New surf combo?

Hey guys, I'm looking at getting a new rod and reel for the beach mainly for chasing Tailor and Mulloway ect, closest I have at the moment is my 9ft Shimano Shore spin, but I want something bigger and I don't have a reel to even match that rod at the moment.

I was debating on whether I should go for the 10ft 6" Shimano rod, I had a feel of it in the shop and I really like the look and feel of it, obviously it's pretty much exactly like my 9ft rod except bigger.. but now I'm thinking that won't be big enough.. The thing is I'm not a big fan of super heavy gear, pretty much any type of fishing I do I try to go as light as possible because it's just more fun for me and I'm pretty unfit so casting heavy gear all day really gets me knackered.. :P 

Anyway my budget is around $300 max for both a rod and a reel. I was looking at the Penn Spinfisher SSM reels, they seem pretty nice but I'm not familiar with the sizes ect and I don't have any nearby tackle shops to go have a look at em.. I really want the reel and rod to match perfectly in terms of size and balance ect. What's the Ugly Stick Gold 12ft like? (5-10kg) or what about the Wilson Australian Series MT Surf (12ft, 10-12kg) I really have no clue what to look what, that's why I need your help. :(

 

I appreciate any suggestions, if you want to ask any questions I'll be around, thanks for reading.


Snags's picture

Posts: 558

Date Joined: 07/05/09

If you like shimano, try the

Thu, 2012-01-26 22:26

If you like shimano, try the aerowaves. They come in graphite, f'glass and composite and well within your budget.

Posts: 356

Date Joined: 13/10/10

 Have you looked at the Penn

Thu, 2012-01-26 22:30

 Have you looked at the Penn Spinfisher big game surfs, match well with the ssm's, up to 6oz cast and 15kg line, had an 10ft with an 850 on it and it could take some punishment from decent fish and the combo should come in under your $300 if you shop around the local stores. Sure they do an 11ft 6in in that model aswell. Also got an Aerowave composite, again with a ssm should come under your budget.  Hope this helps,          Paul.

Posts: 256

Date Joined: 25/12/10

cant beat the rovex aureus 12

Fri, 2012-01-27 01:42

cant beat the rovex aureus 12 bigger bro of the penn, reel try and grab good 2nd hand 8000 shimano from here

Posts: 20

Date Joined: 06/01/12

Reply

Fri, 2012-01-27 21:12

Thanks for the suggestions, I like all those rods, especially the Penn Spinfisher Big Game. I'm not sure wether to go 11' or 12', and which size Penn SSM to go with either of those sizes? 650, 750, 850 ect. What size line is the normal for beach fishing if you're targeting Tailor/Aus Salmon and the occasional Mulloway if you're lucky, like 20lb or?

Posts: 356

Date Joined: 13/10/10

 I ran 15kg on the 850, held

Fri, 2012-01-27 21:16

 I ran 15kg on the 850, held a shed load for times when hooked up to rays.

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Date Joined: 23/09/11

 Ive hot the 750 on the 11 ft

Sat, 2012-01-28 08:36

 Ive hot the 750 on the 11 ft penn big game, i tried the 750 and 850 on in the shop and liked the feel of the 750. You should do the same and make your decision off that. I would think the 950 was to big.

 

 

Posts: 20

Date Joined: 06/01/12

Re:

Sat, 2012-01-28 14:34

The 750 doesn't feel too big? My main concern is that I get a reel and it feels too big for the rod. Are the sizes of the SSM in the same size bracket as other reels, IE 650 = 6500, 750 = 7500 ect?

I live really far away from the nearest tackle store so I can't really go down there just to feel out some combos :(

 

Thanks for all the help so far guys.

pembo6's picture

Posts: 175

Date Joined: 21/08/11

 The penn spinfishers are

Sun, 2012-01-29 10:40

 The penn spinfishers are great reels for the price. Will last forever. I find them a bit heavy on a graphite rod though. Throws the balance out. 

For tailor fishing the 750 will b best. The 850 is a little large unless u r using it on a 'set and forget' rod. If u r using it for bigger stuff (sharks, rays) then go the 950. MUCH bigger and will take enough line.

I bought an 850 but I rekon it's too big heavy for spinning and too small for big stuff. 

Cant really recommend a rod in that price range. The ones already mentionrd r ok. Go graphite if possible. A friend of mine has the okuma xfactor 12ft and is very happy. 

 

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Pembo

Posts: 356

Date Joined: 13/10/10

 Theres always the FWA 11ft 6

Sat, 2012-01-28 08:47

 Theres always the FWA 11ft 6 aswell, fair bit stiffer than the others, but if you want to throw bigger baits for mulloway could be worth looking at, reel seats a bit lower than the others which  is nice when fighting decent size fish. Where abouts are you, because if you want to try casting with a couple of those ( aerowave composite and the Fwa) with different size reels, havnt got penns but 8000 to 18000 shimanos should give you an idea.     Paul.

pembo6's picture

Posts: 175

Date Joined: 21/08/11

 That rod is like a

Sun, 2012-01-29 10:41

 That rod is like a broomstick. Wish they made it 13ft   

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Pembo

Posts: 356

Date Joined: 13/10/10

 Yeah, love it, totally agree

Sun, 2012-01-29 11:18

 Yeah, love it, totally agree though, would be nice in 13. Feels like it could cast more than 6oz, but I will let some one else see how it does. Keep meaning to put my gosa on it and see if its ok for sliding!

pembo6's picture

Posts: 175

Date Joined: 21/08/11

 Yeah. That's what I was keen

Sun, 2012-01-29 11:27

 Yeah. That's what I was keen to get it for. Sliding. But it is probably 2 short. Can't find a cheap rod to slide with. Everything that can cast 6oz+ is pretty expensive. 

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Pembo

mulloway_hunter's picture

Posts: 455

Date Joined: 18/04/11

yea for surf fishing dont go

Sun, 2012-01-29 11:34

yea for surf fishing dont go anything less then 12ft if u like fishing on thoes days that your alone on the beach because of big swell and getting a few decent taylor and a schoolie or two :p

Posts: 20

Date Joined: 06/01/12

Rovex Aureus 12" 6-15kgPenn

Mon, 2012-01-30 02:17

Rovex Aureus 12" 6-15kg
Penn Spinfisher SSM 850 (or 750?)

What do you guys reckon about this combo as a general setup for chasing Tailor/Aus Salmon on the beach? And what kind of line would be best suited for this? 25-30lb? what brand? I love braid but I've heard mono is better in the surf..

pembo6's picture

Posts: 175

Date Joined: 21/08/11

Sounds perfect. I would

Mon, 2012-01-30 10:15

Sounds perfect. I would definately go for the spinfisher 750 to keep the weight/size down slightly. I have an 850 and never use it coz its just too large & heavy. especially when throwing baits or lures out at salmon all day long. My 850 only comes out when trying for sharks or rays and I am jsut leaving the rod in a holder waiting for the "big one" to come along.

I always use 20lb braid on my 12ft rod when sinker fishing in metro and south west (tailor & salmon). Might upgrade that if going further north (say Geraldton or further). I find the lighter the line, the better it is to use.

As far a braid goes, if on a budget, go for something like 20lb berkley fireline in a 115ft spool. Never had a wind knot with this stuff. Fill the spinfisher 750 up with 20lb mono backing, then topshot of 115ft 20lb fireline. No tailor or salmon will take 115ft of 20lb line from you. Then whack on a 20lb or 40lb mono leader somewhere between 0.5 & 5m long depending on your preference and fishing location. I have caught loads of big salmon with this sort of setup. Definately dont need anything heavier. Could even go lighter. Probably 50% of my salmon have been caught on 12lb mono or 14lb braid jsut baitcasting. But uf using a medium-heavy sinker, I woud suggest the 20lb line to avoid busting off during a big cast.

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Pembo

Posts: 20

Date Joined: 06/01/12

Re:

Mon, 2012-01-30 20:09

Great thanks, I think I'm going to go with this set up, I wasn't sure what size line to use, got mixed info when searching around but I definately like braid and I use Fireline on my Snapper outfit and my 2 Bream outfits and I absolutely love it, 20lb should be perfect but I'll probably end up getting a 300ft spool just because I don't trust my knot tying very much lol. I hope the 750 still isn't too big for my liking, are the sizes equal to other reels like 650 = 6500, 750 = 7500? because I have a cheap 6000 in my house and it's massive, if the 750 is 7500 it would be huge. :o

Thanks for all your guys help.

pembo6's picture

Posts: 175

Date Joined: 21/08/11

I think the Penn sizes are

Tue, 2012-01-31 16:42

I think the Penn sizes are roughly about the same as the standard sizing. My 850 is a bit larger (and a lot heavier) than my 6000 Pflueger. Try comparing how much line they can hold. That is usually a fair indication as to how large the reel is (although sometimes it just means that the reel has a large or small spool). Obiously you need to compare the same weight line. I think the Penn 750 holds 250 yards of 20lb mono. U can usually get that info from the manufacturers website. They also often show the reel weight in grams.

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Pembo

Posts: 521

Date Joined: 03/04/10

Just to confirm and maybe

Tue, 2012-01-31 20:36

Just to confirm and maybe stop a bt of confusion, the penn spinfisher big game are now marketed as a Rovex Bario. I have one and can't speak highly enough about them, love them to bits. Maybe even a penn slammer, like a spinfisher but they come in a 560 size, probably more suitable for your needs

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 Subway cookie is the best burley

Posts: 356

Date Joined: 13/10/10

 Just to add confusion Rovex

Tue, 2012-01-31 21:44

 Just to add confusion Rovex Bario has been discontinued and the Penn Spinfisher Big Game Surf lives on! Broke 2 Barios on relatively light casts, never felt as strong as the Penn. Bit beside the point really as Jimmy441 has chosen the combo hes buying, and I hope he gets some great fish with it!!

Posts: 256

Date Joined: 25/12/10

penn big game then became

Tue, 2012-01-31 21:53

penn big game then became bario now renamed aureus, big game can still be had in 11ft

Posts: 356

Date Joined: 13/10/10

 Jarvis walker are still

Tue, 2012-01-31 22:20

 Jarvis walker are still importing Penns in 10 and 11ft,in OH and spin, not many stores are stocking them but they are still for sale, just a shame we dont get the penn torque surf rods over here.