Beach Fishing Tackle

[TheFreakyFlatty]

G'day fellow Fishraiders,

I am a newbie here and have just recently started beach fishing along with my cousin TheSillySalmon. I have a beach rod however it is pretty average. I am just looking for some advice on what some of the best rods, reels and other tackles on the market are for beaches. At the moment I am aiming for Aussie Salmon however in the future I will also be trying to hook up some bigger fish like Jewies and other species. All answers are appreciated.

Cheers,

TheFreakyFlatty.

[Berleyguts]

Welcome to Raider, FF. There are lot of threads here on this topic, so try using the search function. ?

I am biased towards Alvey sidecast reels for the beach and a suitable low mount rod. Alveys eat sand for breakfast and are virtually indestructible!

I’m not up to speed on newer rod models but something similar to a Butterworth or Snyderglass MT8120 should fit the bill.  That would come in at around 10ft long plus the sand spike. A 6in Alvey should be sufficient.

Having said that, my first beach outfit was a threadline outfit on that MT8120 rod, with a medium winch mount, which is required for a threadline reel. A 6000 series reel would probably do the job. 12lb mono is all you need off the beach, IMO, and will handle the usual beach species, including mulloway. If you decide to start specifically targeting jew, you could step up in tackle and use, say, 20lb line. I’m sure you could use braid but I don’t bother.

i hope this info helps as a start. Talk to your local tackle dealer. He’ll put a rod and reel in your hands and explain it all.

Good luck!

Incidentally, that 40 year old MT8120 threadline rod is still in use today, although I stripped it down and extended it with a longer timber butt and a gimbal mount, which made for a higher winch mount for an overhead reel and is used for high speed spinning off the rocks. “Is used” is perhaps not quite true as I mainly fish out of  a boat these days. ?

Edited August 11, 2018 by Berleyguts

[TheFreakyFlatty]

2 minutes ago, Berleyguts said:

Welcome to RIder, FF. There are lot of threads here on this topic, so try using the search function. ?

I am biased towards Alvey sidecast reels for the beach and a suitable low mount rod. Alveys eat sand for breakfast and are virtually indestructible!

I’m not up to speed on newer rod models but something similar to a Butterworth or Snyderglass MT8120 should fit the bill.  That would come in at around 10ft long plus the sand spike. A 6in Alvey should be sufficient.

Having said that, my first beach outfit was a threadline outfit on that MT8120 rod, with a medium winch mount, which is required for a threadline reel. A 6000 series reel would probably do the job. 12lb mono is all you need off the beach, IMO, and will handle the usual beach species, including mulloway. If you decide to start specifically targeting jew, you could step up in tackle and use, say, 20lb line. I’m sure you could use braid but I don’t bother.

i hope this info helps as a start. Talk to your local tackle dealer. He’ll put a rod and reel in your hands and explain it all.

Good luck!

Incidentally, that 40 year old MT8120 threadline rod is still in use today, although I stripped it down and extended it with a longer timber butt and a gimbal mount, which made for a higher winch mount for an overhead reel and is used for high speed spinning off the rocks. “Is used” is perhaps not quite true as I mainly fish out of  a boat these days. ?

Cheers for the information Berleyguts. I'll have a look at the gear you have suggested. Thats cool to hear that the MT8120 is still in use after all these years. Also I just watched a video about using the search function before posting questions just after I posted. I'll keep that in mind for next time. 

Thanks again,

TheFreakyFlatty

[Rebel]

Hi,

I have several beach rods. My favourite is a Wilson MT 7144. Majic, with a Shimano Ultegra 14000 reel. I also use  Ugly Stik rods 10' and 12'.  Before you buy look up Dinga Fishing at Sandgate, he gives good deals and discounts to Raider members, he also delivers Australia wide for free. I also use Fin-Nor reels  which are great especially the LT100.

Good Luck.

Cheers

[kingfishbig]

Overheads work well off the beach if you don't mind being a little different. You won't want to go back to a fixed spool reel once you have mastered them. 

[frankS]

Berleyguts talked about using Alveys which is good advise, but then he says you could use Braid which is not to be used with Alveys, you would have no fingers left if you use braid with Alveys off the beach.

Maybe I read the post wrong but then, IF I did so will others.

Wilson make very good beach rods.

Frank

[Berleyguts]

14 minutes ago, frankS said:

Berleyguts talked about using Alveys which is good advise, but then he says you could use Braid which is not to be used with Alveys, you would have no fingers left if you use braid with Alveys off the beach.

Maybe I read the post wrong but then, IF I did so will others.

Wilson make very good beach rods.

Frank

Thanks Frank. I said, “I’m sure you could use braid but I don’t bother”. I’m not a big braid user - I use it on a few threadline outfits only. I prefer pretest mono so I know it will break within ANSA line classes when tested. I hadn’t thought about possible finger damage from braid when using an Alvey, so thanks for the clarification. ??

[frankS]

Baz. Just didn't want any newcombers to the sport thinking they could use braid with Alveys.

Just to emphasize my meaning to new folk. With beach fishing you generally use heavy sinkers and you want your bait to get out there as far as you can throw it, ( not always best ) and to do this using an Alvey you turn the spool side on and hold the line with either finger or thumb ( whichever method you use ) and you whip the bait and sinker out as fast as you know how, now this makes the line come off the spool at tremendous pace and force, if you are holding the braid stopping it from falling off the spool till the optimim time in the cast when it does release with your finger/thumb in the way, it will cut and cut deeply.

I think if Braid was made in Australia where Alveys are popular it would come with a warning on the packaging.

Frank