daiwa 2004 with very good braid, e.g SAS braid maybe varivas

 What weight lures ? My light barra combo is a chronarch ci4  with 12lb castaway sunline and we throw 7g poppers all day!!

Hi guys, I guess most whiting poppers are only about 3 grams.  I also will use this reel for casting lures at trout in NZ.

I have heard of  "aero wrap oscillation, cross wrap, twist buster" and terms like that.  Does it make much difference to cast distance having these fancy wraps?????

daiwa caldia 2506 or daiwa certate 2000 or 2004 are very good for casting light lures also it comes down to the right braid also for distance eg fireline very stiff wont cast far but if you go an expensive Japanese braid eg seabass or most daiwa light lines wich are 8 ply and wax coated will cast very well.

Also a lot comes down to the rod like the daiwa generation blacks or shimano t curves are very good for casting light stuff depends on budget also I use a yamaga 1-6g casting rod with the micro guides and can cast unweighted lures and baits a fair distance still without to much effort but at $440 not cheap also daiwa have the ags rods now with carbon fibre guides in micro size and these are very very good for casting light stuff but at around $550 are pricey but I say are worth it.
Hope all this helps mate good luck

Thanks flatty, what about shimano reels? Anyone?  I'm off to Sydney tomorrow, NZ on Friday

i use shimano for my heavy gear but love daiwa for there finesse for lighter applications.
But i have used shimano technium and saros reels and cant fault them but a lot of people do rate the c14+ stradics for light applications and i have seen them cast a fair distance with light weights on also as a few mates use them and cant fault them.
That would be my first option for a light shimano reel in either 1000-2500 size plus the new c14+ has most of shimanos new technology.

go get a shimano aernos great little reels.

As long as the reel has good line lay and  taper, the rod used would be of more importance in my book. That being said, 2000-2500 size daiwas are my preference.

I have 3 rods which will be used in different situations.  Travel rod for NZ, light 8 foot graphite 1 piece for the light poppers and a catana for squidding

Shimano Curado are great light bait casting reels, I have 2 and love them, they cast weightless soft plastics a mile.

I use Daiwa Aird 2000 matched with daiwa gen black drunknmonkey. Ideal for lures like ur berkley pop/scum/sub dogs and atomic hardz. Don't see the point on lashing out on a reel .

 Pfluegger patriarch 9525 (bout the same size as most 1000 size reels), not just the reel that is important. It's the rod and the line that give you more distance, I've been using 4lb fireline exceed, was one of the thinnest 4lb lines I could find. From memory it was .07mm, rod length and quality is the key. Have used sed reel on a few different rods, from $100 7' 2-4kg, $200 6'2" 1-3kg and recently got a Abu vanguard 6'10" 1-3kg ($400 as part of the AFTA sale, usually more), has added at least 3-4m a cast on previous rods.

 Using 3gm surface lures

 cant go past a 2500 rarenium, comes with 2 spools and i think they are that much better than a stradic

 I went in the other day to buy a whiting rod and reel for when I was in Perth! Ended up walking out with a Stella 4000! Not much good for whiting but should have some fun with it!

 I don't pop for whiting ( yet) but use a 750 size shimano and a 500 size daiwa for stick baits in the fresh chasing tarpon and small barra, great fun but hard to get size reels in oz

Yewie

750 size shimano?! Never seen that, must be tiny

 Check out the shimano technium fd. I got the 2500 it's pretty good and affordable. Smooth drag plus spare spool when you buy it.  

You could go the likes of a stradic 1000 (what I use here in perth) but I think you would be better off using a 2000or 2500 size reel for what you are going to do. You will get slightly more casting distance & will have faster line retrieve. That means a little less fatigue when working those poppers & gives you half a chance of keeping your line tight when a bruiser trout charges downstream at you with your lure hanging out it's gob. I'm a shimano fan so I will recommend thier stuff all day to anyone that will listen but honestly a good daiwa should do the job if your a fan of thier gear. Whatever you choose I think you should use the stradic as the base level & work up from there. A cheaper reel would be fine for just the whiting but those kiwi trout don't usually play fair & a good drag is an absolute must.

As you know I have moved back from Kcity to Mandurah.

And like you had no light gear for bream and whiting popping (which I am going to give a hot crack at). Since I live on the estuary (almost) at Bouvard (Parkridge) I had to get some light stuff.

So was thinking off a Steez rod and Shimano reel. Settled on the Black label Daiwa rod SSS 641LXS
 and a 2000 Sustain. This combo is perfectly balanced and weight is very light (easpecially compared to Pilbara gear).

Walked the flats chucking little poppers and a stickbait Ecogear Prawn imitation but still a little dirty as far down as Bouvard. No whiting (yet)

However did hook a 29cm Bream and a juvenile snapper??? on the flats and loved the action. The snapper at about 25cm gave it more stick than the bigger bream.

This combo I will also double as a bream combo and also squid if I can be bothered driving to Coburn Sound.

I have changed over the years and prefer Diawa rods, but always Shimano reels. I have 2 Stradic CI4's but not in the 2000 size and love these aswell, but the Sustain is just that bit more smooth (and more $$$)

By the way love the rod and I was thinking of the shorter "finesse" SSS 6011ULXS but distance was a factor.
 

Also since the Sustain is black and so is the rod, it look just cool!!! and the nickname for the combo is "Night stalker"

Back from my holiday now :(

I never had a chance to purchase before I went to NZ.  When I landed, I went straight to Hunting and Fishing shop in Christchurch.  They had a special on Stradic CI4 so I got a 4000 for $299NZ (and he threw in a couple free lures). Motackle sells them for $319AUD.   It will be a bit big for whiting I reckon, so may still need to purchase another reel :)

Anyway. caught my PB brown trout and quite few others.  NZ is awesome for freshwater fishing, and the beer is very cheap. :)

thanks for your suggestions

Sorry pale ale im late to the party but i use a rarenium 2500 with 4lb fireline and an Azusa 1-3kg rod for my estuary work.

Light enough to cast those little lures all day and strong enough to handle the occasional decent tailor that comes along. Would buy exactly the same again if i had my choice over.

Not too late wookiee!  I am still going to buy a smaller reel.  Thanks for your input!

 I love my little Aernos 2500!!! 

Beautiful little reel and comes with spare spool also..

check em out as they should definitely  be apart of your final list