Shimano TwinPower 6000FC & T-Curve Lucanus Spin Rod

Recently I decided to make an upgrade to my spin gear. I had been using a Shimano Stradic 4000FH and G-Loomis 7-foot spin stick for high speed spinning and Bumpa-Baring for almost a year. I had it spooled with 20lb braid and found its speed and quality of build adequate for most of the species I was targeting. In the 12 months I have been using this configuration it has caught numerous Doggie Mackerel, some quality Queenfish of over 1m, some of the biggest Grey Mackerel I have ever seen, a few small Spanish Mackerel, Tuna, big Trevalley and even a 4kg Fingermark. All on metal. But I was starting to feel that the system just wasn't built for BIG fish. I was keen to start chasing big Spanish Mackerel, GT's etc on Bumpa-Bars, and up to 30lb braid. I didn't think the Stradic was up to it. So I decided to make an upgrade.

I'm a big Shimano fan, and didn't even want to consider anything else. I'm not a strong/fit person, so I wanted a rod and reel that wouldn't be heavy in the arms when being used for long periods of time. High speed was a must. There is no point trying to use Bumpa-Bars and other metals slices if you can't crank them fast. And if the reel is too slow, you just get tired quicker trying to put the pace on them. Obviously the reel needed to be strong and have a good quality drag. My main options were Stella 5000SW, Saragossa 8000F and TwinPower 6000FC. The Stella would have been my ultimate choice. It has everything, speed, strength, drag pressure and light weight. But it also carries a hefty price tag. So the wife ruled that one out pretty quickly! That left the Saragossa and TwinPower. The Saragossa would have been a good reel. It had everything but speed. And while it was a far cheaper option, I really wanted speed. The only way I could get speed from a Saragossa would have been to go up to the 14000 size. And, while an excellent reel, it would have been heavy to use all day. So I settled on the TwinPower 6000FC. This FC is a new reel, and had to be ordered in. Most stores are still holding the older FB in the entire TwinPower range, so watch out. This unfortunately carried with it a bit of a price rise. But I didn't mind paying for quality.

Once the reel was chosen it was time to think about the rod. I thought about a JigWrex 30lb stick for a bit. I have heard good things about them. A mate of mine has a Stella 10000 on a 50lb JigWrex and loves it. But its a short rod designed, obviously, for jigging. And while Bimpa-Barring is definitely a form of jigging, I wanted to maintain castability for Tuna and using poppers. So I was shown one of the brand new T-curve Lucanus Spin rods in the catalog. ProTackle didn't have one in stock, but the specs looked very nice indeed. Peter Hazard just happened to be heading down to Sydney in the following days, and would been catching up with the head honcho of Shimano Australia, John Dunphy. Peter returned very impressed with both the rod and reel. And when the rod arrived in store, I was worried the guys where going to get mine! The setup was perfect. I finished it up with 30lb Fins Braid and was set to go.

My first chance to test the reel was on a run with Dion to John Brewer Reef. While that was mainly a spear fishing day, I did manage to land my biggest Shark Mackerel on the setup. A great way to test things out. The reel had heaps of speed, and plenty of drag power. And the rod, it was just perfect. I nailed that fish it quick time, and felt comfortable doing it. I also did a lot of popper casting that day, and could toss 50g popper a country mile.

Next outing was up at Port Douglas. The setup sure got a test out there. Nailing big Gold Spot Trevalley and Spanish Mackerel with ease. I had downgraded the old Stradic to Tania for the trip, but when she had a go of the TwinPower and landed a big Trever, I was told we would be ordering another one! She was amazed how well it performed beside the Stradic.

And finally, a run to the Shoals with Dion nailed me a nice GT. Again, the setup felt just right for the job.

I can't speak highly enough for both the rod and reel. And have no hesitation in recommending them to others.

Specs for the entire Shimano range can be found of their website, but here are the rod and reel.

TwinPower 6000FC

  • Retrieve Ratio: 5.7 - 1
  • Retrieve per Crank: 106cm
  • Max Drag: TBA, but probably about 13-15kg
  • Line Capacity(m): 6/206, 7/169, 8/133
  • Bearings: 8

T-Curve Lucanus Jig Spin

  • Length: 1.98m
  • Pieces: 2
  • Line Rating: PE2-3
  • Lure/Jig weight: 60-200g