This is my first post here so please take it easy on me

I have a few questions about getting started in rock/shore based soft baiting...

What is an ideal length rod?

What weight line to use?

Any suggestions on a reasonable rock soft baiting Rod and reel combo would be appreciated

What baits should I start with? (selection)

What other kit will I need?

I have done a bit of fishing in the past from dry fly to salt water fly, surfcasting to land based game and the usual pot fishing, however have been with dry lines for the last few years and want to get back into it, soft baiting looks like a great place for me to start off with but keep on getting conflicting advice from all the different shops as to what gear to get.

Any advice appreciated

(I have started a new thread rather than drag up any old ones from the graveyard)

Also anyone else doing shore based soft baiting in the Tauranga area?

Soft-bait fishing can be a bit tricky just off the shore in Tauranga (IN MY OPINION). 

There just aren't too many good drop offs. That's not to say that they won't produce fish as a lot of places will. But you won't find places that will be specific to that type of fishing. 

Locations: 

Leisure Island -  is an oldie but a goodie. Produces Kahawai quite regularly and at this time of the year, some good ocean kahawai will be present. Same with rat kings. Also, some John Dory like to hang about leisure island on occasion so they're always fun to target. 

Sailsbury wharf - gets hammered from time to time, but is a good place for sprats, the odd kahawi, and the odd Dory too. 

Bridge Marina - here also sprats, and rat kings. During the summer months small trevally will start to show up too which can be fun on Ultra-light tackle (1-3lb or 2-4lb range). 

The Mount - believe it or not, off the base of the Mount, on either side is not too bad for fishing. Near the Maori warrior statue you can quite often grab a Kahawai or two. 

The Tauranga expert on all things fishing here is Uncle, so he might come on here and give you some words of wisdom. Listen wisely, he knows his stuff.  There's also the Tauranga Land-Based club on facebook. Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/TGA-Land-Based-Fishing/1441939359420410" rel="nofollow - http://www.facebook.com/pages/TGA-Land-Based-Fishing/1441939359420410

Best of luck mate, 

Hope to see you around. I'm the Korean dude who often wears a blue Daiwa shirt when out fishing. I'll be at the marina quite often grabbing some sprats for snapper bait. 

as far as a rod goes - what would you consider to be max length for a boat rod and minimum length for a rock rod? - maybe I can compromise in the middle somewhere and get one to suit both.

My reason for getting into soft baiting mainly is to get fish with lightish tackle as I love a good scrap, one for the pan is a bonus, the main species I want to target is both dory and eagle rays as well as others.

Trying to choose a good rod is proving difficult due to just about every store recommends a different brand from kilwell to diawa and from offshore to shimano.... and nearly each one saying bad things about the others lol

I just don't want to end up with a lemon.

http://www.daiwa.co.nz/products/dafopn355/title/daiwa-rod-dxs-862-mfs-8ft6-spin

Also use it for micro jigs and other small lures for catching livies. Been pretty good so far and I've found it ok to use off the boat too. Paid $300 for the combo

Hey mate, 

Like the others have said a softbait rod is usually in the 7ft range and can be used for all sorts of applications. I use my softbait rod as my go to rod and it is used for things like straylining off the boat, softbaiting, and I even use it off the rocks from time to time.  This rod is an old T-Curve in 5-10kg weight range. This weight range lets me softbait using both light and heavy jig heads, and also gives me some leverage on those bigger and tougher fighting fish. I also have a 1-3kg, and a  3-6kg model however it is difficult to throw the heavier lures out there and the rod does not respond as well given its typically slower/softer action when using heavier weights. 

The fight you will get from a john dory and an eagle ray are going to be very different to say the least. They have different power capabilities and if you're not prepared with the right tackle, it may become a little challenging (not impossible but challenging). I have taken many a good fish on my old trusty 5-10kg model including snapper up to 23lbs and 15+kg kings, however, I would find it extremely difficult to do the same with my 3-6kg model. 

In my personal opinion, what matters more than the brand of the rod is the weight class of the rod. From this, I believe that you can draw upon the functions of the rod and judge its versatility. There are other things that play a part of course such as blank material (typically graphite, nano, carbon, or carbon infused in softbaiting rods), but FOR ME, the most important thing is having the right tool for the right job. Chasing Johnnies in the harbour = 3-6kg any day (given a lack of need for heavy weights). Chasing bigger deeper water fish then the 5-10kg class. 

I have a whole bunch of rods from different brands in different weight classes. I use my shimano T-curve 5-10kg rod a lot, but have recently changed to the Daiwa nano rods just for its very fast/stiff action whihc i find good for softbaiting as action is imparted very directly, and the lightness of the rod itself which makes casting and working the lure very easy on the wrist. 

Hope that helps, 

have narrowed things down to either shimano or daiwa probably will stick to between 7 - 8 footer allowing me to get more versatility out of the rod

as for the reel tossing up between daiwa aird or lexa and shimano stradic ci4 or the likes with 5 to 6 kg fireline.

Edit:

must suss out if you can get spare spools for the stradic 4000 ci4 plus