Ed.

I take it that you don't do a lot of bait fishing then!

No Problem, I forgot to mention Dinga.com.au, if you join them (which is free) I think that they give you $20 off your first order, as well as free delivery on orders over $20. Cheers Ed.

Hi, Breaming with Bro, you could go over to the BCF site and do a search for rods that would suit you. Go to the fishing section, then select rods, andthen select the criteria on the left of the page that you need, ie; length, how many pieces, Kg, and price range. Might narrow it down for you, see what they have, then do the same on the Anaconda site.

Thanks Hamish,

Several months back I was thinking about getting the "sharky model" but I was going to get one based on the fact that if any parts broke or needed replacing then I would most likely have to throw it in the bin, as dealing with Chinese companies selling cheap products from past experience can be problematic at best. I looked at a few vid's on youtube where the guys in the USA have bought some to try out and they said they weren't too bad (considering their price point) but no long term reviews. In the end I opted out of getting one as the reliability of it would have always been on my mind when fishing and just ended up buying another Penn reel. Actually I bought the cheapo Abu reel first but returned it straight away after noticing the flex in the reels neck and then bought the Penn.

Nice, looks like there isn't a shortage of them, where about in WA was video taken. I don't remember seeing that many crabs when I used to swim there many decades ago, crayfish yes, but not the swimmer crabs.

If you want to use it as a boat rod and light game setup and don't have a reel already, then I would recommend getting a lever drag overhead rod/reel setup, they are IMHO a much nicer and better setup to use on a boat.

To me, that is a waste of money to cut down a bit of weight, although it will certainly make your wallet lighter! as it costs more than 5 times the price of the standard one. . At the end of the yabbie session you won't catch any more yabbies using this one.

At least with the boat, it is pretty much a done deal (knocking on wood so I don't jinx it) as I can't think of any reason why he would not be happy with the way it performs, I spoke to him today and he is really keen to do the boat test so that he can take it home with him.

Not all motors have that trim tab on the leg, I know my 2013 Optimax 150 doesn't and can't remember seeing it on the 2005 Evinrude 225 I used to have either. They are now just flat flush anodes, it might only be on some motors.

Got the R.W.C., for the boat trailer this morning but now with this Co-Vid lock down extended till Sunday I won't be able to take the buyer for a test drive till middle of next week. I had planned on going shopping this weekend. Topped off with the fact that my Snow trip to Mt.Hotham Vic., got cancelled again for the second time, so not happy! We have given up on going interstate for the next couple of years, so instead we have booked to go to Airlie Beach next year and stay within the state. Support Qld's local community and that sort of thing!

Thanks for that, as the saying goes, the happiest day is when you get a boat and the next happiest day is when you sell it off!

Had a couple of guys over today who came to look at my boat, came back a few hours later and put a deposit on it but subject to a water test, which is fair enough, now just need to get a Road Worthy Cert., for the trailer and hopefully by next weekend I will have reclaimed part of my driveway. Yay! If he is happy with the water test and gets it, it might be walk on-walk off Charter Boat fishing for me from now on. For the amount of trips I have managed to go out in the past 2 years, it will still work out to be cheaper than what this boat costs, with rego for trailer and boat, insurance, fuel and maintenance. Not quite the same as owning my own boat, but definitely cheaper.

That pretty much sums it up, unfortunately 1 boat will not do the lot. If you do a lot of creeks and shallow areas then you need a small tinnie, but to get out further than you need a bigger boat. It is a bit like fishing rods, you wouldn't go fishing for Whiting with a Tuna rod, so you get rods for the purpose. Having a bigger boat has it's advantageous, easier ride in the ocean, much safer, holds more stuff, people, gear, fuel etc, but it is not suitable for shallow areas.

Hey Hamish, I would have thought that they would ask you to teach the class . Ed.

Hey Leeroy1, Here you go, something for you to seriously consider. https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/molendinar/motorboats-powerboats/trophy-2152-diesel-170hp-cummins-new-motor-under-warranty/1267395798 Cheers Ed.

On both my ex 23ft and 26ft boats, climbing into it from the front was a hassle for my missus and kids, at the ramp with a pontoon it wasn't a problem, as we would just step on the duckboards, but for those ramps without the pontoon I would take the boat off and then bow beach it, so climbing in from the front was a pain even for me. I ended up making a removable ladder clipped over the anchor winch/or cleats and then pulled it up when in the boat. As you said, regarding the 4.2m and getting caught out when the sea changed, just because your boat can get out a long way when the seas are flat doesn't mean it is a good idea to do so. The problem is, you go out a long way when it's flat and then the seas change a bit so you think to your self it's not that bad I will stay a bit longer, by the time you realise that it isn't getting better and you should have left earlier, you now have several hours to get back as you are now a long way out and won't be able to do the same speed as you did when you went out, which adds time for the seas to get really nasty and that is when most small boats get into strife. Alternatively you go out to the Island on a calm day and stay the night and the weather changes, what do you do then, you either take the chance and come back in a rough sea, or be forced to stay the night, but what if the wind increases and keeps blowing for a week or two? That would have happened to me at LM, as it kept blowing big time for another 10 days after we came back. The seas got that bad I would not have gone out in a 35ft'er let alone coming back in my 5.7m boat. Some people are happy enough to take a small boat out a long way, but myself I would be more relaxed in a much larger boat, I have seen enough of the ocean to know what can happen. Bigger boats are generally safer to be in a sloppy sea than a small boat. For yourself if the LM trip is only once a year then I would be more inclined to get a boat that is sized for the majority of your boating needs and for once a year to LM, maybe go on a charter.

Heavier Jighead would be my choice if you wanted it to sink to the bottom, putting a sinker in front of the lure would not work well.

If you fish on your own then that will restrict you greatly unless you can get a drive on/off trailer setup, for myself, a 6.5m would probably be about the minimum I personally would feel comfortable going out that far, 7-8m would be better but you would be getting well over your budget unless you go for a much older boat in that size. I mean, if the seas were flat then you could even do it in a 4.3m, however you can never guarantee that it will stay that way all the way out there or when you want to go back, as it will take approx 2 hours out and could take more than double that to get back if the seas get rough which is where the problem lies. It is not uncommon for seas to get up a sea height of up to 1.5 to 2m if the wind increases or changes direction, so that is about 1/3 of your boat length and don't forget the occasional breaker. You might get out there, but would you be able to get back? That part of the world can get quite windy for long spells or whip up quite quickly. Late last year, I took my 5.7m boat from 1770 with the intention to do the same, it wasn't too bad when we left but after about 10NM we turned back as I wasn't going to risk it, It just kept getting worse and worse. It was just as well I did, it was a good judgement call on my part as it got considerably nastier as the day rolled on, and that was the best of the days we were there in over the week we were there. A friend of mine was in a 7.5m and he kept on going and even then he had a rough time coming home. You will also need to take into account how much fuel a small boat can carry. My boat was way too small to do that sort of trip safely. Just my 2 cents worth.

Personally If I was planning to go out as far as Lady Musgrave I would probably be looking for a much bigger boat, even a good second hand one to keep it under your budget, whilst it can be done with small boats on good days with flatish seas, on the other days it would be quite hairy as the weather can change quickly.

As @Hweebe said, for myself, I rarely get seasick and the times I have been it was due to having spent too much time looking towards the floor, such as when tying a lot of knots or problems with motor or boat, but the biggest thing for me is not getting enough sleep the night before going out. Having breakfast is good as it will give you something to throw up if that happens, as there is nothing worse than dry retching!, wanting to throw up but not being able to do so as your stomach is empty.

Hi Quan Vu, welcome to the forum, letting the lure sit on the bottom will not achieve anything, after all it is just a piece of plastic, you have to make that lure imitate a live fish by flicking the rod and winding it in as well. They are designed to flip around and the tail to wriggle/flap in the water to imitate a bait fish which will hopefully entice a fish to strike at it.

What are you guys ingesting before you go to sleep???

Maybe they were upset that you didn't offer them acting fees for the filming?

Looks like a gross mutant biological experiment that went wrong!