Entry Level equipment

[HawkesburyParadise]

Hi all,

I want to buy entry level rod, reel, tackle box kit, etc. I can see they are available in Kmart and a shop. What would be the difference for a newbie? Is it better to buy an entry level Shimano combo rod?

 

Cheers

HP

[BigHorse]

Hey mate i would say to support a local tackle store or whatever fishing store is near you. When all the covid dies down head down and ask around for your entry level stuff. I'm guessing you will be going for fish like flathead, bream, whiting and other bread and butter, so there should be enough choices for you. 

My first combo was a shimano sienna and i can say its a good combo. It can all depend on what sort of budget your on. Just make sure that you buy something that is worthwhile.👍 

[noelm]

Don't just buy something because it says "Shimano" they make everything from junk to world class, as advised, go to your local tackle shop (not a department store type) ask the person what they recommend for the style of fishing you have in mind. Don't be tempted to buy a fishing "kit" some very basic hooks, sinkers and swivels is all you need to start with, a small tackle box, one of those plastic compartment style ones used to store screws and so on will be fine, rather than a full on open up style. As you advance you will probably buy a Nipper pump and the like and start getting your own bait, but, start simple, do you have a boat or land based?

[dirvin21]

The kmart combos are usually pretty crappy 

As bighorse said shimano sienna is a good entry level reel, matched up with a shimano catana (they often come as a combo), I'd suggest a 2500 size reel and a 2-4kg rod

[HawkesburyParadise]

1 minute ago, noelm said:

Don't just buy something because it says "Shimano" they make everything from junk to world class, as advised, go to your local tackle shop (not a department store type) ask the person what they recommend for the style of fishing you have in mind. Don't be tempted to buy a fishing "kit" some very basic hooks, sinkers and swivels is all you need to start with, a small tackle box, one of those plastic compartment style ones used to store screws and so on will be fine, rather than a full on open up style. As you advance you will probably buy a Nipper pump and the like and start getting your own bait, but, start simple, do you have a boat or land based?

Land Based initially.

[Rebel]

There is a Shimano, Sienna combo on special at the moment $99. 

Worth having a look.

Cheers.

[noelm]

Land based, basic "bread and butter" fishing does not require a huge rod, big reel and some kind of glow in the dark line (most department store combos are like that) a reasonably soft, maybe 7' rod, a smallish reel, about 3-5kg line, and some small long shank hooks are all you will need to get started, this is where the tackle store guy comes into it, he knows what you will need.

[campr]

I think you will find a reasonable outfit from a genuine tackle store as there is plenty of specials around at the moment.  Get the best you can afford as nothing discourages newbies more than trying to fish with a crappy outfit. 

The biggest mistake beginners make is to put too heaavy a line on the reel which causes tangles and greatly reduces your casting distance.  Ideal starting outfit is 6ft 6in to 7ft 2in 3-4kg rod with 2000 to 2500 reel with at least 3 bearings matched with 3to4kg line.  Good luck and good fishing.  Ron 

[Restyle]

I would avoid the cheap crap at Kmart. very flimsy, bad for casting and feel terrible after an hour or two of use.

I also would avoid a shop as rods are treated pretty poorly by others they are dropped, mis-used by mates having a laugh etc and could possibly be damaged.

also staff there 9 times out of 10 are useless.

Best bet, as others have said goto your local tackle store and ask them what your after and your budget and they will be more then happy to provide you a few setups to have a feel with

[Little_Flatty]

Some good advice here.

If you really want a gentle entry point to fishing, consider using handlines. You could feasibly get started fishing for 10-20 dollars, including bait and spares.

Some members like @Yowie catch a lot of fish on handlines and @Pickles has had a very successful go recently (both very competent fishermen, which goes to show it is not just about the equipment). A handline is one piece of equipment that you can buy from a department store or service station, will be effective and will last you forever if you don't lose it (e.g. kick it off a wharf, get pulled in by a fish, etc).

It takes a little bit of practice to learn to use, but no more than learning how to use a rod and reel, and it's one of the most underrated methods of fishing around.

[Pickles]

Lots of good advice here. Local tackle shop is the go - owned/run by fisho’s who want to see you have success and won’t give you bad advice as they want to see you back again. 
The target you aim at, will be the one you are likely to hit. So if the target is beach, or rocks, or river, or boat / kayak or estuary from the shore, etc, the gear will vary, but you can talk this through at your local tackle store.

They will almost certainly match whatever price you can get from the big retail chains (and steer you to locations where you will catch fish if you persist)

you could also post in “Adopt a learner” - heaps of us happy to take you out.

[savit]

Kmart and BigW are good if you have low budget, need no advice,  and you understand already what is reasonable quality and what is not. BigW has a bit higher quality level and prices. 

Local tackle shops are good when you have a good budget and have no idea about fishing, or require specialised tackle which is not available elsewhere. They can offer a lot advice which usually included in relatively high cost of fishing tackle. 

Big chains stores have regularly good combo deals and sales. They can also offer a general advice if you finally find someone from fishing tackle dept. This is  where I would be looking for beginner's tackle after learning some knowledge from this forum.

Keep in mind that the cheapest rod&reel in all 3 above mentioned groups will have similar low quality level, just the price 2x and 3x times difference - so, dont look for cheapest as a beginner.

 

[slothparade]

if you don't mind second hand hop on facebook market place. Theres heaps of beginners packs there for $20 ad come with everything you need. Can get away with a 2-4 kg jervis walker with a 2500 (250) to 3000 (300) size reel with 10 lbs mono. usually the boxes on facebook come with everything you need and sometimes they are brand new 

[jeffb5.8]

On 9/15/2021 at 9:31 AM, HawkesburyParadise said:

Hi all,

I want to buy entry level rod, reel, tackle box kit, etc. I can see they are available in Kmart and a shop. What would be the difference for a newbie? Is it better to buy an entry level Shimano combo rod?

 

Cheers

HP

HI

 

What do you call entry level budget wise?

 

A Shimano Sienna 2500 rod reel combo are a great starting rig, but if your budget is larger you can go a slightly better combo.

 

[Rob81]

My only recommendation, is if you buy a Big W or K-mart special combo and it comes with line, change the line. Rest of the gear should handle what you want, is just the line is usually really crap.

You can stick on half decent mono or get low-mid end braid (like j-braid), and it'll make all the difference.

[HawkesburyParadise]

13 hours ago, Rob81 said:

My only recommendation, is if you buy a Big W or K-mart special combo and it comes with line, change the line. Rest of the gear should handle what you want, is just the line is usually really crap.

You can stick on half decent mono or get low-mid end braid (like j-braid), and it'll make all the difference.

So I ended up buying a Pryml beginners rod 6ft 6inchs, a tool box and a tackle box for bream. Total $89 from a shop.

However, I quoted your post because I felt the the line was really crap. Let me explain:

When I saw the videos of loading a reel, they started from empty. This one was full and I messed up putting the line in the right way so I was actually trying to reel in when the lever was up. Newbie mistake 1

Getting the swivel, sinker and hook on was OK. 

However, When I did cast correctly and I reeled the line back in, it kept getting jumbled up. I had to cut line 3 times. I thought I was bloody stupid(I blame the line 50%).

Finally, So in a 3 hr session I spent 2 hours putting the line on and messing up the casting or retrieval. 

Moreover, Since I was fishing near the rocks at Brooklyn and the tide was coming in, I lost a number of hooks and sinkers. 

That's my first attempt where I taught myself the basics, no fish ever came close I reckon. 

[Rob81]

Yeah I find the line is the worst thing on those combos. Usually comes with mono, and has way too much memory on it, so you spend half your time fixing birdnest and its not worth the headache.

Basically any line you buy after, would be better. Mono is fairly cheap, so you can get some decent ones at low cost, braid has a large variety but you're ok with low-mid end ranges to use with it. Just be sure to pack it on tight.

Personally I use braid more, but if you bought a big spool setup and don't want to spend too much on braid, you could get a 150m spool braid (jbraid or something) and then put some cheap mono underneath it.

[thepud]

Hio mate, I can recommend the Abu Garcia Veritas 3.  dings has them starting at 469 at the moment.  they are reduced because the next version is out.  Used to be about 149.