Combo help for landbased

[xide]

Hi,

I've recently gotten back into fishing after a long hiatus and have just been using a cheap Penn combo and would appreciate some help on current rods, reels and general setup. I will mainly be fishing around rocks, jetty, boat ramps and general estuary areas around the river. I would like to fish soft plastics and blades and occasional bait.

From the research I've already gathered it seems a Pflueger Trion 2-4kg rod would suit me well. Is there much different between the 6'6 and 7' sizes? I felt both rods and the 6'6 seems more stable and the 7' has a more wobbly tip, is there any major different for what I'd like to do?

As for the reel, I'm leaning towards the Shimano Symetre 2500FL. It seems have to have many great reviews for this style of fishing. The Daiwa Aird 2000-2500H has also caught my eye, but i haven't found much information on this reel, does anybody have any experience with these reels?

I really only have $200 to spend on both rod and reel, so rods like the Tcurve and reels like the Stradic ci4 are out of my reach.

Will 6lb braid with 10-15lb leader be suited best for this combo?

Appreciate all replies,

Thanks.

Ash

[fishingnoob]

Hey Ash,

The symetre is a great reel for the price. I just got a 4000 size for fathers day. Pred-ator (stan) has a 1000 series and has 4lb on there and he has caught some good size fish on it.

I have the shimano catana 2-4kg spin rod its a 2 piece and picked it for $50.00. Same as above, for its price not a bad rod.

Cheers

Matt

[xide]

Hey Ash,

The symetre is a great reel for the price. I just got a 4000 size for fathers day. Pred-ator (stan) has a 1000 series and has 4lb on there and he has caught some good size fish on it.

I have the shimano catana 2-4kg spin rod its a 2 piece and picked it for $50.00. Same as above, for its price not a bad rod.

Cheers

Matt

Hi Matt,

It's the first time I've heard of the Catana, I might have to check it out!

I'm glad to hear about your symetre, they really do seem amazing for their price.

Thanks for your response,

Ash

[Howdoweplaythis]

Hey mate, a 7 foot rod will give you more casting distance, which i think is important on land. Im using a 2-4kg 7ft and it is fairly stiff. I chuck all sorts of lures around no problems. I think how 'wobbly' the rod is is based on how it's manufactured more than the length. My friend's graphite 6"6' is much more wobbly than my 7 ft.

A 6"6' rod will do as good a job as a 7", you'll just lose some casting distance but you may get some more control over the lure with a 6"6'. It won't be too much of a loss with either choice. It really depends on which one you're more comfortable with.

My friend has a 2-4kg 7" catana matched with a sienna2500 he got for about $130 last year. It feels alright on the hand. Rod is stiff but bends well. Reel is smooth and is made well enough so it doesnt feel light or 'cheap'. Remember the fish doesn't care how much your rod and reel was worth! If you're happy to spend $200, then that's cool but the catana+sienna combo is great value for money, i feel.

10-15lb leader will work fine with 6lb braid for stuff like flathead. Go lighter for bream. I use 6lb for both bream and flathead for 2 reasons. 1. I'm lazy and 2. I'm a poor uni student

[Robinsoi]

I also have the Shimano Catana 2-4kg 7" rod matched with the Sienna 2500 (4lb braid 6lb leader) which has served me well and it is a nice little combo for the price and excellent value as mentioned above. If you shop around you could get this for under $100.

Another great value reel for the price is the Shimano Sedona which you can pick up for around $70. I've also heard a lot of good things about the Pflueger Trion rods as well.

If you can save up a little bit more and stretch the budget it may be a good idea to step up a level or two into the next price bracket.... then you might not need to upgrade anytime soon but that's totally up to you.

Shop around as there are bargains to be had especially just after the Father's day onslaught!

Good luck with your purchase and make sure you post a report when you catch something on your new outfit!

Ian

[nbdshroom]

My 2 cents. I can vouch for the 2-4kg Pflueger Trion 7'. Great allrounder - it is good enough to fish light plastics (from about 1/32oz up to 1/4oz) but at the same time is strong enough to yank fish out from tight spots. You will be able to put a lot of hurt on a fish (and then some if required). I haven't landed monster fish on it, but respectable bream (mid 30s), EP (high 30s) and blackies such as that 43cm one in COTM currently .Other 2-4kg rods in the same price bracket are also pretty good from what I hear but I haven't owned those. For the price ($95 on special) you can't go wrong - it's got Fuji seat, Fuji K guides (usually found on more expensive rods), more than enough runners than similar rods (8), split cork grip (that is if you prefer cork which I do and imo looks amazing). However, cheaper rods such as Catanas are also excellent (as said above by Ian) but there is a saying which goes something along the lines of, it is better to buy the best rod first and the second best reel. If you can stretch your budget, there are many choices of even better rods. Something like a Daiwa generation black itchy twitchy II retails for around $139.

Whatever you get, moving up to graphite is gonna change your world!

Edited September 4, 2013 by nbdshroom

[xide]

Hey mate, a 7 foot rod will give you more casting distance, which i think is important on land. Im using a 2-4kg 7ft and it is fairly stiff. I chuck all sorts of lures around no problems. I think how 'wobbly' the rod is is based on how it's manufactured more than the length. My friend's graphite 6"6' is much more wobbly than my 7 ft.

A 6"6' rod will do as good a job as a 7", you'll just lose some casting distance but you may get some more control over the lure with a 6"6'. It won't be too much of a loss with either choice. It really depends on which one you're more comfortable with.

My friend has a 2-4kg 7" catana matched with a sienna2500 he got for about $130 last year. It feels alright on the hand. Rod is stiff but bends well. Reel is smooth and is made well enough so it doesnt feel light or 'cheap'. Remember the fish doesn't care how much your rod and reel was worth! If you're happy to spend $200, then that's cool but the catana+sienna combo is great value for money, i feel.

10-15lb leader will work fine with 6lb braid for stuff like flathead. Go lighter for bream. I use 6lb for both bream and flathead for 2 reasons. 1. I'm lazy and 2. I'm a poor uni student

Hey Mate,

Appreciate the info! I'm also a poor uni student, haha. I'm already pushing the budget, just thought it was needed because the Pflueger Trion seemed so popular for a good reason.

It seems 7' are the most common for these type of setups and i think the extra casting distance is definitely what i would like being on land.

I honestly wasn't aware of the cheaper option of the Catana but it seems well used. I really only knew of the Jarvis walker Rovex Air Strike, but i couldn't find much information on that at all.

I'll have to check out the Catana and those other reels this week when i go to the shop,

Thanks Mate

Ash

I also have the Shimano Catana 2-4kg 7" rod matched with the Sienna 2500 (4lb braid 6lb leader) which has served me well and it is a nice little combo for the price and excellent value as mentioned above. If you shop around you could get this for under $100.

Another great value reel for the price is the Shimano Sedona which you can pick up for around $70. I've also heard a lot of good things about the Pflueger Trion rods as well.

If you can save up a little bit more and stretch the budget it may be a good idea to step up a level or two into the next price bracket.... then you might not need to upgrade anytime soon but that's totally up to you.

Shop around as there are bargains to be had especially just after the Father's day onslaught!

Good luck with your purchase and make sure you post a report when you catch something on your new outfit!

Ian

Hey Ian,

Cheers for the added information on that setup, I'll definitely be checking it out next time i go to the shop!

I have heard a bit of the Sedona too, i'll have to test it also i think.

Unfortunately i can't spend anymore at this stage, but it would be nice to take advantage of some savings! But i don't think theres much on these setups i'm looking at, haha

Wouldn't it be lovely to catch something my first trip after getting it? Haha the sooner i can work these things out i hope to post some catches!

Thanks Mate,

Ash

My 2 cents. I can vouch for the 2-4kg Pflueger Trion 7'. Great allrounder - it is good enough to fish light plastics (from about 1/32oz up to 1/4oz) but at the same time is strong enough to yank fish out from tight spots. You will be able to put a lot of hurt on a fish (and then some if required). I haven't landed monster fish on it, but respectable bream (mid 30s), EP (high 30s) and blackies such as that 43cm one in COTM currently .Other 2-4kg rods in the same price bracket are also pretty good from what I hear but I haven't owned those. For the price ($95 on special) you can't go wrong - it's got Fuji seat, Fuji K guides (usually found on more expensive rods), more than enough runners than similar rods (8), split cork grip (that is if you prefer cork which I do and imo looks amazing). However, cheaper rods such as Catanas are also excellent (as said above by Ian) but there is a saying which goes something along the lines of, it is better to buy the best rod first and the second best reel. If you can stretch your budget, there are many choices of even better rods. Something like a Daiwa generation black itchy twitchy II retails for around $139.

Whatever you get, moving up to graphite is gonna change your world!

Hey Mate,

Nice to hear from somebody with the 2-4kg Pflueger Trion and the indepth information on it, it really does sound like a wonderful rod.

Unfortunately I'm unable to move up to that next stage as i only can spare a set amount.

I'm surprised you said getting the best rod then the second best reel, I haven't heard that before. I usually always see people getting the Pflueger Trion and then putting like a $300 ci4 on it.

Cheers for the information!

Ash