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Topwater Caranx Ignobilis: Giant Trevally (GT) => Tackle & Techniques => Topic started by: Sam Phillips on April 06, 2015, 07:46:55 PM
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Hi guys
I am traveling to Niue Island at the end of the month and intend to do some land based lure/ popper chucking in the 75-150g range.
Looking for advice on a three piece travel rod to and matching reel for this lure range.
My budget is around $1000 for rod, reel and some lures which I know limits the quality of my gear but as my one trip for the year and only time I use heavy gear I acknowledge i may be under gunned for any whoppers
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks.
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Hi Sam,
Where are you based?
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Sorry based in sydney
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I have the Shimano T Curve Revolution Spin 763 Travel, which is three piece, each section measuring 81cm.
It's not surprisingly quite heavy (600g), but it's more than adequate for moderately sized GTs - I've had fish up to 17 kg or so but in very tight spaces.
It is rated to cast 50-200g but definitely prefers 100g plus. The tip is fairly soft, so it struggles with poppers with large faces, but Cubera 100s, Haymakers are fine, and it fishes stick baits ok. It also trolls quite well, though I shouldn't say that on this forum.
I have mine paired with a Stella 14000, but it would possibly balance better with a heavier reel.
Travel rods are always a compromise, but they make life so much easier, particularly on small planes.
The Shimano is very cheap, so when I break it, I'll buy another one.
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Hi Sam,
There isn't a lot of choice in 3 piece GT Sticks on the market as most guys use travel tubes for the 2 piece models.
However as another option have a look into the Daiwa Demon Blood II 803XXH - 3 piece, 8 foot for around $300.00 or so, it will give you that bit of extra length fishing off the shore - http://www.daiwafishing.com.au/demon-blood-2/
As far as reels go, the best bang for your buck would be a Daiwa Catalina 6500H if you can get one at a real good price.
Best of luck on the hunt for the gear and the trip ahead.
Cheers,
Ian
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Thanks guys, I'll go check those rods out today..
Reel wise I've heard some guys use a Saragosa 8000 then put a custom 16000 spool on it for more drag, anyone done this??
The Catalina does look nice though Ian, not much different to the 2010 saltiga.
I imagine being landbased I'd be fishing around 10kg drag on any reel otherwise I'd get pulled in the drink with the fish.
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I use the demon blood mentioned and it will work fine if you're not too fussy! You just need to fish lures it can handle, I use the smaller Williamson jet poppers and they work well. It can also troll lures and throw medium stickbaits too. I have caught GT's to around 15kg's, Mahi Mahi and Wahoo to 20kg with no trouble.
Another option for a budget reel is the fin nor offshore, quite heavy reel but they have a serious drag system. I doubt you would break it on one trip, the commercial kingfish charters use them in Sydney harbour for a whole season with little or no maintenance.
Good luck, I hear the fishing there is very special!
AG
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Thanks Alex
Which fin nor offshore size were you referring too? The 9500.looks huge castability wise
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Hi,
Im completely new here, im prepping for my first GT-trip and i also looked for a travel rod. I heard some goods things about the Shimano Caranx Kaibutsu STC, comes in 3 sizes, 7, 8 and 9 foot. It is however not sold anymore in Europe.
I also consider having a travel rod custom built, based on a CTS seamaster popper blank. I still have to meet the builder, but he seems to think that a 4 piece rod is possible.
The reel i intend to use, is the mentioned Daiwa Catalina 6500h. As it is no longer sold in Europe, i ordered it in Japan, 580 usd, including shipping and tax.
Good luck and greetings from the Netherlands,
Marco
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Travel rods have come a long way and I think you'll see a greater selection as airlines tighten up on baggage restrictions and the 2 metre long rod tube becomes a thing of the past.
Some of the top end makers have been experimenting with them, even on heavy gear. I have a Carpenter BLC 83/35 3 piece that handles 100g lures and PE5/6 nicely, I still don't have enough confidence to put my all into that rod and I'm very conscious of line angles, although other people have caught some great fish on it (if it's any consolation I'm pretty much the same with all the BLCs I've tried). I also have a Fisherman Monster CC 80GT.T PE8-10 150/200g GT stick that I will lean into with confidence and have personally caught good fish on without an issue. Be careful of the tip section though, good casters can loosen the join after a few casts, not a problem it just requires the odd check.
The obvious problem with heavy gear and 3 piece rods is the join in the blank, I think that's improving all the time. The less obvious problem is that the length of the butt section limits any true portability, the Carpenter breaks down to 95cm and the Fisherman to 89cm..still too large for most luggage but better than the 1.8 metres than most 2 piece rods typically break down to.
I know it doesn't specifically address your issue as these are expensive but viable travel rods is something that interests me.
Regards,
Trev
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Sam, others might disagree but it's hard to place faith in a 3 piece rod for this kind of fishing! Unless it's from a reputable gt rod company. Shimano and daiwa are not when it comes to rods.Get a proper 2 piece with a join at the butt. Something like a gt special or demon blood 82xh. If you don't want to pay for a rod tube, find a mate who's a plumber, get a 6.5 foot length of pipe with screw ends and load up the bubble wrap.
As for a reel, if your not going to go top end, a new saragosa 10000sw can be had online for $329 and will take well over 300m of pe6, has enough drag at 15kg and the ratio of 4.9 makes it useful for popping and jigging. The spool lip on the gosa sw's is awesome for casting too.
As for lures, it's hard to go past the halco haymakers, river2sea dumbells and river2sea rovers if budget is a real issue. Or the next step up is jai big head poppers and stick baits and then the nomad lures. Grab a few packs of owner st66 5/0 trebles for the belly hooks and owner sj41 9/0 tail hooks connected with owner hyper wire size 11 split rings. A lot of brands make comparable equipment so shop around.
With 2 each of the halco and river2sea lures, this setup can be had for under $1000. You may get your ass kicked should you come across a big fella but it's a start. Just remember that if this becomes a sport you want to actively pursue, buying cheap stuff works out way more expensive in the long run as the gear will simply not stand up to much abuse.
My 2 cents.
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Thanks Alex
Which fin nor offshore size were you referring too? The 9500.looks huge castability wise
Hi Sam, they all have heaps of drag but the smaller models should work fine for casting
OFS6500 400yds/50lb braid & 60lbs of Drag should do it!
The Saragosa SW is also an excellent reel but more money. Alan Hawk rates it very well for its waterproofing.
Alternately you might be able to snag a second hand reel from one of sites. many people buy reels for trips and have no use for them afterward if they live inland!
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Cheers for the info guys I checked out the Shimano tcurve travel and demon blood travel today.. Probably going the tcurve which I know.is inferior for my trip but I'm actually hoping to hook a fish I cant get in as ive never had that yet in my fishing life.. Apparently gt's in Niue aren't as responsive to surface lures, its more mackerel, mahi mahi and tuna etc that take them so we'll see what happens, ill still suss reel selection and spend some good money on lures and terminals.
In the end in.just happy to be throwing lures in an apparent beautiful place.. I'll save for the hardcore gt gear for a fishing only trip.
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Oh and the main reason I'm going for a 3 piece travel rod is ill be in new Zealand then connecting to niue and the same coming back to oz so paying the oversize luggage for each flight is a pain.
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Fin Nor are good for their price but personally I would never consider throw lures for gt's witha real that costs $130. It costs that much for a reason and something will give. Even a smaller gt will find a weekness.
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Fin Nor are good for their price but personally I would never consider throw lures for gt's witha real that costs $130. It costs that much for a reason and something will give. Even a smaller gt will find a weekness.
I agree for longer term usage but for one trip it's a sensible option for someone that may not use it again.
They are used by Craig McGill on his kingfish charter and he catches 10-15kg kings all season on them. Although not GT's they still pull some string!
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Zaneq do a 3 piece that is reasonably priced and if it is anything like thier other rods it will be very good, I think fish head have them
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Thanks Alex
Which fin nor offshore size were you referring too? The 9500.looks huge castability wise
Or this
http://www.alanhawk.com/reviews/lth10.html
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Cheers for the advice lads, off to check the reels out tomorrow morning. Whats everyone use for line, I heard of varivas gt, sunline monster battle, and Jerry brown is it? And I've got some 130Lb and 170Lb leader and think ive almost got the fg knot down pat.
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Cheers for the advice lads, off to check the reels out tomorrow morning. Whats everyone use for line, I heard of varivas gt, sunline monster battle, and Jerry brown is it? And I've got some 130Lb and 170Lb leader and think ive almost got the fg knot down pat.
Jerry Blown Solid Core comes highly recommended due to being nearly as good as the Varivas but at cheaper price.
Certain brands of braid do not like the impact of a GT strike and break so make sure you do some research on this forum before your purchase. But as I mentioned you can't go too far wrong with the JB.
As for the line size, we can't recommend anything with knowing the rod and real that you've settle on.
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Thanks Mark, Ended up getting a Saragosa 10000 that u recommended earlier felt really nice I know it wont tame any brutes but hopefully do ok for a first trip and my local tackle shop gave me too good a price to resist. I can afford decent line and terminals, I was thinking maybe pe 6 or 8?
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Go with pe6 mate. You'll get about 300 metres on that reel where as if you go with pe8, you'll struggle for line capacity to begin with and then be up shit creek if you get snapped off in a fight.
And you're basically wasting your time putting pe8 on that setup (I'm assuming you've gone the 15-24kg t curve travel?). You'll break the rod and burn out your drag before the line breaks.
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Sweet I'll pick up some pe6, yeh got the tcurve 15-24kg, it feels ok for a cheapo it says it can throw up to 200g lures but I think it's only going to be good for 100-110g size
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Hey mark, What pe ratings are Jerry Brown? im guessing their pe 6 is 80Lb in the solid core, I cant seem to find any info on their stuff.
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If you're going JB, go the 65lb mate. According to the paulus just fishing site, it breaks at around 95lb and the 80lb breaks at around 120lb. Waaay too high breaking strain for your equipment.
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Ripple Fisher make a travel GT rod called GTX.
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Is their a limit for the length? The Ripple Fisher GTX is a two piece rod, splited in the mid. If your budget is just 1000 $ including rod,reel and some lures, most of the entioned rods are to expensive.
I bought last year the Illex Ashura Waiefu 270 H . It works fine fine for poppers up to 150 gr . There is a MH version on the market to. The new version i heard i a 4 piece rod im 240 cm.
It was not a problem to manage Gts up to 15 Kilos. As a result i can say the rod is for the budget ok, but the old version was to long and heavy for me.
Last year i bought the T Curve. I didnt fished the rod an sold it, because i dont like the grip and the weigth of the rod.
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Cheap reel to look at is the saltist daiwa 6500. I've got a 4500 that's caught yellowfin to 18 kg and doggies to 14 kg strong good drag smooth for the price. Not a stella or saltiga but ok. Smith make the 3 piece amami for about 800 but only fish pe 6 on it. I think it's still available from Europe. Teamed up with a saltist, I reckon 1100 aud.
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Cheap reel to look at is the saltist daiwa 6500. I've got a 4500 that's caught yellowfin to 18 kg and doggies to 14 kg strong good drag smooth for the price. Not a stella or saltiga but ok. Smith make the 3 piece amami for about 800 but only fish pe 6 on it. I think it's still available from Europe. Teamed up with a saltist, I reckon 1100 aud.
Hi Nicholas,
I'm interested to know how long you've been using the Saltist?
I started with a 6500 Saltist and had nothing but trouble from the start! Spool corrosion, a drag that would go into free spin mid fight and gear box issues. I binned it after 2 months and got a saragosa and had no issues.
Don't take this as an anti-Daiwa claim as I use a 6500h saltiga and love it however feel I got burned by the Saltist and can't recommend one. Mine may have been a dud but for a comparable price, the saragosa was faultless.
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Hi Mark I have the 4500. I've used it in the tropics for a five day liveaboard and a five week work stint in the tropics. So its still in great condition. I use predominantly shimano reels apart from this saltist. I clean it religiously, apart from the 5 day liveaboard. When i eventually pulled the drag apart it was like new and it got absolutely soaked. I must admit I grease it up but never had a problem with it. It feels tight theres no play at all in it. I guess time will tell !!! It sucks when you buy a new toy and it lets you down.
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Travel rods have come a long way and I think you'll see a greater selection as airlines tighten up on baggage restrictions and the 2 metre long rod tube becomes a thing of the past.
Some of the top end makers have been experimenting with them, even on heavy gear. I have a Carpenter BLC 83/35 3 piece that handles 100g lures and PE5/6 nicely, I still don't have enough confidence to put my all into that rod and I'm very conscious of line angles, although other people have caught some great fish on it (if it's any consolation I'm pretty much the same with all the BLCs I've tried). I also have a Fisherman Monster CC 80GT.T PE8-10 150/200g GT stick that I will lean into with confidence and have personally caught good fish on without an issue. Be careful of the tip section though, good casters can loosen the join after a few casts, not a problem it just requires the odd check.
The obvious problem with heavy gear and 3 piece rods is the join in the blank, I think that's improving all the time. The less obvious problem is that the length of the butt section limits any true portability, the Carpenter breaks down to 95cm and the Fisherman to 89cm..still too large for most luggage but better than the 1.8 metres than most 2 piece rods typically break down to.
I know it doesn't specifically address your issue as these are expensive but viable travel rods is something that interests me.
Regards,
Trev
Sam, others might disagree but it's hard to place faith in a 3 piece rod for this kind of fishing! Unless it's from a reputable gt rod company. Shimano and daiwa are not when it comes to rods.Get a proper 2 piece with a join at the butt. Something like a gt special or demon blood 82xh. If you don't want to pay for a rod tube, find a mate who's a plumber, get a 6.5 foot length of pipe with screw ends and load up the bubble wrap.
As for a reel, if your not going to go top end, a new saragosa 10000sw can be had online for $329 and will take well over 300m of pe6, has enough drag at 15kg and the ratio of 4.9 makes it useful for popping and jigging. The spool lip on the gosa sw's is awesome for casting too.
As for lures, it's hard to go past the halco haymakers, river2sea dumbells and river2sea rovers if budget is a real issue. Or the next step up is jai big head poppers and stick baits and then the nomad lures. Grab a few packs of owner st66 5/0 trebles for the belly hooks and owner sj41 9/0 tail hooks connected with owner hyper wire size 11 split rings. A lot of brands make comparable equipment so shop around.
With 2 each of the halco and river2sea lures, this setup can be had for under $1000. You may get your ass kicked should you come across a big fella but it's a start. Just remember that if this becomes a sport you want to actively pursue, buying cheap stuff works out way more expensive in the long run as the gear will simply not stand up to much abuse.
My 2 cents.
Two great answers based on going either direction. Thanks for taking the time guys!
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Amr,
As if on cue a couple of very nice GTs have been landed on Fisherman 3 piece rods in the last few weeks, so they're certainly a viable option.
Suzuki san landed a great fish of 52kg (weighed) fishing 2 weeks ago with Ocean Active in Halaniyat. He used one of his Monster CC three piece rods, this time the 68GT. Nick Bowles landed a 45kg fish on a Monster CC 80GT three piece.
Ocean Active and Fisherman have uploaded footage of the 52kg fish onto their Facebook pages and it makes for great viewing. Suzuki is 64 and is in total control. The boat handling by Cam Mundy and Nick is also first class.
There is also footage of the 45kg fish as well not yet uploaded.
Watch this space.
Regards,
Trev
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It's such great footage! Those new 3 piece Fisherman rods look the business too Trevor!
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What a legend!!!
The rod seems to be more than capable, it looks to have a bit of a flat spot in the middle though?
I'm just amazed that a man that age can own a fish that size and the fact that he did it with a 3 piece rod!!
Amazing effort.
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The whole time this thread was running i felt like mentioning the Fisherman offering but didn't because of the OP indicating cost as an issue. Nice one Trevor :)