cheap set up for gt's

[billyfaraday]

hey all
been fishing since i was 8 (now 13) and have really started getting intrested in gt's and looking at getting a cheap combo under $500. Will be fishing land based along the West Coast of Australia mainly Broome and Exmouth would also be used for kingys back down at melbourne.What are some good poppers stickbaits and other essentail items ill need for gt's.really excited to catch one of these
cheers billy 

[Luke Wyrsta]

I would be looking for a Saragosa/Shimano TCurve Revolution combo for that kind of budget. It's great gear for beginners in GT fishing. Prices are very competitive.

[billyfaraday]

Thanks guys i have been looking at getting the tcurve revolution which im most probaby getting ,the gt special is probably is bit to much for my build and size.Im also looking at the okuma saline ii 16000 high speed is this anygood?thanks again

[Mark Harris]

Billy do yourself a favour and do not buy that reel. Although they are better than the original Salinas, I have seen several occurrences of them being absolute wind knot machines plus a broken bail arm and a drive gear which just snapped under load.

You would be far better off with a Saragosa 18000 or 14000 as Luke suggested.

As for other essential items which you ask about:

 - the best true budget poppers are certainly Halco Roostas in my opinion. Get a few of those and you will be fine. You can then start looking at some of the mid-priced options and suggest you read Brandon's excellent guide to GT lures here: http://www.gtpopping.com/forum/index.php?topic=1124.0 .

-  I would suggest you do not try to save money on hooks and terminals though and you should change the hooks and rings on a the Halco poppers (same advice for any popper which comes with hooks attached). 

- for split rings, Owner in the 200 to 250 lb range are great and not expensive. Sames goes for hooks - Owner ST66 4/0 and 5/0 depending on the lure size.

- for swivels, try to find some NT swivels in size 2/0 or 3/0. If not, then the Owner equivalents will do.

- other vitals are a pair of gloves (especially so for your casting hand), a fighting belt and a pair of pliers which will handle 200lb+ split rings.

I hope that helps a bit.

[Chris Webster]

Def the Saragosa mate. You cant go wrong with that for the money.

[billyfaraday]

Thanks for the advice , I hate getting winknots especially with a hot bite going on and would rather save My money to get the saragosa ,Thanks mark I'll be going Down to the local tackleshop to get everything you listed as my little bream lures won't be to good for gts . really appreciate your help.Cant wait to get onto these.CHeers Billy

[Michael Gordon]

I hope you know just what you are getting yourself into.GT popping is more addictive than a crack habit.Enjoy your fishing.

[Chris Webster]

Hey Billy,

Mate your on the right track.

1. Make a list of everything you need.
2. Look online and see how much you can get it for.
3. See if your local can match / beat the price and if so, just lay-by it.
4. If 3 doesnt work out, buy it individually for the better price though remember to include postage in your calculations.

You will be fishing in no time.

Cheers,

Chris

[joe sciberras]

Saragosa ,you cant go wrong ,joe

[Karl Nelson]

Billy 
     I got a Monster Mesh you can have if you interested.

[roberts kurpnieks]

I used Shimano T-Curve GT special and Saragosa 18k. Very good stuff for the price, now handing it over to my friend who will join me for his first GT trip!

[Doug Mac]

Another vote for the Saragosa. I would also suggest the River to Sea Dumbells as a good reasonably priced popper to start out with.

[Mark Gwynne]

If you did want a smaller reel the Shimano aceration might be a better option. It's the JDM version of the Saragosa but you can get a higher gear ratio to suit popping. The 8000 is the biggest size that I am aware of.

[Mark Harris]

Mark, unless there is a special Aceration release (?), it is not the JDM version of Saragosa.

Aceration is made by Shimano in Malaysia (like Saragosa, Rarenium and others).  It is a 4 bearing reel and I seem to remember is was really a replacement for the Navi?  Largest size is 8000 and there is a PG and HG version.

That's all from memory, so someone please correct if I am wrong.

[andy cooper]

quoted from jig n pop forum today from Alan Hawk


"Yes, the Aceration is a JDM Saragosa that comes in two speeds in the 6000 and 8000 sizes, and smaller 3000 and 4000 sizes which are the same body with different spools. For your information it's made in Malaysia on the same production lines as the Saragosa. Just wanted you to know because some people think that all JDM models are made in Japan when in fact only the higher priced and flagship models are Japanese made."

http://jignpopforum.com/topic/592-shimano-aceration-a-high-speed-retrieve-option/page__pid__3912#entry3912