For lovers of good equipment, casting is the technique of choice. The one point on which you must not neglect your investment and in which you can have complete confidence remains the reel. I strongly advise you to invest in a good reel rather than a rod. Take your budget and devote 60% to the reel and 40% to the rod, or even a 70/30 ratio.
Which set for shore fishing?
For shore fishing, I've been using a Daiwa Tatula 100 SV TW reel for many years. It's a casting reel designed for sea fishing, with CRBB anti-corrosion bearings, UTD carbon disc brakes and the Tatula series line guide that balances the spool rotation on line exit. It's all about maximum pleasure and seeing the biggest fish come (approx. ?180).
For the rod, opt for a tip-action rod with a high resonance blank to get a better feel for the bottom, small bites and the swimming action of your lures. Daiwa's Tatula 702 MHFBAF in 2.13m - 7/28g will meet your expectations at a very good value. This 2-strand model is easy to carry and very light (151 grams), equipped with 9 Fuji K Fazlite rings which are highly resistant to abrasion and offer excellent glide for the braid. A good compromise for shore fishing with soft lures or surface lures (approx. ?160).
Vertically aboard a boat
For vertical boat fishing, you can turn to a Shimano Genpu XT reel specially designed for vertical fishing. Featuring a simple crank handle and a 59 cm retrieve, it is optimized for powerful fighting. Its carbon drag and ultra-light frame mean you can jig for hours without tiring (approx. ?100).
As far as the rod is concerned, a slow jigging rod like the Sakura Salt Sniper 642 SJ2 is ideal for vertical fishing, whether you're fishing with jigs, gadai or inchiku. With its semi-parabolic action, this is a very sensitive rod that will still allow you to fish with jigs up to 200 grams (approx. ?100).
A higher budget for bait finess
However, bait finesse fishing is reserved for much larger budgets, as designing very small casting reels requires a high level of technological know-how. For example, the Daiwa Steez SV features a magnetic drag and a duraluminium spool weighing just 14 grams. It's a concentrate of technology that comes at a price (around ?500).
In fact, when it comes to baitcasting equipment, the 60/40 reel/rod ratio is no longer the rule, because a rod like the MajorCraft Basspara 5/14g costs much less than the reel. It's a sensitive, fine rod that lets you fish finely with small lures (approx. ?140).
As you can see, there are also a variety of casting sets to suit all lure fishing techniques and budgets. Don't wait any longer and discover the pleasure of casting, a different approach to lure fishing that broadens the range of possibilities.
