Saltwater Travel Rods

Posted on August 19, 2016 by admin0

Fishing whilst travelling around Australia and the world.

An intro for the uninitiated. A travel fishing rod is simply a rod that breaks down into several pieces for easy, convenient and portable rod transport.

Many will be familiar with the classic telescopic rod but if you haven’t been keeping an eye on the market, you may be less familiar with the multi piece version that connects via multiple ferrule joints.

Whilst both types have been readily available for a long time, the telescopic in particular, it is only recently that the big brands (and others) have focused some serious technology on this niche. The results have been outstanding, and you can now choose from a selection of beautifully crafted saltwater travel rods, replete with the best of blanks, bling and butts technology can offer. They’re every bit the performance weapon, available to suit a broad range of fishing disciplines and, they’re as capable as the traditional one or two piece configuration.

A little history. While custom, hand crafted multi-piece rods have had a following over the decades, it is the telescopic model that has been the most readily available transportable rod. Stocked by many Australian fishing retailers, many of the rods available in the past were little more than gimmicks. Their quality left a lot to be desired. They were often as flexible as hardwood, as sensitive as a brick, with much of the hardware second rate and prone to the rapid onset of corrosion. The telescopic mechanism was also likely to jam in the shorter term.

I remember my friend and neighbour had quite a lengthy version of a telescopic when we were kids back in the early 80’s. It certainly looked impressive enough but it was quickly relegated to the shed rafters as no-one seemed keen to fish with it. It was just too awful to hold, let alone fish with. Casting was always a tricky affair at best, and creating a balanced set up, an exercise in frustration.

Interestingly, a recent stint living in Eastern Europe brought me in contact with the travel rod again (the telescopic and multi piece versions). Fishing the Danube Delta for Carp (different to our regrettable Australian alien) and Stuka (Pike) brought me into contact with many a local angler, and many an angler used a travel rod. The reason was simple. They had to.

Transport to the Romania Ukraine border is either in a car the size of a matchbox (for many) of train and other forms of public transport. With the rod of choice usually in excess of 12 foot, collapsing for transport is essential. Clearly, the quality and efficacy of these rods was the reason for their popularity. Many were of outstanding quality and they were balanced outfits suitable for purpose, great to use, even while struggling to get my head around local techniques.

It was this experience abroad that set me off on a fact finding mission on line, to see what was being offered in the latest and greatest best travel rod ranges. Travel fishing rod reviews were most enlightening, particular the feedback from rank and file anglers. Indeed they became very handy, as I was soon to find there was a dazzling array of options from which to choose.

Choosing the best travel fishing rod ultimately becomes subjective. The first and primary considerations are how it will be transported and what you will fishing for. From that point, brand, budget, cosmetics and type, i.e. spin, overhead or baitcaster, comes down to personal preferences. Nail this down, then hit the reviews to help the decision process. First however, read on for some great insights that might help you choose the perfect model.

Choosing the Best Saltwater Travel Rod Online
Fishingtackleshop.com.au has a great range of saltwater travel rods for sale to suit just about every application. Let’s have a closer look at them via a few hypothetical situations. The scenarios below provide some great examples and matching rods for different types of travel situations. See which one might be a compatible fit for you.

Which are the best travel rods for sale?

Travelling for Work
There are many of us that travel frequently for work in a company vehicle. Blessed, as Australia is, with the mother-load of bountiful waterways begging to be fished, it is highly likely this work related travel will take us passed a hot saltwater fishing zone of one type or another. While said trips are frequently very busy, there is no reason we can’t squeeze in a few ours fishing on our down time.

Wisdom tells us it’s probably not a great idea to strap a set of racks to the company Commodore and load up with your favourite 12 footers and a heap of gear. A good travel rod however, collapsible to a very discrete length, safely stowed in a protective cover, will be perfect. A small bag of tackle, a collapsible bucket, and you can fish everywhere with a kit that sits neatly on the passenger seat.

Depending on the style of fishing you are planning to do, there are a few really good options. The Shimano travel rods for one are excellent. The build quality is outstanding, depending on the saltwater travel rod you choose they can collapse into 3 pieces or so pieces and will see you casting from banks, jetties, wharves and the more. Make no mistake, shimano make performance rods for saltwater fishing.

For the best value for money travel rod it is very hard to look past the Shakespeare Slingshot Travel Fishing Rod. There are a few models from which to choose, two of them being baitcaster rods. These rods look fantastic, perform brilliantly and come with their own travel case. Follow the link and check the specs. There are options for fishing super light up to ten kilo. Depending on the model, lengths range from 5’6” to 7’, breaking down into 3 or 4 pieces, depending on the model. Highly recommended, particularly when the budget is tight.

Family Car Camping
Many a family has downsized the family vehicle for any number of reasons. This is often a deliberate choice driven by budget concerns or environmental reasons. They are unwilling however to give up the option to escape into the Aussie wilderness in there small 4 door, for some serious car camping. With mum, dad, two rug rats, tents and the camping kit expertly ensconced in the modestly sized Toyota, Dad needs to rationalise the fishing kit, at mum’s behest, of course.

With a simple and fun visit to the fishingtackleshop.com.au website, mum and dad can deck out the family with a fantastic arsenal of saltwater travel spinning rods that will cover all needs. For the kids a couple of cheapest Travel Rods will be perfect general purpose weapons. Robust yet sensitive enough, they collapse to three or so neat pieces and will suit the novice status of the young ones. Mum will probably like the Shimano Raider Travel rod range and some like the snapper and SW spin models Will be ideal for the family fishing together, but strong enough to handle snapper, mulloway, trevally, salmon, tailor, and barramundi when some serious targets are sought there is also a range of lighter bream style shimano travel rods for sale. Dad will want a couple of rods. The Short Bite Special Daiwa Generation Black Travel Rod (3 Piece Spin), will be perfect for his solo finesse adventures, hunting Bream around the structures. The Shimano Raider Travel Inshore 593 Barra Baitcast – 3 Piece Fishing Rod, will satisfy his joy of casting hard bodies at Barra with his favourite baitcaster, and if the budget allows, he’ll love the Daiwa Saltiga Airportable Travel Rod (Heavy Spin/Popper), so he can use his own kit on a charter outside the heads hunting GT’s and big pelagic species. With this selection, the family are fully covered with only the slightest impact on available space in the modest family vehicle.

The Globe Trotter and Frequent Flier
If there is any place where space is at a premium it’s on a plane. Most travellers will be aware that after your ticket prices, excess luggage, like fishing kit, can be catastrophically expensive. Whatever reason you find yourself on a plane, be it for work or holiday, there is now no reason you can’t slip a saltwater travel rod into your checked luggage.

When we take a charter of the coat of Mexico, Hawaii, or Fiji, we want the picture of our exotic, and huge catch, to be taken with our own kit. While many charter operators pride themselves on using top shelf, well maintained, awesome kit, taking your own with you is an insurance of the quality you will use. Ultimately however, there is nothing like using tools with which you are familiar and intimately attached.

Check out the Daiwa Saltiga Airportable Travel Rods. The range is fantastic, and is possibly the best in class travel rod. The customer travel fishing rod reviews back up all the hype, and there is an excellent selection of spin and overhead models, for casting or jigging. They fit perfectly into your checked baggage and you can deploy them anywhere in the world know you can fish with confidence, as your kit is certified performance weaponry. If your budget is a little more modest but your demand for quality uncompromising check out the Shimano Revolution Travel Rods. Again, these are performance rods, with all the convenience of portability and check out the travel fishing rod reviews on these models at fishingtackleshop.com.au. One of the biggest sellers is the 763 Saltwater Revolution model built for heavy, tough fishing.

For those flying locally expecting a little inshore based action, and you’re only checking in a smaller style case, the options covered with Pflueger Trion Transcendent Travel Rods makes them very hard to beat. There is a baitcaster model and various spin models. All break down to 5 pieces, making them the perfect travel fishing rod. Ranging from 2kg up to 10kg, you can point these things at a massive range of targets. They are brilliantly appointed, crafted with Pflueger pride, and accessibly priced, considering their top shelf performance. It’s the Pflueger Trion travel rods that gets my tip for the best travel rod. You might not be so familiar with the brand but don’t let that get in the way of your decision process.

Australian Anglers, like everybody else in the world, are far more mobile than we once were just a few decades ago. We fly, we drive, we explore by rail. The fishing industry has responded as all industry does to changes in our habits, it has created product to suit. These days, Saltwater travel rods are every bit as good, every bit the performer as the traditional configurations. The gimmicky junk is still around, but we now have a superlative range of performance rods, as brilliant when deployed on the water as they are convenient in transport. Check out the rods mentioned above. We are certain you will find a travel rod that is perfect for your application.

While you’re checking our site deciding on the best travel rod for you, make sure you have a look at accessories that will go toward building an outstanding travel fishing kit. Items such as folding buckets are brilliant for the traveller. There are a number of lightweight tackle boxes and containers to choose from. Check the specs. While space is a premium, it also pays to ensure you are going as lightweight as possible. When you are flying, weight is the killer, keep the weight down and save a heap of cash. It’s a great idea to have a dedicated travel fishing kit. You know exactly what’s in it, how much space it takes up and how much it weighs.

It can be tough when you’re driving somewhere, pass a perfect fishing location, have some time on your hands, yet no kit to toss a lure at likely targets. If nothing else, check the range and make up an emergency fishing kit that never leaves the car. I did this, and some of the most memorable fishing experiences have been casual stopovers by a riverbank on route to somewhere. With a travel rod, and a travel kit permanently stashed in your car, stop, revive, survive, takes on a whole new dimension. Get shopping, buy yourself the perfect travel rod and travel fishing kit now.

SEE THE RANGE OF TRAVEL RODS FOR SALE

Special thanks to A. McEwen for providing this amazing personal review and article on Saltwater Travel Rods.

Beach Fishing Tips – Gear & Tackle – Surf Rigs & Lures

Posted on April 30, 2015 by admin0

The Facts on Beaches in Australia

Beach Fishing Australian beaches is for many Aussie anglers the most rewarding form of the sport bar none. Why wouldn’t it be? With 36,000km of beautiful Aussie coastline, one could fish the beaches for several life times and still barely scratch the surface, always enjoying an abundance of our most famous sport and table species. A recent publication by Professor Andy Short provides some very interesting facts about Australian beaches that only confirms how blessed we are here down under. In many respects, it is beach fishing in Australia that remains the last bastion of angling exploration. According to Short “Most of the coast is unvisited…I think Australians would be surprised to learn that the typical Australian beach has no name and no access”. This sort of information augers well for the beach angler determined to experience untouched, pristine beach fishing environments. Short goes on to say that “Twenty five per cent of beaches are accessible by car along a sealed road, 14 per cent are accessible by four wheel drive and 55 per cent aren’t accessible at all.” One could argue that ‘access’ should be rated against desire to access. There might not be a road but, a want of roads never stopped the determination to access places yet untouched. Lawson, Blaxland and Wentworth crossed the mountains without a road. The results were historic.

Adventuring sprit aside the average beach angler can access 25% of our beaches in their humble day drive. That’s approximately 9000km of easily accessible beach. The beach angler also enjoys a dizzying array of beach fishing gear and tackle, and beach fishing tips to hit the sand with confidence. Regardless of budget restraints, experience or lack thereof, beach fishing is available to all, is incredibly rewarding and a famous discipline within the sport where you can enjoy access to awesome fish in some of the most picturesque environments Australia has to offer.

Before we look at basic beach tackle, rigs, lures and tips, it should be noted that beach fishing doesn’t necessarily mean surf fishing. There are hundreds of kilometres of Australian beaches that will never see a wave, even in heavy storms. Many Aussie beaches are protected bays or islands and reef. The surface of the water can be as flat and wave action free as a lake or millpond. This fact is important to note as it can alter the species you will find as well as the tactics and tackle employed to catch them. When fishing a flat beach you can fish very light indeed.

Beach and Surf Fishing Gear and Tackle

The modern beach angler will see every fishing rig, combo and set up imaginable on the beach. From a 6ft rod sporting a small 1000 size spinning reel to a full game fishing rig set up to tackle the biggest of sharks the ocean has to offer. Of course, there is everything in between. Volumes could be written about fishing the beach and indeed have been. The key thing to remember is that much of your beach fishing kit will be determined by the location, conditions and the target species.

The most common species beach anglers target are the Tailor, Bream, Flathead, Whiting, Australian Salmon, Dart and Mulloway. Of course depending on where you are in Australia you can include fish such as Mackerel and Trevally. For the purpose of keeping this article concise, the surf fishing tips, surf fishing rigs, lures for the beach and common baits will represent a flexible, general purpose kit that gives you appropriate access to all of these species.

Surf Fishing Rods

Look for rods starting at 10ft up to 12ft and even longer. The key feature of the surf fishing rod will be its casting ability. All the famous brands such as Shimano, Daiwa, Penn and Wilson have a fabulous selection to meet all budget restrictions. The tip here is to get as light as practicable. Holding such a big rod for hours on end can bring on fatigue. Full graphite or composite is best. Spinning rods designed specifically for the beach are the best place to start. Choosing the rating can often be personal preference and depends on whether you want more sport, casting distance, and the size of fish you target. Start at ratings around 3kg and up. This will also be heavily influenced by the reel you choose. It should be noted, if you feel like going old school and traditional and feel you would like to use an Alvey Reel, you must get a low mount surf rod to match. An Alvey is a side cast reel and requires a rod that is designed for the reel. The butt of such rods are very short.

Surf Fishing Reels

With the exception of choosing an Alvey rig, you would usually start with choosing a rod then select a reel to balance. While overhead reels and side cast reels are fine, it is very hard to go past the modern spinning reel. The technology is fantastic and most of the major manufacturers have beach specific designs. Like the rod, the reel should have premium casting qualities, they should be very strong and durable. Sand and surf can wreck a spinning reel very quickly if it does not have the right inclusions. Sealed drag and bearings are nigh on essential, next to its casting attributes. Full graphite reels are excellent in fighting off corrosion and should also top your list. Keep in mind, while there are beach fishing reels available at very cheap prices, a reel that has all the features you require plus durability, will cost a little more. The common beach fishing reel sizes will of course depend on your rod but as a guide will normally be from 5000 to 14000 size. These would be spooled with mono from 5kg to 10kg. Braid is fine also, and the choice of mono or braid comes down to personal preference.

Surf Fishing Lures

Here are a selection of lures that are tried, tested and very successful on our beaches. For the most part, casting requirements, wave conditions and the wind will determine the most appropriate lure for the day. While there a host of other lures one can use on the beach. These are the most common.

Metal slices are just about the best lure for the beach and definitely the most common. They are available in many sizes to match the bait fish your target is eating. Flexible retrieve options and incredible casting qualities make them invaluable.
Soft plastics are also very good on the beach. Use a jig head only as large as required for casting purposes. Add some fish attractant to the lure for even better results.
When the surf is a little flatter, with little or no wave action, try a popper for spectacular results.
Hard bodied minnows are also very good in the surf. Size will be determined by how far you need to cast and they only need be shallow divers.

Surf Fishing Rigs

Here are a selection of beach fishing rigs that are very simple and very successful. These rigs will handle pretty well all fishable surfside conditions.

The classic. For Tailor, Mackerel and Aussie Salmon, run as much weight as required for casting, directly to a gang hook set in sizes 3/0 to 5/0 hooks. Use a snap swivel to connect your line to the hooks, this way you can change hooks quickly and mitigate against line twist. Add a West Aussie Pilchard or Garfish for bait.

Connect a lure to your snap swivel and start casting. Nothing is cleaner, simpler and more rewarding.

A sinker and swivel connected to a leader of around 50-100cm is a fantastic general purpose rig for all species. The hook size and style will depend on your target. If there are whiting, Flathead or Tailor about, use a long shank. Use only enough lead for casting to your strike zone.

A great rig for when the surf is pumping is the good old Paternoster. Sinker styles are variable here but often about holding the bottom to combat lateral sweep. Try a star shape sinker or a grappling style sinker. Single hooks or ganged hooks are great for this rig.

Surf Fishing Tips

Buying cheap, poor quality equipment to be used on the beach is a false economy. Purchase the best you can afford. Durability in the sand and surf counts.

Survey beaches from a high vantage point whenever possible. Check for variations in the water colour for an indication of gutters and holes. A good set of binoculars comes in handy for this. You can also use your high point and binoculars to spot feeding activity on the water.

When you feel a Whiting bite at your bait, walk slowly back up the beach to encourage the strike.

While a featureless beach while hold fish, always seek out structure. This is where the fish are feeding.

Be aware that fish will often feed right at your feet. Casting as far as you can every time will often take your bait or lure straight past the strike zone. Whiting are a classic for this, and often, a throw of just a few meters puts you in the zone.

While evening dawn and dusk are the standard times to fish, don’t be afraid to fish a gutter or hole at any time of the day but if you can correspond that with a rising tide around an hour or so before hand till an hour or so after the turn then you will be better prepared for a bite.

Just because you’re fishing a beach doesn’t mean you need heavy gear. Depending on weather your beach is calm, Try a 6ft rod with a spinning reel around 2500. Fish 3kg line with fresh flesh baits, like pippi or worms, or soft plastics. The Bream and Whiting love it. The bonus is, when you hook into an Australian Salmon, you’re set for the most wonderful fight you can imagine.

Fishing Tackle Shop has all your beach fishing gear and tackle at awesome prices. What they don’t have is not worth buying. Stock up now and get out on one of our beaches to catch yourself a feed. Bag out on Bream or tackle a Tailor, just make sure you visit fishingtackleshop.com.au before you go.

Shimano Tcurve Lucanus Jig Fishing Rods

Posted on October 7, 2010 by admin0

We have now added Shimano Tcurve Lucanus Jig Fishing Rods to our online fishing store.

Tcurve Lucanus Fishing Rods are ideal for tossing out those lucanus style jigs that will catch a wide range of fish species.

Lucanus Jigs have proved to be supper popular for targeting Snapper.

The Shimano T-Curve lucanus jig fishing rods feature:

* TCurve Blanks
* Fuji SIC guides, reel seat and butt cap
* Custom designed jig handle incorporating extra-hard EVA grips
* Special Lucanus jig hook-keeper

Check out the range of our Shimano Tcurve lucanus Fishing Rods in our online fishing store here:

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