$15 Kmart Fishing Challenge!! - Catch More Fish with Less Money 

Would be good to do a land based video with these combos, as most people using these set ups probably can’t afford a kayak with a sounder, etc. 😄

$20 rod, thousands worths of kayak equipment xD Jk love your work

Love it! This is the entry point for most of us. Great to see a pro use cheaper gear! Have to say though, when Hunter stepped up in quality gear he started hooking up more.

Good video Alan, I started off on the exact same rod and did well on it. One day my wife lost it over the side of the kayak but at only $20 at the time it was no big deal. Great to see the kayak vids again. Terry

Great video mate! You and I have gone down the high end gear path the last year or 2, however there's plenty of entry level gear for a very fair price that will still get the job done for those new to the sport.

Thanks for another exciting episode. Always enjoyed less expensive outfits while hiking to the river.

Alan used $40 worth of gear to catch $60 worth of flathead tails, and he chucked them back! Great fishing, questionable economics. Great video, thanks. I would love to see a handline video.

great video allan , you make it look so easy

I just picked up 2 rod combos from Kmart today before looking this video up! I got a Javis Walker 5.8ft bait caster combo for 39$ and a 6.6ft spinner rod with a 4000 reel for $29, not the cheapest they had for sale but these are waaaay better quality than I was ever expecting for the price. They are smooth enough and I feel like your paying for the reel more than anything so with a rod upgrade these combos would be are fire! Maybe longevity won't be as good but I mean cheap to replace :)

Should do another ep with some of their soft plastics, I had a look at them the other day it would be interesting to see if you could make anything out of their plastics and jig heads. Maybe even a full kmart set up with their braid and their leader. That would be the next level up entry. You already have the rod after all go the full hog 😃

Great clip Alan, I’d love to see a video that talks about the differences between a day on the kayak vs a day on the boat. I’m tossing up the pros and cons especially since for the price of a quality fishing kayak you can find your self an entry level small boat Cheers mate

Great video Alan. I have a number of budget combos and some running up to 150. I feel much more comfortable on the kayak with the cheapies just in case we all go for a swim

I'm 60, but back before bcf etc sent all the local tackle shops out of business, I used to get great pleasure in making my own rods. Back then I wouldn't spit on a telescopic rod and didn't even like two piece rods, BUT now I carry two of kmarts 6' telescopics with a soft plastic on each and also use one of their 10'ers. I know to SET the hook and how to adjust and use a drag etc and you would be amazed what basic knowledge can do with these bits of crap - there's nothing wrong with them .... breaks my heart lol:(

We don't buy expensive gear because we can't afford it BUT one thing we have learned is that cheap reels are good for a few uses but then they usually die. The ultra cheap stuff is full of plastic and they break very quickly. We usually spend $50-80 on reels. Cheap rods aren't too bad, they do last longer but spend a little bit more on a reel because they do last a lot longer.

For those that are on a tight budget, one way to approach it is to do it by the weight of the baits you're going to be throwing the most often. Any rod that can throw the lures in that weight range will do for most of what you'll probably be doing. After a bit of experience is under your belt, #6, #8 or #10 line doesn't matter as much. You're probably not going to be targeting big snapper on purpose but you'd be surprised what lighter (and entry level) gear can handle when you got the basics down.

Started getting back into fishing again in my adult years by getting a cheap $30 jarvis walker combo because I didnt know if Id even like fishing like I did as a young kid but wanted to try it again. 6 years later its now my main hobby 😎 And of course upgraded to some more quality rods over the years 🎣 But those cheap kmart rods are great if you want to try fishing and see if you like it without paying $200 + for more quality gear you may not use again 👌

What a awesome video mate keep up the work

Been using a $100 Shimano Sienna combos for a few years now and its been super reliable , definitely worth the little bit more for me

Thanks for your time and effort, a very enjoyable video

I csnt afford expensive reels and rods considering i generally snap my tip regularlt in the car anyway. I find as long as the rod and reel are functional the money is best spent on high quality braid and quality tackle.

thanks for your vid again, yes i agree , when i was in the fishing trade i use all the very expensive rods and reels , gave it all away when i stoped fishing now i got back into it again with kayaks , i use the cheaper china reels that are realy quiet good and the lower cost rods, still catch the same fish and as many as i want ,the gear didnt really matter ,more about the person's experience what to do some times ,:)

Listen to the power got me 🤣🤣🤣

Great vid mate. I’ve just done one with a $3 rod!

Absolutely love your content mate! What finder do you run on your kayak and do you use sidescan?

For a landbased angler 3-5 setups should cover most areas. Light/Medium and Heavy tackle. Estuary to rock fishing. Thats just how I see it.

The long tail on the soft plastic is producing the missed bites. Use a shorter soft plastic to increase hook up rate.

My pb flathead 84cm was on this kmart combo. 7 feet one. On chicken

I am fishing with JW 8000 reels for bottom bouncing . Each reel costing $42 > $48 loaded with line. One had braid and I am totally happy with them. They are used quite regularly and get a very good workout.. I do spend a lot of time cleaning them after use and are carefully stored. I am also using JW reels from 1000> 3000 for esturary fishing and are comfortably handling our catch.. Don`t get me wrong and think I am saying they are equal to middle to high end reels. But the cost I paid for them I consider them very good value for what I am using them for. As was mentioned your skills were more important.

that javis walker was a my first rod and ive pulled in a few massive 1.5-2m pike eels

Try the $15 rod with no kyak, no fish finder, and none of the other fancy stuff ya have mate haha. Just off a pier.

What’s that exact lure your using to catch those nice flatheads

Can I ask what boots you are wearing, I normally wear croc's all year round but I am getting a bit soft in my old age and would like warm and dry feet, sadly I am allergic to neoprene so I can't wear wetsuit booties etc...

i love the old Jarvis walker Scorpion GT combo's. Man they were quality built and budget friendly. The cheap stuff these days is pretty rubbish imo.

Caught a 1m jewy on a 20 year old kids Kmart Rod with a mini Alvey I bought from the markets for $2.50 at my mates place on the passage in Caloundra. He'd lived there for 4 years and his cheapest combo owed him atleast $300.. never invited me back..lmao

I'm actually using one of those rods😅, but the reel broke 😢

hi Alan need a line setup video

Do it land based like an entry level fisho off a rock or a jetty

Tell you what Alan, my wife using my kid pink rod, got a 40 pinkie, the reel broke with the rod, still land the fish,

Can't wait 2 watch

About 17 years ago i picked up a 6'6 2-4kg jarvis walker rod for $5 at kmart in the bargin pile because i was missing the reel, i also picked up a jarvis walker scorpian 450 reel with i belive 8lb mono in the same bargin pile for $5 because the packing was slightly damaged.. then spent $10 on a gillies "spieces fishing kit" (just a cheapo little plastic box with an assortment of hooks, sinkers and swivels(i think about 30 pieces all up ... this was my main kit for nearly 10 years, never skipped a beat... then i invested about $600 into a rod and reel combo and retired my beloved jarvis setup (i still have it in the shed for the odd friend to use if they dont have a rod) ...i swesr that $20 setups caught way more fish then my 600 setup Edit: from memory the best fish caught on the jarvis rig was a 65cm dusky flathead somthing like 2kg

I caught a magnificent calamari on this Kmart combo 👍

I got the $20 rod today, looks fine

Hello please can you show me a good knot to join braid to braid thank you

You could catch a fish with a stick tied to a piece of string and a paperclip 😆

Love ur vids

Thanks Alan, I had to show this part 18:01 to the mrs 😆

Nothing wrong with a Silstar power tip

That don't look like any flathead catfish to me. That's the strangest hooking flathead catfish I've ever seen. And you're right your ride is very flimsy so you can't get a good hooks that into it. And also you need to tighten your Drago little bit more because it shouldn't be Fielding out as you're reeling.

Lol can you do a video in a blow up Kmart boat 😂 for next one

Yes yes....lake clean....way not keept for callenge...No US$15...can drink plenty....hahah...she said....good boys...vodka from 15 hahaha..plenty

Entry level 15$ rod combo while using a 5k kayak….. kind of makes the point mute

So your packet of lures & scent cost more 🤣, double the budget

Who else has that friend you take fishing and he catch more fish on his $20 Kmart fishing rod then you who have over $1000 setup ?

🙋‍♂️

Fancy equipment is a wank and a waste of money, Kmart stuff does it well.

I bet I can’t get over 10 likes😂

Pretty disappointed. It's not entry level if you're sitting in some kitted out canoe. If you're going to do a useful entry level video then please do an entry level video.

Lol you lost ya front piece , no fan here ..too much rambling bs