dani!o

mate i fish yarra bay all the time. That place produces all kinds of stuff - i've got my best 2 occie there but from flounder to... well, I've even seen a seal there. PM me if you wanna catch up over a couple wet lines

thanks all for your replies To finish the thread off, I ended up with the daiwa gen black 8 footer, cast weight is 10-28grams, coupled with a daiwa bg 4000 I picked this because it felt most comfortable in hand. And although tonight's test drive was fishless, I think I made the right choice. THe problem with the other multi section rods, is the parts where they join were solid on one side, which relaly affected the weight of the rod. It was very top heavy and even when matched with a bigger reel like the bg 4500, it still tipped forward. That means when holding it, I was constantly having to exert force to not have it tip forward, which was uncomfortable. The gen black sits squarely in the hand and was much more comfortable over the 2 hour sesh tonight. The gen black was a lot pricier, but for something I could use for a bit of everything, and even travel with, I felt that was a worthwhile investment. Not all is smooth sailing though - I'm still getting my head around lures. As it is, I feel more comfortable using hard body lures and tying them straight onto the braid. When I tie a rod-length fluro leader, the uni knots that join the braid and fluro seem to catch on the guides. I lost 2 soft plastics doing that before I switched over. Looks like I have a bit of learning to do... Tight lines!

Ok that's good to hear. I appreciate all the critique from everyone but a recommendation on what my solution could be is definitely welcome. My budget is around $150 I suppose, it's not a big deal because... I end up using the same gear for years. My 10 footer with the cracked guide, it was a penn big w, probably cost me $60 or $70 but I used it for 5+ years. Would make sense to buy something that works well. Of course, now that I've said this out loud, the rod tip on my new rod will snap in a few weeks?! I'm looking at the Shimano Raider 9 foot atm. It's $110 or so. a shop has a $100 one but its an a shop exclusive so I'd have to buy it online sight unseen. Nearest store with stock is more than 1,000kms away. Otherwise, the Daiwa Gen Black seems too light - max lure size is 30 grams vs. the 45grams for the Shimano Raider. Shimano also has Revolution 9 foot travel rods, but they're quite a bit heavier - probably less suited to lures. But, definitely open to suggestions? 9 or so feet, travel rod?

thanks for your replies everyone. Ok, so, I bought the 12 foot beach rod, but just so happens, the guide on my old 10 footer cracked. That means room for 1 more rod woohoo! I'm thinking about picking up the 9 footer as well. It casts up to 50 grams, which should be heavy enough to do some decent bait fishing off a small beach - i don't usually go to a rip roaring beach. Usually the current and wind makes it difficult. But, is 9 foot, up to 50 grams, a good sorta half bait half lure compromise? That's one I was hoping yall could help me with. Truth is, I am pretty keen to try lures but I've never had success in the past. I'm happy to give it a red hot go but chances are, there will be days when I just feel like soaking baits in a rod holder. There's also a chance lures are just a bit too hard for me and I stick with me baits. If I was sure I'd go only with lures, then sure, 7 footer, light rod, boom. But, buying a compromise does give me a bit of room to move either way. So, please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks guys I tried out the 12 foot Shimao Aerowave today, its 28-100grams but relatively light. Without fishing with it for a few sessions it's hard to tell but it feels like I could use it for a lure? I take it most of the votes have been cast towards a smaller rod. The Aerowave also comes in a 9foot 6inch version, casting 28-80 gram lure weight, and 5-8kgs. Maybe this is the go, since it seems to be a good halfway point? In comparison, the revolution is 4-7kg and casts 15-50gram lures. Which one? I guess I am leaning towards the 9 foot 6 inch aerowave because on the one hand, if conditions are calm, or I'm at a small beach, it should cast far enough for most cases, especially if I spool 20lb braid onto my Daiwa BG 5000. If I'm at a big beach, or conditions are not great, then even with a 12 foot rod I'd find it hard to fish baits anyway because in 20 seconds my line would be sideways if there's a strong current or wind. In that case I'd probably fish lures anyway since something like a metal slice would be less affected by the wind. Either that, or, just fork out the money and buy both the Aerowave 12 foot to cast at big beaches, and the Revolution 15-50 gram 9 footer, to work a jig when I feel like it?

Ok let me present a different alternative. The Shimano Aerowave is also available in a 9 foot 6 inch version as well as 11 foot, with 5-8kg line weight and 28-90 lure weight. Would either the 9.6 footer or the 11 footer be a good compromise between bait fishing with a heavy sinker on the beach, and flicking lures? Otherwise, there is a The spin rod only has a max of 50 grams, which might not be sufficient for a pillie + a star sinker. On the other hand, the 12 footer may be ineffective for lighter lures or estuary fishing, which I do the most. What would you say is the difference in casting distance between the 9 foot 6 incher vs. the 12 footer? I'm planning to use 20lb braid which is relatively light but suitable for most of my purposes. Asked alternatively, I guess what I'd like to know, is whether a 9 foot 6 incher can get to most gutters, if I use a light braid of 20lb with a thin diameter?

Thanks guys, much appreciate the advice and fully understand the point about not casting too far. I'm leaning towards the 12 foot - because the 9 foot maxes out at 50 grams, and if I go for bait, with a sinker, 50 grams doesnt give me much weight to play with. As with me targetting flatties, I think a larger soft plastic with a heavier head might still be ok. After all, flatties are known to strike more so than being shy. Tailor too, are an aggressive bunch. I don't target salmon soooo much. I just think flatties make a much better feed, bit of salt and pepper shallow fried flattie. Yum. I'm expecting a 12 foot rod to be harder to work especially for a lighter lure, so any tips would be appreciated! Its my first proper foray into lure fishing after all!

Hi all! Long time no post, but I've been wetting lines and catching (some small) fish! Was hoping to garner some advice on my next fishing rig. I'm deciding between a 3 piece 12 foot 6-10kg general purpose beach rod or a 4 piece 9 foot spin rod. These fit in the car better. I fish mainly estuaries, off the wharf, and less often off a big open beach such as Maroubra in Sydney or Port Stephens. I've only fished bait but thought I'd give lures a go since I don't always have bait. My main considerations are - I'm giving lures a go but I may not stick with it. I've always been a bait fisher and I've tried soft plastics before to no avail. If I go back to baits, the 12 footer would be more suitable for the flatties and tailor I go for. So what I'm asking is, could I fish lures effectively on a 12 foot rod - because - if it can do a decent job of lures, then I will have both bases covered. Especially if I go back to my tried and true paternoster big baits off the beach. I should mention, I also have a 6 foot ugly stick spin rod that I love but obviously it doesn't cast heaps far. - Could I fish big beaches such as Maroubra, or the rocks effectively with a 9 foot rod rated at 4-8kg? It can cast lures up to 50g - wouldn't this cover the majority of the lures for land based fishing? My main concern is those days with a strong current, or strong wind. With a 12ft rod, I could use a metal slice and that would work even with a strong current or wind. But, could a 9ft spin rod that is much lighter do the same? - Although a 12 footer would probably cast better, with 20lb braid, I could cast quite far with a 9 footer. I'm partial to flatties because they're such good eating and I always try and use the lightest jighead possible with a soft plastic. Could a 12 footer cast much further than a 9 footer with light braid and a light jighead soft plastic? I've got a Daiwa BG 5000 to go with it, which I picked up based on Alan Hawk's review (also got a massive 27% off at a shop so yay). I'm going to go braid as well, unless there are some strong recommendations to stick with mono. Please let me know your thoughts!

guys some of those fish might be farmed... farmed fish dont have a limit, the person who owns the stock and choose to sell at any time... aquaculture is a new industry and in fact far inland people dig enormous ponds and stock them with barra etc. i dont know about kingfish but there are definitely offshore pens for tuna

Mate in terms of the cheapies, try the good old hand lines. I have many and they are my specialty when it comes to wharf and jetty fishing. Try and grab a few, remember you can have 4 lines per person with a license. I usually go 2 weighted and 2 unweighted. Best bait is always free. Well, not 100% free but I usually get servo prawns and use a tiny hook and light 4lb line to catch yakka. Yakka fillets, strips, or even whole are great bait. The leftovers also serve well as berley, especially when mushed together with some bread. And by bread, I don't mean buy bread to throw away - just keep the crust / end bits you dont want, dry them out a little (or leave them in the fridge, they'd be ok for a couple weeks) But please keep in mind that during winter it is always and always a test - when you get out there, try a few different things to try and entice a fish. But mate I went out last weekend and got nothing (except the yakka).

mate ill just add a couple more points 1) migratory fish - fish that move around a lot, say sambo or choppa, i would say are a bit better... im just guessing, but i think because they move around a lot they wouldn't stay in 1 polluted area for a very long time... 2) fish age - a fish that is quite old, like that 20 year old, 150kg jewie i didnt catch, are more likely to have higher dioxin levels just because of the time they have been around That's why for fish like sambo, choppa, flattie and bream, i almost always keep them... the only spot i explicitly dont fish is rhodes / homebush... rhodes used to have some serious pollution, and the mullet there have probably been living in that same patch of water for quite some time... not really my thing... but, if i caught a jewie there, i'd probably take it because i'd guess the jewie didnt spend its whole life there, and may in fact have been to other non polluted areas... dont know if im right or not, just guessing... dioxins or not, live every day to the fullest (and by fullest, i mean fish at every opportunity for as long and as hard as possible) because when its time, well, its time.

PB Sambo is always gooood nothing like a good old sambo for some fun and feed gluck guys

Oh wow great success guys Would you mind sharing some tips with me? I've headed to maroubra for drummer but no success! Could you walk me through what rigs and bait you used?

wish i could luck out and catch one!

Mondo! Mate, I don't know if you remember but I fished Maroubra with you once, me and my brother! We got a nice salmon but it was pretty dead for the rest of the night. Anyway mate, it's good to see you hitting the good old spots, hows the soarer going? I've been fishing the lower north shore most of this year, but will most likely see you around when I head to the beaches again, good luck!