Rod n Reel .

[Jon Li]

Hi guys ,

Just would like to know which component of a fishing outfit one likely to put more emphasis for POPPING/CASTING , the rod or the reel ?

For me , I lean toward buying the best performing rod rather than the best performing reel , price being not necessarily the highest .

My reasoning is that the rod will do most of the works , casting to a required distance , working the lures and lifting the fish while the reel is essentially just a line winder with drag to slow down the fish' run .

Jon .

[Brandon Khoo]

I think both are important but provided the reel is adequate and up to it, I agree with you. I think I would find the rod more important.

[Brock Arifovic]

Jon,

I will agree with you on this one. Also it depends on which rod you buy? Budget etc. If the rod isn't that expensive you can spend more on the reel. Or just go all out & get the best outfit that you think you can handle.

You can also buy a very good rod (that might be harder to get than others & save up for that better reel)

I will say if you are serious about GT fishing you will just buy the best outfit that money will buy, as this will (to some degree) handle the fish that are being targeted.

Well that's theory!

PS: Some gear will just not stand up to nature of these fish & the territory that they can be found & fished in .

[Luke Wyrsta]

Good topic to evoke thought but I simply don't think it is possible to pick one over the other. They are all equally important - rod, reel, mainline, leader, terminals, lure...

YOU ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS YOUR WEAKEST LINK!

[Andy Rowe]

[Nathan Cefai]

Same goes here Andy,i would feel naked also if i went oa trip with out my dogfights or stellas!!

[Jon Li]

Guys ,

If one can afford to buy the best of everything then that is the ideal situation , however if money is kind of limited , I have seen too many beginners buying top range popping reel but pairing it with sub standard rod .

Rod is an extension of our limbs and a good rod can help reduce the fighting time considerably and good technique does not call for the reel to be used as winch .

Jon . 

[Andy Rowe]

Guys ,

If one can afford to buy the best of everything then that is the ideal situation , however if money is kind of limited , I have seen too many beginners buying top range popping reel but pairing it with sub standard rod .

Rod is an extension of our limbs and a good rod can help reduce the fighting time considerably and good technique does not call for the reel to be used as winch .

Jon . 

Agreed, so apart from the obvious Stella / Dogfight / GT6000 high end reel options what lower budget reels would people be willing to put on a high end GT Rods?

[Greg Burt]

Ah ha!! that question again 

[Jon Li]

Andy ,

In the past I have used Twinpower 8000HG but forced to sell it to a good friend who needed a good reasonable priced reel n many friends are still using Twinpower 8000HG/PG to good use nowaday and I don't understand why Shimano discontinued the range because none to be had now . I definitely will more than take a look at the new Twinpower 10000FC when they become available in a store nearby but other reels may be worth looking such as Ryobi MetaRoyal 5000 albeit this particular reel is more suitable for jigging , in my opinion .

I agree there is little to be chosen in the bigger reels , Stella is my favourite but others swear by Saltiga and a few selects swear by Accurate
SR series , we don't come across other reels but may be Penn SS series can
be a good reel but for term use .

Jon .

 

[Andy Rowe]

Jon,

The stella / DF monoply is for good reasons i guess. I was almost going to buy an accurate once but got talked out of it by a guy in perth who said the spool fell off of his and into the ocean, last he saw of it. There are alternatives as you suggest, but this is rather a niche market and I guess the 2 big jap brands have held the field through the development of the sport.

The new Twin Power 10K is a very interesting development with respect to the concept you have put forward in this thread.

BTW I have a near new Twin Power 8000HG that I'm not getting alot of use out of, used twice.

Cheers
Andy

[Jon Li]

Hi Andy ,

If you are selling that Twinpower 8000HG , I am sure there are guys in our local forum ( in Indonesian mostly ) who will buy it from you .

Are you in Lombok now ? How is the weather there ? Just received a call from a friend in Kupang , he told me it's raining heavily with strong wind there right now .

Jon .

[Andy Rowe]

Hi Jon,

Thanks for the heads up regarding the reel.

We are getting some westerlies but not too strong, rainy season has definitely arrived but the conditions have almost been glassy in Blongas Bay of late, maybe just a squally storm there...

Are you busy next friday morning around 11.00?

Cheers
Andy

[Jon Li]

Hi Andy ,

See you on Friday .

Jon .

[Ray Stevens]

Hi Jon Li,
I am no expert on GT Fishing, and I am about to head North for my first experiences in that regard,

For the Reel I went for a 2008 model Shimano Stella 18000, it set me back $1150-00 but I like the Twin Drag system over the single drag of the Stella 10000, and on retrieve I am only 1 Cm per turn worse off.

For the rod I went for the Ian Miller GT Special, which I have heard described as probably one of the best Off the Shelf GT Rods available.
That set me back $350-00 which I was told was a good buy.

Cheers