Thread: Kawahai on lightweight setups

Quite enjoyable soaking a bait or trying new ideas

Anyone trying ultralight fishing gear this year ?

I’m using 3-15g cast weight canal rods and 6 pound mono, 2000-2500 series reels and drag set at 1 pound

Ranging between 1 and 5g jigheads and 1-3 inch softbaits

Really rewarding and any fish caught really puts up a scrap

Wow that is some pretty light gear. I don't catch anywhere near enough fish to give myself a challenge like that

Niiiice. I've recently setup up rod for the same purpose, yet to put into action, was gonna use it for trout as well. Okuma 6'6" 6-8kg rod with shimano 4000 reel running 8kg line. Also looking at using a Abu-Garcia 12' medium-light rod that takes 8-12kg line and 40-100gm lures for kahawai as well. Was using this rod as a standard surf rod but it couldn't cast normal surf rigs for shit, ledger rigs, pulley rigs etc, but it will launch a 80gm lure a good 100+m. I'll pair that with 5500 reel running 10kg line and see what happens next time I go to the beach.

Yes, I've been doing quite a lot of this kind of stuff over the last couple of years, but I've reverted to using a more standard softbaiting setup in some situations as I kept getting smashed by decent trevally.

Not exactly ultra light but I do the same sort of thing with 10lb braid and trace on a Stradic 2500. I use 10 to 25gm jigs or sort baits depending on depth and conditions. Great fun.

Kahawai go good on a 7 weight fly rod reasonably easy to catch too if they're in close any streamer type fly will get them

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Kahawai go good on a 7 weight fly rod reasonably easy to catch too if they're in close any streamer type fly will get them

Nice. Hooked my first one on the fly a few weeks ago, then the braided loop that I put on the fly line 25 years ago slipped off

I've been a light tackle fisherman since I was a kid, my ultimate set up is a Shimano Sustain 1000 with a 2.1m Shadow X rod running 6lb line.
It's a hoot in the kayak or boat but gets overwhelmed when from the shore, gotta have your running shoes on.

My general rig is a Shimano Stradic 3000 with a Grappler micro jig rod with 10lb braid, a little overkill for kahawai but amazing power for when a rat kingie, snapper or trev grabs the jig

Found a pic of my Sustain 1000 setup while Trout fishing