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A Day In The Bay On The Green Machine

Kat

By Kat
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Kat Mentor

Kat

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5 hours ago, Ed. said:

Thanks for the offer Skeaky1 but I rarely make rods anymore as I have now 20 of them, occasionally I will redo a rod with guides but I generally switch them over to SiC ones, I bought a heap of them many years ago and almost down to having enough just to redo one more full rod, and that will be my last one, (unless I stick one in a fan! 🤣)  I also must stay away from Rum!.

I still have a 37kg Ugly Stik which I bought and not happy with the existing guides on it,  however someone else may take you up on your generous offer.

37kg! I am looking for a rod up to 15kg and I thought that was overkill - but 37!  Where do you go fishing?  Lol

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Ed. Community Regular

Ed.

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That setup is for trolling for large fish, ie marlin, sharks, big tuna etc. I have a Makaira MK-30II on that rod with 150lb Braid on it and that reel can put out 55lb drag. My larger reel is the Makaira MK-50W which I will use for ballooning (need the larger line capacity) from a land based position and also a 34Kg rod and that one has 85lb of drag. Both of these reel require a rod harness and a rod gimble belt to get the most out of the setup and  if you don't use those you are wasting your time, unless you hook a small fish on them then they are seriously overkill.

Just for reference there are 2 larger sizes than those, an 80W and a 130, both are very large reels , as in huge and humungous, with over 100lb drag designed for fish around the 1000-1500lb but I am not into that sort of fishing as for me they would not be fun, fighting a fish that big with those sorts of drag for hours on end would probably kill me, (actually 15 minute would do me in) I am not a spring chicken anymore.

Do a YouTube search by typing in those model numbers plus "shark fishing" or "cow tuna fishing" and you will get the idea of what you can do with them. For the bay here they are are just overkill as there is very little that would require that size reel unless you are targeting white pointers (protected) or very big tigers. Down around Montague Island  NSW and off the shelf, or the edges of the Barrier Reef is where you will find them used.

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Ed. Community Regular

Ed.

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My first intro to Bermagui was many decades ago, before I was married and I took my little 14ft 85HP boat up there from Victoria for  a 4 day holiday. Put the boat in the water and was just tolling a lure when my mate yelled out to me that a bloody big sail that had a go at my lure and became a bit  air born in the process. A little while longer  we heard over the radio that a guy had been fighting a big tuna for about 2.5 hours on a 50 sized reel and had been busted off. He would have been devastated not to mention worn out. In those days a 50 sized reel would not have had the drag capacity  that the modern day reels do and you would have the fight go on for much, much longer. My view is drag them up quickly and release them without stressing out the fish to the point of death due to the length of the fight.

You don't catch many of the huge fish here but when you do, you will remember it forever.

On my honeymoon I hired a 23ft boat in the Whitsundays and took my fishing gear with me, we anchored up at Whitehaven Beach overnight and the missus went to bed to read a book and so I put on a large piece of fish on a big hook, added a balloon  and used an Okuma 50W, hoping for a Spanish Mackerel, a little while later I hooked up and turned out to be an 8ft tiger, about 15 minutes later I got it to the boat, could have had it in about 5 minutes but at several stages I was letting it run out on a lighter drag just to be able to have fun reeling it in again. The drag on that reel wasn't as strong as the current ones. Just goes to show I would need to get a much, much bigger shark to challenge that sized  reel. I called out to my wife to give me a hand , she came up on to the deck, took one look at the shark and said I am on my own! 🤣 I eventually released it but next day when we were swimming at the beach we were both very wary and just stayed in the shallows and kept a watchful eye out.🤔

So if you want to land big fish you need a big reel.

Here is a link to some guys hooking for research 2 giant Bluefin Tuna,  the largest towards the end is a 280kg tuna using a Makaira MK-80 reel. Swedish language but English subtitles. If you watch till the end you can see that the 80 size reels do take it out of you and depending on the size and type of fish you hook will make you wish you had a smaller one on! Definitely not for us old buggers.

 

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Kat Mentor

Kat

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Luckily last Tuesday I was given a replacement rod an Ecooda Blackhawk that pairs well with my Nasci 2500 - looks barely used.  This very generous and kind acquaintance also gave me a Shimano 6500 Baitrunner spooled with 30lb braid. Being a world and Australian fishing record holder I thought I could trust his advice so after discussions we decided on the type of rod I should get to pair with the Baitrunner.   Off to the tackle shop I went and I came home with a Shimano Taipan 701 Med Snapper rod and some flexible 40lb leader.

I also bought a journal/notebook for my fishing as I have been told I need to start pre-planning my outings and doing the hard work before I go - i.e. pre-tying leaders, rigs etc.

I must learn some discipline.  Apparently the most successful fishermen do most of the hard work and planning before they get to the water! 

Everytime I enter my room now I look up at the fan - if I am doing something with my rods it goes off beforehand.

Cheers Kat

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GregOug Mentor

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1 hour ago, Kat said:

Luckily last Tuesday I was given a replacement rod an Ecooda Blackhawk that pairs well with my Nasci 2500 - looks barely used.  This very generous and kind acquaintance also gave me a Shimano 6500 Baitrunner spooled with 30lb braid. Being a world and Australian fishing record holder I thought I could trust his advice so after discussions we decided on the type of rod I should get to pair with the Baitrunner.   Off to the tackle shop I went and I came home with a Shimano Taipan 701 Med Snapper rod and some flexible 40lb leader.

I also bought a journal/notebook for my fishing as I have been told I need to start pre-planning my outings and doing the hard work before I go - i.e. pre-tying leaders, rigs etc.

I must learn some discipline.  Apparently the most successful fishermen do most of the hard work and planning before they get to the water! 

Everytime I enter my room now I look up at the fan - if I am doing something with my rods it goes off beforehand.

Cheers Kat

I’m an Australian record holder too! Most time with no fish.

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Kat Mentor

Kat

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16 minutes ago, Ed. said:

So Kat, geared up now and ready to go, now we just need some pics! In a prevous life that tuna a few posts up would have been my dream fish, now not so sure, don't think the old body would cope with the strain.

Pics of my future catch or the rods and reel?

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Brodie_S Apprentice

Brodie_S

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I’ve heard those ecooda rods are pretty good and yes I highly recommend keeping a fishing journey and I also pretie my leaders after fishing . Important tip never use the same leader twice after a couple of hours fishing or even 15 minutes with a leader it needs to be cut off And replaced if you don’t the knot will snap quite easily next time you go to fish probably casting a lure will cause it to snap or getting a little bit of tension on the line .Doesn’t matter what type of line you use or what type of knot it is always the same case always replace you’re leader knots after fishing I test them before and during fishing and the knots will be strong as anything but after that the knots go very weak

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GregOug Mentor

GregOug

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27 minutes ago, Kat said:

Yeah pics of the gear would be boring - have just got the heavier rod today.  Haven't caught anything on the lighter set up yet.  Thursday I am sharking on the Logan and Sunday fishing on the Brisbane - so will post any catch soon!

Hi Kat, I’m sure there are quite a few on here that are into gear porn!

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