DAIWA PRODUCT FOCUS: What a great combo! RZ 2000 – Pro Caster 702LFSE By Andrew Badullovich

 I love taking my three children fishing; however, I’m, not so keen on sharing my rods & reels with them! Although my kids know the rules when using “Dad’s” rods and reels…they always end up worst for wear at the end of the day. So, I decided to purchase my 3 brats their own combo, so they could learn the value of respecting and caring for their gear.

The combo of choice consisted of a RZ 2000 spin reel, which was mounted to a Pro Caster 702LFSE rod. This combo was affordable, and performed well beyond my expectations. Before I write about the combo’s specifications, I’ll take you through our most recent family fishing session.

My kids love bait fishing, as well as a bit of lure fishing in-between. So, I hatched a plan to spin the flats in the morning on the high tide prior to gathering some pink nippers at low tide for an afternoon bait fishing extravaganza! My young fishing grommets selected the Presso Rolling Crank as their lure of choice, and they all managed to catch a few small bream with the odd whiting thrown in for good measure. I noticed that my kids were casting extremely well, so I asked my eldest daughter if I could try her combo out and make a cast of my own. I discovered that this combo can actually cast a small lure really well!

After a swim in the river and some lunch on a neighbouring bank, we gathered our bait and positioned the boat in the shallows for a spot of bait fishing. We struck it lucky, and experienced some rod-bending action in no time at all. The fish were pushing onto the flats to feed with the rising tide, and we were in position to strike! During the afternoon, my children caught some lovely bream and whiting, but the cake was iced when my young son fought and caught the fish of the day…a beautiful 44cm Black bream which was released. We bagged a nice haul of fish for a feed, but did release many un-needed fish before retrieving the anchor and calling it a day. We stopped at the local service station for an ice cream on the way out: and not long after the ice creams were devoured, I could see my three children through the rear view mirror – fast asleep as we drove home. What a day!

The RZ 2000 spin reels are so smooth for a low-end reel; in fact, It’s actually ridiculous how well they crank and I guarantee you too will be surprised! They have 2kg of drag pressure (which is all that’s needed when spooled up with 2kg monofilament line) and are kiddy-tough to boot! The Procaster rods look funky and are great value for money too. The LFSE (2-4kg model), is perfect for small estuary game such as bream, whiting and flathead, and I just can’t wait to take my children up to Lake Eucumbene to target some trout as I know these combos will serve them well in the high country too! My kids just love their new combos: and have already shown initiative by washing their new toys down with soapy water after use, before placing them on the rod rack in order for the next session. The only dilemma I have is, my rods are now stacked in the corner of the shed whilst the kids’ rods are now on display in the main rod rack, lol.