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View Full Version : Starting out - what to buy?



Court_Jester
20-12-2006, 08:39 PM
:D Hi, hoping you can all help. I'm taking up fishing as a hobby and need advice on buying gear. Typically I'll be fishing off the local jetty to start, with maybe a bit of beach fishing. What do people suggest as a good starting kit that wont cost the earth? I can always upgrade later when I get better at it.

Thanks in advance
Court Jester

Feral
21-12-2006, 05:45 AM
Mate get down to a local tackle shop or Big W / Kmart and get yourself a combo around 7 foot, for under $60.
Pick yourself up a few packets of plastics, a cuple of lures (no more) some hooks, sinkers and swivels. An old backpack, cheap knife and an esky (for sitting on and drinking out of!).

That should be all you need to start, then you will replace cheap gear if you need it (the cheap stuff will break or wear out if you are using it hard, if not you have not spent a lot on something you dont use!), you will develop a preferred style of fishing, be it lures, plastics or bait, which will help you refine what you want to get in extra gear.

BGG
21-12-2006, 07:13 AM
CJ
IMHO you should buy a light surf rod around 10-11 feet and a 6 inch Alvey reel. The reels are virtually indestructable and will last a lifetime.

Court_Jester
21-12-2006, 07:23 AM
Thanks guys.

What benefits will a 10 foot surf rod have over a #7 foot general combo? Obviously one is designed for light surf and the other a general use rod, but what differences will there be. I might as well start learning somewhere and if I can start by learning the diffs between rods.... well so be it.

Any one recommend a good fish identifying book so I can put a name to my first fish when I pull it in????

Thanks once again

:) :) :)

BGG
21-12-2006, 07:32 AM
CJ
A 7ft rod is fine for a boat or a jetty but if you want to fish in the surf, you will probably find it a bit short. On the other hand, a light surf rod can be used virtually anywhere.
PS Where are you located?

Court_Jester
21-12-2006, 07:42 AM
Adelaide mate and judging by the majority of member locations (ie QLD) I'm screwed when it comes to hooking up (no pun intended) or M&G's. Thanks for the clarification on the rods as well.

RayB
21-12-2006, 08:49 AM
For fishing off a jetty, I would start with a light spin outfit. Spinning rels are very easy to cast and use and the combo could be used in a boat as well if you go that way. I would then buy a seperate surf rod and alvey reel for fishing from a beach.

I went to the A ~ mart last night and picked up a finnor spinning reel and graphite rod for $65. Very happy with the purchase and for that sort of money it is very easy to get started. Better still find a good local tackle shop and ask them for a starter kit but like you mentioned don't be talked into an expensive combo until you start fishing and work out your needs.

Also don't think that you need a big heavy combo to catch big fish. My favourite saying is that 'light gear will catch small and large fish and heavy gear will only catch large fish'

Anaconda and BCF also have some top combo specials at the moment.

hope this helps
Ray

Court_Jester
21-12-2006, 09:19 AM
Thanks Ray will keep what you said in mind. To start I'll probably confine myself to the jetty and see what I can learn.

TinarooTriumph
21-12-2006, 10:10 AM
Hey CJ,

Jetties are always a good place to start if you live on the Coast (Unlike me). A rod of about 6'6 to 7 foot (4-6kg) will do the job well, and a nice smooth Spin Reel with a good Spool Capacity would team up with it well. The advantages of having a shorter rod (Say 6ft, compared to 7ft), is that they are alot more powerful and you can exercise more strength on the fish. The longer rods however (7ft upwards to Surf Rods), is that you are able to cast further and with the fast taper you are able to play the fish a little more if need be. Shimano or Penn are a good Brand of gear to start with. You dont want to buy anything cheaper as it won't last (Jarvis Walker etc). You get what you pay for...

Ray said it... I will always fish lighter then what I should, in other words a lighter line strength and leader. Not sure what there is to catch in SA, but I think a good spool of perhaps 8-10lb Mono for a mainline, and perhaps a 12/15lb mono leader will do. A good selection of Tackle would be handy, and you can get things like SureCatch tackle boxes, which is just filled with hooks and swivels and wat not (Saves alot of money, rather then buying things individually). If your after a good fish indentification book, your local Tackle Shop/s should have 'Tide Guides', which will have Moon Phases, Tide Times, some Knots and some fish I.D.

All up you shouldn't have to spend anymore then probably about $60/70 mate... And if it's any more then this, well someones taking advantage of you like many Shop Assistants do these days.

Also, to make your gear last longer, after each time you fish in the Salt, wash your gear down in Freshwater. Make sure you wash it well. Any used Tackle I like to keep in a little cup and lather it in hot water so it does not rust, keeping it for future trips.

Theo

Court_Jester
21-12-2006, 10:41 AM
Thanks Theo, some handy advice that gives me some understanding of what i should be looking for.

knuckles
21-12-2006, 11:53 AM
Hi CJ,

Like you, I'm also just starting out and this morning I went out to that shop that sounds like a snake, ;) and got myself a 7 foot solid fibreglass Sillstar rod, I chose it mainly coz I know the name and after the salesman was hanging onto the tip and a dragged him around the store a bit I was convinced that nothing I was capable of snagging would break it. The fact that it was on special for $19.95 is a bonus. I also got a Penn accord 6000 to go with it. All up $115.00 with some SPs and such.

Good luck with your spending spree.

Court_Jester
21-12-2006, 01:02 PM
Thanks for that knuckles, good luck with your fishing.