4-8kg for Murray cod

[Will Wright]

Hey guys, I am very new to cod  fishing and I am buying my first baitcaster setup. I don't fish for cod very often so because of this I won't be spending lots of money. I just want to ask you guys if a 4-8kg baitcaster rod is good enough for cod. Its an Abu garcia Pro max combo which has a 4 to 8kg rod and a reel with a 7.1:1 gear ratio. I will be using it with spinner baits and some smaller hard bodies for rivers and sometimes dams. Also I can't find the lure rating for this rod anywhere, I have looked everywhere and cant find it, if anyone knows it could you please share it with me. Do you guys think this combo will get the job done? Thanks

Edited April 1, 2020 by Will Wright

[dirvin21]

look at the lure weight rating for the rod and check it against the lures you intend to use

[Will Wright]

31 minutes ago, dirvin21 said:

look at the lure weight rating for the rod and check it against the lures you intend to use

I can't find the lure weighting for it 

Edited April 1, 2020 by Will Wright

[savit]

The combo with 4-8kg rod seems to be made for that specific orange chain store (to avoid competition/price matching etc).  Just call the local store and ask someone  to check what is written on the rod otherwise call AU  ABU office. 

The ABU pro max combo with similar 4-8kg  rod rating  however abit longer rod  suggests 1/4-5/8 oz  weight lures on ABU website.

http://www.abugarcia.com/abugarcia-combos-baitcast-combos/abu-garcia-pro-max-combo/1373548.html

[big Neil]

6 hours ago, Will Wright said:

Hey guys, I am very new to cod  fishing and I am buying my first baitcaster setup. I don't fish for cod very often so because of this I won't be spending lots of money. I just want to ask you guys if a 4-8kg baitcaster rod is good enough for cod. Its an Abu garcia Pro max combo which has a 4 to 8kg rod and a reel with a 7.1:1 gear ratio. I will be using it with spinner baits and some smaller hard bodies for rivers and sometimes dams. Also I can't find the lure rating for this rod anywhere, I have looked everywhere and cant find it, if anyone knows it could you please share it with me. Do you guys think this combo will get the job done? Thanks

The combo which you are looking at will get you started fishing for Cod. I think that the reel also comes in a left hand wind model. This outfit will certainly fit your needs. You will be able to chuck most spinnerbaits and hard bodied lures (up to the size of Stumpjumper #1) with it. Unless you find yourself catching metre length Murray Cod with every cast, it will do you for a few years.

When you get your combo I would practice using it with an old lure (remove the hooks). Lure fishing with baitcasters is a finesse sport, the more practice the sooner the results IMO. 30 lb braid and leader and you should be good to go, once you get the all clear from the authorities that you can go fishing. Good luck bn

[Will Wright]

4 hours ago, big Neil said:

The combo which you are looking at will get you started fishing for Cod. I think that the reel also comes in a left hand wind model. This outfit will certainly fit your needs. You will be able to chuck most spinnerbaits and hard bodied lures (up to the size of Stumpjumper #1) with it. Unless you find yourself catching metre length Murray Cod with every cast, it will do you for a few years.

When you get your combo I would practice using it with an old lure (remove the hooks). Lure fishing with baitcasters is a finesse sport, the more practice the sooner the results IMO. 30 lb braid and leader and you should be good to go, once you get the all clear from the authorities that you can go fishing. Good luck bn

OK thanks. I just found  out the cast weight for the rod is up to 48grams. And I thought we still are akoud to go fishing in nsw just with one person??? 

[DerekD]

Hey Will,

Just thinking out of the box here but are you only buying the rod to try fishing for Murray cod and Murray trout?? Is this something you plan to do a lot of? I suspect you are on a budget. The problem is that this is one situation where you should be spending the money to get a good entry level reel. Years ago I looked at the Shimano Chronarch and Curado and went the Curado as I couldn't justify the extra $100 for the frequency I'd use it.

People who chase them regularly such as @big Neil please feel free to chime in on this train of thought.

The advantages of the baitcaster is regularly stated as being the pinpoint accuracy (can thumb the spool to land the lure), their line rating for how compact they are (the spool is supported from both sides), the light weight if you are casting all day. From personal experience I will use my baitcaster for a sugapen lure as the shorter rod length (than my snapper raider) and the grip I use makes it real easy to get the walk the dog action I like. For most other stuff I go back to the spinning rod.

Why not try it with your Snapper Raider first. It has a 5 to 8kg (you said you'd already put a 15lb braid on it) line rating and you can up your leader to say 40lb for abrasion resistance but use the FG joiner knot. You can cast lure weights to 45gm by rod rating and larger based on how you load the rod up when casting. By practice or feathering the line you should get pretty good at placing the lure. Yes you might lose a couple of fish but no assurance you would have landed them with the baitcaster either. If you find you love it then save the money for a decent set-up so you won't need to upgrade down the track.

Regards,

Derek

[Will Wright]

10 hours ago, DerekD said:

Hey Will,

Just thinking out of the box here but are you only buying the rod to try fishing for Murray cod and Murray trout?? Is this something you plan to do a lot of? I suspect you are on a budget. The problem is that this is one situation where you should be spending the money to get a good entry level reel. Years ago I looked at the Shimano Chronarch and Curado and went the Curado as I couldn't justify the extra $100 for the frequency I'd use it.

People who chase them regularly such as @big Neil please feel free to chime in on this train of thought.

The advantages of the baitcaster is regularly stated as being the pinpoint accuracy (can thumb the spool to land the lure), their line rating for how compact they are (the spool is supported from both sides), the light weight if you are casting all day. From personal experience I will use my baitcaster for a sugapen lure as the shorter rod length (than my snapper raider) and the grip I use makes it real easy to get the walk the dog action I like. For most other stuff I go back to the spinning rod.

Why not try it with your Snapper Raider first. It has a 5 to 8kg (you said you'd already put a 15lb braid on it) line rating and you can up your leader to say 40lb for abrasion resistance but use the FG joiner knot. You can cast lure weights to 45gm by rod rating and larger based on how you load the rod up when casting. By practice or feathering the line you should get pretty good at placing the lure. Yes you might lose a couple of fish but no assurance you would have landed them with the baitcaster either. If you find you love it then save the money for a decent set-up so you won't need to upgrade down the track.

Regards,

Derek

Thanks For the advice! I have recently been doing that (thumbing the spool to get accurate casts) and I feel like it's time to invest in a baitcaster. Thanks