I need a new barra baitcaster

[darylive]

Hi Daryl

Yes , thats the misconception!
Unless you feel the need to crank a drag up to max 10 where the stresses on spool , shaft , bearings & winch mount can lead to failures.
I think a lot of us had that mindset ...... But as we have come to learn those jap turbos not only handle the situation with aplomb ..... but offer so much more.
These days I'm finding even my standard Zillions are taking a back seat to my lightweight HLC & Steez

Chris

Yes Chris it doesn't seem that long ago you were talking about locked up drags, twisted leaders and straightening hooks on Barra.

There is more to it than a head on battle of strength with the big units. If you go the hammer on locked up gear thinking you can just skull drag 'em in you eventually realize the big girls can win the tug o'war in the trees.

To me it is all part of the challenge and it changes daily .
And how much fun is it on the lighter gear . It is still always a challenge to limit the gear hey Well I better take that, and that, oh and that, and I will needs 100 Hb's and a couple hundred plastics and varied heads etc.

I decided last trip to limit myself to 4 rods on the boat. a barrel two low pro's and a spinner. or something like that?
maybe 5 or 6 DOH! I like to have a few ready rigged options.

[BR65]

I was toting 4 ready rigs with me, each differant at the business end, but just took up to much room in the boat, so have culled back to 3 sticks, 1 x barrel with 50 for the hard yards in the timber, and 2 x L.P with 30 for more open work, seems to be OK.
Cant really say though, curently munching on a donut.


Dave, with all the waffle above, have you made a choice yet mate??

[NAGG]

Yes Chris it doesn't seem that long ago you were talking about locked up drags, twisted leaders and straightening hooks on Barra.

There is more to it than a head on battle of strength with the big units. If you go the hammer on locked up gear thinking you can just skull drag 'em in you eventually realize the big girls can win the tug o'war in the trees.

To me it is all part of the challenge and it changes daily .
And how much fun is it on the lighter gear . It is still always a challenge to limit the gear hey Well I better take that, and that, oh and that, and I will needs 100 Hb's and a couple hundred plastics and varied heads etc.

I decided last trip to limit myself to 4 rods on the boat. a barrel two low pro's and a spinner. or something like that?
maybe 5 or 6 DOH! I like to have a few ready rigged options.

You learn a lot in a year ..... or less.
For me ........ coming from predominately fishing reasonably open points with plastics - I found that I could drop down in tackle & be reasonably successful.

now ...... take that same gear into the timber - Its just pointless trying to lock up & go hard ......... so I don't! ( still loose fish though )

Chris

[Callop]

Dave, with all the waffle above, have you made a choice yet mate??

I think I have narrowed it down to either chronarch or curado or revo inshore(I've been know to visit the rustwater). Unfortunately the rest are outside the budget.
off to Tackle Ware House on Saturday to have a play.

[BR65]

I think I have narrowed it down to either chronarch or curado or revo inshore(I've been know to visit the rustwater). Unfortunately the rest are outside the budget.
off to Tackle Ware House on Saturday to have a play.

go the chronarch mate, just dont spool it with finns, seems to be a "noisy" braid coming back thru the line guide, if that makes sense. Ive got 30 finns on mine, and Im going to go back to bionic.

Good luck with the choice, and Im betting you dont walk out of there with out at least a couple of extra "must haves".
Dont forget Fish Head at Viccy point as well mate, worth a look, if only for what else is available!

[Obi _ Wan]

Dave,
If you go the Chronarch make sure you get the BSV model if you are going to use it in the salt. It's got a special finish which is stated to make it salt water resistant.

John.

[darylive]

go the chronarch mate, just dont spool it with finns, seems to be a "noisy" braid coming back thru the line guide, if that makes sense. Ive got 30 finns on mine, and Im going to go back to bionic.

Good luck with the choice, and Im betting you dont walk out of there with out at least a couple of extra "must haves".
Dont forget Fish Head at Viccy point as well mate, worth a look, if only for what else is available!

The Bionic is certainly nice to use, seems softer and more pliable. I have some Remington braid that is probably as strong as hell and feels like it would cut through trees if it was wrapped around 'em but is stiff as buggery.

[Callop]

go the chronarch mate, just dont spool it with finns, seems to be a "noisy" braid coming back thru the line guide, if that makes sense. Ive got 30 finns on mine, and Im going to go back to bionic.

Good luck with the choice, and Im betting you dont walk out of there with out at least a couple of extra "must haves".
Dont forget Fish Head at Viccy point as well mate, worth a look, if only for what else is available!

A mate lives over Duncans way . Might have to pay him a visit.

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

Another point to consider when purchasing your reel is its gear ratio. Most overlook the fact and just buy a brand name reel. Some baitcasters come in high speed versions which allow increased retrieval speeds for certain luring scenarios. Some can be geared too high for certain low speed, high resistance lures. Just have a think about it before you buy , that's all.
Cheers,
Johnny

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

On the drifting side topic- heavy handed skull drag fishing is a very fine art, that again, is on a skill set similar to an A grade race driver. Those anglers still climbing the 'intermediate learning ladder' will change their minds a few times as years go by. It is part of the cycle of learning. A natural circle- we all do it.
I still shake my head, but hold my tongue, and then try my best to describe certain scenarios to teach anglers. Eg, Anyone who fishes what they call heavy, locked up drag for barra in tight country with anything less than suitable hooks and even 60 lb leader is kidding themselves before they start. Dragging fish from heavy cover requires, timing, the right tackle, a head full of past experience and so on. It can't be done repeatedly and successfully by a newby. Heavy reels, drags, lines, leaders, hooks, rings, lures and so on can be used ever effectively, and the enjoyment of watching an angler and a boat operator work together as one unit to land the prized fish in evil country does leave a smile a mile wide. "Poetry in motion"
If the gear used isn't a suitable mix, poor landing ratios will result.
There is still plenty of circumstances in lakes for 40-50 lb braid, 8 kg of drag, and smart fish fighting. Skilled anglers with 20lb braid will outfish a lot with 50, even in heavy timber.
Cheers,
Johnny

[vet]

I agree Johnny, redlining tackle is a good test of whether you have got everything in the chain set up perfectly because you quickly find out the weak links that require improving. I still don't mind the occasional stand up stousch.
cheers, scott.

[NAGG]

Another point to consider when purchasing your reel is its gear ratio. Most overlook the fact and just buy a brand name reel. Some baitcasters come in high speed versions which allow increased retrieval speeds for certain luring scenarios. Some can be geared too high for certain low speed, high resistance lures. Just have a think about it before you buy , that's all.
Cheers,
Johnny

Thats one of the nice things about the Zillion range ........ low speed crazy crankers up to high speed 7:1s ....... with the benefit of most of the reels feel pretty well the same (wt , size etc).

My ideal reel ownership ....... would be 3 Zillion HLCs in high & low speed models plus an intermediate 6:1 ish

Chris

[BR65]

Another point to consider when purchasing your reel is its gear ratio. Most overlook the fact and just buy a brand name reel. Some baitcasters come in high speed versions which allow increased retrieval speeds for certain luring scenarios. Some can be geared too high for certain low speed, high resistance lures. Just have a think about it before you buy , that's all.
Cheers,
Johnny

Interesting, and certainly a factor to consider. I deliberately brought the high speed version of one of my L.P.'s, with the thought being that the reel is there to store and cast line, its the anglers work on the rod that controls the retrieve speed/depth of a lure. The reel can/is used merely to pick up the slack line if a twitch twitch pause technique is employed, a favourite when suspending hard bods are used, for me any ways.
Differant retrieve speeds/techniques apply to differant presentations/locations/conditions of course, surface burning, rolling SP's, and all the other multiple choice stratagies we can employ change the game again, but I reckon its a whole lot easier to slow a high geared reel down on a retrieve, then to try and speed a low geared reel up. You can do it, but on a long days casting, why make things any harder than what the should be I reckon, but then Im a lazy fisho to boot.
On the water, I do tend to use the higher geared zill for suspending shallow diving hard bods, and the slower chronarch for SP work.

[darylive]

I think the torque ratio comes into the equation when battling the big units

[BR65]

On the drifting side topic- heavy handed skull drag fishing is a very fine art, that again, is on a skill set similar to an A grade race driver. Those anglers still climbing the 'intermediate learning ladder' will change their minds a few times as years go by. It is part of the cycle of learning. A natural circle- we all do it.
I still shake my head, but hold my tongue, and then try my best to describe certain scenarios to teach anglers. Eg, Anyone who fishes what they call heavy, locked up drag for barra in tight country with anything less than suitable hooks and even 60 lb leader is kidding themselves before they start. Dragging fish from heavy cover requires, timing, the right tackle, a head full of past experience and so on. It can't be done repeatedly and successfully by a newby. Heavy reels, drags, lines, leaders, hooks, rings, lures and so on can be used ever effectively, and the enjoyment of watching an angler and a boat operator work together as one unit to land the prized fish in evil country does leave a smile a mile wide. "Poetry in motion"
If the gear used isn't a suitable mix, poor landing ratios will result.
There is still plenty of circumstances in lakes for 40-50 lb braid, 8 kg of drag, and smart fish fighting. Skilled anglers with 20lb braid will outfish a lot with 50, even in heavy timber.
Cheers,
Johnny

Intersting again JM.
I was an exponent of lock em up, drag em out in my early days not so long ago, and it was a costly exercise for me until the virtue of hook, split, leader and knot up-grades was hammered home. Mind you, that was fishing a waterway that had dropped to a timber strewn 18%, with some awesome lay downs holding big fish, it truly was bare knuckle brawling. Still is my favourite form of fishin, and a mile away from open point, or lightly timbered bay work. Keep them high in the water colum, away from the nasties you cant see, take your chances with the jumps, short, sharp, brutal.
Ive fished 20 before, and never felt comfertable doing it, 30 now is the minimum, if nothing else it provides that little extra abrasion resistance if needed, cause you just know a big fish running on a soft drag in open country will find that one submerged stump that you cant see.