Confessions of a Tackle Junkie

[storms72]

Hey guys, plenty of talk about the members experience with their gear....thought I would kick it off with what seems a very popular brand, let us know what shimano gear you have and what your experience has been with it.....We want good and bad!

I currently have 3 shimano reels--

6500B-haven't hooked any big fish with it yet but its very smooth, bit heavy but easily pulls in sharks when bottom bashing.

Aernos-cheap but good, has taken salmon and taylor off the rocks spinning, drag is good, very light top reel for budget price.

JHX4000F-top little reel, inexpensive and still works as the day it was purchased, drag is great...can't fault it really.

1 Shimano rod.....Starlo Stix 11ft shore spin heavy, light as, casts really well, cork handle extra long and thick enough for good grip.

Overall i'm really happy with all the shimano gear I currently own and would easily recommend the above items to anyone.

Cheers
Jason

[netic]

Well here are my shimano outfits........

50W tiagra on a Tiagra T-curve 24kg stick (Marlin Fishing)

30W Tiagra on a 15kg Tiagra Stick (Marlin and Trolling for Tuna)

30A Tiagra on a Kingrods custom ( YFT )

Stella 20000 on a Rapala Braid composite 15-24kg ( Marlin, YFT, Kings)

Stella 4000 on a Tournament T-curve ( Snapper and Jews)

Stradic 2500 on a Tournament T-curve ( Squidding and Yakkas)

Torsa 30 on a Jigwrex ( Downrigging for Kings)

Tekota 800 on a T-curve jigstick 200 ( Downrigging for Kings)

Thats all not 20+ oufits like many others but they serve my fishing to a tea.

[quintrex101]

here are the shimino reels i got,

1.........Alivio 4000, great reel, use it 2 times a week every week, caught mullet,whiting,leatherjacket, 3-4 kg carp, and more, great reel for money, 2 years old, i think i oiled it once, and thats it, oh and wash it after every week,

2.......... i got a shimino chapter speacil, ok reel, only used it 2 times and had it for a year now, only caught 1 legal flattie and about 5 undersize flathead,



they are good gear shimino, :hellyeah:

Cheers,

:beerchug:

[beats]

Can't racially discriminate Jason, What sort of tackle do we own?

Light Tackle
Reel's,
Daiwa's

Spin reels,
Capricorn's
Sol's
Gekkabajin's
Steez's

Casting reels,
TD super tuned
Steez
Next purchase will be a TD Zillion high speed.

Rods,
Struddies & Loomis's

Heavier stuff,
Penn Inter 30TW
Penn 850SS
Shimano TSM4
On home made costom sticks

[storms72]

No discrimination intended Greg...just thought it would be good to slowly cover all brands, you should've started a thread on Diawa!.....All brands will be covered in time and hopefully sensible input will come from all....We don't just want to hear that a reel or rod is crap there must be a reason provided.

[TomMc]

Spin reels,
Capricorn's
Sol's
Gekkabajin's
Steez's



greg how do you find the steez's?
ive been thinkin bout saving up for one.

[imnotafish]

There r a whole lot of new shimano reels due out soon- new stradics, sustains etc, and a whole lot of new stuff.
Theres a new range of rods and reels called firebloods they're bringing out too
check em out
http://www.shimanofireblood.com/

[JOC00L]

Gawd...where do I start!:eeek: I will do reels first. Rods I will do a bit later on.

REELS
Shimano Calcutta 150.
Top little round baitcaster. Touted as THE best when first released. It is a superbly made piece of machinery that has never let me done. I generally fish it with 6lb mono and it has accounted for quite a few fish. Lovely to use and hold, but can bite you if you aren't too proficient with it.

Castaic 200.
This is an older style LP baitcaster that I use with 10lb braid. It is also a great reel to use and fairly comfortable as it isn't too heavy. I particularly like the thumb function whereby I can engage the gears after casting before I have got it back in both hands to wind. A handy feature when you are casting at surface boils, and need to whack it in gear IMMEDIATELY!

Charter Special 2000LD.
This has been a great reel for live baiting around Sydney. I have it loaded with 20lb Platil braid and it has stopped everything from rampaging Kings to slab sided Jews of 18KG's! Very easy to use and is pretty much foolproof with it's level wind system. I have messed around with it a bit and it now runs a carbon wet drag, and has improved by a country mile in the drag performance. I was so impressed with this reel that I got it's smaller brother (1000LD) from the States to use for Snapper using 6KG mono.:headbang:

TLD 10
I have two of these little pocket rockets. Both now run a wet carbon drag, and one is loaded with 20lb braid whilst the other has 12lb. I use these for my light trolling and even livebaiting. Both have been exceptional, even though they were both purchased second hand. Yes, I know they are no longer in production, but I love 'em!

TLD 25
I have had this reel forever and a day! And it is nearly bulletproof if looked after. I have used it for everything from livebaiting, to LBG to game fishing. It has taken all the torture I have thrown at it, and come back for more. It too has gotten the wet drag treatment, and I have degreased all the bearings and modified the drag to allow it to pull some very stupid drag figures. Try holding onto it when I have it buttoned down to 30 odd pounds of drag!:headbang: :headbang: And I never even got to see colour when I had that particular encounter.Hott I have also replaced the original handle, with one of a Tyrnos to make it more ergonomical to use.

TLD 20II
I don't know why I originally bought this, but it has been a terrific work horse. I can't actually say that I have ever needed the second gear, but it's there.

Sahara 2500
Probably one of my worst mistakes was buying this reel. I fish this with either 8 or 10lb braid. It gets used for everything from bream fishing with both bait and lures, lure tossing for bass on the rare occasions I partake, to squidding, and even casting metals or SP's at pelagics. Don't get me wrong, it's a top reel. But it has a couple of features that I don't particularly like. Such as the fact that it doesn't lay the braid on too well. It always seems to be all over the place and not laying down flat. It also seems to be pretty susceptible to bearing wear, but admittedly, I do use it pretty heavily. I don't think this reel was ever designed to stop 70+ cm Kings!:rolling laughter:

Symetre 4000
This is my latest acquisition, and has proved to be a very astute purchase. Although I haven't used it much, it has still accounted for some good Jew and held up very well thank you very much. It is a joy to cast with as it is pretty balanced on the rod that I use, and the bail arm feels oh so sweet.:smiile: I have 3 spools. One loaded with 15lb braid, another with 10lb mono, and the third is empty as this stage. It was originally bought to use for reds on SP's and it has done that admirably as well.:ohhh yeah:

Spheros 14000
I bought this for Jigging, and have yet to use it for it's intended purpose. It has the upgraded Shimano drag, and is loaded with 80lb jigging braid. It has served well for trolling and livebaiting so far, and made easy work of the few Kings to 80 cm's that it has caught.

[beats]

Luv em Tom, definately my Favorites in both spin & baitcaster. smooth as, light as & drags are impecable.:headbang:
If you are going to get a Steez spinning reel, get the Aussie 1, the Jap 1 imported over internet is not for use in salt.
& salt water is a definate NO NO for the baitcaster.

[JOC00L]

Now the rods.:noway:

Rods
Rack Raider 701
This is one of the first rods I bought when I first got into fishing SP's a few years ago. It was procured for the express purpose of living in my truck, and saw duty on nearly every waterway, creek, river and lake in Sydney. And it doubled as a back up in the boat. It has pulled Bass, EP, Bream Flatties, Tailor, Kings, Sambos, Frigates, Bonnies, Jew, Trevs, Reds, Mowies, Crabs and even a horse of a PJ!:rolling laughter: Iy has served surprisingly well considering I treat it like crap. It copped a lot of abuse and always bounced back. To this day, it sports a rather large scratch right where it bends the most, and is yet to explode....which I'm sure it will do someday. The only problems I have ever had with it was a faulty cork grip in the first week of ownership which was sorted under warranty, and a tip was replaced not long ago due to my negligence.

Back Bone Elite 6KG 7 foot.
This is mated to an AVET SX51 and has seen some awesome times livebaiting, light trolling and even tossing large poppers. It has a great finish, and if looked after, will last a long time. It is fairly light and has an action well suited to my styles of fishing. It's not as heavy as similar rods and works well with larger poppers. Being 7 foot, my main concern was the tip folds out of the way when fighting a fish, and it does just that. Yet still has enough left in the butt to put some hurt on fish. I'd really like to test it out on some big Kings, but have only gotten to mid '80's thus far.

Starling Sport Fish Tekota.
Designed originally as a rod for the Tekota range of reels, I use it with one of my TLD 10's. It's super light and comfy to use, but has a slightly stiffer action than the Back Bone. I don't particularly like that it is not underbound on the guides, but it has quality components and was awesome value when first bought. This rod accounted for my PB King of 87 odd cm's, and performed admirably.

Back Bone 15KG Roller tip.
Mine gets used with my TLD 25 mainly which is loaded with 10KG mono. Like most of their rods, I think Shimano overstates their rod ratings. There is no way that this rod would fish 15 KG effectively. But as a 10KG rod it works fine. If using this rod with braid, be mindful that the tolerance on the roller tip are not the best for that purpose. It would very easily be able to pinch the line and snap it if it came of the edge of the roller. I believe this may be better on the newer versions, but I'm not too sure. And make sure you keep the roller oiled as it squeaks a fair bit after harsh use and could seize.

Deep Jig 400.
Purchased for use with my Spheros for jigging, but yet to be used for that purpose. I use it for heavy livebaiting and trolling. Personally I think it is a bit heavy, but it is a machine...and can handle some pretty heavy loads.

XCel Weapon Snapper 701
This is my latest rod. I know it's an older series, but I just loved the way it felt and have it matched to my Symetre 4000. I fish it with 15lb line which is a bit overkill on it I reckon, but it has coped well so far. it has accounted for some good Jew and some PJ's to about 15KG.

Most of my rods were bought for a specific purpose as well as a specific reel. I very rarely use different rod and reel combos, and leave the matched sets alone. AND....I am a miser when it comes to rods. I look for the best value that I can get for a specific task, and then compare the features of those rods with others to see which would suit me better. I look for functionality over price and I am not too fussed if it isn't the latest and greatest. As long as it suits...then it gets used.

One thing that I have a problem with as far as rods go, is butt lengths. I am a short ass. And most rods are built for guys with longer arms than me. Sometimes I will buy a rod, and get the shop to cut a few cm's of the butt, and add a gimbal if it doesn't have one. And I will also look at the epoxy. If I feel that there isn't enough to cover and protect the guide feet, then I will have it all re-epoxied. I hate looking at a rod and seeing rusty guides at the bindings under the epoxy!:noway:

[James]

3 shimano 6500 btr loaded with 65lb tuff line with 3 shimano 15kg backbones. accounted 100s of jews kings sharks smaller tunas.

shimano tyrnos 20 aka nugget 50lb 600m of tuna terror on a t curve 24kg stick pile of crap only fish hooked up on it was a monster jew which just smashed me into moorings could not stop him

new addition torsa 20 on a 5 foot 10 shimano t curve 200 blue water.

great reel and caught her first jew last week accounted for it quite easily. purchased for light game and kingie downrigging

shimano aernos on a 1 to 3 k g loomis mainlused for squiding and catching my livies its beautiful to use.

plenty of others but not worth mentioning as most were purchased used and never to be used again

[Dog Catcher]

Think I've got Shimano hat somewhere unless the dog ate it

Do have a few of Shimano's reels cant say I like there sticks a great deal besides I build my own & none are Shintorro's

I do have a few but they'd be hidden in the dont use them anymore pile

[netic]

Jo your a sick man...i have seen your collection.........too many reels too many rods............Avets, Shimano, Daiwa you name it its there......

Your very ill Joe...........time to part with some of it

[storms72]

Thats great stuff guys...Joe your feedback on your quiver is fantastic.....James I too have the aernos, cheap but its such a good reel....I'm really liking where this thread is going....anyone had any bad experiences with shimano gear???? Dog why don't you like the shimano rods? If you buile your own could you put something up on how to do it...I know of 1 member who is currently looking at building his own rod based on a G-Loomis blank....any chance of a step by step guide mate?


Cheers
Jason

[Dog Catcher]

I just dont like factory rods to many of them have backbones all over the place no underbindings seen winch's do 360's on the blanks etc etc

Loomis are a pretty good blank but way overpriced shimano bought loomis out I use a very similar blank to the loomis which stacks up to the loomis in every respect but @ a fraction of the cost.

As far as game rods go I use Sabre's think they're hard to beat wouldn't be able to give a step x step cause I'd prob 4get something but happy to answer any Q's

Just finished rebing one of the 24 kg sticks & will start on the other one shortly had the standard atco rollers on it & decided to put the the Big Foots on

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/4489/11ze9.jpg

[sydfish]

Righto, I have about 30 operational outfits that span most of the spectrum, yep I am a self confessed tackle addict which ended up with me owning a shop. I also have several antique cane rods, that I am too scared to use.

I will start with the lighter stuff. I have mainly GLoomis rods as they are awesome to use and they have the lifetime warranty on them. My favorite is probably my little 2 piece SR783-2 GL3 4-10lb, this rod goes anyware and has accounted for some of the best catches I have had like the 20lb jew on 5lb. If you ever buy a light loomis get this one first. I have this paired up with a Daiwa Sol 2000.

Next is a GLoomis GLX DSR 820 with the titanium guides with a shimanoStella 1500, this is an amazing rod and reel but suited for bream fishing more than any other form of fishing.

Also in the GLoomis stable I have a GLX BSR 852, paired with a Shimano Sustain 2500. This rod is 6-12lb beast that can flick tiny lures and plastics as well as being able to beef up to metal slugs and even live baits out near the fads. I love this rod a lot. This rod is in the top 3 of my collection and is always handy on nearly all trips be they fresh, estuary or blue water.

I also have the Daiwa Saltist Shortbite 69, with a certate 1500, 6-10lb this is a softer rod than the ones above and has a great feel. This is the one my wife has taken a fancy to when we go bass fishing together, so I tell her that it is hers to justify my excesses. But it is alsothe right rod on fish that are tentative to bite but are bruisers when hooked.

In the lighter spin range still I have the Shimano TCurve 5-10kg 2 peice with a stradic 4000. This rod always goes out to sea with me, I love this rig as much as any of the Gloomis rods. I have pulled up tuna to 15kg on this with some XDS fireline in the 17.8kg strength, still super thin though. This rod has my full confidence and I always have it close. Its also sweet on the kings of sydney with slugos.In the top 5.

I have a few others such as a rack raider with a symetry 2000 which I confess I dont use that often but is great to give people who dont fish much, its spooled with 6lb mono and is easy to use yet pretty tough.
Now to the baitcasters. I have a little custom GLoomis, its a imx spin blank that is only 1-4lb, I cant remember the name off the top of my head but it is the best little baitcaster Ihave ever seen and is a pleasure to use, this is paired up with a daiwa pixy, you can cast unweighted plastics with this setup. Another one that is divine to use. River bass fishing is its true domain.

Next is a Gloomis again this time a crankbait 843, paired with a Daiwa Alphas this isthe dam bass rod, and not much beats it for casting jackalls and spinnerbaits.

Next to my jack and barra rod which is again a crankbait 756 with a shimano curado. It does the job time in time out.

There are several others in the baitcasting section including 3 ambasseduer 6000 size reels as well as others that only gather dust these days. They are paired with ugly stick graphites and morum braid rods. Most are worn out now and or used for holding leadline for my trout trolling expeditions. But in there day have accounted for lots of fish from flatties to good barra, jacks, salmon and the list goes on.

Next to the mid to heavy stuff. As a rule I love the Wilson live fibre rods for most of my mid sized fishing. I have several of the normal live fibre rods in both spin and overhead varieties, while I have a penn live liner that has been a good reel, mainly because I keep it cleaner that the rest of my stuff, as I saw so many destroyed by corrosion inthe shop, the rest of the reels are shimano, the daiwas dont hold up in the salt the same way, though I dont own a saltiga, which may prove me wrong over time. The shimanos can put up with day in day out use, with minimal care. I have baitrunners, tekotas and calcuttas on theses live fibres including the texaliums, which are the most used these days.
The 8-15 texy has 50lb couloured braid on a 6500. I have had this for 5 years now and it is used as the primary rod reef fishing, jew fishing, king fishing, and even trolls well. I love it and it never lets me down. in the top 5.
The texy 15-24kg o/h has the tekota 800 on it with 600m of 100lb braid. No fish has yet challenged it. I turns 25kg spanish macks into tailor. Its the only setup that could stop 15kg kings in 30m of water. 35kg cod in 15m. This is my tuff stick, I know people say you cant have this setup all together. I say stuff em :2gunsfiring_v1: this rig rocks. It always goes out with me for big fish, this is the skull dragging outfit and most often has a big livebait on 150lb wire and chunky hooks under a balloon. But it will troll marlin lures as well as bibbed ones. The softer tip of the texy gives the softness that stops the hooks being pulled with other rods. In the top 5.

For jigging I opted after great deliberation for the Shimano stella 10000, with a jigwrex 5..., 5 ft pe6. I chose this over the saltiga dogfight because I have more confidence in shimano in the salt. Full stop. This is a great setup, i love my stella very very much, I am starting to sound a bit like a sicko now so we will move on. In the top 5.

For trolling game stuff i have the daiwa sealine SLD30, and a shimano TLD 50. Both are great reels and have accouted for heaps of wahoo, tuna,mackeral and marlin, not enough marlin for the time spent, however this year will be different. I have them both on shimano backbone rods, not my ideal choice, but economical for the amount of trolling I have done until this year.

I have 2 nice fly rods one an ti reddington 9wt, top of the line before they were bought out, very nice, 2 reddington reels to match, one float and one sinker.
the other a 7wt CD design from NZ, a great travel rod with 2 reels.

Surf rods are a GLoomis beauty SUR1266-2S, I confess this has not been uses as much as I hoped, but I have a big boat. I dont have a reel just for it, I just use the baitruner 6500. I also have a rex hunt shimano combo that I have had for a long time. This is adequate for the little beach fishing I do now, however when I do upgrade it will be to a live fibte with an alvey, I hate the sand.

That is most of my rods, there are a few missing as they dont really deserve a mention amongs these, the total count is 38, with a shocking retail value in the 40 to 50k region. i am obsessed, I cant help it. I am looking forward to a few new purchases in the next year when I get right into the game fishing up here in QLD. They all fish 8 and 12 kg line class here so a few small tiagras with loomis rods are on the cards. Hope you have enjoyed this confession of a tackle nut. And no you cant know exactly where I live.

[JOC00L]

Your very ill Joe...........time to part with some of it
Never mate...****ING NEVER!Hott

I have omitted a few others that I forgot I owned.:rolling laughter: I was just out in the locker, getting gear ready for tomorrow, and noticed that I also have a Catana rod and a couple of other Backbone Elite's as well as some others.

Dog, you are right. Some of the rods I have don't have underbinds either. Yes, my better ones do, but it all comes down to how much you want to spend, and your decision if that feature is needed.

My opinion on underbinds is that it isn't really warranted on lighter rods as you want to keep weight down and not impede action. On heavier rods it's another story. The Backbone Elite is underbound, as you would expect. Some of the others have only the first runner underbound as that is where it would stress the rod most and would help cushion it. I'm pretty sure the T-Curve IS underbound, but I could be mistaken.

[hoodlum]

Kris,,Joe Thanks.,,

I know of 3 fishos now who get called all sorts of names !!!
But there are a few more of us out there!!!

Lets See if they have the courage to prove where 5 years wages have gone!!! And they know who they are!!! :rolling laughter:

[Dog Catcher]

Dog, you are right. Some of the rods I have don't have underbinds either. Yes, my better ones do, but it all comes down to how much you want to spend, and your decision if that feature is needed.

My opinion on underbinds is that it isn't really warranted on lighter rods as you want to keep weight down and not impede action. On heavier rods it's another story. The Backbone Elite is underbound, as you would expect. Some of the others have only the first runner underbound as that is where it would stress the rod most and would help cushion it. I'm pretty sure the T-Curve IS underbound, but I could be mistaken.

If you've every striped a rod with no underbinds down to rebind it you'll see the damage caused by guides bound directly onto the blank.

Underbinds add no weight to the rod @ all but are time consuming & costly thats why most factory rods dont have underbinds, when I underbind I epoxy b4 binding on the guide else you'll end up with a crappy finish because the overbind can & will dig into the underbind & it looks ****e if using different colour bindings.

If factory mades were to go to that trouble then the price would be alot dearer

The stick in my last post have 2 overbinds & just about to epoxy the maiching rod

Think you guys would think I'm a lunatic if I told you's how many outfits I have geez even me thinks I'm a lunatic :rolling laughter:

I'm toofing off to Sth Oz in a couple of months to go fish for those Biggarus Snappa's they get over there so decided I need a few new outfits a couple of months back so built these up to take on the trip + I need a new 10 kg game stick that one is not going to sth oz.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/8181/45566381up6.jpg

[hoodlum]

Storm I find it easier to just list everything now Mixed brands Like Kris has..as they are mixed combos not just shimano

1) 4am For collecting my our BAIT 6,6p pflueger 1-3 kg HMT-tournament spin rod working in tandem with Penn applause 1000 with 3lb Fireline crystal. Usually standing up with his Partner in crime Shimano Rackraider 6,8 rod + Shakespeare 1000 dimension on 2lb Crystal Fireline. Yes I suppose its a bit over kill for slimies , yakkas & squid but I have down graded these from my estuary rods.

2) My Bream and comp work gear are Nitro 6,6 ultrabream rod with Daiwa Airity 2000 with 6lb Fireline crystal. One of my Fav's combos for sure. Have had many encounters with Kings and 3kg + Bonitos And coming out on top.

3) My Qld Bait caster is 6ft Showgun Innvalour with Daiwa Cronos 150 with Nitlon 10lb braid. Upgraded from the Shimano ET ESCAPE baitcaster Now spare. Barra beast!!

4) Surf,, Most of Us have Many!! I suppose I am no exception Daiwa Apollo APL-1202mrs 12'0" Usually used with Always helpfull Daiwa Emblem Pro with 20lb Ironmono. This real outcasts any reel I've ever held before. And is Fairly light.A lot of people have a Shimano Taipan 12"ft ( i AM NO DIFFERENT)with Pflueger President reel 15LB Braid

5) Med/ Light Land Based Fishing. With so many great spots now open to fish for good size fish in sydney and Port Hacking, National Park ect I have picked up My favorite rod . Nitro Sniper surf/rock rod 10'6 In bed with my new Daiwa Morthan 3000. The set up is so light and powerful I have just left the boat alone alot last summer and spring. And to sit in the rod holder off Clifton Gardens would be My Shimano Rack raider 7'6 with 15lb nitlon braid on a PFLUEGER medalist 6:2:1 gear ratio to use for urgent lure work when the Water starts to bubble with kings.

6) Now This is Different! This set up is for my Yamaha 1200xlt Waverunner (JET SKI ). I have a custom rod Holder welded on rear where I troll close to the rocks ON THE CAPE of Moreton Island. My Friends and I have the best fun. Depending on the size of the swell I would use either My 25tld shimano with a TCA Team Stroker 24kg 1.7mtre rod On 60lb Braid or 30lb 20tld Shimano.

7) Boating!
Spin Reels I use are Saltiga 4500H with 40lb Braid with spare spool of 20lb Fireline Crystal. And Of Course my first everbig money reel 6500 BR. (Just never had any BIG JEWS YET!) But will come! I will fish the hawkesbury more than one every two years from now one! Rods for spin would be saltiga 70s A-Rounder Dorado and Daiwa AND My fav Grandwave-X 7912FS 7"9.
Jigging I have upgraded to a 15-24KGS Rapala Braid Concept bc581 JSH 5'8.
For My Best Fun in fishing. Popping on reefs. QLD and WA. (No use so far in SYDNEY) But I use Now a Saltiga DOGFIGHT. If you can spare the money and time book a reef Boat either at Christmas Island or Cairns and go out for a week with this reel. Sometimes better than sex popping with this baby. I am looking forward to Hitting some tuna this season with it also. For NSW east Coast I have always used a stella 10000 for years now and will always have it with me for awesome fun (KRIS I AGREE) It is getting on now but as good as the first day it came out of the Box! With a Daiwa Saltist SA-B70MHS 7" . Great Tuna Destroyer for standing up!

OH Game. Well I don't have the experience as most guys here but 3 Rods in Sydney PENN Steel Tip Pro5'6 stand up 15kg. And a Shimano TCurve Tyrnos Medium10-15kg.Now this rod is really good if ones Back is not strong or your you have a dodgie Hamy, It just has a softer tip which helps the pain. And a 24kg Nitro Coffin utility game 6" ft rod. (I like the Nitros as the weight is So light!
Reels with these are 30 Tyrnos with 80lb braid nitlon. Shimano Tiagra 50 with 80lb mono, and Okuma titus Gold 50 with 60lb mono.

8) LARGE LAND BASED fishing. Well I use my 25tld with the ANCHOR! Live Fibre RLF28 9'0 15-24KG 1 PIECE With the Game roller Tip. This is a Tank! If properly used it will remove the finger prints! I have 3 kings so far and 1 mack tuna (9kg) But thats ok as I have only had it 2 years with limited use. But I will go to port stephens this summer more often

I have no dislikes of any of my gear. Only gripe when I fish with Braid on the back of a jetski i WILL never again Forget a knife! all of my gear went to Great Keppel after a Mako Decided to take my bait...With a SHIMANO/Penn SET UP!! Very expensive day! I have learn"t the hard way!

The other 10 reels and 10 rods are now for the mates,, they can fight over the ABU'S and stuff when they come with me!!

Yes I am short of cash but very happy on the water! NO regrets.
But I have ordered a custom Jig stick this season which I hope will be ready before December!!!!

[storms72]

Kris/Stef-can the title of this thread be changed to Rods/Reels you own.

As all brands are now being covered I'v got a little more to add.....

My kids all have basic set-ups.

Bart Simpson combo: Little fellas set-up. Ball bearing reel, drag actually works, top little set-up for the junior angler and it works well has accounted for bream, flounder, catfish and whiting down south and up at Yamba.

Outer mark spin + Jarvis Walker scorpion reel, my older girls combo-works fine and has accounter for squid, bream and flathead.

Penn silver series combo, my younger girls rod, my favourite too....very light awesome quality for under $100....has taken many taylor and makerel off the rocks, also taken bream, flathead, whiting and a stingray which my little girl had trouble with but got it in.

Diawa 7ft boat/spin solid rod, has worked great for years mainly used off the rocks with many salmon, trevs, taylor and makerel battles top rod.

Ugly stik-boat rod 10-15kg, works fine very light, cheap but does the job.

viva 9ft graphite awesome spinning rod, light but very strong.

Diawa baitcast combo-carbon/kevlar and procaster reel...best bait catching combo, good for trev's too.

Jarvis Walker beach rod-Taylor taker, modified butt for longer casts, 4.3m long, very heavy but top rod for rocks, solid.

Silstar BF601BRHR, roller tip 10-15kg rod, yet to be used but looking forward to it.

Silstar spinning reel-favourite reel for rocks-50lb braid, have caught too many fish on this reel with JW rod, top drag, very smooth, recently overhauled after 6yrs of hard work and is like new again.

Diawa A4000 reel, cheap but did the job fine for many years-dust collector now.

Okuma Eclipse EZ90-caught a shark on it a few weeks back, drag seems pretty good, weight is ok, quite smooth but not great balance-has small wobble.

Thats it for my gear, yeah pretty average stuff but it works and suits me fine.

[sydfish]

Guys it is great to know I am not the only one afflicted. We should change this thread to '"Çonfessions of a Tackle Junkie" I have enjoyed every one. I know I am sick and crazy. But I need more. To see each confession is giving me absolution. This thread is possibly the best thread this forum has seen. Sydney Fish Finder will give absolution to all of those that have transgressed with their collections. The more brothers we find out there who have not come clean, it is time. Halleuya.

[xtosea]

hmm all this talk of tackle!
Well i only have one rod and it has never been used to catch fish!:confused2:
Kamil

[quintrex101]

i put mine up later, can i add photos :headbang: :headbang: :rolling laughter:

[JOC00L]

OH GOD NOOOOOO!!!!

Now you want me to list ALL of my tackle...not just Shimano???:ranting2: :ranting2:

Actually...I should do a stocktake so I know what I actually have.:rolling laughter:

[storms72]

Yeah this is looking pretty good this thread....Only one thing I can recommend to anyone is never, I mean never-ever-never part with your gear....

I moved from Terrigal to Bowral and sold everything except for 1 spinning combo and 1 7ft for boat/beach/rocks....stupid moove....will take me at least 10yrs to catch up on the gear I no longer have. I am very happy though as You guys have advised on some good stuff to buy and your opinions have helped me start rebuilding my collection with rods/reels that will last me many years!

Cheers
Jason

[thehairynurse]

well my collection is downright pilfey in comparison to others, but then i can only hold one rod at a time.
12ft beach with 650 alvey runningn 8kg lo stretch platypus- for everything off beach be it bream or slamon, tailor and one day a jew as well i hope- just alter the trace to suit species
7ft viva gold 15kg with 6500 shimano btr 30lb finns braid for heavy harbour and bay/ hacking work- bought for jews but have only caught port jackson sharks so far- biggest was around 4ft
7ft cantana with 4500btr 8kg low strecth, for lighter boat work which hasnt been put to use but the 4500 also matches nicely to a 9ft shimano spinnig rod which i use on the beach as well as the 6500 btr - reel depends on what im targeting and the beach if off bundeena its the 4500 for salmon, tailor, if ocaen the 6500for jew.
6'6'' shimano nexave with an old aerocast 3500 with 8lb spiderwire. not sure on line class of rod as its not marked or braid size as i got it over 10yr ago and it was on a baitcaster which i have since discarded. the bloke in the shop said the rod would doup to 5-6kg but i think 4k is stretchn it. it has accounted for heaps of bream, flatties (biggest going a metre) and whitting. also use it for squidding .
also have a 6ft shimano rated from 12 to 20lb ( bought long time ago) which i have a second hand aeros 4000 on it with 12bl line for when travelling and hire a bost in the rivers for the missus to use. and a 6ft barra rod rated to 20lb i think and a old shimano beastmaster that had the baitcaster. both these rods are reeless. thats it, for now anyway.

[sydfish]

Nice and thanks hairy nurse, looks like the most valuable piece of tackle to all sydney fisho's is shaping up to be the baitrunner 6500, most of us have one, and love them. All hail the BTR 6500, should we start the new religion based upon it? maybey a shrine in the form of a massive btr6500????? Do you reckon shimano will sponser it????

[TomMc]

well ill just do the 4 combos i use the most,

1. 7foot berkly dropshot with stradic 2000 spooled with 6lb fireline, this is used for flicking plastics when im bored and for bait fishing for bream, flatties and other bread and butter fish.

2. 5 foot somthin solid glass jarvis walker "toronto" matched with a 9000 sized okuma ecplipz bait runner spooled with i think 30lb, used for bassically everything, normally always have it out with a big weight on it.

3. a 6'3 ugly stick matched with a 6500 sized okuma epix BTR spooled with 20lb line, this is easily my favourite setup and i always have this road with me no matter where im fishing. because the rod has a soft tip i can still get a bit of a fight off smaller flatties and bream.

4. This is a bit of a fun rod and even an eel gives a great fight on this little thing! its a 4 foot topaz river road matched with a 1000 sized shimano sumthin(im not good with names) i use this rod for a bit of fun and a small bream will feel like a good sized fish on this! i even have fun winding up weeds on this thing!

now i need a bit of advice, im upgrading my overhead and looking at the shimano TLD 15-20 size or the Charter speical, i used the charter special on the weekend on centrel coast fishing charters and found it a good reel, but i thought id ask you blokes what would you reacomend?
it would be used for outside fishing for speices like snapper and morrowong and bigger things. also in the hawkesbury and other rivers and lakes for things like jewies and big flatties.
my budgets probabley around $200.

cheers

[sydfish]

Tom the charter has a level wind the tld does not, its up to you. I prefer a level wind on the wider overheads when using braid because one day while leveling the line with my finger a fish hit and I got a nasty braid burn/cut on my finger. Then again I am a bit accident prone.Both the reels have passed the test of time with fishos everywhere. The tld would be a better choice for mono though.

[quintrex101]

tom, the charter would be a good reel for you, it is light and strong, i got one, very happy with it, i got 21 lb braid on it, it is great reel, the level wind is good too.

good luck with wat ever you get :beerchug: :ohhh yeah: :luck:

[TomMc]

well most likley i would be using mono,
but a with the tld what do you have to do to keep it on level?
if i dont no what im doing would it be easier going the charter speical??
also what pound line should i use on it? i want to be able to stand a chance with fish that run straight into structure?
any help would be great!

[sydfish]

Mate the tld you use your finger. The charter will also be great with the mono, 20lb will be fine for most things, get a thin one if possible, there are heaps on the markety and ben should sort you with the best one for the job. If it is your first overhead the charter will get you going with confidence.

[TomMc]

ok i might stop in at windsor this week and have a look, my birthdays coming up in october and mum still hasnt got me anything at all so its a good chance it will happen but i will have one by the end of the year!

[thehairynurse]

tom, braid is more likely to break if around structure due to it having less abrasion resistance than mono. but then a long leader may be enough to solve this problemif your fishing from a boat, not so much from the shore/ rocks where your pulling the fish into structure. there are a bazillion different choices in mono, but go with a reputable brand, this means money, and i like platypus simply cause its aussie made, if not platil is good to. reels in the 200mark can get you a lot, my mate i fish with for jews uses an old penn 330 with 40lb mono and he hooks up more than me and has more in the bag than me, and i think it came with a rod for less than 200 at kamrt, not sure thou. look in tackle shops forums like this is a good start. also if you get one without the level wind they can be easier to cast of the rocks to pelagics- im thinking of the diawa sl30h i think it is, also known as the sloshie. hope this helps.

[TomMc]

cheers hairy!
mate i totally agree about platypus! ive got it on a couple of other reels and love it! after a year it still doesnt curl up as easily as other lines. i fish off a boat anyways and already have a rod for it to go on.
i have an okuma over head but i dont really like it, it doesnt feel smooth and it has star drag which i dont really like.

[quintrex101]

Hey tom, here are a few photos of my one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :hellyeah:

1602


1603

[TomMc]

nice combo you have there daniel!

[Gone_Wishin]

Ok I have.....

2 Charter Specials on 8-10kg Beast Master rods
1 Calcutta 400 (on a ugly stik)
1 Bantam Baitcaster with 'Fightin star drag' an a Shimano Spectrum baitcaster rod
1 T-Curve deep jig 200 (with Okuma Salina 80 reel)

That's not all my tackle I don't want to list everything in case my wife see's this post, Oh wait she might read this! damn I better stop now.

When I die I hope my wife dosen't sell my gear for the price I told her I paid for it!

[TomMc]

i made my descion and got a TLD 20, i matched it up to 30lb platypus mono line.
just finished spooling it, feels great on the rod i matched it up to.
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

[Dog Catcher]

Wise choice going with the mono TomMc !

Just my personal niew think to many peeps have gone Loopy Da Loop with Braid.

I do use it but only on my 2, 3 & 6 kg spin sticks think it's a bastard of a line to baitfish with tangles to easy.

[simon simon]

Currently I have the following.

Shimano Starlo Stix SSH 11' with Sedona 6000FB
Shimano Nexave 7' (2-4kg)with Sedona 1500FB
Shimano Grand Tournament Series 7' (6-10kg) with JHX6000F
Butterworth Barra Surpreme 8' (6-10kg), have just thrown out the old jarvis walker reel

Also a one piece 6-10kg rod somewhere at my parents but need to find a Left Hand wind reel to match it, it's hardly been used since I bought it in the early 90's.

have miss placed an old 6'6" Shakespeare rod.

I think I have an old IX1500 reel somewhere as well, I bought it when I was a member of the Shimano Junior Fishing club many years ago.

I think that's all....

[Mr Potato Head]

Just my favourites!!

Viva Ballet, Viva Supreme RAP2, 3kg Spin
Browning TB BTR, waiting on new viva rod ;) , 3kg Bait
(Have not yet used the 2 following as they are a new purchase which i bought after using similar gear...
I cant wait to get out and use it though....)

Sedona 4000, Uglystick Stick Exceed 6kg Spin/Bait
(Basically fills in the middle if i need a heavier spin rod. Its also 2 peice which generally i dont like but wanted somthing i could break apart for travelling that would cover a wide range of jobs)

BTR4500, Crystal Blue, 10kg (this is a great allround general setup and is always with me)

Tiagra 20, Backbone Elite Rollered, 10kg... Everyone loves a tiagra....My X used to call it my Viagra... No idea why!!

After some advice from people like the dog catcher and wasting braid from air knots and it being a general pain in the ass ive gotten away from it and only have a spare spool of it for one of my 3 + 6kg rigs... So mono mostly for me!

Looking at getting a good baitcaster for some 20lb for chasing natives in the scrub... not sure what yet..

Also would like a heavy outfit for offshore, some 50lb braid, maybe a spinfisher or a btr6500... not sure either...

Will never get sick of buying fishing tackle... just sick of the cost!!!

[TomMc]

Just thought id bring this post back up since there has been alot more members join since the last post in it...
Be great for people to update there lists or for people to post some new ones!!

[catchnrelease]

My collection is pretty modest. I have 2 bream combo's (one doubles as a light king rod) and looking to make that 3 by around christmas time. My third will be dedicated to LB breaming only. I also have a spare Black Diamond rod that doesn't have a reel or get used anymore. I'm umming and arring as to whether to buy it a reel. I have 1 beach/rock outfit but it's pretty heavy and a rebuild of a lighter stick is on my to-do list. I have a 30lb jigging or general heavy outfit. I also have a 20lb stick mainly used for casting lures at kings, but the rod needs to be upgraded and the reel is starting to suffer but the drag's still good which is what's important. I also have two other older rods that I never use but the rest of the family uses when they just wanna soak a little bit of bait.

On top of that I have well over 1k worth in bream lures, but that's nothing compared to other guys. :lol:

[KingsRule]

Gimmie a couple of weeks and i should be able to post up a picture of the season's arsenal. :smiile:

heres what i have so far

Reels:

Caldia Kix 2500
Certate 2500
Sustain 2500
Penn powerspin 2000
Symetre 4000
Stradic 8000
Btr 4500 x2
Okuma eclipz ez60
TLD 25
Saltist 30T
Spheros 14000

And soon to be and Avet MXL and possibly a Sol 4000

Rods:

Starlo Stix Shorespin 9'
Penn big game surf
Wilson Supergraph FSU5120C ..aka telegraph pole
Silstar crystal tips x3
Strudwic Sic stick
Berkly dropshot x2
Taipan overhead 5'6
Daiwa advantage x2
Shimano Beastmaster

In the comming weeks , livefibre M10, hopefully livefibre ZWS70MJ and maybe a T curve bluewater spin 15-24kg.

[imnotafish]

u r a junkie alright rob!!!! :1yikes: