Spinning gear for plugs

[BlueSaab]

Hi I need to get some gear together for spinning for bass off anywhere accessible.

I am in a wheelchair so this means piers etc but I don't discount good firm beaches.
Because of lack of height reach I like to use longer rods than most.
I have been thinking seriously about the Zziplex light bass and wondered if it would double for spinning or would a dedicated spinning rod be better.
What about reels fixed spool or multiplier?
I must confess to not being a great fan of Shimano reels apart from my baitrunners just did not suit me I prefer Daiwa fixed spools.
Would you use braid?
I've heard many opinions both for and against braid and would prefer well thought out comments ie reasons for against

Sorry if it's a bit of a woffle but I have not done a lot of this in fresh water let alone the sea.

Regards Dave

[wooky114]

Dave, I use an Abu Freerunner 305 (similar to a Shimano Baitrunner) on my Bass Rod (Ugly Stik Specimen 1.75lb test curve 'carp' rod) with 20lb braid and have no problems with it - I also use my Millionaire 7ht with it, if I wanna if fish estuary's etc

[kastonfly]

You may find a Bass rod too heavy to use for spinning/plugging in both weight and action as they are designed to cast 2 – 4oz. I have used (I only SWIFF now) and would recommend either a Carp or Pike rod with a 2.5 lb test curve. And they are likely to be a bit cheaper:) With regards to reels spinning reels are easier to use especilally when using light lures in the wind.

[Sharkbait]

My two Penneth...
go for a fairly small fixed spool and use braid, you can get something like 500yds of 20lb braid on a 5000 sized reel which is far more than you would need. I use 30lb braid from the boat for plugging as i find the 20lb a bit fidly and have more confidence with it.
A smaller reel is lighter so should be more comfortable, as for the rod i think this is generally personal preference, I like light carp rods 1.5 - 1.75lb.
Try searching this site or anglersnet or Mike ladle website for more threads on the same theme.

[Mike Geoff]

I use the zziplex light bass for inshore work with leads but dont think it would work too well plugging/spinning,its got a soft through action,they advertise the powertex bass rod for the one to punch lures into the surf,or I use a conventional 11ft lure rod(masterline powerhead plugger)for plugging/spinning off the rocks with an abu cardinal reel,a lot cheaper and does the trick,quite a choice of 11ft spinning rods about.

[BlueSaab]

Thanks guys

Some food for thought
I have a couple of Shimano Antares carp rods one is 2.25lbs TC with a nice softish action the other is a 2.5lb Antares with a steelier action.
For boat fishing if I can still get on I have a Zippy Bass marine nuff said.

Does anyone know if the HSE ar*holes have caused any problems with boat fishing. Now don't get me started about these morons I make my own mind up about what's safe and stand by it.

Seems like a good place to start.
About braid do you load it over a backing of mono.
Am I correct in thinking that 30lb braid is as thin or thinner than 10lb ish mono and. if using braid would you use a rubbing leader.

Many thanks for the replies

All the best Dave

[Sharkbait]

Hi Saab,
30lb braid is about the same as 6-10lb mono.
Mike ladle is well regarded as lure fisherman, if you want a new rod for plugging then i dont hink you will do better than the Mile ladle surespin from Veals - although i would personally try your carp rods first, reckon they will do the job just fine as long as they are not too heavy for casting,
I dont think there is a ned to put mono backing but may be worthwhile or put tape round the bell to give the braid something to "hold" onto - i personally dont bother.

Ps when using braid make sure the line is under as much pressure as poss when loading it on or you can have awful birdsnests when casting, also start with a couple of gentle casts before giving it too much wellie or you get the same problem.
One last thing, if you cast a lure and then real in the slack without any tension it can sometimes cause a birdie on future casts - that said i have been using braid for a few years and think it is the best thing in the world, i even tried it on a multiplier from the shore... bad idea, does not work!!

[spill]

It seems that some braids are thinner than others. At the moment I am using Berkeley Whiplash 30lb for lure fishing - this is very thin for its strength. I accidentally bought some Berkeley Fireline (thinking it was the stuff that I had been using) which turned out to be much thicker and not very good for casting light lures in the 30lb test. I pack out the reel with mono so I can split the 300yd spool into 2 lengths and fill 2 spools with it. 150yds turns out to be plenty of line for casting lures.

[bil]

Saab,

"Does anyone know if the HSE ar*holes have caused any problems with boat fishing. Now don't get me started about these morons I make my own mind up about what's safe and stand by it."

That's down to Nanny knowing best.