Decent beach setup

[Berrero]

Hey raiders, it's been a minute. Hope you're all well.

 

A friend from work has recently invited me out to beach fish a few times and after splurging $49 for a kmart special he has successfully got me hooked. 

 

I'm looking to spend a bit of coin on getting a decent beach setup. I understand how open-ended this question is, I've done a fair bit of research but all I could really garner up is responses like "just buy x", etc.

 

I have an idea of what I want to get, I'm just not sure on the why between all the options.

 

Hoping a few of you raiders could help shed some light on a few things or even throw out a recommendation yourself.

 

I'm mostly wanting to target tailor, salmon etc. Not going to be chasing big jewies or anything but understand that it's a definite possibility as by-catch.

 

Is 12ft a good rod length to beach fish? (a friend recommended me a 9ft6 rod??), what weight rating should I be aiming for?

Have been looking at reels anywhere from 3000 to 6000 series. So many options. What should I be prioritizing, drag pressure?

Carbon or composite rod blank? From my looking around online carbon seems lighter but easier to break? is this a reasonable worry or will I be ok if I don't cast like a lunatic?

planning on running 20lb braid to 30lb leader, will this suffice or just plain overkill?

 

Currently have a penn prevail II 12ft 6-12kg in mind (max casting weight 85g has me a little worried, as well as possibility of rod being like a noodle throwing the bigger sinkers around)

Reels have me a bit stumped. I do have a ci4+ 4000 spooled with 15lb, would this be ok? happy to respool. It rarely gets used on my med-heavy estuary setup anyway.

 

I've only been bait fishing thus far but if possible it would be nice to have a setup that could throw slugs and hardbodies around as well. 

 

Thanks a bunch in advance. Tight lines.

[noelm]

As a general (very general) rule, 10' is plenty, longer rods are OK if super long distance is required, for Tailor and Salmon, 6-8kg line is plenty, maybe a bit heavier if using big sinkers when there's some swell or side current, a medium size reel will suit, no need for a giant size reel, there's a lot to choose from so take your time, have a look at what your mate uses.

[Berrero]

14 hours ago, noelm said:

As a general (very general) rule, 10' is plenty, longer rods are OK if super long distance is required, for Tailor and Salmon, 6-8kg line is plenty, maybe a bit heavier if using big sinkers when there's some swell or side current, a medium size reel will suit, no need for a giant size reel, there's a lot to choose from so take your time, have a look at what your mate uses.

Thanks Noelm, great advice as always.

[JAKSShark]

Hey mate u will be very impressed with that rod...i have the identical... 6-12 is heaps n u will have no probs casting big sinkers n a small yakka etc. Round...it is a very nice rod to use value for money

I have a gosa 10000 on this rod and it matches well...

If u r wanting to use huge sinkers n put out whole mullet then u have a problem so depending on wot ur using this for i would take into consideration for the weighting, it would be a superb weight n length to launch metals out for pelagics👌🏻

[Rebel]

I have a Penn Prevail. Great rod . Go for it. I use a 5000 reel.

[marks1984]

hey man i have a wilson live fibre 13ft 6" rod with a 6500B baitrunner as my beach combo cant fault it awesome bit of gear

[Rob81]

Personally I'd go the 12' rod if I am using baits (or longer if you like). As they will sit in a rod holder and the line angle of a longer rod sticking up allows to avoid more of the breaks.

If casting lures then the 9'6 is all you'll need.

Worry about the reel after you decided on your line and rod. Its the least important out of the two.

[Green Hornet]

I reckon the Penn Prevail you're considering is a great choice as an all rounder. Carbon is a good for the beach as it cuts down on the weight, plus increases the sensitivity of your rod. Sure, they are a little more fragile than pure 'glass, but unless you tread on it, its pretty hard to damage on the sand. If you plan on fishing the rocks and are the kind of guy that's tough on his gear, consider fibreglass.

For a reel, I'd be looking at something around the size of a Shimano 6000/Daiwa 4500. That's only a roundabout answer, but the best thing would be to take your rod into a reputable store and see what feels right for you. Penn are producing some nice, tough reels these days, so make sure you don't overlook them.

A lot of bait fishers don't like braid off the beach as the it can tangle pretty badly when the swell is up. Before you go down that route, consider a quality low stretch mono like those from Platypus or Suffix around 7kg/15lb. If you're set on braid a quality line around 10kg would suit.

The 9'6" rod your mate suggested is a good length for throwing lures, but for bait you'll appreciate the length of a longer rod when there's a bit of swell around to keep your line up and out of the shore break. 

 

Edited September 29, 2020 by Green Hornet

[Jaymanner]

this weekend I’m using 12 ft glass rod with old alvey 650a.

this sort of set up is worth looking into for beach fishing.

 

 

Edited September 30, 2020 by Jaymanner

[JonD]

Certainly wouldn't be looking to use a ci4 4000 on a big beach rod myself, simply because sharks and rays will soon wreck it. There are plenty of tough little reels in the 5000 size that are both light in weight and strong enough to deal with bigger fish ( even if you aren't targeting them ). The penn battle 2 or 3 are tough reels and under $100 for the mk 2 through one of the site sponsors. 

Even though I have a few 12 and 13ft rods I much prefer my 8 and 10ft ones as they still cast far enough and also make handling bigger fish easier. The shorter rods are also better as multipurpose rods that can be used to flick lures as I walk the beaches working each gutter with 40-60g lures.

As far as the line you mention, yes that would be a good general starting point. If just flicking lures you could drop the leader lighter or if you fancied you chance on jews or gummie sharks etc you could up the leader. I would opt for more lighter line on a spool than less heavy line, simply because the more line you have the more time or chance you have to turn big fish.