Beach fishing set up?

[brecko90]

G'day everyone,

Just hoping to get some advice on a new beach fishing set up, ive currently got an ugly stick gold about 10ft long i think, with a 4000 sized shimano reel spooled with 30 pound braid.

Now i know that's probably not the ideal set up but it was all i could musta up at the time, but now im looking to get a proper set up and get serious about my beach fishing so just hoping people could tell me their set ups or recommend a set up.

i usually fish the beaches on the mid north coast as im up that was a fair bit and also the central coast and just target the usual flathead, whiting, bream, salmon, tailor and jewfish.

Any advice will be great.

[dynabolt]

There was an earlier post where guys were recommending mono and not braid on the spool... You may want to have a look for that post. Personally I have used both and haven't had a problem with braid. I use a 12ft interline rod currently. Have used a softer 10ft graphite rod too, which I may go back to as the tip is much softer

[SgtBundy]

Sounds like a reasonable setup to get going. I would say stick with that until you know what you want to go for. I have a 12ft graphite (Shimano Aerowave) setup with a Fin Nor LT60 reel that I am really happy with, but in learning to target jewfish I think a more solid rod with a higher casting weight would be better for slugging out fillet baits. But the graphite setup has been more than enough so far.

That setup is with 50lb braid - it works fine for me. I know a lot of people prefer mono and I can see the reasons for that, but I like the better capacity and feel I get from braid, even though you probably get a lot more wave interaction with the braid line. I was testing a 20lb braid on an 8ft rod yesterday I plan to use for throwing lures and off the beach it was windknot hell. Not sure if it was the rod, the reel or the braid as they were all new, but it was a lot more hassle than I have had before with braid. I am considering replacing it with 15lb mono instead as for that sort of lighter repetitive spinning the windknots are just not worth it.

[Ryder]

I have a Pacific Composites "Cobra" 7 wrap MT144, it was matched with an Alvey 600bc spooled with 30lb mono.

I pulled a couple or good Jewies, heaps of tailor and salmon etc.

Started having a few twist and bird nest issues, which are hard to deal with at night.

I switched the reel to a shimano big baitrunner, 30lb braid.

Still get the tailor, salmon and the odd shark, but the bust offs are more common due to no stretch.

I will be changing it to mono.

My backup rod is a Snyderglas Mag Surf 13 ft, it's a bit softer than the Cobra.

I think the 4000 is a bit small and the drag be a bit lacking for a 1m Jew or shark

Ryder

[brecko90]

thx guys, i found my set up is tough cast when i have a whole squid on plus a decent sized weight, and i feel the braid doesn't come off the reel as well as it should due to its small size. so was hoping to go something light weight with a slightly bigger reel to help get a good cast on it.

[Crossfire63]

Mate

I'm kind of thinking that your logic is a little scew whiff here. A lighter rod won't cast big baits and big weights.

My weapon of choice is a Snyderglas Regal 7WT 13'6 with an Penn 8500SSV or a Kilwell MT8144 set up as an overhead casting rod . Both these casts big fillet baits and an 8oz sinker not a problem.

Lighter rods don't load up properly during the cast with heavy weights, they're usually loaded to the max before the cast starts.

I recently set a mate up with some good kit, a Penn Prevail 10 - 15kg 13'6 and a Phfleuger Salt 70 once he learnt to cast he's now chucking them out well over 70m

[brecko90]

Im just saying that the rod i have feels like im trying to cast a telegraph pole, ive picked a few other rods up in bcf and my local tackle store and they feel half the weight of my current one

[Crossfire63]

And they probably are half the weight, but that doesn't mean that they'll cast a squid and a sinker any better than what you're using.

Its about matching what your trying to do with your equipment . EG I've got a couple of Live Fibre 13'6 rods much lighter than my Kilwells and Snyderglas. They'll cast 4 to 6oz sinkers and a bait not a problem. Not so good on the big weights and baits. Conversely the big rods are pretty hopeless at throwing 4 ounce sinkers as they wont load the rod up to cast it effectively.

Edited December 29, 2014 by Crossfire63

[SMn]

I'm an Alvey man through and through for the beach. In your case to start with I'd use your setup for light beach fishing targeting whiting/bream/flatties and the occasional tailor and salmon. Run a paternoster rig with a 3# star sinker on the bottom and either a set of ganged 2/0 hooks or a single 1#-3/0 long shank hook; the sinker at the bottom of the rig travels through the air better. Use a strip of squid or the small cali squid in the blue box, instead of lunking out a big one. Look for the gutters, you shouldn't need to cast far, especially on the Central Coast to catch fish. If you decide you like beach fishing then look to upgrade your setup for the heavy occasions, the Penn Slammers and Spinfishers are on sale at the moment can get a 7500 for $75, match to a 6-7wrap rod, spool up with 20lb mono and away you go.

My current setup/s is an Alvey 625B spooled with 10lb mono on a 10'6 4kg rod for light beach, a 650A5 with 15lb mono for salmon/tailor/school mulloway on a 13'6 7kg rod, and a 650E5 with 20lb mono on a 13'6 10kg rod for those long lonely nights hunting the big mumma mulloway. Usually I just walk down the beach with the light setup and have caught plenty of stinker salmon and school mulloway on the light gear, a lot more fun that way as well.

If you're changing your rod you might as well change your reel at the same time.

[brecko90]

Thanks guys i really value all your cooments and ideas, im hoping to buy a set up this weekend so ill let you know how i go