Tackle

[bsacbob]

Gentlemen,

I am shortly returning back to the UK for a couple of weeks and planned to stop in BKK for some tackle upgrades on my way back, i am very keen to move onto a multiplier baitcaster type reel matched up to a jigging type rod. I am currently using two baitrunner 4500's and a 8000 and very happy with them put with my Ledros speed jigging rods but have this urge to try some new kit, I constantly see Thai guy's showing up at Bor Sang in CM with all kinds of fancy rod and reel combos.

I have looked on the 7 Sea's website for some idea's but knowing very little about multipliers i don't know where to start.

What is your favorite setup for say BSR or similar venues in Thailand and is it worth buying in the UK or looking for a good shop in BKK.

Thanks in advance..

[impulse]

Rules have changed about fishing rods as carry ons and it seems all airlines are dinging their "valued customers" for anything more than a few socks and undies. That being the case, I'd suggest buying any 2 piece rods here to eliminate the possibility you'll get hit for a big excess baggage fee for a 4' rod case. I just paid more than the kayak cost me to bring an inflatable kayak from China (only 20 kg) Ouch.

Besides, unless you're looking for fly fishing gear (or an honest 12' carp rod), you can find pretty much all you need right in Bangkok.

I'd suggest buying your BSR kit here in Thailand. The prices for reels at 7 Seas are generally a little higher than in the USA (I don't know pricing in Europe) They have an amazing selection that you can touch and feel and crank before you buy. They also have a lot of rods, though I didn't find any that were both well built and inexpensive- but I wasn't looking very hard. I'm pretty picky about my equipment but nowadays I buy well built off-brand rods instead of paying extra for the nice logo. In many cases, they're built in the same factories.

As an alternative, head to On Nut BTS station and walk 300 yards either way and you'll run into 2 branches of the same tackle chain that have a decent selection of reels and more rods that meet my criteria- well built and inexpensive. There are other shops around, of course, but those plus a couple in Chatachuk and Khlong Tom get most of my fishing money.

I can't suggest a setup for you just like I can't recommend a car. It's just too dependent on personal preference and budget.

Good luck.

[jackinbkk]

Hi,

from experience I have found that reels are pretty much the same price in Bangkok and England but that you have a much better choice of the heavy end tackle in Bangkok. Obviously cattering for the needs of the local markets.

If you can buy from a local shop you will save the cost of shipping. You don't find many multipliers in tackle shops in England when away from the coast. It tends to be the saltwater anglers who use them. Not too many jigging reels in England either which tend to have the strongest drags for castable sizes.

You would need to make the choice between a start drag multiplier or a lever drag. I would only go with a lever drag but star drags are far simpler and tend to be cheaper. A good star drag reel would be a 7000 size Abu. I use the 6500 size sometimes but it is hard work for the mekong catfish.

If it is your first time casting with a multiplier then you are going to learn about overruns and bird nests. To minimise these many anglers use a reel with some form of casting break to slow the spool and minimise the chances of these. The alternative is to use your thumb to provide just enough force to slow the spool during a cast. On impact with the water you must stop the spool. Even with brakes this usually means using your thumb. I feel multipliers offer a lot. No line twist, a nicer playing action and usually stronger drags but at the sacrifice of more difficulty casting. After time this becomes easier and easier but many beginners will find themselves throwing in the towel. I nearly did myself. I'm so glad I didn't now.

The ideal lever drag reel that I would recommend would be an avet sx. It has enough drag to stop the mekongs and siamese carp of all sizes. Bigger fish will obviously take longer to tire. For people new to multipliers you can buy a magic cast version with magnetic braking or add some rare earth magnets inside the reel housing yourself to minimise costs.

For a similar size lever drag multiplier but with far more drag power I would recommend one of the jigging masters in a PE4 or PE5 size. There is a new PE5N (narrow) which is very nice. The downside of this is that the reel has no braking mechanism so asting will rely on thumb control. They are also very pricey but the dual drag mechanism will offer you 20kg of drag easily. The PE3 size reel is probably the same size as the Avet sx but I would prefer the larger size for this reel.

There are plenty of good shimano reels that you could look at too with star drag or lever drag options. Like a torium, talica II or Trinidad. Which reminds me. Some multipliers have line lay guides called a levelwind. Reels without these generally cast further but require you to manage line lay on the spool during retrieve. A narrow reel minimises the need for line lay managment.

For rods Thailand is definately the place to buy. Unless it's 12ft carp rods or 13ft beach casters.

A great setup for heavy fishing at Bung samran and gnao nam would be a short jigging rod. I find 6ft tends to offer the best compromise between leverage on a big fish and casting ability. However a 7ft or 8ft GT rod would be great. They tend to be popping rods but they can be very strong. Obviously the longer the rod the easier it is to cast.

I would go for one with a bit of backbone in the 300g to 400g range but a 250g rod would be ok. It should be rated for braid, usually PE line. I find PE4 to PE6 being the most suitable. That would be a jigging rod for braid in the 40lb to 70lb range. You realy want fuiji Silicon carbide guides so if you do use braid it wont cut into them. The cheaper option is fuji alconite guides.

I'd also advise you not to buy at seven seas pro shop in bung samran. It's expensive. If you find the same stuff elsewhere it will often be cheaper.

That's my opinion of things...

[bsacbob]

Thank impulse and Jack for your valued input, looks like I need to spend some time in bkk, unfortunately I don't know bkk too, other than the obvious 😚 . Do you know the names of any of these tackle shops so i can track them down ?

Jack thanks for the detailed reel info, as i said before i am not clued up on multipliers so any model that is user friendly would be what i am looking for. I do have a couple of 6 foot jigging rods but i like the idea of finding a suitable 7 - 8 popping rod to help to get to some of the harder to reach spots at some locations i fish at Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai.

Thanks again for the info...

Edited April 26, 2012 by bsacbob

[jackinbkk]

In Thailand 6ft seems to be the biggest jigging rod I could find in the heavier 500g, 600g PE5-8 sizes. I wasn't able to find the popping rods but they would be great. I would jump feet first into the deep end and get the Avet SX magic cast as your first conventional reel. You won't be dissapointed. It can cast for miles, just as good as an Abu but with the finese of a lever drag.