Thread: Trout/perch spin rig advice please.....

Some advice from the gurus here please! I’m looking at doing some spinning for local trout and probably perch here in central Taranaki. I’m totally bamboozled as to what to buy! Too many options; but trying to steer clear of H&F stores….

I’m 56 now and haven’t done any trout fishing since giving it up at about 15…. My “mentor” at the time called spinning “chuck and chance” and told me that at 13 I had to be a fly fisherman… So all I ever did was catch a shit ton of blackberry and willows in the narrow Patea River behind the farm… Disillusioned I chucked it in….

I’ve sorta narrowed it down to a 5-foot-ish rod. Can’t spend a lot, but don’t want to buy crap either. Just a good workman-like rod and reel. Ideas for fixed rod for around home or multi-piece/telescopic for backpacking and/or car travelling.

Also; I remember that Toby and Veltic lures were once the “go to” spinner for trout back in the day. Is that still the case? Or are there other better options now? Again; price is still a consideration.... I often used to use those red and white striped bass lures for perch. They were deadly. You didn't catch as many as a worm; but were always a good size....

I will be looking at fishing the local Patea River around Stratford; and maybe the upper reaches of Lake Rotorangi for perch and maybe trout from the bank; and also maybe directly below the dam. Of course maybe other places like Lake Ratapiko etc too.

I’m trying to do the self-sufficiency thing as well as fishing for enjoyment. So am looking at sticking as close to home as possible. I used to fish for perch at Ratapiko a lot and really rate it as an eating fish. I’m also considering a kayak for Lake Rotorangi for hunting and fishing trips.

Maybe even just simply doing a day trip sitting beside the bank; doing my writing and drowning a worm looking for suicidal perch just beside the road…..

I have done a search but nothing really came up and I thought a thread like this may help others too…. Any help would be gratefully received. Thanks!

mate....pretty much any rod in the 5-6ft range that is reasonably flexi will do the job....reels are a far cry from what they were 40 years ago....you can pick up a rod n reel combo from most hardware stores for under $50 that will do just fine. watch for wear on bail arm where nylon slips through,if a groove starts,bin it as it will scratch the crap out of your line.
lures...yip veltics n tobies work just as good as they always did. tazzie devils throw further but need fast retrieve in shallow water,awesome for trolling. rapalas are always good fish catchers,but at the price they cost,catching willow across unwadable stream is painful....cheap imitations work almost as good. plenty of soft baits out there,yet to try them myself.... worming is as deadly as always.
I will go onto trademe as link a couple that look ok to me.
for what its worth one of my favourite trout rods is a 4 ft warehouse special the boy broke the butt of.I drilled hole in bit of shovel handle and fitted an old reel seat...Ive caught so many trout on that rod its not funny.it bends like a willow in a gale and looks like crap (probably why the theiving mongrels who took my telescopic rod out of my boat left wee rod behind) looks are decieving.

Awesome advice!!! Thank you

something as basic as this will get you started...dip ya toes before spending big $$$

https://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/fis...79823f6cac-006

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

something as basic as this will get you started...dip ya toes before spending big $$$

https://www.trademe.co.nz/sports/fis...79823f6cac-006

Primo! thank you so much :-)

heck go on trademe... above link will get you to where needed,hit lowest price and stop at hundy bucks...there are some very tidy sets on there.maxima makes great nylon...spool up with 6lb......and you wont look back.
feel free to P.M. with any questions if you dont wont to post in open.

Trout and perch fishing, haven’t fished perch for years, but the Kourarua Dam, Gladstone, in the Wairarapa. Used to set up a bubble float with a trace, hook and worms. Sit back with a beer and wait. Perch spines are a bastard but good eating!! Good luck

Get yourself a combo from your local. Sick to the name brand stuff. Shimano, Daiwa, Abu Garcia. Longer rods will help you cast further and lighter will also let you throw smaller lures. The two combined will increase your spend though, as too achieve both uses higher modulus carbon fiber at a price. Smaller water typically needs smaller lures. Veltics and similar are still the go to. Toby's can be good but maybe the smaller cousins like Mepps or Zeds may be a better all rounder.
Your mate was right too. Once you get the hang of fishing or are older than 13 then dredging for fish should be left for children, beginners or the infirm. It's just not cricket to be a grown man and still use a spinning rod.

I have a shimano backbone Elite 4 piece 2-5kg Rod with a Shimano Sedona HD 2500 reel spooled with 8lb braid and it's a brilliant wee setup, feels much more quality to use than its price range would have you believe, drag is butter smooth and rod is real nice action especially considering it's a 4 piece.. I had the same setup but with a 2 piece rod before but ended up snapping the rod going through some scrub with it in the gun rack on the 4 wheeler so went to the 4 piece as it's much easier to transport.

Here is the combo but it's the 2 piece rod which is 3-5kg so a slightly heavier action

https://www.burnsco.co.nz/shop/fishi...BoCRV4QAvD_BwE

If you are serious and prepared to spend around 2 hundy then the 'Dragon' 4pc 8 foot trout rod is impossible to beat. The blank is as good as a GL Loomis, jap graphite. Will do all from perch to salmon.

Re lures etc, depends on the water. There is a level of knowledge involved in looking at a piece of water, evaluating it and deciding what to use and how to fish the particular water - casting upstream onto a riffle and drop-off with a bladed spinner in fast water , downstream with a Toby in deeper water, across and down everywhere else with a Rapala or jelly bean.
Get to know your lure and know it's correct retrieve speed for it too have a correct action and what the correct retrieve speed feels like 'on the rod' when the lure is being retrieved. Do this by standing on the bank and watching the lure's action at different retrieve speeds. Read these last two sentences 10 times.

I love shimano but their warranty around here is f!@#$%g meaningless.

Hence I'd point you towards most of the other big brands. Personally I run a Okuma Ceymar 30 which is a beast of a real for trout( even handles blue cod at 150m apparently!)

You can get a decent wee setup for $100+150.

For lure selection you cant go past having a fee Toby's in there and some tassie devils work a treat.

Veltics and mepps spinners are mint wee pieces to have in you're box too.

If you have some with a bit of pink, bit of silver, bit of gold, bit of green and some darker ones for colouring you'll get em.

You're rivers up there may differ slightly to what I'm fishing round here but most of the principles remain ;-)

Thanks for your help everyone and sorry for the delay in replying. After a lot (over thinking ha ha) of research and taking everyone's views into consideration I've decided to get this combo. Seems to be good bang for buck for a general purpose rig. Thanks again

https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/soft-...-6in-3-6kg-2pc

Originally Posted by bumblefoot

Thanks for your help everyone and sorry for the delay in replying. After a lot (over thinking ha ha) of research and taking everyone's views into consideration I've decided to get this combo. Seems to be good bang for buck for a general purpose rig. Thanks again

https://www.marine-deals.co.nz/soft-...-6in-3-6kg-2pc

Abu reels are good in those package deals and last well. Not as well balanced as shimano but they last longer. I would go with an 8lb / 3.7 kg 'Dragon' Invisiline to spool it. Very strong and abrasion resistant and great strength for diameter and will give you two years. Also cheaper than most others. Maxima is good but thick so reduces cast length. Suffix is a disaster and looses strength very quickly as do many other american lines.