New Rig For Bream/flathead

[airofu]

Haven't been fishing for a while but deciding to get a new setup, just wondering if I am on the right track. Just fishing saltwater lake shore/jetty and looking at mainly bream but also keen on flathead, been playing around and quite like soft plastics Zman Grubz etc.

Looking at going lighter this time as that seems better suited for Bream on plastics? Something like the Shimano Catana 7" Xtra Light 1-3kg rod and Shimano Sienna 1000 reel combo, will this be ok with heavier flathead also? The next jump is the Shimano Catana 2-4kg rod and Sienna 2500 reel combo

Also looking at around 4lb braid and have some 6lbs fluorocarbon leader already (shoulder leader be heavier or lighter?) Is this light enough for bream but can handle flathead also on soft plastics?

[Drop Bear]

Hey Airofu,

That rig is perfect for bream but would be under gunned if you pick up a nice flathead. 

I would use 10lb as a minimum for flathead. There are many on here that might say go lighter but after loosing too many Flathead on 6lb line I have upped it a bit. 

The rod and reel are fine. I like the 1000s as they are so nice and light and easy to cast. They hold enough line for estuary fish but you may need to respool from time to time if you loose a bit. 

Let us know how you go

 

[ellicat]

Agree with @Drop Bear on the line size. Also the 1-3kg rod will be fine for breaming but may be a bit of a noodle should you get a larger flathead near the 60+ size and above.

[airofu]

Thanks, will go the lighter rod and reel and see how I go

[Brodie_S]

No 6lb leader is fine it’s all about how you play the fish I’ve only ever used 6lb fluorocarbon and light braid for flathead it’s fine and yes the combo’s sound fine . A basic rule of thumb is to point you rod tip low to ground when you hook a big flathead so it doesn’t rub against the teeth and you should be fine if I hooked 80cm flathead in mostly snag free water in the roof of the mouth I would be confident I would land it on 1-3kg rod 1000 reel with 6lb braid and 6 leader maybe even lighter . So in combination of watching you’re line and staying in contact with you’re lure and by pointing you’re rod tip down when you hook flatties you should be fine . I’ve even heard of people catching big flathead with 4lb leader it’s more about how stay in contact with your lure so soon as you get a bite you the set the hook before it swallows the lure. Bait fishing for flatties is a different story you want atleast 10-20lb leader 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

G'day airofu

I would say the Shimano Sienna 1000 would be a good option. You could spool it with 8lb braid, or if you think that is a bit too heavy maybe invest in the 2500. It will be fine for the type of bream fishing you're doing, and remember you can also always tie a lighter leader to a heavier mainline. I personally would go with the 1000 and 8lb braid, but you may prefer a 2500 with ten pound braid. The reason I recommend you going a bit heavier is that if you do hook a good lizard you will either get busted off, or have to hope it doesn't rub you off. In my experience flatties will gobble down baits and lures right down their gobs, and you will not want a six pound leader if this happens. 

So overall for bream fishing, you can just go nice and light but you may want to invest in something heavier if only targeting flatties (and remember you won't just have to target bream, you can catch whiting, flounder, etc on the lighter/heavier rod).

Cheers Hamish  

[Brodie_S]

2 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

G'day airofu

I would say the Shimano Sienna 1000 would be a good option. You could spool it with 8lb braid, or if you think that is a bit too heavy maybe invest in the 2500. It will be fine for the type of bream fishing you're doing, and remember you can also always tie a lighter leader to a heavier mainline. I personally would go with the 1000 and 8lb braid, but you may prefer a 2500 with ten pound braid. The reason I recommend you going a bit heavier is that if you do hook a good lizard you will either get busted off, or have to hope it doesn't rub you off. In my experience flatties will gobble down baits and lures right down their gobs, and you will not want a six pound leader if this happens. 

So overall for bream fishing, you can just go nice and light but you may want to invest in something heavier if only targeting flatties (and remember you won't just have to target bream, you can catch whiting, flounder, etc on the lighter/heavier rod).

Cheers Hamish  

To avoid the flathead swallowing the lure all you have to do is stay in contact with your line and soon as it hits bottom .reel in a bit so they don’t swallow it and you get a perfect hook set all the time. I don’t understand why More people don’t do this it works pretty well for me and I’ve even seen people landing decent flatties on 4lb leader . I can understand if you’re bait fishing definitely use heavier leader but for soft plastics I’ve only ever had 1 flathead swallow one down I always hook them in the corner of the mouth or in the roof?? hope that helps Hamish I hate getting busted off and can understand why you would want heavier leader but for me in I always focus on The line I always seem to hook them no problem even when social fishing and I rarely have to retire a lure because of damaged line From flatheads sharp teeth . If you are fishing near Heavy structure i would use 8 or 10lb leader  though but for medium to minimal structure 6lb leader has been fine for me . Good advice nevertheless though if you hook a flathead around a metre you definitely want a heavier gear and it’s probably a good option for airofu  to

[airofu]

Thanks for the feedback, I had some heavier mono and 6lbs leader and pretty sure I had a decent flatty but yanked it too vertical near the end losing it at the soft plastic/leader end.....so does leader need to be lighter or heavier than the main braid, or can it go either way from what I have been reading? What would be a good combo of braid/leader that is light enough for Bream but maybe a bit extra for flathead just in case?

 

 

[Do$tylz]

"so does leader need to be lighter or heavier than the main braid"

It can go either way. It all comes down to the fishing you are doing at the time and the gear you are using.

Specifically for your use case, I would look for 6/8lb main line (braid) and get 2 spools of leader (6lb/12lb) so you can swap out for bream vs flathead (or in heavier cover/rough ground).

Don't think 6lb on flatties is a good idea. It can be done- but it's not a good idea. Even 12 is light on anything over 60cm.

Also - get good at tying the slimmest knot possible between your mainline and leader. 1-3kg rods generally have small guides and if your leader knot is knocking the guides on a cast, you are up for lots of tip wraps and line knots. This will be particularly painful if going 6lb main to 12lb leader and even worse when it's windy and you are casting against or sideways to the wind.

[airofu]

Thanks sounds good, might go some 6lbs braid to match my 6lbs leader for bream  and get some 10/12lbs leader for flathead/worse conditions.

What's some recommended 6lb braid? I'm reading about PE size also I'm guessing the smaller the better also?

Also if I wanted to use this 1-3kg rod 1000 reel setup in the surf with soft plastics, would be doable? What braid/leader should I look at for this? 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

On 20/10/2020 at 4:38 PM, airofu said:

Thanks sounds good, might go some 6lbs braid to match my 6lbs leader for bream  and get some 10/12lbs leader for flathead/worse conditions.

What's some recommended 6lb braid? I'm reading about PE size also I'm guessing the smaller the better also?

Also if I wanted to use this 1-3kg rod 1000 reel setup in the surf with soft plastics, would be doable? What braid/leader should I look at for this? 

Hi airofu

That sounds like a good set up. If you get busted off on flatties you can always tie on an even heavier leader, i.e. 20lb. The smaller the PE the thinner the line I believe...

Normally in the surf you use mono line, as it has more stretch, but I have used braid and mono in the surf. Fishing light in the surf with soft plastics is a viable way to catch fish - I use a similar combo when I go to the beach so that should be fine.

If you look back at some Stradbroke Island reports from a member called Angus, he does a bit of that sort of fishing  

Cheers Hamish

[airofu]

Thanks all for the replies been a big help!

[Brodie_S]

Yep a FG knot is good thin and strong in my opinion it is easier to tie then a double uni but that depents on the person .and yes 1000 reels match well with 1-3kg rods .as for flathead if you’re targeting them with lures 3 inches and over I would use atleast 10lb leader but 12lb leader will handle  flathead fine even flathead around a metre long also mono is usually more abrasion resistance then fluorocarbon but it depends for example asso fluorocarbon is the most abrasion resistance line I’ve ever used it’s a fluorocarbon got it at a local shop for $10 is thin like most fluorocarbon but is quite stiff and hard but retail price is $30 I think their $10 so more people buy them I love using the 6lb asso if you can find it it’s good stuff and would recommend buying it it’s more abrasion resistance then FC rock . Just don’t spool it on a reel it has crazy memory a length of 10 foot is all you need for a leader . And the braids I recommend is daiwa j braid x8 $35 for 150m or daiwa j braid x4 $25 for 150m both a great choices the x4 isn’t as smooth and the colour fades quickly that’s the only difference I’ve found using both . And atm Im testing Gliss and after using it for around 3-4 months I will be able to get a solid opinion on it atm is great but time will tell

[Do$tylz]

On 20/10/2020 at 4:38 PM, airofu said:

Thanks sounds good, might go some 6lbs braid to match my 6lbs leader for bream  and get some 10/12lbs leader for flathead/worse conditions.

What's some recommended 6lb braid? I'm reading about PE size also I'm guessing the smaller the better also?

Also if I wanted to use this 1-3kg rod 1000 reel setup in the surf with soft plastics, would be doable? What braid/leader should I look at for this? 

I've been out of the fishing game for a few years so haven't kept up with the latest and greatest braid but in terms of a standard - don't bother with berkley fireline (do they even sell that anymore?) Sunline and Unitika  (brands) used to be pretty common, easy to find and generally good. PE is the rating for the diameter of your line. Thinner isn't always better - for the older gents that might not have 20/20 vision, thin line can become a pain to work with so keep that in mind. I will usually go thin, but I've played with some of the crazy thin 4lb line available these days and it's just too thin for my needs. I also find that if the main line is too thin compared to the leader, it's easier for the leader knot to break. The thin line can cut through the leader.

You can use that set up in the surf, but it will be difficult. Your average 1-3kg rod will be 7ft with some getting to 7'6. Not generally long enough to get a big long cast out but it can be done. Casting into close channels or off rocks is totally possible and done quite a lot.

Use the same braid/leader. No need to change. Unless you are throwing slugs at tailor... then just tie another 15cm of 25lb leader at the end to reduce snip offs. Unless tying a PR or FG knot, don't bother tying on 25lb leader as your only leader. It will knock on the way out on a cast and you will get windknots, poor casting distance and general frustration.