# What reel for catching live bait



## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

Hi All,

Looking for suggestions for a reel. Needs to be robust, can withstand some salt exposure, cost less than $125 needs to have a bit of grunt, for catching the likes of Tailor, Slimy Mackerel etc.

Any suggestions?


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Symetre 2500 can be had for around $110 and is good in the salt. Will easily handle large tailor


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## Guest (Dec 2, 2007)

Any rod that you have with you and just clip on a bait jig. When finished with it unclip it and get on with fishing with livies for the big stuff.

When land based I used to just take a third rod with a small reel and permanently have a bait jig on it. But now I use a cast net..................but that's no good for when you are out in the Yak and want to jig for Slimies etc. I guess one could do the same in a Yak and have a small cheap rod and reel with a bait jig on it.


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## Breambo (Apr 19, 2006)

You could get two alveys with proper drag. From memory there about $50 from Kmart regular price. I rinse my reel in salt water instead of oiling, thats how good they are, and you can use one to jig up liveys and the second to run the livey on.


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

Yeah - I was thinking along the lines of a 2500 type reel. Also thinking of targeting squid with it.


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Why so big? surely a little 1000 reel would be big enough for live bait?


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## Raumati (May 22, 2006)

I use a shimano alivio 6000 , if a tailor fights like a salmon it should handle it easily.They come in a 4000 too, I saw them at BCF for about $80 or so.


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## DGax65 (Jun 7, 2006)

I already carry too many rods and can't afford to have single purpose bait stick. Instead, I use my light outfit (Shimano Torium 20 on a 12-20lb Seeker graphite rod) for making bait. When I need to make bait I just clip on a sibiki rig. After the tank is full that rod goes back to being used for swim baits and light spoons (kelp bass rig). To make bait catching exciting, I sometimes put a treble on a shiny torpedo sinker at the bottom of the sibiki. In addition to bait, this might also catch a bass or rat yellow tail. That's anther reason for not using a really light rig for making bait.

You might want to consider a dual purpose rod/reel combo


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

What sized bait fish are we talking here??? :?

6000 reels 20 lb rods??

My snapper out fit is only a 1000 reel with 6lb line on a 3 kg rod.....and I havent been spooled yet, mind you the biggest I've got has only been 53 cm. and I've caught at least 5 over 50 cm ....but I've gotten tailor up to 45 cm's on that outfit, Tailor dont run that hard, they just cut through your trace.

I have a Penn Accord 1000, water proof drag, thick bail arm (for braid), metal body and will hold about 150 mtrs of 4 lb braid and best of all they are only $60. For catching bait in the bay you want to go as light as possible. I dont understand why you would want to fish so heavy for bait??.....because you'll catch squat.


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## DGax65 (Jun 7, 2006)

ar-we-ther-yet said:


> What sized bait fish are we talking here??? :?
> 
> I dont understand why you would want to fish so heavy for bait??.....because you'll catch squat.


The bait fish that are most often caught in this area (jack mackerel) are large, greedy and dumb. They don't care if you use a 30lb sibiki rig. When they are feeding they'll even hit a large iron with a 6/0 treble.










I was just making the point that you *can* use a heavier rod/reel combo for making bait and then use the same rod for targeting larger fish. Use one rig for two purposes, rather than having to take another rod. Where I fish, a 6lb outfit wouldn't be practical. I know too many guys who have had their sibikis hit by yellow tail. With my bait rig I would have a decent chance of landing the yellow. A 6# stick would probably just snap in two.


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## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

From a yak a handline is quite simple and easy to uses. For squid - nothing fancy but a nice soft tip is handy for casting and landing the squid


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

I'm with Doug, multipurpose your rigs. Tiagra 130 - yakkas & marlin.

Oops, just reread your budget, but I'd still use the one rig for multiple setups.


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)

Well Phoenix usually, fishes the southern part of Moreton Bay and I fish the northern end. So unless the live bait are on steroids down that way I would suggest small is better. Remember Fish Brain used a 1500 reel with 8 lb line to catch his threadfin. I have a 1500 Okumo with 2 spools, one with 4 lb for bream and live bait and the other with 8 lb for larger stuff. The only small bait you'll catch with heavy gear is Grinners, even the game fishing boats usually carry a couple of light combos for catching yakkas and slimmeys.

Hand lines are alright on boats but can be a pain in a yak........but hey they work and pretty much that's all you need.

Hey give those little blades a go for live bait, I caught a couple of tailor as well as stripies, plus some other small fish while using it on Saturday.


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

With the target species being slimy mackerel and tailor you will have no trouble using 15lb leader or even heavier, so you might as well get the 2500 sized reel and spool it up with line suitable bigger fish. Slimys will take slugs and sps. Admittedly they're no sport unless on very light gear but the aim is bait collection not sport. I'm with Doug 100% on this - choose your tackle to catch your target fish and use it to collect bait as well


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