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Fishing Charters & Wilderness Tours, Cape York |
TACKLE REPORT |
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“SHIMANO”This year we have been fortunate to obtain a sponsorship from Shimano. We were asked which outfits we thought we needed and asked to try out some models. Here is what we have found. Remembering that we like to cast predominately to our fish, blue water species of GT’s, Queenfish, Mackerel and Tuna, all hard hitting, strong fast species. Given also that we need an outfit that is user friendly and hardy, due to the diverse skill level of some anglers, we chose the following. The Bluewater: Rods: Starlo Stix Squidgy Snapper spin H - 7ft, 1piece, 6-10kg - (highly recommended) They have been brilliant with me cringing at times with the treatment they receive but they keep on standing up to constant pressure and allowing anglers to handle big fish with relevant ease. The only thing to date has been that some of the rod tips have had to be replaced due to braid line cuts causing damage, remember the number of fish and our shark problem at times with drags up to the maximum, it’s no wonder. Also the fact that some anglers like to wind the Tuna onto the actual reel could also be a reason!!!!! Highly recommend these rods, they feel good, well balanced in the hand, light, strong and durable. Reels: We matched the above with Sustain 6000FE and Stradic 6000FI - fantastic. Again the balance and retrieve rate is superb. When you are casting and do a lot, as we do, you really do appreciate the ease in which these reels work and they have decent handles that feel good in the hand and don’t give you RSI in the wrist or arms after a session of casting to fish. I could rattle off all the features however it is how they really go that counts, isn’t it. Well we are very pleased and satisfied, remember to regularly clean off salt spray and to clean the drag washers at the first sign of grabbing, we like to use a very small amount of Teflon drag lube, to allow them to continue to work as they do, brilliantly. The Estuary: Rods: We chose a number of spinning rods: Again these are a hardy design and robust and do the job very well, use these mainly for dropping in a bait and trolling for our estuary species. Again we are looking at a rod that can take some punishment with anglers who perhaps don’t have the same TLC that you would for your own gear or more to the point rods that can be forgiving for angler error, to date they have proven to be just that. Soft Plastics Rods: We chose the We chose the Catana Series looking for something with a little bit of security in strength, due to the species we chase and where they live. There are so many models it’s up to you. We find that with most of our rods we require a short outfit to allow a more accurate cast in a confined space for the larger species. We sometimes have people ask us to take them to the ‘decent’ fish (one way to get up your guides nose). Well with a Soft Plastic outfit often there is great fun to be had catching small Queenfish, GT’s, Tarpon etc, it’s a matter of taking all the entertainment you can. It is amazing how people’s perception of enjoyment suddenly changes when they are having great fun and a challenge at the same time on light gear, try it you’ll love it. Fishing with plastics is GREAT FUN and very productive however, there are techniques that should be used and the word soft hands comes to mind, slow down and be a little gentle, let the plastic sink a little and work for you. Most strikes are on the decent, don’t just wind them in, then hang on! Reels: The reels we use here are the new Shimano Saros 4000F for both the estuary, with 15kg line and soft plastics with 6kg line. They have proven to be excellent in both cases and have been tested to the max with large and very strong fish giving them hell. These are mid range on the dollar market and have not let us down. Some cheaper models don’t stand up to the constant workload remember “you get what you pay for”. We are giving these reels more work in a month than you would over many years probably, again we are very happy with the results. Baitcasters: We decided to go for an outfit which again had to be user friendly and remain effective. We chose the Catana Barra 56 MH 6-8kg matched with a Curado 100dsv reel. This has proven to be a very good choice indeed, easy to use, not too many over spins for those not too experienced, light weight, balanced, fits well into the hand and has the strength to do the job up here. We also very much like this blank and will be talking to Shimano about the possibility of doing one in a tropical spin outfit for us to test in the near future, very impressive. When we approached Shimano we did so because we felt strongly about the quality and range of their products, their name in the industry and their ongoing reputation, we have over the years tried many combinations with various degrees of success but feel that we now have got it right with a solid base to work from. The fact that 80% of all people that fish with us use Shimano products should alone tell you something. Also as stated they have such a vast range of quality products to utilize, test and develop to maintain the best opportunity for you to enjoy your Cape York experience. Feel free to give us a call should you want to inquire about any tackle, rods, reels or lures that may help to make your trip up here with us more enjoyable. Good luck and tight lines. Tim and Lesley |
proudly sponsored by  |
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© Cape York Custom Sportfishing 2012 |
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Last Updated: November 09, 2011 |
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