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Thread: Kawahai on lightweight setups

  1. #1
    Caretaker
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    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

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    Pengy, Haggie, Shearer and 7 others like this.
    A big fast bullet beats a little fast bullet every time

  2. #2
    Member rugerman's Avatar
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    Wow that is some pretty light gear. I don't catch anywhere near enough fish to give myself a challenge like that

  3. #3
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    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.
    7mmsaum likes this.

  4. #4
    MB
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    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.







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  5. #5
    Member Shearer's Avatar
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    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.
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    Experience. What you get just after you needed it.

  6. #6
    Wadiyatalkinabeet Ryan_Songhurst's Avatar
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    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
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  7. #7
    MB
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst View Post
    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

  8. #8
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    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
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  9. #9
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    Found a pic of my Sustain 1000 setup while Trout fishing Name:  InShot_20220129_181235972.jpg
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst View Post
    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
    Yeah, I've had heaps of fun with kahawai on my 6wt. The most fun I've had on a fishing rod is a flats kingy on fly, but kahawai on 6wt is a close second.

    My go-to light kahawai spin set-up for years was a 4-6kg softbait rod paired with a 4000 series Abu reel sporting 8lb braid. That is til I snapped the top foot off the rod (not on a kahawai) and now it's got a new life as a sturdy 6' boat rod. My current lightweight setup for kahawai is a 2-5kg Daiwa paired with either the same Abu or a 2000 series Daiwa reel which currently sports 4lb mono but will soon be re-spooled with 4lb braid. First fish I got on the 2-5kg rod were about half a dozen kahawai caught off the rocks near home on a wee popper I made out of an old toothbrush.
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  11. #11
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    Till now, I still can `t figure out what is the best way to cook it. But Kawahai is really good for sport fishing, and I find the lure fishing is the best. Last year I tried to use ultra light gear in CHCH at the river mouth. My rod is only 1.55m long, ML action, 0.4 braid line with 10lbs lead line. I am sure my setup will hold and the feeling could be like fighting with a king fish. The picture is in Auckland, everybody knows where is. I used 2.4m ML rod, 2.0 braid line with heave leader say 50lbs. Yeah, I did caught lots of Kahawai, just this fish has no taste at all....

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    So be it

  12. #12
    MB
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    Quote Originally Posted by Black Rabbit View Post
    Till now, I still can `t figure out what is the best way to cook it. But Kawahai is really good for sport fishing, and I find the lure fishing is the best. Last year I tried to use ultra light gear in CHCH at the river mouth. My rod is only 1.55m long, ML action, 0.4 braid line with 10lbs lead line. I am sure my setup will hold and the feeling could be like fighting with a king fish. The picture is in Auckland, everybody knows where is. I used 2.4m ML rod, 2.0 braid line with heave leader say 50lbs. Yeah, I did caught lots of Kahawai, just this fish has no taste at all....
    Western palate prefers fish to be bland, almost tasteless and for many, kahawai is too strong in taste. My Korean mate has similar issues to you. His least favourite fish is snapper.
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  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Black Rabbit View Post
    Till now, I still can `t figure out what is the best way to cook it. But Kawahai is really good for sport fishing, and I find the lure fishing is the best. Last year I tried to use ultra light gear in CHCH at the river mouth. My rod is only 1.55m long, ML action, 0.4 braid line with 10lbs lead line. I am sure my setup will hold and the feeling could be like fighting with a king fish. The picture is in Auckland, everybody knows where is. I used 2.4m ML rod, 2.0 braid line with heave leader say 50lbs. Yeah, I did caught lots of Kahawai, just this fish has no taste at all....

    Attachment 270634Attachment 270636
    Very underrated fish here. I used to feed them to the cat... Now sometimes I smoke or curry, but the best way is age for 5-7 days and sashimi with soya and wasabi. Like these guys do: https://www.fishing.net.nz/fishing-a...ading-the-way/
    Deanohit likes this.

  14. #14
    Unapologetic gun slut dannyb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hahn View Post
    Very underrated fish here. I used to feed them to the cat... Now sometimes I smoke or curry, but the best way is age for 5-7 days and sashimi with soya and wasabi. Like these guys do: https://www.fishing.net.nz/fishing-a...ading-the-way/
    what about smoking them ? I have yet to come across a fish that wasn't tasty after a good smoking
    #DANNYCENT

  15. #15
    MB
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    Quote Originally Posted by dannyb View Post
    what about smoking them ? I have yet to come across a fish that wasn't tasty after a good smoking
    Old billy goat balls would taste good after smoking. Salt, sugar and smoke.
    Shearer and dannyb like this.

 

 

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