but I'd ink in a calcutta for the reel.

Lower profile reels are generally lighter to cast all day than the round ones (but then the round ones can be more suited to live baiting and the like). Though a round one might be more useful for when you get get back (e.g. light offshore setup).

Got an idea of the line class you want to run?

all depends on what your gonna be doing WODF... if your going to be trolling all day id go for a lighter combo to save on your wrist ect as it gets abit tedious hanging onto a heavier combo for longer periods... at the same time u want something with ballz to extract the bigger fish from dirty spots... i used a calcutta 200 and a 300te for trolling (the 300 for livebaiting aswell)... if your going to be doing alot of livebaiting i suggest something with a ratchet... any of the abu range 5600-6000 and so on are good.. lots depend on how much u want to spend.... i highly recommend the calcuttas and they also double as handy light inshore outfits.. as for lines i used braid and mono for barras and if fished properly never had a preference... the mono allowing spunge with the jumps less pulled trebles but yeh all personal preference mate... for me i fished 4kg mono 6kg fireline and 8kg fireline.... im sure alot of guys on here will help ya out with any info required mate..... gimme a buzz if u need anything else

cheers poddy

I've been using a shimano Curado with 10lb braid... Nice and light and can troll all day... Also been good for throwing lures around snags etc...

 In saying this will still be upgrading to a Culcutta next time home....

Yea there have been plenty of barra caught in Dampier creek already in broome... Just gotta find the right spot....:) :)

the shimano raider range are good rods for the price.

gives you some $$ left over to buy lures etc

My 2 outfits are:
Calcutta 200 and Shimano Barra Raider 5-8kg rod
Calcutta 200 and Shimano Bass Raider 3-5kg rod
Both running 14lb braid.

I also started using a Twinpower 4000 and Raider Snapper spin which was pretty nice to be using a spinning reel. The Raiders are great value compared to Loomis etc which leave money for lures.
ps I'll be fishing Dampier Creek this monday so I'll chuck up a few pics if we get amongst a few.

Lucky boy, should be good... Im heading out to Camballin next week.. Will post a few pics with or without fish... hopefully a couple nice ones...

I'm pretty much sold on the reel - calcutta 200b - good value little reel by the sounds.

Now for the rod...

How light can you go when chasing barra? So far, I've heard people fishing from 10-50lb! I'm thinking 15lb Tuf Line would sit nicely with the reel. Also, what lb leader? I've got some some 50lb fc - will that do?

Good choice with the Calcutta, I prefer the TE models but in your price range the 200B is fine.

As far as braid goes, 50lb is pretty much only used in impoundments when you need to stop metre plus fish from getting to the timber. For wild barra I think 15-20lb is a good medium. I know some people like to go lighter but I don't see the point as line capacity isn't an issue and it's handy when you need to put the brakes on. I've got 30lb on mine but that's mainly from when I used to bottom bounce with the same outfit... I'll probably respool with 20lb when I need to.

When it comes to leader I use 60lb for trolling and 80lb for live baiting. Even with 80lb I've had some bigger fish cut me on their gill rakers or rub through on their mouths. Even though they don't have teeth, their mouths are like sandpaper. FC or monofilament it's your choice.

Only problem with the 200b is no ratchet for live baiting. Love my 300te matched to a T curve. 20lb fins braid and 80lb leader

i have a daiwa luna 253, havent gone for anything up north yet, they can take a bit of line. got 15lb YGK braid in blue so fish dont really see it and it a sweet little reel. they retail for $450 and on it i have a daiwa heartland 12-25lb rod. nice and light and plenty of grunt. there bloody awesome!!!

Thinking about getting some lures from Lively lures and Classic to try out in the Kimberley - how well are these suited to barra and jacks? What would everyone recommend?

Also, which would a calcutta 200b with 15-20lb braid suit better or feel nicer on - a 4-6 or 6-8kg stick or either? Will be casting lures from 10-30g.

Thanks!

The 4-6 will be better for casting and lighter to use, 6-8 for trolling/baiting and also for stopping fish.
Which one is personal choice. I've been using my heavier rod more lately. Barra rods are pretty cheap so why not get both?
As for lures, just get a good range of different depths in 2-3 colours, no need to go overboard and have a heap of each. Mine are mainly flouro greens or golds.

       To make a better decision you need to be as specific as possible. Are you fishing from shore? Where are you going to use this combo after Broome? Baitcasters are not necessarily the best option for Broome. Ideally a light spin and a Low profile would cover most options there , however if you can only afford one good one then you need to make a choice. Shore based = light spin Boat = low profile. Also lures or bait. Personally flicking lures and soft plastics would be my choice. Go light on braid for more distance and sensitivity. 6kg braid is fine with a max of 10kg. I prefer frog braid to fireline .Leader 30-40kg fluoro. Get your knots right before you go. Bimimni in the braid albright to leader and a loop knot for lures.

      If you are going down the baitcaster road and lures I'd go a low profile like a Viento which will be perfect for casting all day and you can use for other styles of fishing. Ideal for soft plastics and craikbaits. It has a twitch bar to really get sensitive fish biting. Match it with a Nitro rod and you have a combo just over the $600 make plus braid. Lures well where to start. Get some Owner jig heads, Gulp baits. Then lures with various depths. Skitter pop, a couple of raiders 30grms, anything in the halco range and a few Japanese ones cause they look pretty and they catch fish. Upgrade all hooks to Owners because they just aren't up to Kimberley standard. That's about it without knowing more.

Finally Take Bushman sray, watch out for Crocs and Stone fish. Good luck.

 p.s Pop into Bluewater to have a play with the stuff and get info off guys that fish for them.

I have alot of their rods. I'm happy. Mate make sure you don't go overboard on the braid poundage. Get your knots right from the start. I do a 55 turn bimini in Braid an Albright to the leader and Loop knot for lures. This combination will see you through most styles of fishing and the knots won't knock through the guides unless the leader is too heavy. Goodluck.

Does anyone prefer the low profile baitcasters over the round style for targeting barra and jacks with lures? Just curious. Matt has already stated some good points on the low profile style. Lets hear some opinions.

It all depends on your strategy. I have a Zillion(low profile) for lighter stuff , which I prefer. Matched to the right rod it is deadly accurate in tight areas (mangroves etc) but I use a 1000 Stella (spin) and Nitro for distance and light presentations especially when it's colder (use smaller lure) and for plastics. I use a millionaire cvz253A for medium boat stuff casting med lures (some trolling) and a black sheep for deep trolling big fish. I don't like playing around too long with big girls as the survival rate decreases rapidly. Apart from that if you're using bait (boring) instead of the baitcasters with rachets you can't beat a baitfeeder spin outfit for even the most fussy of fish. So the answer is have ten rods and reels 1000 lures and you've got everything covered and probably still only use the same combo and 3 or 4 lures.

Well, my Nitro arrived yesterday and it feels sweet as! Still undecided on the reel. Had a bit of a play with a calcutta 200b and a curado 200E5 at my local today and I'm really starting to like the curado. What opinions can everyone offer on this reel?

A new Curado 200E5 is on its way.

Thanks everyone.