Ed.

I ditched a whole heap of WTF line a while ago, I spooled up a few of my baitcasters with it, and after a while I tested some of the 18Kg line left over on the spool with a 4-5kg weight, tried to lift it slowly off the floor and it snapped, not at the knot but in the middle of the line, tried a few other new spools that I had and same result. So into the bin it all went, I unwound it off all the reels and replaced it with thicker braid. Others may have had better results with it than I did, but to say I was unimpressed with it would be an understatement!

I think that the light attracts bait fish which in turn attracts the squid.

Pretty much all of them as you are bound to lose a few.😉 Good luck on your trip. Remember if there aren't any pics then it didn't happen! 😀

Pretty much all of them as you are bound to lose a few.😉 Good luck on your trip. Remember if there aren't any pics then it didn't happen! 😀

Pretty much all of them as you are bound to lose a few.😉 Good luck on your trip. Remember if there aren't any pics then it didn't happen! 😀

Pretty much all of them as you are bound to lose a few.😉 Good luck on your trip. Remember if there aren't any pics then it didn't happen! 😀

Pretty much all of them as you are bound to lose a few.😉 Good luck on your trip. Remember if there aren't any pics then it didn't happen! 😀

I camped at Whitsunday Caravan park when I was about 20 and as it was stinking hot and sweaty inside the tent I stripped off to my Jocks, woke up about an hour later scratching myself senseless, couldn't work out why I was so itchy, stuck a light on and there was a small cloud with dozens of the little buggers hovering above and on me, choosing where next they were going to bite me. They had just flown straight though the fine mesh screen and were attracted to the light as I was getting ready to sleep.
I also got a job as a deckhand on a fishing boat for 10 days there  and as were worked the nets in the estuaries I had to resort to wearing plastic wet weather gear,  Rid and other stuff did not repel them and I reckon it attracted them so had to resort to wearing plastic, it seemed like  the Rid smell was sort of like a dinner bell for them, and the heat and humid conditions nearly killed me wearing that stuff, but better than having the sandflies having  a field day with me. The Sun blockout, heat and sweat  gave me heaps of ulcers where they had bitten me,  the blockout really aggravated the sores so in the end I had to quit as I had to wear the blockout in the sun up there.
They seem much worse at low tide regardless whether it is night or day, so in my opinion, sleeping on the boat is better than on the shore, best if there is a slight breeze blowing from the ocean to the shore.

Hate to put a downer on the plan regarding mozzie nets but depending on the sand fly species, most of them will go through a mosquito net with breaking a sweat, the further north you go, the smaller and more viscous they are. I have many scars from the ones up in the Whitsundays. If you can use orange or yellow  lights at night (not white), seems to not attract insects as much. Haven't had any issues with them when anchored at Morton (Bulwar and Yellow patch).

I camped at Whitsunday Caravan park when I was about 20 and as it was stinking hot and sweaty inside the tent I stripped off to my Jocks, woke up about an hour later scratching myself senseless, couldn't work out why I was so itchy, stuck a light on and there was a small cloud with dozens of the little buggers hovering above and on me, choosing where next they were going to bite me. They had just flown straight though the fine mesh screen and were attracted to the light as I was getting ready to sleep.
I also got a job as a deckhand on a fishing boat for 10 days there  and as were worked the nets in the estuaries I had to resort to wearing plastic wet weather gear,  Rid and other stuff did not repel them and I reckon it attracted them so had to resort to wearing plastic, it seemed like  the Rid smell was sort of like a dinner bell for them, and the heat and humid conditions nearly killed me wearing that stuff, but better than having the sandflies having  a field day with me. The Sun blockout, heat and sweat  gave me heaps of ulcers where they had bitten me,  the blockout really aggravated the sores so in the end I had to quit as I had to wear the blockout in the sun up there.
They seem much worse at low tide regardless whether it is night or day, so in my opinion, sleeping on the boat is better than on the shore, best if there is a slight breeze blowing from the ocean to the shore.

I camped at Whitsunday Caravan park when I was about 20 and as it was stinking hot and sweaty inside the tent I stripped off to my Jocks, woke up about an hour later scratching myself senseless, couldn't work out why I was so itchy, stuck a light on and there was a small cloud with dozens of the little buggers hovering above and on me, choosing where next they were going to bite me. They had just flown straight though the fine mesh screen and were attracted to the light as I was getting ready to sleep.
I also got a job as a deckhand on a fishing boat for 10 days there  and as were worked the nets in the estuaries I had to resort to wearing plastic wet weather gear,  Rid and other stuff did not repel them and I reckon it attracted them so had to resort to wearing plastic, it seemed like  the Rid smell was sort of like a dinner bell for them, and the heat and humid conditions nearly killed me wearing that stuff, but better than having the sandflies having  a field day with me. The Sun blockout, heat and sweat  gave me heaps of ulcers where they had bitten me,  the blockout really aggravated the sores so in the end I had to quit as I had to wear the blockout in the sun up there.
They seem much worse at low tide regardless whether it is night or day, so in my opinion, sleeping on the boat is better than on the shore, best if there is a slight breeze blowing from the ocean to the shore.

Hate to put a downer on the plan regarding mozzie nets but depending on the sand fly species, most of them will go through a mosquito net with breaking a sweat, the further north you go, the smaller and more viscous they are. I have many scars from the ones up in the Whitsundays. If you can use orange or yellow  lights at night (not white), seems to not attract insects as much. Haven't had any issues with them when anchored at Morton (Bulwar and Yellow patch).

The first house my wife and I bought together, the interest rate was 17%.

I would be questioning the  BCF info regarding Stainless guides with the SiC inserts, it is more likely Aluminium Oxide inserts. Very few rods would have SiC guides especially at that price point.

I would be questioning the  BCF info regarding Stainless guides with the SiC inserts, it is more likely Aluminium Oxide inserts. Very few rods would have SiC guides especially at that price point.

I would be questioning the  BCF info regarding Stainless guides with the SiC inserts, it is more likely Aluminium Oxide inserts. Very few rods would have SiC guides especially at that price point.

Just an update, I went down to Outback Adventure and had a look at the new 400 size Penn Low profile reel, and whilst is is a nice reel, I am a bit disappointed in the line capacity of it, 175 of 20lb mono, whilst that capacity might suit most people I was hoping for 250yards of 20lb. Reason being that if you do a long cast of say 50-70 yards then you are already down to 2/3 of the spool left. If a large fish hooks up and goes for an average  run  and you are down to 1/3 to fight with. I suppose I could increase the capacity by using braid but I wanted to use mono. Depending on where you want to fish with it then it may not be a problem for most. The other issue is the when you press the thumb bar to cast, the level wind disengages so the line peels off and when you engage the spool again the line guide could be on the opposite side to where the line has laid down previously so it is an issue if you crank up the drag. Had the same issue with the Daiwa though.
My 38year old Daiwa PMF57H holds 270 yards of 20lb mono. Whilst the Penn reel looks and feels OK it still isn't big enough so I will have to wait a few more years,🤔 I do have a Okuma Solterra SLR-10CS which is a conventional lever drag reel with magnetic casting control but that one is a much bigger conventional overhead reel. Finding it hard to get a "Goldilocks reel" with mag cast control in the low profile style with a large line capacity. Maybe I am being just difficult!
So apart from those issues it seems to be a nice reel. Davo's Tackle in Noosaville seems to advertise them for about $400.

The major and most common problem with baitcasters/overheads are not wind knots but overuns ie: bird nests, I would say that I have had never had more than just a couple of wind knots on my spinning reels. Bird nests on my baitcasters , well that's another story..😉

Horses for courses as they say, if it ain't broke then don't fix it, whatever works for you. Fishing with braid has has pros and cons, it is thinner so more line goes on the spool  and it cuts through water easier, virtually no stretch so you feel timid bites. Mono has great stretch so is more forgiving, so sudden lunges from the fish will tend to be absorbed and not break the line if the drag is set a bit too high for the line, can be hard for fish to see mono because of the transparency, think of it as a tough rubber band and is dirt cheap compared to braid.
Down side of braid is it's expensive compared to mono, you may break off if you are fishing at the lines max and the fish lunges away and if the drag is on too tight, not so good in the surf or around abrasive areas, downside of mono is it's thicker than braid and deteriorates more in sunlight so needs to be replaced more often. There are many  more reasons for both but at the end of the day, if you are catching fish than it doesn't matter what you use.

The major and most common problem with baitcasters/overheads are not wind knots but overuns ie: bird nests, I would say that I have had never had more than just a couple of wind knots on my spinning reels. Bird nests on my baitcasters , well that's another story..😉

The major and most common problem with baitcasters/overheads are not wind knots but overuns ie: bird nests, I would say that I have had never had more than just a couple of wind knots on my spinning reels. Bird nests on my baitcasters , well that's another story..😉

Horses for courses as they say, if it ain't broke then don't fix it, whatever works for you. Fishing with braid has has pros and cons, it is thinner so more line goes on the spool  and it cuts through water easier, virtually no stretch so you feel timid bites. Mono has great stretch so is more forgiving, so sudden lunges from the fish will tend to be absorbed and not break the line if the drag is set a bit too high for the line, can be hard for fish to see mono because of the transparency, think of it as a tough rubber band and is dirt cheap compared to braid.
Down side of braid is it's expensive compared to mono, you may break off if you are fishing at the lines max and the fish lunges away and if the drag is on too tight, not so good in the surf or around abrasive areas, downside of mono is it's thicker than braid and deteriorates more in sunlight so needs to be replaced more often. There are many  more reasons for both but at the end of the day, if you are catching fish than it doesn't matter what you use.

Horses for courses as they say, if it ain't broke then don't fix it, whatever works for you. Fishing with braid has has pros and cons, it is thinner so more line goes on the spool  and it cuts through water easier, virtually no stretch so you feel timid bites. Mono has great stretch so is more forgiving, so sudden lunges from the fish will tend to be absorbed and not break the line if the drag is set a bit too high for the line, can be hard for fish to see mono because of the transparency, think of it as a tough rubber band and is dirt cheap compared to braid.
Down side of braid is it's expensive compared to mono, you may break off if you are fishing at the lines max and the fish lunges away and if the drag is on too tight, not so good in the surf or around abrasive areas, downside of mono is it's thicker than braid and deteriorates more in sunlight so needs to be replaced more often. There are many  more reasons for both but at the end of the day, if you are catching fish than it doesn't matter what you use.

Just an update, I went down to Outback Adventure and had a look at the new 400 size Penn Low profile reel, and whilst is is a nice reel, I am a bit disappointed in the line capacity of it, 175 of 20lb mono, whilst that capacity might suit most people I was hoping for 250yards of 20lb. Reason being that if you do a long cast of say 50-70 yards then you are already down to 2/3 of the spool left. If a large fish hooks up and goes for an average  run  and you are down to 1/3 to fight with. I suppose I could increase the capacity by using braid but I wanted to use mono. Depending on where you want to fish with it then it may not be a problem for most. The other issue is the when you press the thumb bar to cast, the level wind disengages so the line peels off and when you engage the spool again the line guide could be on the opposite side to where the line has laid down previously so it is an issue if you crank up the drag. Had the same issue with the Daiwa though.
My 38year old Daiwa PMF57H holds 270 yards of 20lb mono. Whilst the Penn reel looks and feels OK it still isn't big enough so I will have to wait a few more years,🤔 I do have a Okuma Solterra SLR-10CS which is a conventional lever drag reel with magnetic casting control but that one is a much bigger conventional overhead reel. Finding it hard to get a "Goldilocks reel" with mag cast control in the low profile style with a large line capacity. Maybe I am being just difficult!
So apart from those issues it seems to be a nice reel. Davo's Tackle in Noosaville seems to advertise them for about $400.

Just an update, I went down to Outback Adventure and had a look at the new 400 size Penn Low profile reel, and whilst is is a nice reel, I am a bit disappointed in the line capacity of it, 175 of 20lb mono, whilst that capacity might suit most people I was hoping for 250yards of 20lb. Reason being that if you do a long cast of say 50-70 yards then you are already down to 2/3 of the spool left. If a large fish hooks up and goes for an average  run  and you are down to 1/3 to fight with. I suppose I could increase the capacity by using braid but I wanted to use mono. Depending on where you want to fish with it then it may not be a problem for most. The other issue is the when you press the thumb bar to cast, the level wind disengages so the line peels off and when you engage the spool again the line guide could be on the opposite side to where the line has laid down previously so it is an issue if you crank up the drag. Had the same issue with the Daiwa though.
My 38year old Daiwa PMF57H holds 270 yards of 20lb mono. Whilst the Penn reel looks and feels OK it still isn't big enough so I will have to wait a few more years,🤔 I do have a Okuma Solterra SLR-10CS which is a conventional lever drag reel with magnetic casting control but that one is a much bigger conventional overhead reel. Finding it hard to get a "Goldilocks reel" with mag cast control in the low profile style with a large line capacity. Maybe I am being just difficult!
So apart from those issues it seems to be a nice reel. Davo's Tackle in Noosaville seems to advertise them for about $400.