Abel-Equipment,Rods and Reels

so many have asked what equipment we are using and just this is just to share some insights!
Everyone has a preferred brand to use and it's always important to select the right gear for the right job.
I've personally had 2 Daiwa reels that came with the rods as a set but have since passed them on to someone else.

Shimano is what I trust more than any other brand because they mass produce a ton of other equipment for Bicycles to motorised vehicle parts so their reputation is rock solid. 2 brands that many have recommended me and is said to last a lifetime would be Shimano and Abu Garcia equipment.

Daiwa of course just started out as a more reliable and popular brand a few years back so I cant deny that the company has made significant improvements.

REELS

my previous reels were Daiwa Sweepfire and Daiwa X shock. those were great but I felt that I needed something more reliable that would be able to take more abuse and negligence.

Currently,I own a secondhand Shimano Stradic 2000 as a small travel reel as well as a more heavy duty one which is the Shimano AERNOS XT.
if you look up the market,the Stradic goes for $90 retail and the AERNOS goes for $110-$150 depending on where you go.i dont believe in spending a lot on equipment wise so the only reason I got the reels is because I got the AERNOS XT for free(dont ask me how) and the Stradic for a very cheap price.

Reel Line?Ah yes common topic to bring up.They are from Seahawk's new braided Line series which cost $10 for 150M and $20 for 300M. Both reels are fitted with 40LB braided. why is it so heavy duty?because the price is not affected by the poundage of the line so a 10LB line cost the same as the 40LB one.

what's the best reel to get?within the $10-$80 range is not much of a difference but once you move up to $100 and more there is a significant leap of quality. we've asked many store owners and experienced fishermen and they all agree on this point. it is better to invest in good gear that will last you a lifetime or at least many more years rather than a cheap reel that will spoil(change frequently) or require a lot of maintenance in which in the long run,would be very costly.

you dont have to spend tons of money for good reels. just look out for the right opportunity to come by to get a good set.One good way is to join fishing gear sale forums or go online to search for secondhand websites such as Gumtree.com, Carousell, etc.

Now lets review the reels.

 First up is the Shimano AERNOS XT 5000 loaded with 200M of braided line.

I would recommend this particular model because it hasn't given me any problems so far.everything is smooth but it does take regular maintenance such as regular washing after each fishing trip and lubricating after every 3-4 trips. but overall in terms of corrosion resistance?only the handle joint shows slight salt crystallization if not washed properly.  But it runs well,the drag is excellent,light weight for a 5000 reel,and the spool spins smoothly.
the colour is also very attractive. there is however a new model which goes up for $130-160. the difference?there's an added Olive Knob Handle that is all you'll pay extra for.
if you are interested,i do have some extra reels left with me going for $130 each so do comment in the section below if keen.

Next is the Stradic 2000. loaded with 120M braided line.

this is the older model(first model in fact) as you can tell by the wooden knob. the New Stradic series had a plastic knob. This is a very good travel reel if you're planning to lure or go far places. It is very smooth and requires very little maintenance.I tend to forget to wash or lubricate it after every trip but it seems to always just run fine. I got this at $40 awhile back when I was looking for Shimano reels. I wouldn't say that would be a cheap price to pay for an older model but I guess at least it was worth the money in terms of performance.

the reel is smooth but not as smooth as the AERNOS.maybe cause the previous owner did not maintain it very well but nevertheless still excellent.I've read many complains about this reel being unreliable but so far it has not failed me yet. the weight is remarkably light so it is perfect for luring(tried many times) and its also very compact and can even fit into small pouches in bags.


RODS

Rods I'm using are generally from Daiwa.though once I have enough, I'll be going for a Shimano rod instead.
both my rods are 7ft light action rods. I chose 7ft rods because to me, it is a comfortable length for jetty fishing at the same time,long enough for casting far out.

Currently in my possession would be the Daiwa X shock and Daiwa Crossfire series.both of which came in a rod and reel combination.
Daiwa X shock was my first real professional rod that I purchased.and Daiwa crossfire is my secondary rod that I got 2 and a half years after the first one.

So the first rod would be the Daiwa X shock.20LB light action rod.

purchased in 2011 for $50(+ reel combo)

for a light action rod it is alittle 'heavy' in weight but still light as a rod in general. the rod is very sturdy and well built for a budget rod. the only problems I have with it would be the guides of the rod which does not contain the inner lining.of course that can be changed easily if you wish to put in some money into the rod.

but the existing guides rust really quickly and bend out of shape if you're not careful.

I would still encourage others to get this rod as their first rod because it has stood the test of time and has been with me for 3 years without any real hassle. I've brought this out for boat fishing once but it wasnt the best for that situation and the first guide ended up breaking off.

So the next rod would be the 7ft Crossfire spinning rod.25LB light action rod.
purchased for $30 in 2013
this rod is very light, very smooth and the design is fantastic.
BUT to my disappointment, it is not the best rod to get in my personal opinion.first off,the rod isnt well built for the very reason that the handle turns loose after a few cast.currently still in one piece in my possession but it feels like the handle will break off any minute.also despite being carbon graphite, the material is quite weak and it feels like its made out of cheap plastic.Once,after placing the rod down to wait for a bite,a small fish came along and took the bait and almost instantly, the first guide and half the first section of my rod snapped off leaving me a 6ft rod.after much observation of the broken portion of the rod I realised that the material was too weak to be a surfcasting rod. so if you're planning to get this rod for jetty or beach fishing, I wont recommend this model.
but of course this would be good for freshwater luring.

Tackle 

high catch rates can ensured with a few simple tools.first of all:

HOOKS

most important.Not all hooks are the same.If you're just starting out,J hooks will help you learn how to strike a fish well but when you're comfortable,you can try Circle hooks. I personally use Mustad Circle hooks.they cost more but are very efficient hooks.they are chemically sharpened which means lower chance of getting blunt and they are nickle coated to be more resistant to salt water corrosion.
so what are circle hooks?

Circle HOOKS

Circle hooks are circular hooks with an additional barb at the end of the tip to ensure that the hook has a lesser chance of getting too deep into the fish's mouth and being gut hooked.brands like 'Mustad' and 'Owners' have a good reputation as being the better brands for circle hooks.
they roughly cost $3 for a pack of 10 hooks which are reusable up to 2 or 3 times.

J HOOKS

But of course not everyone is so keen on spending so much on hooks afterall a pack of circle hooks every trip would be a waste. so J hooks are the next best thing.lets talk about quantity and price. Most tackle shops sell hooks by small packs which cost maybe $1 or less for a pack of 15 hooks or more.but if you buy in a bigger bulk,it'll actually be cheaper in the long run. I would recommend J hooks by seahawk. It will set you back by $7 for a pack of 100 hooks. but you wont want to be wasting your money and getting oversized or hooks that are too small right?so a good size that goes well would be size 1/0 and 2/0.

                                                                                                                      All of our catches were caught with size 1/0 hooks.many people are always shocked to see us using such "small" hooks but the truth is it doesnt always mean that a bigger hook will allow you to get a bigger catch. hooks that are Chemically Sharpened tend to have better hook ups as well so don't be over ghetto and get cheap and unreliable ones because the quality makes a whole lot of difference.the pack of hooks you see here were a mistake in size that I made a few years back and I have yet to finish them.

SWIVELS

Swivels are also essential when reeling in a big catch.not many know that swivels have poundage limit as well.it all depends of what you're fishing for but of course if you invest in a pack with a high poundage you need not worry about both lines separating from each other in the event of a big hook up.also they are reusable and most of the time,you'll lose them by snagging or just plain forgetfulness like we do.

of course like many things there are a whole range of swivel brands but no particular brand makes a difference but if you must know,most of us are using "Relix" because they offer a higher poundage durability and the price is more affordable. it'll probably set you back at $2 for 10 pc.

LEADER LINE

Leader line next most important.leader line comes in many brands and poundage.when we are aiming for small fishes we tend to use a 40LB leader(you'll never know what to expect like a big sickle fish or big grunts) some bigger fishes do take small hooks so be aware that anything can take the line for a spin.                                                                                                                                                          

of course when we aim for bigger fish such as fully grown Kim Bak Lor/Barramundi,Stingrays,Big Mozambique catfish,Chermin we tend to use a heavier line,which is about 80LB you might think this is a ridiculous number by hey,the pictures speak for themselves that it isnt such a crazy idea afterall.If you are curious,we use Surecatch leader line.This is because it is the only affordable leader line we see when we buy our stuff from Changi.                          But recently we have sourced for cheaper line somewhere else.

SINKERS

Sinkers are most essential for preventing your line from drifting too far to the side because of the high current.

Size of sinkers depend on each situation.

places such as Pasir Ris have relatively calm waters with very little current so size 1.5 and 2 would be good.

places like Changi however have a much stronger current that changes through the day and night.so a size 4 or 5 would be good to prevent tangles with other fishing lines.

boat fishing is a whole different story.currents are relatively very strong out there so always be prepared with a size 10 sinker to beat the current.pairing up your sinker size with your rod strength is also important.you cannot use a very heavy sinker with a light action or ultralight rod or risk the rod breaking at the tip due to overstress.

the next thing you need to know about Sinkers is the different type of sinkers to use.the first important sinker you must know is known as the Anti-Snag or sputnik Sinker.so the logic would be that the extended metal "skewers" prevent the main sinker portion from being caught inbetween rocks or branches.in the even that you do snag against something,the metal skewers will simply bend outwards and release the sinker immediately. this is suitable for rocky bottoms  and can save you a lot of lost sinkers. We usually use this particular one at Changi and pasir Ris beach,Punggol end.But places like Api Api Bridge,Bedok jetty,sembawang park and woodlands jetty would not require such a specialized sinker design.

Second important sinker that we have would be the egg sinker or running ball sinker.bottom feeder rigs utilize this sinker to keep the bait on the seabed and to ease suspicion of the fish when it takes the bait.the logic is this;when the fish takes the bait,and runs with it, the tension of the sinker is not felt immediately as the line runs through the sinker hole and the fish suspects nothing is wrong and swallows the bait along with the hook. if you're still unsure of what this means,do google to find out how this sinker is used for various situations.

Lastly,the one eye sinker,which is the most essential and versatile sinker.this is a must have in all tackle boxes. a couple of size 1-3 sinkers for this variation would be good and should last you for many fishing trips!If you're just beginning to fish,this would be the perfect first few tackle that you would require before proceeding to the other types!










So that's all I have for you regarding my setup of equipment do leave a comment if you would like to find out more!

all questions welcomed!

Cheers and peace out!

-Abel