P10 - FISH & BOAT, February 2019 Fishing The Great All-Rounder By Luke Fitzpatrick But, much unlike the currenttheir advice.Once you mention Luke with a large mouth Australian middle order, these all- 2-5kg line rated rod, 2500 sized reel nannygai taken on a At the time of writing this ar-ticle, Summer holidays are infull swing, record numbersrounders are dependable and wellbalanced. Rarely failing while oftenfinding themselves battling unex-and here is my budget, suddenly, thevast, wall to wall racks of rods andreels will make much more sense.shallow inshore reef. of visitors are exploring the Fraser pected monsters well above their Another question which probably Coast, the Australian cricket team is line class yet refined enough to also popped into a few people’s minds debating which all-rounder to pick provide a touch of finesse when the while reading 10lb braid and man- for the final test against India and situation demands it. grove jack or threadfin salmon in the here in Hervey Bay, we finally have For myself, and I would wagersame statement might be “isn’t that a break from those annoying north- quite a few other anglers out there, line too light?” erly winds. Meaning, lots of people this all-rounder outfit takes the form The short answer is no, but un- are hitting the waterways to enjoy of a 2-5kg line rated rod matched derstanding how to use your fishing nature and to try their luck in secur- with a 2500 sized spinning reel,reels’ drag and leader choice is im- ing a fishy feed for their family. spooled with approx. 10lb braid. portant. You see this is where many It is great to see. An outfit with these specs is per- anglers refine their gear choice over Having worked at the local Com- fectly suited for chasing your bread many long, hard, gruelling sessions pleat Angler store in Maryborough, and butter species such as flathead, on the water. To a point where they and yes that is how you spell it. bream and even down to the hum-know exactly which line to leader I know it is also a busy time for our ble whiting. While also providing combination to use in certain situ- fishing tackle retailers. Alongside enough power to deal with those ations.Many experienced fisho’s the many regular, hardcore anglers larger or more aggressive species like will run much lighter mainline on a gearing up for long sessions on the queenfish, mangrove jack, snapper, 2-5kg line rated outfit. 2, 4 and water, there are also many first time sweet lip, even mid-sized barramun- 5lb braid is very common or very much casual anglers walking di and threadfin salmon. due to the option to in- into tackle stores, nervously staring Now, without doubt, a few peo-crease leader line size sig- at what seems to be an ever-increas- ple reading this will be asking, “but nificantly. ing expanse of fish- which 2-5kg line Just look at the results which ing gear, wonder- ....much unlike the currentrated rod?” andthe 4lb Club achieve during ing what they need Australian middle order, these “which 2500 their annual competition. Those and where on earth all-roundersare dependablesized reel?”, andanglers land some monster fish on3 or 4kg, this is to ensure that evenrecent example, the results of which to start. andwell balanced. I wish there was 4lb braid but only by running 20, 30 when I have the drag fully locked you can see in the photo’s surround- One of the most a simple answer or even 40lb leaders to protect the up, it will give before the 5kg rating ing this article. common questions I would hearto those questions. The truth is, formuch thinner mainline from thoseof the rod, meaning I should not, inAll these fish were caught using my at the tackle store and which I still those first time or casual anglers sharp teeth and destructive snags. theory, overload the rod and snap it. favourite all-rounder outfit, the only receive regularly via social media out there, it really will come down Good quality gear, good quality I mostly lure fish and like toparts of the outfit which changed through my Fish That Snag profile, to where you will be fishing mostly, drag, used well, and the results can fish light, meaning I tend to use 4 was the leader size and lure type. especially from people just starting how you will be fishing, i.e. in a kay- be amazing. through to 8lb braid. It provides me On this day I was reviewing some out with fishing is - Which rod and ak, on foot landbased or from a boat The compromise, lighter mainline with a better feel with what is hap- 5lbFins 40g braid. I have heard and reel should I buy? and of course budget. means you can cast further and feel pening with my lure. The lighternow witnessed some great things Even the most dedicated fisho’s That is why I honestly believe it is more, the heavier leader offers abra- line also helps with casting distance. about the casting distance and actual have a couple of cherished all-worth your while visiting your lo-sion resistance, but the weakest pointLeader size is dictated by where I ambreaking strain of Fins 40g braid. rounder outfits in their tackle arse- cal tackle store, explain that you are will always be where the two meets. fishing and for which species. For Probably the most eye-catching as- nal. looking for an all-rounder and seek The line to leader knot is where the flathead on the flats of Fraser Island pect being the actual average break- balance is achieved to ensure that I rarely exceed 12lb leader, but once I ing strain without knot being 20.5lb The correct line choice when things go snap, they go snap move to a shallow reef or to cast sur- or 9.3kg with a diameter of just gave the author the at the mainline to leader knot ensur- face lures over ledges I up my leader .102mm which provides some unbe- max casting distance ing you don’t lose metre upon metre to 20 or even 30lb. lievable casting distance, perfect for required to sneak up of expensive mainline or even worse, I guess a great way to back up what sneaking up on large lizards in shal- on this flathead in the snap that cherished rod. I have written above is to provide a low water. shallows. So, what do I look for? Well, con- sidering I spend quite a lot of time Luke used the same all-round outfit stalking the flats along the inside of to tame this leaping Queenfish. Fraser Island searching for large flat- head and I do also fish rock ledges, shallow inshore reefs and pressure points for a range of species, includ- ing queenfish, threadfin, snapper etc. My all-rounder comprises a 6ft 9inch medium action 2-5kg line rated rod, I prefer this rod length as it offers the ability to cast long distances on the flats but also good leverage when pulling fish from a shallow inshore reef. I mount a 2500 sized reel, which provides a spool deep enough to spool 300 yards of line and look for models with a drag rating close to