gidday slap really if u wanna troll as well as bottom bash id get a seperate outfit for trolling and run mono coz of stretch .and spin setup running braid for bottom fishing .the eupro exploder with a 5000 series reel may be what u want (oceanside have them good price at mo i think) hope this is of some help

Never gona be ideal. Trolling best with Mono as mentioned. Braid do-able but with a long shock leader. OH better then eggbeater for trolling, but OH crap for flicking.

BB both have a role, so either OH or eggbeater. But then the size of the reel come into it. Heavier reels not ideal for flicking, but using it as a trolling rig you will need a little more grunt. The pros/cons list goes on.

I would probably look at 2 $250 setups rather than 1 $500. One OH and the other spin. I think in that price range you would get a couple of decent rigs, but obviously not as good.

 Most people hate trolling with spinners and braid but they have got their place. Using divers you can troll deeper and ive never had any dramas trolling with braid, Wouldn't recommend it for billies tho. I would be looking at a stradic 8000 matched with a 6' rod, like already mentioned head into oceanside and they will look after you. 

 I do like the Stradic Reels, I feel like they are good bang for the buck.  

I also plan on getting multiple set-ups for trolling and flicking.  So as much as I'd like to get 2 x $250 set-ups.  I don't want to make one redundant in 6 months because I am already upgrading.  I wouldn't mind having something that will last for a little while.

I want to head into Oceanside, but its soo far away from me!  I guess I'll just bite the bullet and see how it goes!

I would head down to the local tackle store and get a feel for a few combos in your budget. Go for a spin out fit as you sound like it will be used for casting some lures from time to time and dropping a bait to bottom.

good knowledge from people like Oceanside or the Bluewater tackle group will steer you in the right direction also they stock off the shelf combos for this scenario to get you out on the water with minimal fuss...

6kg to 10kg spin in the 6-7ft range- really comes down to brand and budget but heaps to choose from! and depending how much action in the rod you like and lengths of rod too.

because the reel sizes vary so much between brands look for a quality spin reel to hold a few hundred meters of braid around the 10kg-15kg rating- go for quality on the line though as it makes a big difference overall.

I troll with all sorts of set ups when your lucky enough to throw some lures out the back- dont get too caught up in it when your just getting set up theres plenty of time for that later when you get sucked into fishing big time.

Cheers

Key to fishing metro is dont go too heavy.

20-30lb will be heavy enough for almost all metro activities, except possibly Sambos, altho not impossible.

Currently im using a Luvias 3000 running PE 1.5 and a Daiwa tounament master S 3.7kg i think (cant remember exactly) and can bottom bounce, flick lures, plastics no probs. Cheapish combo but does the trick.

Another alternative is a Daiwa freeam, good little reels, and cheap. there is a 3000 and 4000 model available.

my favourite for throwing plastics around is a 2500R running 15lb on a 3-6kg stick- always the go to around metro fishing off the boat inshore reefs, good fun and really can throw over some serious fish with good leader material.

Good fun

 Although not as smooth and good performance wise I reckon you should seriously consider a Penn Slammer with the old faithful ugly stick based on what you have posted. You can get the Slammers with a spool of 300 yards of braid for less than 100 bucks at the moment as they clear them out. The 460 is about right and it is 85 bucks. With a 300 yard spool of braid that is pretty hard to beat right now for value. Get a 6 to 10 kilo 7 foot ugly stick for less than 100 bucks as well and you are on the water with a very effective outfit. Once you gain some confidence/experience but this outfit will give you great bang for your buck and do just about everything you have asked for in the post.

Hi mate, although out of your stated price range, this is the combo that i use up here in Hedland to flick lures at schools of pelagics, jig plastics and metals, troll lures for mackerel.

samurai reaction 502 and daiwa certate 3500hd running 30lb braid, i have seen the rods for around $450 and the reels around $570, not a cheep combo but this is what i use, as mentioned before head to Oceanside as i'm sure Blake will help you finding the right combo for you. 

 Appreciate all the advice.  I have looked further into it and all your advice is helping me shape a decision.  Its all one big learning curve and what I do/don't like this time round, I'll be able to take into next time!

gday Slap,

There are two options for you to cover all bases with the one reel. Star drag overhead which are still easily castable, or spin. Spin has made leaps and bounds in the last 10 years as far as quality goes. The Shimano Stradic 5000 is ideal for fishing with bait, trolling lures, jigging metals and plastics, and surf casting. This reel can be put on a host of rods to cater for different scenarios, however a great general purpose rod will be in the 6'' to 7'' range. They are still able to be used on the boats, but give you that extra length to cast lures and plastics. A 7' Shimano Jewel or Mexican Fire in the 6-8kg weight will matchg the Stradic perfectly. The other option which will cost a little more is a star drag overhead. The Shimano Torium in the 12 or 16 give you great line capacity, great drag pressure and castability is supurb. Matching these to a rod that can flick plastics and lighter lures can be an issue. These are two options to consider, but personally would be taking the spin outfit. extremely universal and a breeze to use.

Feel free to call or email the store and we can work out a great FW price for you.

Cheers,

Zac@dunsboroughoutdoorsportz.