Question for the fishing folk: Cross-Aus trip...take a beach rod?

Hi jamesgill : Thats like asking a lady how many shoes she has !!!

Can't have too many ....LOL

OK for that route especially if your following the coast it should be a criminal offence to not carry a surf rod

you will be passing australias finest beach and rock fishing both in WA and the west coast of the Eyre Penninsula

Definitely take a beach rod...maybe one that breaks in half for easy storage?

Agree re the above - it would be a crime not to stow a 10' surf rod. As for beaches.... your second crime would be to bypass Fowler's Bay SA :-o) - the adjacent Scott's beach is a salmon hotspot (not great eating of course, but tackling salmon is fun in my view - 6kg line / simple lures, or pilchards on a gang - cockles are a favourite too).... you can drive over the huge sandhills from Fowler's to Scott's - perch on a sandhill and survey the 7km (driveable) beach for schools - we have often had several to choose from. Some of the sandy shallower sections at the beach ends are good for whiting (King G and yellow fin).

We have our two piece Beach Rods and Spinning Reels always in the camper :-)

They are just a must off the beach or rocks on the Australian Coastline. Even in Far North Queensland chasing big pelagic you stand less chance of missing that prize fish.

Regards Tony

My 2cents, don't leave home without a beach rod and suitable Alvey reel. The lighter rods are great for throwing some lures around whilst you are waiting for the big strike and I have picked up some excellent fish using silver spinners into the surf in and around the areas you are travelling. So take both for sure.
David

Remember that big long beach rod and a 6 or 7 inch alvey are good for more than beach work.
There are still some old schoolers who chase snapper or pelagics with that sort of rig.

and a long rod is pretty handy off rock walls and jetties too, because the length gives yo the ability to pull away from the snags at ya feet..and the length allows you to lead the fish.

Of course that big rod gives you the ability to hurl a bait a long way...beach or no beach

The long rod can be used to work lures by sweeping the rod rather than working the reel like you would with spin gear

If ya traveling with a small boat, a couple of beach rods gives you as good as a pair of out riggers for setting out a good trolling spread of lures.

A long rod can be a very versatile item indeed.

In this day and age there is no disadvantage in a 2 or 3 piece rod and there are some very nice rods to be had.....there are even a couple of multi section telescopic beach rod around.

cheers

I think it's settled then, I'd better get myself a beach rod :)

Thanks all!

Fishing rods are usually designed around what type of reel it is to have and or what type of fish you want to target.

If what you mean by beach rod is what I think you mean. Then you want a rod that can cast out over the brakers? and target tailor, salmon etc but still be light enough for the odd whiting or bream?

Although an overhead could be used, it is quite a learning curve to get an overhead to cast very long smooth casts. So realistically, you choice is threadline or sidecast.

So the first thing is to decide what type of reel you want to use. Threadlines are easy to use but have downfalls on beaches. They don't like sand or water. They do not cast as far as a sidecast reel. They usually have bearings and gears...This last point is a big one...you get sand in the reel and it will be stuffed. With gears the reel has to be "worked" sometimes called pump and wind. Because of gears and bearings the reel needs to be cleaned after use and kept clean.

Sidecast reels...what sand? what water? what cleaning? what work?

I guess you might know which way I am leaning. The most popular sidecast reel (as mentioned above) is Alvey. They do have a learning curve but it is small. There are several very good videos on Youtube that show how to cast and use. An Alvey is not affected by sand or water. Some have drag systems but most use palming as a drag...Which means you use the palm of your hand as the drag. I am pretty sure that Charles Alvey still holds the world record for the longest ever cast. They don't have gears, which means when you get a hook up, you just wind the fish in.

Once you decide on what type of reel, you can then pick your rod. There are a few thing different with a sidecast rod and a threadline rod. The staff at the tackle shop can explain it to you. Otherwise, this post will be too long. :)

For size of rod...10 foot would be an absolute minimum. In fact, I would not use anything under 12 foot. The length is more to help keep the line off the sand and above the wash than anything else. I would suggest a medium action. Again the tackle shop can explain what action is. A light action would be no good if you got a big hook up. A heavy action rod will not cast as far. As mentioned, these days 2 or 3 piece rods are quite good. But if you look at some of the cheaper brands, you should check the spine. The tackle shop staff can explain rod spines to you.

I hope that is of help :)

I disagree somewhat. Unless your an affianado
10-12feet is more than enough. Long casts are rarely needed if you can pick gutters and holes . Usually only a medium length cast is a usefull.
I use threadline reels as they dont twist the line like an alvey andvare much cheaper. A 1/2 decent one can be had for around $50 and will still last years with maximum abuse and no maintenance.
If its possibly just going to get used once ive had good results with fheaper set ups. If you enjoy yourself you can upgrade