New Daiwa Saltist Testfired
Daiwa Saltist X 150 BC / Aird X 661HB-NZ Testfired
When the brief from the Head Office team was sent across my desk to test fire the new Daiwa Saltist X 150 BC / Aird-X 661HB-NZ combo a quick call to the Team at Daiwa NZ got the wheels set in motion. All we needed was a favourable forecast and we were on, fortunately we didn’t have to wait long!
The day dawned picture perfect and the forecast was on-point. We were welcomed by glassy seas and a sunrise that will be etched into the memory for a long time. Our first spot was in 50m south of Horn Rock, unfortunately that was only yielding a steady stream of small Snapper. With the perfect forecast we decided to push further afield and target some deeper 70-80m reefs, which made sense in the near perfect sunny conditions. The thought being that the larger fish would be feeding more actively down deep, away from the intensely bright day.
Effective, Compact & Fun!
Upon arrival, the sounder lit up with thick sign hard on the bottom. We were now fishing in 70-80m of water and fortunately the Saltist X holds 200m of PE2. So don’t be fooled by the compact design, we were easily in range to get our Kohgas down to the bottom with plenty in reserve. The tactic with slider fishing is a simple one, a slow consistent retrieve until a fish bites or it’s time to send your lure back to the bite zone, keep working 10-15 turns off the bottom if that is where the fish sign is showing, then re-drop and repeat the process.
When a fish bites, keep slowly winding to mimic a fleeing prey item, the fish will keep biting up the skirt and this will allow for a solid hookset. Wild strikes too early tend to miss the fish and result in damaging your lure’s skirt, remaining composed under pressure is the key!
It wasn’t long until we knew going deep was the right call. Our rods were loading up on each drop and some quality Snapper were coming aboard. But I had come to properly test the set out, so I scaled up to a Kohga Mega 6 to increase the profile of my lure, sure enough it paid off. The Aird-X rod loaded up seamlessly and line smoothly slipped off the Saltist X reel, the carbon drag really started to come into its own. As I settled into my work I got to enjoy the features of the rod, the Braiding-X provided ample power to lift the fish and it wasn’t long till that white flash of deep colour heralded the arrival of a solid Snapper from the depths. It was fair to say I was stoked!
In summary, if you are looking for a well-priced set at $349.99 that is feature heavy, the exclusive to Hunting & Fishing NZ Saltist X / Aird X 661HB combo is a solid option and will be available from December. From the comfortable EVA handle and smooth carbon drag on the reel to the quality Fuji guides and superb action on the rod, I would 100% recommend this set for your next lure fishing adventure.
