Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Gear-Reviews » My Go-To Combo
My Go-To Combo
By Sean Bekkers
Over the years I've had a lot of rods and in the early days it was all about bait fishing with yabbies, targeting all the usual species, including whiting, bream and flathead. Looking back at that stage my favourite rod that I ever owned was a nibble tip that my grandparents gave me. It was awesome as you could put a super long cast in, change the tip so that you could fish lighter baits and as a 6-7 year old I can remember thinking how do fishing rods get better than this. Whether you a keen angler or a casual caster I'm sure everyone has a favourite. Over the years I've have had plenty of favorites that I can't bring myself to part with.
Nowadays there are so many rods and reels to choose from that it can be a little overwhelming walking into a fishing tackle shop. It's not just the amount of fishing gear but the prices as well. I often get asked from friends of mine that want a do everything rod and reel combo "what rod and reel do I buy?" To be honest it comes down to two things; what are you going to fish for and how much is your budget. (This is what I consider when buying a new combo).
For me, my target species in the estuary are flathead, estuary cod, jewfish (mulloway) and the odd tailor. I also have to consider the inshore species as well, such as snapper, sweetlip and tuna. You'll notice that bream are not in my target species list, so my every day does it all combo isn't a 1-3kg light spin combo.
Over the past 12-18 months I've been using a one piece 7' 3-6kg Okuma Helios rod (HS-S-701M) and Okuma 4000 Azores, matched with 20lb braid. As you can see, not your go-to bream combo. The Helios is made from a 40T Toray carbon blank and I find the 3-6kg rod has plenty of back bone. It's quite firm through to the tip, which I find perfect for throwing big plastics at jewfish or small metals for longtail tuna. To be honest I'm a bit of a guide and reel seat snob and the Helios uses my favorite Fuji components.
In the reel department, the Azores is packed with features, including a super smooth drag that can give you 13kg of stopping power, which is pretty impressive for a 4000 size reel. In fact, I have found myself backing the drag off a little because I end up locking the fish up and pulling the hooks. You can check out the full specs at http://tackletactics.com.au/Okuma/Spinning-Reels/Azores-Blue
I predominately use this outfit for jewfish and big flathead in the estuary and when I'm outside it's my go-to for snapper and tuna. On the days when the tuna are being super picky I can throw a light presentation without spooking them and this combo has enough stopping power to knock them over.
I know that 20lb braid seems heavy to target flathead, however the difference in diameter between 20lb braid and 15lb is minimal when using high quality braids and it adds to the versatility of the combo. By scaling the leader up and down I'm able to cover all of my target species. I run 10-14lb leader for flathead, 20lb for jewfish and 30lb for tuna and snapper, depending on where I'm fishing.
I have no problem throwing a ZMan 3" MinnowZ with a 3/8oz TT Lures HeadlockZ HD jighead, however I find it comes into its own and shows its versatility when I'm throwing a ZMan 6" SwimmerZ and the fast action allows me to really peg it into a snag whilst keeping my distance.
I can honestly say that this is a wicked rod and reel combo and I've caught the fish to prove it. I have a couple of these combos now and they will definitely migrate into my fishing gear that I won't part with. If you're looking for a versatile combo that covers a similar target species range to mine, check this combo out at your local Okuma dealer and you'll be amazed at what you get for your money.
I'm off to put mine to work on a few fish.
Cheers, Sean
Okuma Helios Spinning Rods - HS-S-701M 7' 1pce 3-6kg
Okuma Azores Blue Spin Reels - Azores 4000