kg, and a Tica Taurus 3000 for my BD Waverider 4-7kg. I dropped into the local tackle shop, and asked about line for the Tica, and ended up getting talked into 20lb Fins PRT - they didn't have 15lb which I would have preferred. After thinking about it some more, I decided I'll put the Fins on my Chronarch, so question one is, do I need mono backing on the Chronarch? Do I spool it just like a spin reel (this is my first baitcast reel)? I normally use an arbor knot to attach line to the reel, then a Stren to attach the mono to the braid. Does it matter what breaking strain the mono backing is? Next question is what should I use on the Tica 3000? My first thought was to use Fireline XDS, but the guy at the tackle shop reckons Fireline was too "wiry" in the higher breaking strains and reckoned a true braid was the go (I don't think he had tried XDS though) - this is how I ended up with the 20lb Fins. By the way, the Tica seems alright, though I was a bit shocked by the weight - it weighs 100g more than a Stradic 4000, which in retrospect is what I should have got probably, but hey, thats what you get for buying sight unseen. The real test will be when I try out the drag on a king... Cheers, Ben.

As mentioned in a previous post, I got myself a Daiwa Heartland Saegake from ABA on Thursday night. Headed down from ABA to the Nepean with my housemate who had just bought himself a SicStick pro. My mate got his first (and second) bass ever, but only very small models, on a new fizzer he got from ABA too. I couldn't raise one however, so went down to the good old Cooks on Friday night to try our luck. First fish was the obligatory undersized flatty - a disappointing way to open the account on the new rod. We were fishing from the jetty outside the rowers club, and the current was pretty quick, so I decided to drop my bass minnow under the jetty and let it drift under. After a few little jigs I came up tight on a nice bream that went 27 to the fork, and a better way to christen the new rod. Headed down there again tonight, and picked up a few tailor (to the applause of a bunch of people drinking on the balcony of the club), and two flatties, and a new species on SP for me - a mudcrab! All taken on a 1" Atomic. I absolutely love the Saegake, its a sensational rod, especially for the price. Wakd.

Swoff - using my Sustain on it at the moment, not sure when I'll get another 1000 size reel, as I have a low-profile baitcaster, a 2500/3000 size reel, and a heavier spin stick all on the "want list" at the moment...

Just wanted to say thank you to Mick at ABA who gave me and my housemate a very good deal on a rod each and some other tackle this evening. I picked up a Saegake Hama Special, my flatmate got a Struddy SickStick Pro, and I got a bunch of Berkley plastics and a couple of HBs. Mick (and another staff member whose name I don't know) were very helpful, and gave us a very substantial Fishraider discount. Thanks ABA!!! Ben.

Strewth and Bombora, thanks for the advice guys. In particular, the fact that Scorpions are freshwater only - that had potential to sting me (pun intended). I'll take a look at the Abus, the Alphas/SOL oin second thoughts is probably a bit too expensive to justify, as I mainly use threadline gear. The Curado is my other option, will check them out and hope for a bargain at ABAs opening... Wakd.

Thanks again Rick - good advice. Swoffa - I can see where this is going...($$$ leave my pocket).

Cheers Rick. After looking at some jap/US sites, I just rang a local place for a price on a Daiwa SOL and was shocked! I don't want to go to overboard on the price, as its my first caster, but also don't want to buy something I'll want to replace in 6 months time. Looks like a Curado would suit if I buy local. Thanks for the advice on line - I was thinking of getting Fireline XDS, but will take your advice and stick to a heavier braid. Just wondering what the reason for the heavier braid is? I would have thought 15lb braid could do damage to a 3-5kg rod? Is it just easier to cast the heavier braid? Less backlashes? Thanks for the advice, Ben.

Hi Guys, I have just entered the world of baitcasters with my first b'cast rod (a 3-5kg 6' - thanks Rick!), so am now looking for a reel to go with it. I have been nosing around the japanese tackle sites, looking at Shimano Scorpion 1001, 1501s and Quickfires and Daiwa TD's of various models. Also like the look of the Daiwa Pixys and SOLs. Anyways, just wondering what people would suggest around the $200 mark (either local or import). I plan on using 8lb braid, and throwing lipless cranks, spinner baits and poppers for bass and maybe some light pelagic work too. Think I'll have to go out to ABAs grand opening weekend and look for a deal there. ABA guys - what would I be looking at in that range from you? Thanks, Ben.

The thing is, many places I land base fish from already have signs about ball games / dogs / gate hours etc. Ignorance is not a legal defence, but with an actual multi-lingual sign there, I think fishcare volunteers/fisheries inspectors jobs would be made much easier. Not to mention, I could just point at the sign rather than getting into an argument with someone breaking the law. One other point - a lot of casual fishers don't go to tackle stores, but rather buy gear from department stores. How come every tackle store has fisheries brochures everywhere (and often include one in the bag of goodies you buy), but NONE at the department stores where they would actually be getting to people who don't know the laws? Obviously, multilingual brochures would be ideal, and put in a prominent place in the tackle section of the store.... Wakd.

For those that didn't read the report GrantM linked to, here is a very relevant quote: "Recreational fishing on a mass scale, and in particular, the practices of certain groups of migrants to Australia have aroused substantially strong feelings in the wider community amongst those concerned with the survival and viability of the marine environment. While this view is completely understandable, one of the difficulties surrounding this issue is that it has tapped into the racist sentiments amongst some in the wider community. This has had the unfortunate result of clouding both the fact that damaging practices, whilst particularly widespread in certain communities, are by no means unique to them, and, that ‘scapegoating’ a particular community is not going to go very far in assisting to change or modify recreational fishing practices amongst this group." I couldn't agree more with the above statement (and by that, I don't mean to be taking a shot at anything in this thread). I wish my fishing license dollars would go into something as cheap and easy as signs in various languages with size and bag limits for the common species posted at ALL well-known land based spots. Recently, I was actually SUPRISED that a bucket I looked in had only legal fish in it... Wakd.

Cheers Swoff!!!

Hi Folks, I have had an old Magnum Baitcaster serviced, and bought some Hercules 20lb braid to spool it with. I'm going to put on some 20lb mono first as backing. The spool has a raised pin (nail head) on it, and I'm just wondering how I go about attaching the backing to the spool. I use an Arbor knot when spooling threadlines normally. Do I just tie an Arbor and ignore the pin - or should the line be tied around the pin itself? I guess that baitcasters would be more prone to line slippage, so I should tie the backing around the pin to completely prevent that - but what knot? Thanks, Wakd.

$22 from Kmart or BigW for 120yds. I'd be happy to pay more (say $28 - but not $34) from a tackle shop, but then stuff like this happens: I dropped off an old Magnum baitcaster of mine for a service last week, and asked the tackle store to spool it with 20lb Fireline when it got back from Shimano service. I then asked them for a discount on the two packs of bass minnows I was buying (having bought between $40 and $100 woth of stuff nearly every week or so for the last few months there) which were $8.99 a pack. They had recently done a 2 for $15 deal and so I asked if they could do that for me. I was told there was no way they could discount it, as they didn't buy enough from the distributor and couldn't get a good enough price to make any sort of discount from $8.99 a pack. I begrudgingly handed my $18 over. They then rang me this morning to say my reel was back ($26 for the service), and if I still wanted the Fireline put on it. I asked how much - $76 for the Fireline (300yds) - he didn't mention the price of the backing and if there was a service charge for spooling it, but at this point, I thought stuff 'em and said no, I didn't want it spooled. This store has basically lost my business for the sake of a $2 or $3 discount for a guy who is (or was I should say) in their store every week. Time to start frequenting some other store.... Wakd.

Definately keep an eye out on ebay, this forum and others for second hand gear too. I was lucky enought to pick up two Stradic 1000s from bassifier a month or so ago for $80 a piece. They are in great condition, and were a real bargain. Much more bang for the buck than buying new.

I have a Black Diamond 7' Flats Ranger 2-5kg C-Plus matched to a Sustain 1000, and a Black Diamond 6' Bass Predator Lite with a Stradic 1000. Haven't really tried any other high end rods (apart from looking/holding at tackle shop), but the BDs are a dream to use (especially compared to my first 'serious' rod - a Raider Bream Finesse).

Congrats Byron - get ready for the Tupperware jokes :ohyeh:

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More pics for anyone interested:

He he he :ohyeh: Polycraft only recently upgraded the spec for that boat to a 50hp - until recently it was specced for a 40hp maximum. I believe it will go alright :yikes:

Cheers guys. Suzuki 50hp 4-stroke to be bolted on the back, Minn Kota Riptide 55 lb on the front. About a week and a half to two weeks wait on the Suzey, in the meantime it will get carpeted, livewell fitted, finder mounted (Matrix 37). Will get more pics on Saturday hopefully... Its the 4.1m Challenger model by the way Ozy....