Kimtown

27 minutes ago, Andrew_P said:

Jeezus there’s a lot of $$ for the one trip! Just note the saragosa 10000 is a pretty heavy reel and low gear (4.9:1) not high gear. I’d also not go below 6ft for your trolling rod. The extra length gives you more control. 
I’d be taking a 50lb 7ft overhead setup for shallowish (<50m) water and a 80lb 6’6 overhead setup for deep (>50m) water.you could troll with both of these if you have 10m of mono leader atop the braid.  Plus a light spin setup 30lb braid and a heavy spin that could double as your popper rod (65lb-80lb braid)
Id guarantee you will be using the light spin and light overhead the most.
Don’t bother with the ultralight stuff 30lb is the minimum I would fish in reefy country. 

to be honest the Shimano  Terez line of rods would do all of this for you. Match them to the reel you want (can’t go wrong with mid range Shimano) at the shop and pull on them and see what you like. Go to a smaller store if you are spending this much $$ and they will price match or even beat the big guys I’m sure. 
 

Keep it simple. Remember the fish don’t know what gear they are attached to!

Yeah I tend to go a bit OTT when it comes to stuff like this but everything I buy I try to have legitimate justification on why I buy it. I’ve already got a couple Saragossa 10000’s that’s why they are included and I’d still get decent use out of the popping rod for BFT down here in Melbourne and a 14000 Stella would just be amazing to have everything. Maybe it’s not all justified but I’m okay with spending this amount of money personally  

Thanks for the response,  I’ll take it on all on board. FYI I own a couple of terez too, I love the rods and would happily take them, but the problem lays in that they are 1pc and it’d be really difficult to get them up there. So unfortunately they aren’t really an option for me  

Based on the advice given here, plus some more research, heres all the outfits what I'm looking at so far. Please feel free to critique, suggest anything else.


Heavy Popping:
Marusame Caranx PE6-10 78222
14000 XG SW Stella
80lbs braid 

Medium casting:
Bone OTLP771H OceanThug LightPop PE3-6
10000 hg Saragosa
50-65lbs braid

Medium bait:
Crucis Elite Hoodlum 702MH 10-15KG 7’0”
10000 hg Saragosa
50lbs braid

Medium overhead, trolling/jigging:
Phantom Overhead 5’7”
Talica 12 or 16
50-65lbs braid

Light spin:
Something around 7’0” and PE1-3
5000 Saragosa
25-30lbs braid



I'm still debating whether its worth taking a microjigging rod, and whether i take another really light bait fish rod or just use the light spin outfit for that purpose (probably saves taking up anything unnecessary).


For those who have done a similar trip, am I missing anything, do all these combinations seem okay?

Cheers

14 minutes ago, Drop Bear said:

Awesome. Lots of shallow water fishing. Top water over shallow reefs is so satisfying/exciting. 

Sounds like you have all bases covered. I hope you have a ball mate. 

I can’t wait! I searched the forum and stumbled across one of your earlier posts from a while back where I noticed you’ve done a similar trip and you were taking the following gear: 

“

• 30lb Braid on 6000 Sustain on 7 foot 6PE casting rod - for casting slugs and plastics
• 50lb Mono Tyrons 20 on 6 foot rod. It currently has 30lb on it gonna up this to 50 Floating live baits.
• 50 lb Braid on 25k Saragosa on 6.6 rod for baits and plastics into heavy country. 
• 15 lb Braid on Stradic on 15 lb rod for bait jigs and dicking around with small lures.   “

I’m assuming you actually went on this trip and took the above gear.. brands aside, is there anything you’d change or add/subtract in the future if you were to go back? 
 

I notice you didn’t take a really heavy casting rod. Didn’t do much popping for GT or did you use the charters equipment for this?

16 minutes ago, Drop Bear said:

Hey mate,

What charter are you going with? 

I only ask because it will change greatly what fishing options you will have. some of them just do bottom bashing while others put you in a dory and you can do what you like. 

 

Big cat reality - so for the most part we will be fishing on individual Tender’s/Dory’s without a guide helping us. Basically doing everything ourselves outside of the cooking, cleaning and accomodation part - just the way I like it

I’ll personally be doing a bit of everything. Probably throw poppers and stick baits out for the morning until I tire out and then revert to bait fishing or trolling the afternoons… maybe idk lol 

27 minutes ago, Junky said:

A fin nor lethal 100 will pull the big fish in. The 100 has all the fruit inside. The smaller ones are different according to Alan Hawk.

But if you have the cash check out the new 21 certate or 20 saltiga spin in the 14000 size. These things are dead set animals of reels. I have a saltiga and can vouch for the build quality. Stella isn't even in the game now. 

You can spool it with saltiga 12 braid in a PE6 @ 300m which is rated to 100b. 

 

Trolling and medium jigging check out the shimano talica. 12 or 16 size. Absolute brute of a reel for its size. Super smooth and lever drag. 

 

Light spin.

Diawa certate. Penn slammer. Shimano saragosa. 

 

 

Rods. 

Fit the reels you buy to a rod. 

Go and check out tackle warehouse at cooparoo. 

People say they're expensive. I beg to differ.If you spend up in there you get mad discounts and the boys all know their stuff....also, imo it's better to support local than that big supermarket style chain of stores that destroyed a lot of local tackle shops then bumped the prices up. 

I was thinking a 14000xg Stella as I’m a bit shimano brand bias but I’ll contemplate a salty. 
 

also yep, set on a Talica for the reel for the trolling and jigging outfit. Just need to find a rod to suit. 
 

unfortunately being a Victorian I wouldn’t be able to physically visit any stores up that way, I’d most likely have to order online for find stores that stock them rods down here. 

9 minutes ago, Andrew_P said:

@Kimtown go see Peter Flor at Florless rods he will build you quality rods that will last. He's just done a Swain Reefs trip out of Bundy so he will know exactly what to build for you.

Florless Rods (@florlessrods) • Instagram photos and videos

That’s exactly where I’m going! 

thanks mate I’ll flick him a message. 

Hi,

Doing a 7 night great barrier reef live aboard late next year out of Bundaberg and will be buying 4 or 5 brand new outfits to suit, which will include:

1x heavy spin (for GT popping + throwing stickbaits)
2x medium spin (one for casting lures in the shallows and lagoons, one for bait fishing)
1x medium jigging outfit (something that can ideally double as a trolling outfit too would be nice)
1x light spin (for bait fishing and smaller reefies)

No real budget in mind, happy to pay for quality - especially in the reel department as I can put them to good use down home. The heavy popping rod probably won't get as much use at home, so ideally won't spend thousands on this, but something that will suffice for a big GT if it comes along.
All suggestions welcome thanks

Also, if anyone has any good information out there of fishing that area around that time of year, feel free to lend some advice. It will be the first time I'll be doing this type of fishing, so I'm all ears.