Spinning Reel/Rod combination Bottom Fishing

j_j_s

New member
Due to arthritis in wrist I am more comfortable with Spinning Reel action. Deciding between Daiwa BG8000 and Quantum Cabo CSP100PTsE with 80-100 JBraid. Mainly bottom fishing for Kob, Geelbek, Yellowtail and Hake ( max depth 100m ) in St Francis area.

What rod is will suit best ? Preferably E glass with M/H action with length 6.6 to 7 foot.
 

Maverin

New member
If you can get hold of Purglaas Natal Ski it is one of the best around I know they are discontinued but some still around
 
My honest opinion..winches are far more suited to the application. You will however need two setups, a light for bek, hake and cob. Cob is an incidental bycatch, they are so rare these days and we don't target them to keep. The old cob marks not seen action for many years like they used to I get told. A few inshore marks sometimes produce near jeffries but it becomes an ethical issue when he stock is collapsed. Same with miss lucies, poensies, red steenbras and other reef fish in the area. Does not make ethical sense to target them and if you hook one have a deep water release sinker/cabletie/hook ready and bring them up slowly. You will need a heavier setup for the tail.

There has already been one death as far as I know of a diver getting tangled up in someones 80lb braid wrapped around the reef down there by you know who, on the lighthouse reefs so no need to add to the problem. The ergonomics of fighting a big fish are way better on the multiplier, the twist is the only issue as far as I can tell myself. The thick mono is far more suited to fighting those fish.

If you can get a rodmaker to custom "acid wrap" you a rod, multiplier reel, you wont look back...Completely eliminates the twist and changes the action of the rod for the better giving you more control of the fish and more direct power/torque on him. Some of my mates bottom fish with braid but they are commercial, 100lb stuff on scarboroughs but they know how to fish.

Bottom fishing for those tail you can use 0.55 to .6 or more mainline..Make sure your reesls drag is up to it. A short powerful parabolic jigstick is best for them, I like to chop the bottom short myself. For bek and others you can go much lighter in line and in rod. My mate swore by his sl30 alu spool which he used for 20 years till a mase bek stole it out his slimy hands this year..For tail I use a silver saltist40 that grootvis gave me. If you must go for braid then 65lb HMP is perfect, I would not go heavier, just make a heavier leader..Braid is also far less forgiving for all these fish, the harder fighting ones fight harder against the directness of braid and you get way more hook pulls as the lack of stretch wears out holes at hook entry easier. Same with lighter gear as all those fish have mouths which are soft, bone and skin and hooks tear out easily..If you must fish braid then circle hooks are a must or hooks will tear out much more often, with the circle there is a chance you'll get him in the corner of the jaw.

If you are on a boat with others and you are the only one with braid, bottom fishing, then it wont take long in a multiple hook up to have ous swearing at you as your fish cuts them all off!
 

j_j_s

New member
Thanx for your advice. I never knew the word "acid wrap " existed !! Mr Google gave me positive hope and I will be doing some inquiring around here.
 
It takes a bit more work to do the guides than a normal layout, lots more trial and error, taping and pulling, with that setup..so a builder will probably charge you more accordingly..You will need less eyes though. My geelbek rod is done like that by Theo @ Tj's in jeffreys and it's a machine! A light stick but a whole other beast to what it used to be if a bigger fish does pick me up. It used to be out of control before on a big fish, now I am right on that fish with the rod, fishes 100% better..Surprised me actually how much better it fishes. It must really be a mission to do the guide setup LOL as otherwise I reckon you'd see more of them..
 

j_j_s

New member
Was planning to phone him this morning . Great to know that he does acid wrap and that you recommend him.
 
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