Buying yourself a new outfit can be a daunting task with all the new advances in “tackle technology”. There are all these different rods, lines and tackle, and every person has a different opinion on what’s best.
It’s always interesting while working in the tackle shop, hearing all the different perspectives from different anglers on which rod, reel or general outfit is best, and it seems there is no easy answer to that as everyone has a personal preference, and rightly so.
There will always be a debate among anglers about which brand is better than the other, which reel is stronger and which rod throws further!
There are, however, a few factors to consider when purchasing a new outfit. I would say the most import factor is to suite your outfit to your specific area and the species you are targeting, also very important is the type of area you will mostly be fishing, will it be mostly sandy areas or rocky areas, or perhaps a bit of both?
Consider your ability and build as there is no point buying the strongest meanest and longest rod and biggest reel, if you are not able to use it to its full potential.
Rather find a balanced lighter outfit, which is easier to cast which means getting your bait in the zone, if the wind pumps you can hold onto it all day as it is light in the hand. Even a rod such as the Assassin bluefish 14 ft, very light and rated to only 4 oz, can handle any fish on our coast line. Many big mussel cracker and sharks have been caught on these rods. The advancement in technology is truly amazing.
To simplify matters we will look at three different outfits that you could consider purchasing for fishing False Bay and the Overberg area. These outfits would cover both winter and summer fishing.
Although you can never get away with only two outfits to cover everything it would be a great start to cover almost all types of rock and surf angling.
Rods
My first choice would be a light/medium 13/14 ft rod, in the past 14 ft rods use to be commonly rated to throw a 5 oz to let’s say a 7 oz sinker. Even though these rods definitely did the job for many of us, they were however very heavy and cumbersome, they had a fast action and needed to get loaded with a pendulum type cast to really get distance. Great for fit strong young individuals, not so easy for younger kids, ladies or the older folk.
With the advancements in technology I can now fish with a 14 ft rod that’s rated 2 oz to 4 oz, less than half the weight of the older type rods, they have a slow action which means the rod bends tight through the blank. Allowing for a “whip” like action, far less power or technique is required to load these rods, they cast a mile with ease. These rods are also extremely strong, many guys land prize fish on these lighter rods. The fight is great watching your rod bend in a half moon shape and even more sensitive and aggressive when matched with light braided line.
Reels
I would match this type of rod with a 5 500 to 8 000 max size reel, all depending on brand. I personally fish with a saragossa 6 000 loaded with 20lb braid on my 14 ft 2 oz-4 oz horizon.
One of my all time favourite outfits, and one that catches me many fish. Reels are always a matter of personal preference, the size and balance between rod and reel being most important for comfort as well as performance.
I would say choosing your braid is also very important, first step is to decide if you fish more sand or more rock. Something important to consider is the type of braid you buy, some braid are extremely thin and subtle, they are great for casting and minimizing current and wind resistance as well as sensitivity. They, however, are normally very poor between the bricks as any knick or graze against a mussel bank and it’s game over.
Normally high abrasion braid is thicker than the above, which means it has its disadvantages.
With the new advancements in technology braids, such as the JDB DNA series, in particular gives you the best of both worlds, amazing durability and strength as well as a thin diameter for better casting and less drag – a braid I’d really recommend for guys who fish both sand and rock or just rock.
A factor many guys forget about are braided leaders, the importance of a good leader and a good leader knot cannot be over emphasized.
It is extremely important to match your leader to the conditions in front of you, one must go lighter or heavier as one’s fishing conditions change. I like to use a 50 or 65 braided leader in the surf and for rocks I generally fish a 100 lb leader but will go up to 200 lb in certain areas and conditions.
Don’t only match your leader to the conditions but also to the species you are targeting, some fish will shy away from a thick leader. Rather learn and perfect the fg knot so you can make the necessary leader adjustments while you are at the water!
That’s all we have space for unfortunately, but we will continue this series and work through a few more outfits, hopefully giving you more insight into what you may require from a tackle perspective.
For all your tackle, bait and expert set-up advice, pop into Fishing Republic, behind the public swimming pool at 73 Beach Road, Strand, shop 6. Also see the Fishing Republic Facebook page and @fishingrepublicstore on Instagram. Or, call 072 552 4400.
