1.  How much drag do I want?

 

2.  How much line do I want?

 

In each case, not much for me, because I'm usually <40m depth. 

 

2kg drag, occasionally a bit more; 100m to 150yd braid topshotted over mono so as to fill the spool.

 

I have been taken well into the backing by big snapper hooked in the wash, but have always had plenty to spare, so 2500/STX-20 size is plenty for me.

 

Chasing kingis = more of both, but that having been said my biggest SB kingi at 23kg off the yak was on a Curado 200.  Burnt out the drag but didn't run me out of line.  You get towed around a lot on a kayak, so inshore I don't worry too much about excess line capacity.

 

I do have a 4000 size reel on the launch, but it sure feels unweildy to me these days.

 

Balance means a lot to me, and OHs are harder to get balanced on a set than spin reels, I think. 

 

I don't mind too much about relative weight with spin reels - the size and distance from reel handle to reel seat matters more for me, and the less the better.

 

I snuck a peek at http://www.plat.co.jp/shop/catalog/product_info/language/en/products_id/8124/cPath/21_39_40_1219/saltwater-fishing/daiwa-seagate-light-3500h.html - these and they seem to be getting good wraps overseas and from the Aussie boys, not sure when they will hit our shores or price .

 

 

 

 

I'm inviting disagreement (eg those friends on here who point to so many successful SB fishers who use only spin reels), but my experience has led me to use almost always baitcaster o/hs.  I have some good spinning reels, but they very seldom get used these days - mainly for tuition of others being introduced to SB fishing.

 

I think the baitcasters give you much better balanced set-ups, they are much easier for catching fish on the drop, as noted above, and I believe are much more accurate for casting than spin reels (I reckon my accuracy at 40-50m is about +/-  a metre with my spin reels, +/- a foot with my baitcasters on the same rod blank).  They're also easier to manage a little extra drag with use of a thumb compared with palming a spin reel.

 

Conventional wisdom in the magazines and on TV is spin for wash fishing, o/h for deeper water.   IMHO, bollix.  I use baitcasters everywhere.

To me it's all about balance in the set-up, that is matching the right size reel to rod, using the most suitable braid  for the reel, fluro the right size in relation to the braid and jig head size that is appropriate for the whole set-up.

 Here's a question for you - which of these set-ups casts the longest & most accurate into the wind.

A - 8 to 10 kg rod matched with 1 oz jig head, 20 pd braid & 30 pd fluro. (6 inch gulp)

B - 4 to 6 kg rod, 1/2 oz jig head, 12 pd braid & 25 pd fluro. (5 inch gulp)

C - 2 to 4 kg rod (15 cm longer than standard), 1/6 th oz jig head, 4 pd braid & 10 pd fluro. (3 inch gulp)

 

Typical lawyer's answer: it all depends...

 

eg jerkshads cast differently from paddle tails cast differently from grubs.

 

I personally think that the reels cast differently full stop - I basically flick the rod with a light spin reel, but need a winding-up type cast, in comparison, with an o/h.

 

But if I do a big winding-up type cast with a spin reel, I can cast further into the wind with it than with a similar capacity baitcaster.

 

Just not as accurately.

 

Generally, in the weights you've quoted, I can cast further with the heavier weight, regardless of the line, or the reel - but it depends on the SB that's on it, too.

 Worst set-up for casting - the heavy duty set-up.

 All 3 different set-ups have different size reels (2500, 3000, 4000). Bare minimum mono on spool & top shot with as much braid as will fit. (ends up with very similar amounts on each reel)

 After using the heavy set-up for a hour, going back to the lighter set-ups is bliss!

The 10 pd fluro I'm using is way superior to the 15 pd black magic I previously used. Have also changed to Dual 25 pd fluro (very impressed with this, takes a lot more punishment & ties a stronger knot than other brands I've tried).

 

The fused lines (eg Fireline) on spin reels seem to be easier for people to learn to cast with, but in my experience they fluff up and lose strength quite quickly on baitcasters.  Stephen Tapp has an idea that's because of the radical angle changes when casting (the levelwind shuttle usually doesn't go to and fro during the cast on the little baitcasters), and I wouldn't disagree.

 

Longer rods tend to cast better, regardless of the "newest, brightest and best" hype from every rod assembler when they come out with a new shorter model.  Funny how so often the Mk II version then ends up longer.

 

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