b'SUMMER TEST for bait and on the first cast,90-100m through the surf. and held on as it kept going, I was eager to try the reelthe 30lb J-Braid sailed wellIt felt like a snapper, butso I walked with it down the out over summer on the westout behind the last breakersomething seemed differentbeach following and again coast as I was on holiday withinto deep water.The reel wasin the fight and sure enough,cranked the drag even higher.my family staying at Baylysattached to a Daiwa SensorI was surprised to see a 40cmThis just annoyed it as it Beach, Northland.The seaWave 4.27m rod rated toparore on the beach at myincreased speed slightly and was dropping with strong8-15kg which is close to 15ftfeet.I have commonly caughtkept taking line, the weight easterlies battering the eastand a good match for the reel. these in summer on the weston my back was intense as side but helping to calm theThe bait had been in thecoast as they come into theI struggled to keep balance Tasman along Ripiro Beach. water only a few minutes andbeaches to spawn and willwalking and winding at the The first trip down the beachwas hit by a fish that tuggedoften take tuatua baits. same time.It stopped briefly to a low-tide bank with tuatuahard as I wound it back theAfter rebaiting and recasting,to allow me to get a few winds the fish went off the bite onback on, only to take off again slack water until I switchedat will and I could see I was With an impressive 15kgto a rig with a green slow jiggetting close to the end of the max drag, this fat 40cmtassel and then a nice snapper300m of braid to the mono parore wasnt a match for the reel. grabbed the bait.Dinnerbacking!In desperation I put sorted for the kids, I thenmy hand over the spool to changed the reel over to mytry and stop this mighty fish, own surfcaster as I wanted tobut I didnt prevail and it soon really get a feel for it with mybusted off.rod which has accounted for aThat was some fish and lot of big fish. having caught hammerheads, school sharks and rays up to SHARK STRIKE 30kg here, I would dare to The reel has an impressivesuggest a white pointer had 15kg max drag and withtaken me to the cleaners.10kg/300m capacity, it shouldWe will never know but it be more than a match foris the first time I have been most fish encountered fromspooled surfcasting and the the beach.However, on myreels drag throughout the next trip I was completelyshort exchange had been unaware what I was aboutsilky smooth.to experience surfcasting. The reel is good to cast with We had driven down at lowand the only thing I would tide to the top of the Northchange is the small handle, Kaipara to fish under theit is adequate but a larger famous lighthouse. knob or foam ball shaped Conditions were perfect andknob would suit my needs.we hoped the snapper wereThe Crosscast Surf 45 is also hungry on the full moon,butgood value for money, under we struggled to find them and$300 and is a reel I would landed several big kahawairecommend to experienced and a couple of rays.Justsurfcasters looking for a after the change of tide toquality reel, even great whites incoming and the bite wentthink so.FIGZvery quiet, with three anglers fishing side by side getting no interest. Key SpecsWhen all of a sudden, my fresh trevally bait was picked up by a slow moving fish thatDAIWA CROSSCASTtook line at a steady pace andSURF 45 then got faster as I sunk the+Ratio: 4.9:1Switching rigs with anhook and soon the spool was+Capacity: 10kg - 300massist tassel and fresh+Max Drag: 15kgtuatua bait scored asinging as a very heavy fish+Weight: 605gmsnapper when using thewent against the tide and out+RRP: $269.99test reel. to sea!I cranked up the drag/FISHINGINGODZONE67'