Terry H

It's time I do the grease on my bearings. All I know is it's got bright blue stuff (dual axle dunbier) What grease do you use for wheel bearings and coupler?

I guess I took that liberty upon myself?

Thought it looked like a river system in a reasonably dry area. The filename supports this 1338258869_itsactuallyatributaryoftheKingRivernearWyndamWAseenfrom1500feetintheairon14June2019

Not sure why people are surprised to see so many changes. I've seen a lot of people comment that "they only lost by 4" In all fairness, they were pretty lucky to lose by only 4. Queensland bombed a number of opportunities and dominated certain periods of play. Could have easily been 20+ point drumming.

At this point, thinking dual axle. How are thru-hulls when it comes time to upgrade? I didn't realise thru-hulls existed; kind of assumed it was what they call an in-hull. Learn something every day! I started researching the thru-hulls and camea cross this page: http://www.raymarine.com/view/?id=199 which seemed to explain ti all nicely. The weird thing about Bonito is I've seen people mention them, heard people mention them, but never actually seen anyone with one. On the flip side, I know of a few people with 4.8/5.5/6m Galeforce's, and know there are a few guides running with the Galey's and Hookers (Hervey Bay Sportfishing to name one of them). Have yet to hear a bad word about the Galeforces, other than a few minor things from the older boats (poor finishing, leaking hatches) which from what I've heard have all been addressed. Thanks to everyone for all the feedback. Hopefully I'll be able to jump in a 5.5m to confirm in my mind, whilst slowly going mad waiting for the build queue.

Why a thru-hull and not a transom mounted? At this stage I was considering an open C-Channel Mackay, but will keep that in mind!

Oh wow, that is high. Most Galey's I've seen their cast deck tops out around the bottom of the rod locker, so probably 100mm lower than yours. I was also thinking a lean post on the front deck. What a coincidence though! Definitely different boat than the one I saw on FB, must be a few getting the change. SC would be so much nicer than the tiller. Having a run would be really appreciated. Even if it's a slightly shorter boat, I imagine a few of the fit out things are similar, or at least applicable to consider when doing mine.

Hey mate, I saw your facebook post re converting it over to a CC. Good to hear they have you sorted! I've been in contact with Meth a bit and have a detailed quote and a pretty solid idea of everything I want in it. My build is scheduled to start in June. I really like the look of these rigs - but just need to get in one on the water to confirm. It would have to be a poor ride to change boats I think. I'd love to join you in the 4.8. Never hurts to see more boats, plus I haven't seen the 4.8 in flesh. Yours looks a bit different though - no gunwales / rod locker etc ? I know what you mean about the extras Going the 5.5 with 140 zuki and 150L tank. Nabs mentioned the 2 console sizes to me, and said he'd go the smaller one if he got it new. The 5.5 I saw was the wider console which i thought was good. I'd probably run with no seats though to open up the deck. I have thought about booking a charter up in Hervey Bay just to get out on one... lol Thanks ! How did you find the comfort / stability at rest ?

Well, I kept looking. And currently have myself in queue for a Galeforce 5.5m CC. Has anyone had experience with these boats? I've checked them out (on a trailer) and they look like a mean weapon. Yet to take one for a test ride though. I always think the more opinions and thoughts you hear, the better! So would love to hear anyone's experience with them.

Has anyone had any experience with the Sea-Rod's by Formosa? Look to be a pretty solid boat. 4 chamber water ballast system for additional stability at rest. http://www.boatsales.com.au/boats-for-sale/dealer/new/OAG-AD-12554752/2016-FORMOSA-520-CLASSIC-CENTRE-CONSOLE?cr=1&psq=(((((BoatType%3DPower%26Make%3DFormosa)%26State%3DQueensland)%26(((SiloType%3D[Demo and near new boats]|SiloType%3D[Dealer new boats])|SiloType%3D[Dealer used boats])|SiloType%3D[Private used boats]))%26LengthInMeters%3Drange[5..6])%26Service%3DBoatsales)&pso=0&pss=Premium

Another similar boat is the Sea Jay 5.2 Vision

Wayne, I hadn't considered walk arounds, but any sort of cabin really doesn't appeal. I know what you mean by the chop and open boats. There's not much worse than getting drenched by spray every 2 seconds in the middle of winter, leaving you a shivering mess. I think the 'fishability' outweighs the comfort factor. Kelvin, To be honest I'm not sure. If it is near new and in top condition, I could probably be swayed. Have you considered what boat you may get in the future?

Looking at potential options for a new boat towards the end of the year/early next year, and was hoping someone might have some advice or even other suggestions. I'm after a circa 5-5.5m centre console, predominately for offshore, with the occasional river/dam fishing. From an initial look around, one boat that stands out so far is the Stessl 530 Trophy Centre Console, with perhaps a 100 or 115 on the back. Budget wise, I'd like to keep it around 40k. I had previously looked at a 520 Renegade and 539 Nomad, but the Stessl seems to be (on paper) a nicer boat. Good fuel capacity, and what seems to be a stronger hull. Has anyone seen any of the recent Stessl's? Reviews in magazines/articles since their last change of ownership seem positive, but then again it's hard to find negative reviews on boats when they are given a boat to test. Would love to get other peoples thoughts on the Stessl, and any other boats around that mark!

I've only taken it out 3 times now, but it just seems weird that it all started immediately after one of the tanks ran dry at the end of the second trip. If it occurred when the motor was heated up and run for a while, then I would have thought it presented itself earlier in the day or even the first time I took it out. That trip had lots of running up and down (Mooloolaba to Caloundra and back a few times), plus puttering around trying to find some reef structure and bird watching. Just seems odd, and hugely coincidental?

Was yours happening only when you were in gear as well? It has only happened once in Neutral - and that was just as I kicked it back into Neutral from Forward gear. It was "hiccuping" (for lack of a better term) a fair bit in Forward when I kicked it back. Just seems weird? Like it's load dependent ? Edit: Sorry Luvit, just read your post again and clicked on the 'oil system'. This motor has oil mixed in with the fuel, and isn't oil injected, if this makes a difference?

G'day guys I've got a problem with my Suzuki outboard (2012 DT40W) that I was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction on. I replaced most of the normal service items, gear oil, spark plugs, fuel filter, impeller etc about 1-2 months ago Since then I've taken it out a few times, and everything seemed to be running fine. That was until I was on my way back in from Mooloolaba and I ran one of the fuel tanks dry. I hooked up the other tank, and fired her up but started having issues at idle/low rpm when in gear (R or F doesn't seem to make a difference). Any sort of get-up-and-go throttle and it seems to thump along normally. Not sure how to describe it, but the motor periodically feels like it loses power, and then gives a squeal before running normally again. Sometimes it'll happen in rapid succession, others not so. I've put up a little vid showing it Since the first appearance of this issue I took it out with a fresh batch of fuel to see if it was related. Whilst I don't recall any issues when heading out from the ramp, it did start happening again after cruising around for a bit. Also concerned it may sound a little rougher at idle/low rpm - but not sure if that's just paranoia Motor seems to run fine when back at home flushing the passages out. Video: http://vid289.photobucket.com/albums/ll203/Gogatee/Produce_zpst5uvndro.mp4 Any ideas? PS: I don't normally have that red safety cord hanging over the transom

Some absolute crackers there fellas. Absolutely amazing

Kings Beach Boat ramp is a great one to use (for us kayakers). Although when a good swell rolled in and there were surfers at the ramp, I often wondered if we were crazy. Regardless, a good easy access ramp to use

Depends how you bring it on board. Have you got lip grips? I find lip grips are a nice easy way to get them under control - hold them by the lip grips and tail, and it doesn't matter if they go silly, just hang on tight and you'll be okay! Bleed them immediately, and get as much blood out as you can. Once we have done that, we just throw them in the hatch. other others keep them in the footwell with a wet towel over them.

dhess: Certainly looks like it. The 5" snap backs are deadly on tuna. Apparently the 7" are pretty good too, but never used that one.

Jeff, have you found this with Longtails? To be honest, I have found that with Mac Tuna, and NOT longtails... Plus I'm pretty sure the blokes at Jones' Tackle said the same thing to me one time (that it's the Mac Tuna that are picky, and not the longies)

Lures: I have switched to plastics of late - 5" plastics work a treat spun along the surface. Not too fast, not too slow, just the speed to keep them on the surface (or just under) with the tails doing a seductive wiggle. Slugs, I only use Gillies Pillies (25g) or Sea Rock 25gs - they're almost identical slugs. Not the long thin gillies. Why do I use these? I do most of my fishing at Caloundra and these two slugs match the hatch. They're not close, they're identical. The only thing with these slugs are they can't be cranked in at high speed as they'll do nothing but a helicopter - and helicopters dont catch fish. You also need to upgrade the trebles, as the stock ones are very thin wire and will bend easily. As others have mentioned, don't drive into a school. You can do that on a kayak, but not in a boat. We never turn the motor off, we always leave it idling. As others have suggested, the biggest thing for Tuna I have found is a change in noise. Run a long side the tuna, if they're a little flighty try keeping them near your max casting range. Most of the longtails I've caught are not in big schools. Sure, you get schools of them occasionally, in which case I've found they're usually the ones that don't stay up on the surface for long, so you really need to pay attention to moving with the school and preempting where they will appear. Others have nailed it on the head regarding predicting which way the tuna will move. As for the schools, most schools you will see are Mac Tuna, however dont let this put you off. Casing to the edges is the key around these, as I have found most schools of mac tuna, particularly the bigger schools will have longtails around the fringes. Cast ahead of the school or around the sides. Casting into the middle can be a great way to get something on the scoreboard, but it will probably be a Mac Tuna. I'm not going to write off big mac tuna though - I almost landed one mac tuna that would have been just over a metre (definitely over 90), and I must say - For their size, Mac tuna are much stronger and harder fighters. Why did I not land this one? Most Longtails I land on 20lbs are 15-25 minutes. This thing fought me for over 30-35 minutes. Unfortunatelly the slug was hooked a little deeper than normal, and instead of the metal slug rubbing on the tuna teeth my leader was... I eventually just got worn through Most longtails I have caught have not been in the schools, but have been more isolated fish. You will find schools spread out over vast distances, with a few tuna poping up all over the place. Apparently they do this at Bribie a fair bit as well, and the tuna are more pushing the bait up against the island and then charging up and down picking off any stray fish. Brays Rock is another location you will see this. Trolling is one easy way to pick them up here, but As Tugger pointed out, there are no secret spots really. Tuna will almost always hold in the same areas though - I assume its to do with bait. Just inside Rooney Point in Hervey bay, The bay around Mooloolaba, Just south of point cartwright, around Brays rock at Caloundra and just off Bribie are a few common spots. As for casting - another thing I have noted on the plastics (more so than slugs) is even after a school stops, or you think a school has passed, or as Tugger said - just before the school pops up, you are still in with a good chance on the plastics. Nothing better than casting out, watch the school drop, thinking you've missed them and having the rod damn near ripped out of your hand while getting blasted on the surface. I have found plastics provide a lot more entertainment than the slugs - slugs never seem to get much of a surface strike, maybe a bit of a swoosh, but nothing compared to watching three longtails hack and slash their way through the water before erupting once hooked.

I don't think its often they come that far in mate, I think it was more to do with the water at the time - from memory it was when we were well and truly in a dry spell. It was the normal bust ups and birds working... Except bust ups right up against boats with tugs working etc. Just proves (to me) that NOISE isn't the thing that puts Tuna off on the water... Something shuts them down, and is related to noise...but not necessarily noise in general.

Runty: I just made an edit to my original post re distances. I have seen them in the Brisbane River, and did catch 3 70-80cm mac tuna in the river one year. Jeff F's avatar/display pic is of a 70-75cm mac tuna caught around the same time I got 3 in the river. Most of my fishing though is out of Caloundra.

Toonie: Some may disagree here, but this is what I have noticed, and also agrees with what the blokes at Jones' Tackle once told me. Generally speaking, Longtails are never far out. If you're going out more than 2-3 kilometres from the beach, you're going too far out for Longtails from what I've seen. Despite being called a "Pelagic" they really are more of an inshore fish. Edit: just to clarify: You may have to paddle out further in the bay... my distance was more meaning OFFSHORE. and is indicative of my fishing experiences at Noosa, Mooloolaba, Caloundra, Hervey Bay, Brisbane River and Fraser Island. Note, I haven't fished for them in Fraser or Hervey Bay, but have seen them in the boats - and they were all close to shore.