Ed.

Not a shark but a large ray, many decades ago when I was a young man, I went up to Queensland from Victoria for an extended road trip, living mainly out of my car, an old FE holden sedan and ended up in the Shute Harbour area,  knowing very little about fishing and not much cash, I tried to supplement my food supply by going fishing, ended up buying a light handline and also a heavier one with 80lb line.
I had snorkeled off the jetty there so I knew there were some decent sized fish in that murky green water, wouldn't do that again now that I  now know what else swims around there, anyway I caught some smaller fish on the light line and put one out on the large hand line. A short while later it started to move so I grabbed it and gave it a decent yank which hooked up solid.
So about 20 minutes in to the fight I managed to get it off the bottom and saw a flap break the surface so recognized it as a big ray, in those days, the ferries that went to the Islands used to leave from that jetty and there was one tied up at the end of the jetty. Eventually the ray swung around to it and ended up either under the boat or under the jetty and I couldn't stop it, resulting in the line being cut off.
In a way I am glad it broke the line as I wouldn't have known what to do with it had I managed to bring it to the shore, so yes it did give me a decent workout even though I was quite strong in those days. The smaller fish I caught which I didn't know at the time turned out to be "Happy Moments" which I took back to fillet and eat, apparently there are a few similar fish called by the same name, didn't know anything about them till I went back the next day and the guy I was fishing with the day before asked what I had done with them, and  was quite surprised that I had eaten them.
I did start to go for a quick drive that evening and had a hard time driving as the road seemed to be swaying, so quickly did a u turn and went back to sleep it off. Possibly one of those might not have been edible, and possibly a bit hallucinogenic. So after that I made sure that I knew all about the fish I was going to eat! 😀
Nowadays if I am going to go after large sharks then it's with a 30II or a 50WII, rod gimble and stand up harness, I am not nearly as strong as I used to be and need all the advantage I can get!

Not a shark but a large ray, many decades ago when I was a young man, I went up to Queensland from Victoria for an extended road trip, living mainly out of my car, an old FE holden sedan and ended up in the Shute Harbour area,  knowing very little about fishing and not much cash, I tried to supplement my food supply by going fishing, ended up buying a light handline and also a heavier one with 80lb line.
I had snorkeled off the jetty there so I knew there were some decent sized fish in that murky green water, wouldn't do that again now that I  now know what else swims around there, anyway I caught some smaller fish on the light line and put one out on the large hand line. A short while later it started to move so I grabbed it and gave it a decent yank which hooked up solid.
So about 20 minutes in to the fight I managed to get it off the bottom and saw a flap break the surface so recognized it as a big ray, in those days, the ferries that went to the Islands used to leave from that jetty and there was one tied up at the end of the jetty. Eventually the ray swung around to it and ended up either under the boat or under the jetty and I couldn't stop it, resulting in the line being cut off.
In a way I am glad it broke the line as I wouldn't have known what to do with it had I managed to bring it to the shore, so yes it did give me a decent workout even though I was quite strong in those days. The smaller fish I caught which I didn't know at the time turned out to be "Happy Moments" which I took back to fillet and eat, apparently there are a few similar fish called by the same name, didn't know anything about them till I went back the next day and the guy I was fishing with the day before asked what I had done with them, and  was quite surprised that I had eaten them.
I did start to go for a quick drive that evening and had a hard time driving as the road seemed to be swaying, so quickly did a u turn and went back to sleep it off. Possibly one of those might not have been edible, and possibly a bit hallucinogenic. So after that I made sure that I knew all about the fish I was going to eat! 😀
Nowadays if I am going to go after large sharks then it's with a 30II or a 50WII, rod gimble and stand up harness, I am not nearly as strong as I used to be and need all the advantage I can get!

I try to take a simpler approach, have a look at the Platypus Platinum line, (0.78mm) , it might give you a bit more length compared to other mono lines, it is about the thinnest 80lb line that I have found. I usually put on about 50-60m of it as a top shot on to my braid but I connect it direct to a swivel and 4m stainless cable so no going through any rod guides, but I figure that should be long enough so I can grab the stainless cable at the boat/rocks/beach, and should the shark take off at that point, the 80lb mono should be able to take the strain with it's stretch.
Having said all that, I use 130-150lb braid so if the line is going to break, chances are that  I will loose some mono instead of the more expensive braid.

Not a shark but a large ray, many decades ago when I was a young man, I went up to Queensland from Victoria for an extended road trip, living mainly out of my car, an old FE holden sedan and ended up in the Shute Harbour area,  knowing very little about fishing and not much cash, I tried to supplement my food supply by going fishing, ended up buying a light handline and also a heavier one with 80lb line.
I had snorkeled off the jetty there so I knew there were some decent sized fish in that murky green water, wouldn't do that again now that I  now know what else swims around there, anyway I caught some smaller fish on the light line and put one out on the large hand line. A short while later it started to move so I grabbed it and gave it a decent yank which hooked up solid.
So about 20 minutes in to the fight I managed to get it off the bottom and saw a flap break the surface so recognized it as a big ray, in those days, the ferries that went to the Islands used to leave from that jetty and there was one tied up at the end of the jetty. Eventually the ray swung around to it and ended up either under the boat or under the jetty and I couldn't stop it, resulting in the line being cut off.
In a way I am glad it broke the line as I wouldn't have known what to do with it had I managed to bring it to the shore, so yes it did give me a decent workout even though I was quite strong in those days. The smaller fish I caught which I didn't know at the time turned out to be "Happy Moments" which I took back to fillet and eat, apparently there are a few similar fish called by the same name, didn't know anything about them till I went back the next day and the guy I was fishing with the day before asked what I had done with them, and  was quite surprised that I had eaten them.
I did start to go for a quick drive that evening and had a hard time driving as the road seemed to be swaying, so quickly did a u turn and went back to sleep it off. Possibly one of those might not have been edible, and possibly a bit hallucinogenic. So after that I made sure that I knew all about the fish I was going to eat! 😀
Nowadays if I am going to go after large sharks then it's with a 30II or a 50WII, rod gimble and stand up harness, I am not nearly as strong as I used to be and need all the advantage I can get!

Not a shark but a large ray, many decades ago when I was a young man, I went up to Queensland from Victoria for an extended road trip, living mainly out of my car, an old FE holden sedan and ended up in the Shute Harbour area,  knowing very little about fishing and not much cash, I tried to supplement my food supply by going fishing, ended up buying a light handline and also a heavier one with 80lb line.
I had snorkeled off the jetty there so I knew there were some decent sized fish in that murky green water, wouldn't do that again now that I  now know what else swims around there, anyway I caught some smaller fish on the light line and put one out on the large hand line. A short while later it started to move so I grabbed it and gave it a decent yank which hooked up solid.
So about 20 minutes in to the fight I managed to get it off the bottom and saw a flap break the surface so recognized it as a big ray, in those days, the ferries that went to the Islands used to leave from that jetty and there was one tied up at the end of the jetty. Eventually the ray swung around to it and ended up either under the boat or under the jetty and I couldn't stop it, resulting in the line being cut off.
In a way I am glad it broke the line as I wouldn't have known what to do with it had I managed to bring it to the shore, so yes it did give me a decent workout even though I was quite strong in those days. The smaller fish I caught which I didn't know at the time turned out to be "Happy Moments" which I took back to fillet and eat, apparently there are a few similar fish called by the same name, didn't know anything about them till I went back the next day and the guy I was fishing with the day before asked what I had done with them, and  was quite surprised that I had eaten them.
I did start to go for a quick drive that evening and had a hard time driving as the road seemed to be swaying, so quickly did a u turn and went back to sleep it off. Possibly one of those might not have been edible, and possibly a bit hallucinogenic. So after that I made sure that I knew all about the fish I was going to eat! 😀
Nowadays if I am going to go after large sharks then it's with a 30II or a 50WII, rod gimble and stand up harness, I am not nearly as strong as I used to be and need all the advantage I can get!

I try to take a simpler approach, have a look at the Platypus Platinum line, (0.78mm) , it might give you a bit more length compared to other mono lines, it is about the thinnest 80lb line that I have found. I usually put on about 50-60m of it as a top shot on to my braid but I connect it direct to a swivel and 4m stainless cable so no going through any rod guides, but I figure that should be long enough so I can grab the stainless cable at the boat/rocks/beach, and should the shark take off at that point, the 80lb mono should be able to take the strain with it's stretch.
Having said all that, I use 130-150lb braid so if the line is going to break, chances are that  I will loose some mono instead of the more expensive braid.

I try to take a simpler approach, have a look at the Platypus Platinum line, (0.78mm) , it might give you a bit more length compared to other mono lines, it is about the thinnest 80lb line that I have found. I usually put on about 50-60m of it as a top shot on to my braid but I connect it direct to a swivel and 4m stainless cable so no going through any rod guides, but I figure that should be long enough so I can grab the stainless cable at the boat/rocks/beach, and should the shark take off at that point, the 80lb mono should be able to take the strain with it's stretch.
Having said all that, I use 130-150lb braid so if the line is going to break, chances are that  I will loose some mono instead of the more expensive braid.

I try to take a simpler approach, have a look at the Platypus Platinum line, (0.78mm) , it might give you a bit more length compared to other mono lines, it is about the thinnest 80lb line that I have found. I usually put on about 50-60m of it as a top shot on to my braid but I connect it direct to a swivel and 4m stainless cable so no going through any rod guides, but I figure that should be long enough so I can grab the stainless cable at the boat/rocks/beach, and should the shark take off at that point, the 80lb mono should be able to take the strain with it's stretch.
Having said all that, I use 130-150lb braid so if the line is going to break, chances are that  I will loose some mono instead of the more expensive braid.

Just out of curiosity I had a look at the spin reels I have, I only have Penn Spinfisher Liveliners V4 and V5,  2500-4500-6500 sizes and mine barely moved about 1mm or so, (I didn't test the 8500  as it was buried amongst the other reels), I don't know if it is just the design of the spools, or it might have to do with how the drag stack or bearings are done. I personally wouldn't be happy with that much wobble as it would just annoy me.
I mainly use overheads/baitcasters and very rarely the spin gear, so don't get that issue.

As Neil said, I would be more concerned about flushing the trailer after each use, than the motor if you are using it daily.

Yep... just when you the boat's perfect and there's nothing else to do some other shiny toy (usually with a 4 figure pricetag) suddenly seems absolutely essential. Oh well, everybody needs a hobby. 🙂

Happy New Year to everyone.🎇

Happy New Year to everyone.🎇

Happy New Year to everyone.🎇

I went to the Anaconda sale. Bought a Penn Conflict 6000 reel.  $99.00 plus a free shirt.
I have a Conflict 4000, which I bought years a go. Great reel never had a problem with it. The new one is the latest version.
Also noticed Mono & Braid line was a lot cheaper than other stores.
Cheers.

Have a look at this Penn Liveliner model, on special till the 31st Dec 23 for $139.99 including delivery. This one is has a manual bail arm trip and the Liveliner feature which is good for letting fish run with the bait before striking. They are also water resistant which is good for surf areas.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/292810550338
P.S. The on special date has been extended to the end of Dec, so I updated the date above in case anyone was interested.

Have a look at this Penn Liveliner model, on special till the 31st Dec 23 for $139.99 including delivery. This one is has a manual bail arm trip and the Liveliner feature which is good for letting fish run with the bait before striking. They are also water resistant which is good for surf areas.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/292810550338
P.S. The on special date has been extended to the end of Dec, so I updated the date above in case anyone was interested.

Cos they are too awesome!!

And if you want to get the Nissan home take a Toyota!

Most of them have been recalled.

Well the missus and I finally headed North on our way to Port Douglas, this is our second attempt at it, as the first trip last year  was terminated early when we blew a coolant hose just near Sarina. Our first overnight stop was at the Denison Hotel (Rockhampton)  after leaving Hervey Bay. It's an old Qld railway headquarters building which has been converted into a hotel, with 4 poster king sized bed and a spar bath, the large rooms have 14-16ft ceilings.
Left next morning towards Airlie Beach, almost no smoke from the fires on the way up, but when we got there the wind was blowing quite strongly (20-25knots). Went out on the 85ft sailing cat "Camira" for a snorkelling trip to Dumbell Island, the snorkelling was fairly abysmal as the wind the night before got to 30 knots so the water was churned up and high tide to boot. Visibilty was about 1-1.5m and unfortunately afterwards they only took us to Hills Inlet and not Whitehaven beach as we were hoping for. However the trip out and back was really good with as much food as you wanted, and as much free wine, beer and alcoholic cider as you could consume.
I broke a heel strap on my flippers and the boat didn't have a size to fit me (I have large flat feet) so just snorkelled without. I bought another pair of flippers and diving socks at Tackle World in Cannonvale.
The night before our next leg to Mission Beach, the Jeep threw a hissy fit and the computer displayed a heap of major error codes. We became stressed and were worried that it would be the end of the trip again, managed to get UltraTune in Cannonvale  squeeze the Jeep in and to do a scan on it, they were very helpful  and apart from one minor voltage issue with the MAP sensor which a clean fixed, we were good to go and left at 10:00am. Had a few more error messages pop up during the drive up, it looks like one or two of the sensors might have a loose connection as after jiggling the connections the errors disappeared and everything was back to normal.
After breakfast our next stop was 2 nights at Mission Beach at a B&B, where we saw the local Cassowary's walk around the gardens outside which was nice, dropped into the local winery for wine tastings and picked up 6 bottles of liquors/ports to take back with us. They were a nice drop!.
Arrived at Port Douglas and staying at the Ramada, today we visited the "Australian Chocolate Farm".  If you like Chocolate, then I highly recommend this place. It's 15 minutes out of town at Shannonvale and the Chocolate deserts are to die for! The chocolate is grown and processed on the farm and the deserts are made by the owner who is a Master Pastry Chef. Unbelievably good!
Tomorrow we are heading out on another large sailing Cat out to Mackay Reef for more snorkelling, the wind has died down so should be a great day. The first fishing trip is on Tuesday out on the Dragon Lady followed by another fishing trip on the Norseman on Thursday, they are both large vessels so a bit of wind won't bother them if it picks up. I tore a muscle badly in my lower back just before we left home on this trip and it's only just started to feel better now, I am taking my stand up harness with me fishing so I don't aggravate my back should I hook up on something big, it might look a bit wanky and overkill for bottom bashing but better to be safe than in pain for another 10 days.
Will do an update afterwards and looking forward to fishing as it has been a very, very long time since I have been fishing.

If you have some free time I highly recommend going for a swim at Mossman  gorge. I went there a few years ago and it was amazing. Good luck on the fishing 

Sounds like crisis averted Ed! I'd have sold the Jeep after the first trip (actually i would never have bought a Jeep in the first place!).
If you get to the Daintree go check out the Daintree Ice Cream Company in Diwan. The ice cream is handmade on site and the girls in the shop are friendly. Its cool to walk around the exotic fruit trees and if Daintree Dave is there ask if he can show you his cocoa and vanilla plants.
Disclaimer: Daintree Dave may/may not be my brother in law (fishing tragic too)
Andrew

At least you got out and about for a bit Ed, and got a few feeds.
If you want to go to the far north take a Jeep, if you want to get home take a Nissan.

Unfortunately we never made it to the Daintree, Mossman Gorge or the Atherton tableland, that might be scheduled for another trip in the future. Went out on the "Dragon Lady" and despite being bricked on the Coral with a couple of huge hits, I managed to only get a legal sized Fingermark bream (Moses perch) and a semi decent Gold Spot Trevally up on board, both ended up on the plate for 6 meals. I had booked to go on the Norseman 2 days later but they notified me that they didn't have the numbers to go out, so missed out as every other boat was booked out whilst I was there.
Next day went for a sail to Mackay reef on a 25mft cat, it's a huge boat and only had about 18 people on it for the day, water was quite clean (10-15m visibility) and nice snorkeling, water was cooler than I would have liked but still quite good. They required us to snorkel together so that they could keep an eye on us, which wasn't ideal but probably done for insurance requirements to ensure they didn't lose anyone.
By the time we got down to Cairns, the reef closure was in place so no more fishing for me. Did the Kuranda rail trip whilst in Cairns and then started to head back home after 4 days, caught up with Misha (aka Sylvathorn)  on the way back at Bowen, got back home and the missus 2 days later decided we should go to go to the Gold Coast to see daughter No 1 and bub, so more driving, all up we did about 4000+ km. The car kept throwing up several more error codes on the way back from Port Douglas, but with a quick jiggle of the sensors they all disappeared, will have to get them checked out now that I am back home.
For some reason, I can't seem to post up any pics!