whats the story with taking all your fishing gear to the islands, (vanuatu)

Yer thought that might of been the case. cheers  

Yes, you are not allowed anything with hooks or line (they will even take reels off you in Brisbane, as you can use the line to tie up the aircrew, what tossers, like 6lb line is worse than your average....say....belt?). You should get away with stickbaits without hooks though. Just not long jigs, they get very antsy about long slabs of metal.
Taking rods along as well? If so, pre-book the rod tube as a spare item of luggage. They do not do the Sporting Goods allowance any more, and they charge you for each ITEM you put in the plane. Use to be that rod tubes were free if your total was within your 23kg allowed weight... no more.
This does mean though that by pre-booking (and paying your...$55 or whatever) you get to have as much weight in your rod tube as you want up to another 23kgs. So just bung all you stickbaits in there with the rods, and the jigs etc etc.
If there are a couple of you traveling, tape two rod tubes together to make it just the one item as well.

I wouldn't like to press your luck. I doubt airlines vary much in these matters, and standing at the check in counter is a very bad place to find it out.
Virgin/pac Blue are like this, Air NZ too. Qantas are and always have been sods when it comes to baggage....
It is like $55 to book an extra item of luggage up to 23kg. If you do not book it, you will be hit for....I think excess baggage weights for every kilo of that extra item. On a 4kg rod tube to Aussie, that was $80! Way cheaper AND easier to simply book the extra bag, then you can cram it full of stuff as well, just in case your luggage is getting a bit close to weight (like mine always is) If you wrap them well, you can then pop really heavy stuff, like jigs, into your rod tube as well, as long as they do not crunch your rods.... gives you a spare 23kg of fishing gear you can take with you! ;-) hell that is nigh on another 60 jigs, and in Vanuatu you will need them! :-)

Last time I went overseas, April 2012, to Tahiti I was not charged for the rod tube.