I have the same rod mate, dunno how it would be casting, I use mine purely for ballooning. A good cheap casting reel is the saltist 40, one shop has been selling them for $179, I use 2 of them for casting and find them pretty good. I changed my tip on the rod also as its hard to get a big leader knot through the original guide

Definately change the tip. I wouldnt want to be trying to cast a roller tip. Also 9ft wouldnt be ideal for casting either. I would put a tyrnos 30 on it and dedicate it for ballooning.

thanks Rig and cudbfishn

Ill take advice and go get the tip changed,  I dont know alot about ballooning, where in perth area could i do ballooning and how exactly does it work, I thought you would have to cast it out abit first, please help with ideas, thanks much appreaciated

Any beach you can balloon off. Your chances of catching something greatly reduce around perth. Most likely to get sharks. You obviously need an offshore wind to get the ballooon out into the ocean. For rigs etc there is a heap of info on this website just search balloon rigs.

cudbfishn, Thanks for the advice mate

 Saltist30 big game or Tiagra30 would be the choice for me I've also got the rod with the Saltist big game. Lotta balls

Not the ideal match in my mind mate unless you are fishing from rock walls etc. Certainly not a surf setup. My suggestion is that you keep it as it is for special occasions and buy something that suits what you are targeting. We can help you there.

thanks for the advice guys much appreiated

That was a suggestion for a ballooning set up mate.

And ballooning with this set up is fine from the beach 

It wasn't a surf outfit suggestion, to go out and try to cast out with a big game reel and that rod for surf fishing hahahahaha lol

Thanks vp86wa, I got what you meant mate, Just another question when ballooning do you have to use balloon gas or not, are there any advantages or disadvantages.  

Thanks

balloon gas (party gas) as compared to what?

the reason we use balloon gas is the balloon elevates and the wind will pull it quicker, it will also lift your bait to the surface and "skip" the bait along the surface with the right gas to bait weight ratio, that is the method used for chasing large pelagic fish.  If your going to fish off north mole for sharks or similar air will probably suffice and is alot cheaper

or get a funnel and use exhaust gas from your car. also works. Just hold the funnel firmly on the end of your exhaust and it should blow the balloon up.

Never tried that before, I will give it a shot next week up at steep

Mate all you need to do to be able to cast that rod is have a nice smooth action and probably favour an off the ground style. As for reel choice and setup, you can get creative...
My choices of reels would be this,

Fin Nor offshore 20H or 30H as they hold tones of line and have the drag you want.

Shimano TLD 15-25 if you can get it with an open face, they are sluggish to cast but if you're targeting big fish a lever drag reel is the best fish fighting tool in my opinion. These reels can be magged easily since you are probably casting similar weights most of the time static mag will suffice.

Shimano Torium in the 30 maybe, another easy magged option with nice drag.

If youre looking for distance go for the open faced Daiwa Saltist, the silver ones, they are very friendly to cast as the spool diameter is small and nice and wide. you get plenty of line on there if you back up with braid and have 100m of mono to cast with.

remember that casting overheads is all about getting your bait and sinker to travel nicely and not jerk around in the cast so to speak. Use bait clips if fishing the bottom and get the bait and sinker travelling as one package.

If you have the cash... Buy the biggest Motherfather size of the Trinidad DC and chuck your bait however you like as those reels are essentialy unbirdsnestable ... #notarealword

One last thing to mention is that you may need to cast the rod as though it were an alvey, ie for a right handed cast over the right shoulder the left thumb is on the spool and right hand up above the reel as the butt on the WLF LBG rods are not long for casting, they are short for fighting fish. All my surf rods with overheads are 8" butts though so that action is totaly natural for me.

Hopefully thise has been helpful!

If you would like any overhead casting tips or more info. Pm me.

Cheers,
Sarge