My belief of it is it's just like running a normal float rig but with a baloon and probably a much longer leader. Try to cast as far as you can and make sure the wind is behind you. The wind will carry the baloon/rig out into much deeper water. From what I've seen most people baloon for much larger species so I'd say your 10ft would be capable but you might get some 20kg+ monster on the end!.

fishing book mate.

 G'day gfawker, I'm not much of a expert mate and I've only done it up north for macks with some success .. I use a tld30 2spd and a tiralio 12 ft rod, how ever I recon 10 ft should be fine.. U need a big reel for line capacity .. I run about 4/5 metres of about 15lb line tied onto a small swivel one end and my ballon the other, just thread it onto the main line so it can run, then I tie a big swivel to my main line to attach the trace .. With mackies, I use about 3 metres of 100+ lb leader ( for a bit of weight ) with my rig on the end.. For my rig I usually use about 3 9o hooks with a treble on the end and a teaser on top (plastic squid) and for bait I use the big N/W gardies and tie them on with ghost Cotten ... To send it out I've use helium or just air, ( i find helium easier, but air works ) I stand at the shore, hold my bait put my reel in free spool, and let the ballon go once its out past the breakers I throw my bait by hand as far as I can and the balloon takes it out, with mackies u want the bait to skip on the water, so I send it out a few 100 m  and see what's happening, some times I yank on my rod to get it flying, if its not skipping I bring it in and adjust the pressure in the balloon and send it back out ... I just let it go a few 100 m let it skip around, then a few more 100 m , (where ever) but I move it in and out, ranging from 200m to 4/500 m some times more ? I hope this helps a bit cheers Ric 

Its about 140.00 and bottle plus hire of bottle each month you have it ,      A 10ft rod 24kg over head rod and overreel with no less then 600m of line and 90 cm balloon

Steel wire trace with 4 or 5 hooks  On your main line going to your reel have a  running clip and 20 metes 9 lb line going to your balloon and a good eastley wind to take your balloon out  

Weight is the key to good ballooning and bait flying well              To much air and the bait will stay in the air??? twoless and the pickers will take it in close

Watch out for boats,     I have lost  over1000 of meters of line to  small boats that hug the shore line 

Good luck

If you balloon north of moore river, Like wedge less boats around

 Let me know when your ballooning next herbie I will chuck the boat in and pick up some more line for a couple of reels I want to respool

Where can I get one of these from.

I've already got a 10 foot ugly stick spin rod (6-10 kg)

Would this do the trick for the moment because I'm only a beginner and I don't want to catch something that I can't handle yet.

is a good one. It'll give you some local spots to answer your other posts too. Don't forget the search function on this site as well.

Another alternative thats cheaper is a deep spool alvey on a heavy beach rod, a lot harder on the back but its dual purpose also

BWS

 about to spool up a reel for ballooning, what line would you use? Mono Vs Braid

 Mono cheaper and braid I think no advantage as balloon will set hook for you as well as being a visual cue that you got a fish on.

 Thanks foe the info

 What reel are you spooling up? Why not run both put like a 300 or more of braid(depends on reel size) then top shot it with either 15-24kg good quality mono line like Berkeley big game or something similar? 

 instead of a balloon can u use a massive foam box, wouldnt that hold the wind better and drag it further out 

2 versions of ballooning here,

1 :- air filled balloon that sits on the water and acts like a float. when you have a fish on the balloon pops and you have fun. Using a foam box is not a good idea in my mond

the advantage is that the fish fights the foam as well as you. Disadvantage is reeling in 400 - 500 m of line against the wind and attached to a huge "sail".

2:-  is Sherbie's speciality, where you fill the balloon with helium and skip the bait across the water surface. Foam aint gonna work for that one.

Both require a reel that holds 600M+ of line.

I have a torium 50 with 600m of 65lb braid and 200m of 50 lb line and a upgraded diawa 910 that holds 1500m of braid and line.

One of the best entry level rods is the old 10 foot 6 oz Catana (if you can find a 2nd hand one).

A variation on 1 is to Kayak the bait about 400m out, with a heavy throw away sinker and 1kg bait.

then just hang on.

cheers

simple answer would be yes I use 30cm party balloons. At night I put a lighstick in the balloon, so that I can see it.

The balloon will probably pop when you hook a fish. 1st run and the pressure will burst it.

Sinker is your choice. I usualy use go 2 - 3 oz sinker (helps with the cast to get it over the breakers.

Mullie will work but think more in line of a large herring or mullet ( 20-35cms). If you are going to balloon out 300 yards put a decent bait on, otherwise the pickers will clean you up before you are 100 m out.

Balloon also works well with a "live bait". Make the balloon much smaller and clip the top if its tail fin and it won't be able to swim down.

If you want to use a mullie go for a light sinker and float (optional) and cast it out.

Watch your balloon, you will see a run or you'll see it pop.

good luck