Hweebe

So I tested the spot jog feature on the weekend over at amity banks where there was about 10 boats in close as the whiting were in a tight patch. @Old Scaley Pros - the spot log jog allowed for some precise adjustment of boat position without the need to think about wind / current / motor speed / motor heading. Makes moving about 2m forward, back, left, right very easy whilst keeping your heading the same. Of course you can do this all manually yourself but you have to account for current / speed / motor heading / other boats in your vicinity in case you over adjust or swing the boat wildly trying to get to the correct spot. Spot log jog will be very helpful where there is strong wind / current - I think it will be helpful for beacon bashing. Judgement call on whether $400 is value but now that i know it can do it and it came with the motor, I probably would get the heading sensor. Since you fish mostly weekdays and there are not that many boats around and you can take your time to get you positioning right I'd just continue trying it out on another AFO members boat to see if you really like / need it.

Very interesting, will need to be at a single spot longer for a tide change to experiment. However if this is the case, I can't think of what remote buttons would be used to adjust your heading whilst at spot lock? I'm imaging a scenario like yours where i need to adjust the boat heading so the lines are out the back of the boat instead being pushed back under the boat.

The challenge is working out whether this is because of the new motor or the addition of the heading sensor or a combination of both?

That's interesting to hear, I don't have a reference point to confirm but as far as i could tell with my first water test on Saturday, my heading was similar to those at anchor nearby, not sure if with or without heading sensor makes a difference

We have had a few at our work not being able to wait until retirement and take a full 6months long service leave to the do the Australia loop with van in tow. Rooftop tinnie for sure!

Yes that will be me my general mood does ride in alignment with Bronx form, my misso knows to stay clear after a bad loss or ask for a new handbag/shoes after a big win

Hey @Old Scaley save the $400. I'll admit I like my gadgets and like to try every feature/function in the manual. You are correct the only feature that i can tell that uses the heading sensor is the spot-lock jog and the ability to do this quickly with the remote. You can achieve the same as the above by manually steering / adjusting thrust to your desired position it just may take a few more buttons to move the boat around and re-spot lock. As far as i can tell the heading sensor isn't required for anything else on the minn kota. I have used itrack before and will definitely be using that again. Great for working a rock wall or specific underwater feature or line that you like to work. I recommend this if you have a specific line / path you like to work plastics on. The other feature i will be using is cruise control for my whiting fishing, where i like the drift to be a certain speed of ground sometime the natural drift may be too slow (slack tide) so cruise control will get my drift speed over ground and moving bait just perfect. Otherwise 90% of the reason i go the leccy was for spot lock - keep it simple.

I'll be at the Broncos v Storm tonight but will have to lay off the sauce with an early launch tomorrow. Well that is the plan anyway i'm rubber arms at the best of times and will be an experience at Suncorp sober

You have worked me up into a frenzy @ellicat some beacon bashing will be a good chance to test the trolling motor in some current!

Exactly what i was thinking - maybe simple cable tie

So good - wish we had accessible trout streams here in SEQ

Urge to move / not move - Whatever you chose there is always a little voice telling you something counter. I think the only thing to silences that voice is a hot bite!

My Body does not think, it just refuses to do anything and everything.

That's terrible!

How good.....beats a 7am to 4pm work day....I'd love to have so much time on the water fish or no fish and to have the bay to yourselves. Hopefully some schoolies will be around tomorrow - planning to head out there at a similarly farcical time to avoid the gentlemen's hour fishos

Don't have to worry about snags / losing lures now that you can make them cut price

Ideal retirement - wake up and drop a line outside your doorstep / balcony. Have a mate that lives on magnetic island who can wake up and drop a line whilst he is waiting for the kettle from his balcony.

Any spottie or spanish macs there?

And that will be where the fish are hanging

With the trolling motor being "non-essential" to get you back to the boat ramp, I'd save the coin and only replace with a circuit breaker if you blow a fuse. Risk is it may put a dampener on the trip if/when the fuse blows. I'm the same haven't had any fuses blow in my boat (touch wood). I guess if you keep the boat clean and good condition shorts are less likely. If the trolling battery won't be hooked up to the outboard alternator (for on the water charging) then its unlikely you would get a short unless the trolling motor wires get accidently cut somewhere or you hit something on the trolling prop and overload things

Definitely got the rub of the green with the weather in Cairns! Some great fish too, how did they pull?

Wow Gallen to fight both Hodges and Hannant in one night. I think Gallen should have both covered (Hodges 5-1 and Hannant 0-1), however if the first fighter does some damage before getting TKO then the second fighter will have a chance. I think Hodges will fight second (although they have yet to announce the fight order) That way if Gallen loses he saves face, Hodges is expected to lose, so if he wins they can excuse it to two fights in one night. Win win for Gallen and Hodges + pay packet with minimal risk to injury for Gallen (if he were to take on a professional bout).

11 years is a great run for a deep cycle battery. Another AGM battery from Battery World sounds like the go. With my recent lithium battery for the trolling motor it also doubles as a camping deep cycle battery (@24v) that can be used for running my fridge. However Lithium is not recommended for engine bays. My dual battery in the engine bay (on its last legs) will be gone soon to reduce the weight. No winch for me, as almost all my 4wd is beach, so a shovel and maxtrax gets me out of a bog.

Also helps the storm with a perm switch of munster to fullback where he looked dangerous last week.

Yep, if I'm 4wd/beach fishing Teewah, I'm usually not in a rush to wet a line until the arvo as I still want to spend time with the fam on the beach. I'll get there around brunch time find a good gutter that will likely build (incoming) or get closer (outgoing) for the afternoon as I watch nearby weekend fishos throw a line out at midday (peak sun / heat) with limited success. It's usually not until they start packing lines in ~2pm that I'm starting to work the gutters from about 2pm until dusk. I'm lazy by nature and have had better success this way. Don't get me wrong you can catch fish all day round, just prefer to have a nice shady lunch instead of standing in the midday sun. The later fishing session also has the added advantage of avoiding the inevitable traffic snarl on the way back south on the Bruce highway that happens around 3-5pm.