Rod used is a 2 piece Loomis & Franklin 13ft rated 3-5oz. It’s an old rod like at least 12 years old and not hmg so it’s fairly soft but you can pull plenty on it. In new rod terms it similar to an Assassin Bluefish but I’m sure L&F still makes similar rods which will be cheaper.
It’s a 6inch delux KP, on their website it’s priced at R380, how good is that for a reel?! IMO ask for the one with the bigger handle knobs, it just reels much easier especially when wet. The one in the video is the normal one, I broke my previous 6inch KP by practice casting with a rod which had a cheap reel seat. The reel seat broke on the cast which sent the reel flying off. There is a lot of pressure on the reel seat when casting a heavy sinker so make sure you have a decent one and that the reel is fastened properly.
Line I used here is 0.60 doubleXX rainbow, I fish without a leader so the mainline it pretty thick. This also helps for a beginner because it’s easier to manage especially when the line hops off the spool on the reel arm side.
When I first used a KP about 10 years ago I started casting in a dam and on a field, it takes some practice but I could cast about 100m with a 6oz sinker. I have used lighter lines which increase your distance but for my application the 0.60mm works fine. On the reefs I cast between 15-40m which is plenty, but at most spots we swim out about 50-100m. If you fish from the rocks you should be able to get to 60m with bait, probably more if you have the casting down and build neat baits.
I’m not sure how much line I have on but probably around 200m 0.60mm mono and 200m braid backing. The backing I just put on to fill the spool and to protect the reel because winding on the mono to tight without backing may buckle the spool... or so I was told.
I use a wide arc overhead cast and it’s really just about getting the release point correct. If you are right handed you will put your left hand below the reel with your index finger on the side of the spool, this is also the finger that will control the spool during the cast, like breaking a multiplier with your thumb but on the side. Then your right hand is placed at the top in a normal relaxed position... I’ll have to do a video on this sometime. Long story short it’s not that difficult to cast but it does takes some practice and you will get overwinds. In the beginning try to cast only short distances and use a bit heavier sinker and slow action. Once you get the hang of it you can use a lighter sinker and put more effort into it. Put a bit if water on the spool before you cast it makes braking / feathering the spool easier, you will have to give it little dabs with your index finger to slow it down during the cast and then stop the spool just before the bait hits the water.
The rig I use a is a normal fixed trace with 0.8mm hook snoot a 1/0 Mustad big gun hook, 0,4mm sinker snoot, power swivel, and 3oz sinker. I was actually targeting kob, of which I got 11 but not was size so all swimming again.
To control the line whilst fishing or transporting the reel I use a piece of car inner tube, on my right hand wrist in the video, still old red tube. It’s cut about an inch wide and fits over the spool so just helps the line stay on when there is no tension on the line.
Give it a shot, master the KP and some average fish will become you best catches. Just watch out for you fingers when you hook a bid one and get a glove to brake the spool during he fight.
