I agree Sam, live baits work best. At the local spot getting them is near impossible. The only live bait you could get are bonnies or salmon, maybe frigates if you are lucky, but keeping them alive in a rock pool is impossible with their hyperactive tails.
The rods (not including my overhead spin gear)I use are between 7'4(precision) and 8'4 (monster mesh and dorado) and help with leverage, but again there is no way I will fish the reel to the max with 80lb. I went with it for hopefully more abrasion resistance. Ive yet to be popped off on the braid -always on the leader side so have upped it to 100lb. But I tie off a swivel when they are shy and then drop the trace to 80lb fluro or something like that when needed. I went the single as I believe when sinking gars there are times that twisted leaders are more visible in calmer conditions so am trying a single leader. I did have 50lb on it , and there is definitely a difference in the distance between the two breaking strains, but I can live with it for where I fish. The spot I have started fishing a lot more doesnt need a big cast at all. The downside is that hookups are within the first 10m which puts them very close to the ledge and you have to put pressure on immediately to pull their head up and stop them going down into the undercut. Doesnt work always though.
The dorado outfit I run with the catalina runs 50lb braid and casts pretty far and is used for the lighter weighted lures.I used a lighter twisted leader with this off 50-60lb depending on the thickness of the mono.This is a sweet rig and casts minnows and the lighter stuff beautifully. The doggie is used for heavier lures and gars. I dont gar spin on the dorado now after being smoked a few times on it cause of not being able to stop them so gars only go on the beefier rig.
I still havent caught a king on the hard body stickbaits
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Sam - have you seen the new 12 inch sluggos. I might try some of them this summer.