AUS-BNE-FISHO

Great photos @benno573! 

Well, happy birthday Old Salty Mick for 12 Feb. I hope you get your boat sorted and all your fishing and boating dreams come true in 2024!

Great response @Huxstang, I understand a little about electrics and solar, but I need another drink

Need more detail.  What are the fridges or do you know power consumption.?  
How are they wired…separately to each battery or is their a common power bus.  
Fridges cycling on and off is normal behaviour, but if its shutting down most camping fridges have a low voltage cut off.  So it does come down to how its wired and how you are using things.
What is the state of your batteries?
do you have a multimeter?  
Measure your batteries at full charge ie with no draw then measure again before dark and see what the state of charge is on each one.
Do you need more solar…this is fairly detailed but the below is fairly long winded but for me I would not make any change until I fully understood the actual problem…as you have only given a small amount of information that does not allow all the issues to be unpacked.
Not sure if this will help but hopefully it will give you more understanding of how your batteries and solar work.
Your lead acid battery bank - assuming your only using house bank for fridges gives you (when new) 150 amp hrs of usable output (50% depth of discharge).  If you have discharged them deeply a number of times you have shortened their lifespan significantly.  Deep cycle batteries won’t give more useable capacity just a longer life for your depth of discharge.
Now whether your need more solar or different batteries depends on your actual draw really…if they are say Engel 60l fridges running as a fridge you would say around 2-4amp/hr draw…ie 192 amp hrs max in 24hrs.  Once they go to freezer you can expect more like a constant 4-6amps plus.  I use Engels as an example as they are one of the most efficient 12/24v compressors in use for 4WD/camping.  Some other brands will be more like 10amps plus.
Your 160w solar theoretically is putting out @ 8amps of current, although actual depends on many factors - age/cloud/clean/etc etc.  But you should expect @ 80amp of input into your batteries over the day. 
So during a theoretical 10hr daylight period your existing battery bank is not being reduced from its existing state of charge based on what two Engel fridges might use.  That means your current draw might be no more than 112 amp hrs where solar is not charging which is inside the theoretical capacity of your existing house bank.  I say theoretical because if you have deep discharged your batteries a number of times your actual capacity could be quite a bit lower.
However, that does not take into account any other draw such as lights/TV/ water pumps etc.  It all adds up.
PS I am not expert just done lots of remote area camping where I needed to be able to maintain power for extended periods so have taught myself a fair amount - helps that a mate is an electrical engineer and the other a electrical tech.
Personally I would put a smart shunt in so I could see the variables and actually understand what is happening before I charged batteries or solar panels.  Once you can see just how much you use and how much you generate you can make a much more informed decision.
Personally I would have one regardless as its the only way to reliably understand what is happening in your 12v system.  I use Victron IP65 Smart Shunts that you can read via blue tooth on your phone via their app (I have one Smart Shunt on my cranking/house lead acid bank and another on my lithium bank for trolling motor).  However if you have space the BMV-712 has a nice gauge that allows you to read it without a mobile device.   I would recommend Springers for the best prices in Brisbane.
 

Trevally - 60cm
Trevally - 51cm
https://lensdump.com/a/70XyT

51cm snappy for team north.
 
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZRL5rz8pbBcpmw7E8

Photos of the shark I submitted earlier - 
https://lensdump.com/a/70XyT

Trevally - 60cm
Trevally - 51cm
https://lensdump.com/a/70XyT

Great photos @benno573! 

73.5cm flattie
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNZg3pijBjwQGyGZCu5K5t_C9VillVOhVsjALmyOfIHF9KCGXZ-LCN_adCwq4BjJw/photo/AF1QipOkyt3-00z22h_AQ5uEd8ohGTUsAuHqpcx4la0n?key=Mm1JY0RtVXZ5Z0JCc1MySV9ZTDR4Y0hjQThJaFpR

Great photos. Those lizards are beauties.

Here’s a few
https://photos.app.goo.gl/NyRCcuTDgq1NKamE7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MwSDUukL5vMPRiGT8

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Vq9AxLSBUky9KDnz9
 
https://photos.app.goo.gl/i1NZfHFWTDuhM3F97

https://photos.app.goo.gl/fjTG8ab5zVECz89X7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Dn8f7XzBzi3i8Ln2A

https://photos.app.goo.gl/93UPcVub95skcQDh6
 
https://photos.app.goo.gl/myoG8vJXwQCWBBGE7
 
 
 
 

@ellicat @mangajack awesome, thanks. I’ve got a 6m bayliner f18. I went over the bar a couple times last winter, bottom bashing around the marks you mentioned. If the weathers right I’ll give it a go and let you know!

When targeting spanish I ignore the birds working. 
99% of the time they are one of the tunas (most commonly they are mac tuna) and time wasters.
I agree with ellicat, 1 deep and 1 shallow lure and work to the pressure points of the reefs. 
Sunshine Reef is an easy bet, the Jew Shoals is an occasional bet (you basically pass the jew shoals on the way to Sunshine Reef leaving Noosa)
It is also worthwhile when trolling to also have a 3" blue and white squid skirt over a medium sized barrel sinker and a single hook.....sometimes they fixate on a small baitfish and only want something about the size of a hardihead....downside is this will also pick up the tunas and smaller mackerel as well.
With the meagre bag limit of spanish these days I think you need to take a few spotties or schoolies as well to be worthwhile.
Be careful on the Noosa Bar, it has a happy appetite for boats.

Are you in a boat or kayak ?
Best bet would be to make your way towards Sunshine Reef, keeping an eye out for birds diving in. Then, if you find that, troll two lures in the area - 1 at 6 metres and 1 at 2 metres. Halco Laser Pros are the go.
If you happen upon a bust up throw some Halco Twisties from 10 grams to 30 grams into the fray and wind as fast as you can.
If you don't find any with those two methods, go to the reef and float out some pillies - 1 unweighted and 1 with a small sinker - enough to get it into the mid-water. Fish the bottom while you wait.
This thread following is for tuna, but similar tactics for macks (unless you are looking for Spanish Macks). -
 

Thanks everyone.

Trevally - 60cm
Trevally - 51cm
https://lensdump.com/a/70XyT

Well I bought it & couldnt be happier with it. 2 x outing so far with it blowing its arse off & it handles everything far better than I could have hoped.
I water tested a few of the better known brands & this is at tleast their equal.
 
Now, may the weather improve somewhat.

The second biggest for that fishing session would have been 30-31cm. 
 
However, last night or this morning, approx midnight, I hooked onto a 35.5cm bream, was over the moon my new PB. 
As for photos, do we have to have it attached in order to verify? 

It finally happened. I caught a fish. Not a big one, and I had to stand through a couple of rain squalls, but some silly fish somehow hooked itself and I reeled the bugger in 🤣🤣
24.5cm whiting. Not enough for dinner, but enough to keep me interested for the next 12 months or so!!

Great report, and yes how lucky we are in SEQ to have Moreton Island right on our doorstep. 
Would be great if the photo issue gets fixed soon.

Pic didn't work, @Peter K.
Leatherjacket are not in the comp, but your 32 bream will make 2nd place. Did you remember to include your little finger in the pic ? You can probably take 3rd place too, with the next largest bream. What size was it ?
We have until the 31st of January to sort a pic.

Hi all
Snuck up to the Sunnycoast near Dunethin Rock on the Maroochy River with @charlie.hans.fishing on Boxing Day. Plan was to fish in Dunethin Lake and the surrounding area of the Maroochy River to try for a few flatties and maybe a jack if one came by. We arrived mid arvo on Boxing Day and went down for a fish around mid tide, flicking plastics off of the lake jetty.
I was off the donut first after we had each had a couple of missed hits with a little flatty. We continued flicking for another hour before it started to rain - just as this happened Charlie got a little flatty too. Decided to go to the beach for a swim that arvo but the next morning we were fishing again.
We started off canoeing around the lake a bit to no avail, so went had a cast around the opposite bank of the river to the mouth of the lake. I think Charlie got a spotted grunter here and one or two flathead (one that was legal sized). These put up a decent fight as he caught them casting in some shallow water near a snag. 
I got off the donut with a small flatty that liked my 2.75 inch Froff Bait paddle tail while we were drifting in the canoe (it was my first time using these lures, they're alright) but didn't manage to catch much more that day. I think we had another flick down at the lake jetty for nothing. It was very hot and unpleasant fishing, and with a lot of rain around the area recently too the mosquitos were very bad... It was nice going down to the beach again that arvo.
The next morning we had a quick flick around the bank opposite the mouth of the lake again. Here, Charlie got a bream on a plastic while we were drifting on the canoe along the bank. After a few more drifts and with a lot of tide/wind action making us drift very fast, we decided to go and have a cast at the deepest section of the lake. 
A ways into our first drift, Charlie hooked up to something decent. It was pretty heavy and quick, he hooked it in shallow water near the mangroves. Unfortunately, just as we were about to see it the hooks pulled. Bugger. I had another good hit on this drift, before later in the morning catching a flatty around the 40 mark. My Dad also had a cast on his canoe somewhere that morning and got an undersize barred grunter on a plastic.
We tried for a bit longer but the heat and mosquitos were pretty unbearable so we decided to go back to the campsite, pack up, and go home!
Thanks for reading, although the fishing was a bit quiet it was still good to get a few hookups. The next day I was sick and have just recovered enough to go fishing now so will try in the river tomorrow. 
Cheers Hamish

Hi all
I was lucky enough to spend part of the 30th of December at the emergency room getting treated for some illness, but by the arvo of New Years Day I was well enough to head out for a bass fish with my Dad.
We started out at Mt Crosby, but with a high tide and lots of rain the water was unusually high making it difficult to access any of our usual spots. Regardless, my Dad had one hit on the surface cicada and I had one bass smash a hardbody at my feet but miss the hookup before we decided to move spots. Second spot was a bridge that we always drive over to get to Mt Crosby (Kholo Creek), anyway it was disgusting and we caught nothing there. Final spot we gave a crack was Colleges Crossing, but with some very fast flowing water it didn't look too fishy and sure enough we caught nothing. Oh well, nothing wrong with starting the year strong with a big fat donut. 
Stats:
Tide: 3:30PM, 2.2M, High
Moon Phase: 80%
Air Pressure: 1011
Humidity: 92%
Gear Used: My Dad used a Shimano Miravel 2500 on a 2-4kg 7 foot Abu Garcia Veritas, I used a Diawa Tierra 2500 on a 2-4kg 7 foot Abu Garcia Veritas, 8 pound braid, ten pound leader, Duo Realis cicada and Duo Realis Shad hardbody. 
Overall Success Rate: 10% - better than staying at home
The next day I went for a eel session at the local park, which was successful with one decent sized eel being landed. 
Then on Wednesday, I caught up with @Thorbjorn Hale for a fish at his local spot, targeting the normal sharks and threadfin. We each sent some eel out on our big rods, with Thorbjorn slide baiting out a rather large, enticing chunk, and myself casting like normal, before we briefly tried to catch some livies. This was unsuccessful, so we went back to the shark rods waiting for a bait to go off. 
Thorbs bait was played with a few times before he pinned a nice size pup, not the sized shark we were going for but it was good for someone to get off of the donut. We continued fishing, and as the tide rose a bit more Thorbs came across a nice size herring which he sent out and turned into a nice sized bully pup again. After this, the bite went pretty quiet, and I headed off a bit after midday to get home for work. 
Stats:
Tide: 8:00AM, .9M, Low, 2:30PM, 2.2.M, High
Moon Phase: 63%
Air Pressure: 1008
Humidity: 73%
Tackle Used: I used a Penn Liveliner 6500 on 8 foot Ugly Stik, Shimano Sedona 6000 on 7 foot Abu Garcia Nexus, and a Penn Spinfisher 8500 on a 7 foot nine Savage Gear Salt, 30 and 50 pound braid, 30 pound mono trace or 100 pound shock leader to 400 pound wire, 6/o and 16/o circles, size 4 star sinkers. 
Bait Caught: Nearly nothing
Fish Caught: Pup shark x 2
Overall Success Rate: 50% - two nice pups
The next day I was pretty exhausted, so decided to sleep in and go mid morning down at my local park. I was targeting the last part of the runout, the best time to fish this spot in my opinion. I sent out a piece of eel on one rod, and then went to grab a couple of livies for the other, which didn't take long. Unfortunately, first bait was turned into a dirty catty, before the bite went quiet.
I nabbed another catty later in the morning and after having several crabs grab on then drop off on the eel piece some line finally started peeling off of the reel. The tide had just started ripping in so it was a bit of a battle when the little bully ran around all of the old jetty pylons, but eventually I got it up jettyside. I was a bit lazy with the dilly and consequently didn't land the shark in time, and it snipped me off as I was going to grab my dilly. 
I headed home after this, and prepared the gear to go again the next day. 
Stats:
Tide: 10:00AM, .8M, Low. 
Moon Phase: 53%
Bait Caught: Live bony bream, eel
Tackle Used: Penn Spinfisher Liveliner 6500 on Ugly Stik, Shimano Sedona 6000 on Abu Garcia Nexus. 30 and 80 pound traces, size 4 star sinker, 6/o and 4/o circle hook, 30 pound braid. 
Air Pressure: 1004
Humidity: 74%
Fish: Shark and catty
Overall Success Rate: 50% - no donut
I arrived a little earlier the next day, and had a few casts of the net before I sent a bait out, which produced some catties, bony bream, and tilapia. Discarded the catties, killed the tilly, and kept the bonies for bait. These bonies, which didn't last longer than 10 minutes on the end of my line, were all munched on quite tentatively by sharks over the next couple of hours, but no threadies were cruising by. 
First shark I managed to get a measure on for the comp, but due to a rather large hole that one of them or a stingray made in my dilly, I failed to get the other two onto the jetty before they snipped me off. To add a bit of insult to the lost sharks already, I then finally got one of the muddies up that kept eating my eel, and I got it all the way into my dilly, but it clambered straight out the hole and sunk away. It was around 17-20cm across. 
Headed home after I got snipped off and couldn't catch any more bonies to prep the gear for the next session, which was Saturday morning having a flick with some lures. 
Stats:
Tide: 11:15AM, .8M, Low. 
Moon Phase: 43.5%
Air Pressure: 1008
Humidity: 76%
Bait Caught: Live bony bream
Fish Caught: Sharks, mud crab
Tackle Used: Penn Spinfisher Liveliner 6500 on Ugly Stik, Shimano Sedona 6000 on Abu Garcia Nexus. 30 and 80 pound traces, size 4 star sinker, 6/o and 4/o circle hook, 30 pound braid. 
Overall Success Rate: 60% - few bites
So, my Dad and I woke up last night at 11:30PM and shot over to the launching spot of choice. We had the kayak ready to go a couple minutes before the last ferry of the night rolled through, so we waited until we thought it was clear but another one came by and gave the kayak a nice rinse off while we were in the middle of the river anyway. 
We shot down at a good pace to the first ferry terminal of the night, which had minimal surface activity. We had timed it so we went down with the last of the run out and up with the first of the rising, so we paddled back to the next terminal which had no surface activity. Things weren't looking good, and after having a go with a vibe around a few moored boats for no love we needed to get out to stretch the legs. We pulled up at a jetty quickly before continuing on our way, having a quick cast at a nearby riverwalk before we reached another ferry terminal. 
This terminal was quiet, but at a wharf up the river a bit there was significantly more illumination so my Dad and I tried there. After about 25 minutes for no love, we were thinking about calling it to get back to sleep when something decently large busted up. I flicked my subsurface lure past the lightpool and worked it back, and then smack! I was on. A few splashes later I had a nice 40cm or so tailor up on the side of the kayak. This was released, and hopes were increasing. Sure enough, a few casts later I was on to a similiar sized model again, which made plenty of splashes on the surface. 
A while later, we were about to finish up, so I had a few last casts with my Megabass Oneten R into the lightpool I caught the first tailor. Things were looking promising, and then I was on. This was a bit better though, and it was peeling line on my baitcaster with tight drag, getting my hopes up for a threadfin. Somewhat disappointingly, a larger tailor surfaced after some more runs (nearly pulled the rod out of my hands at one point), which was released. We headed off after that to get some sleep, satisfied with our session - we were off the water by about 3:30AM and home in bed at 4. 
Stats of Trip:
Tide: 11:10AM, ,5M, Low, 5:30AM, 1.8M, High. 
Moon Phase: 33%
Air Pressure: 1009
Humidity: 81%
Fish Caught: Tailor x 3
Gear Used: Shimano Stradic 3000 on Shimano Raider, Shimano Symetre 4000 on Shimano Sentire, Shimano Curado 300 on Shimano Cranx. 15 and 20 pound Daiwa J-braid, 30 pound FC Rock leader, Megabass Oneten R jerkbait, soft vibe, Zerek Pyra lure. 
Overall Success Rate: 50% - no donut but no thready. 
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. I'm heading up to Yeppoon for a few nights tomorrow so hopefully a mangrove jack or something big up there.
Cheers Hamish. 
https://lensdump.com/a/70cez
Tailor and Shark

Hi All,
Since there has been no movement on fixing the Photo Upload issue. I've created a Temporary workaround using Google Photos. It's not ideal (and a bit convoluted) but this should be the simplest way to enable public sharing of photos with a group (without everyone having to pay subscription costs). All you need is a google account (free). I figure most people already have a google account.
Please test out and let me know if steps below need updating or if it doesn't work for you.
Below is a link to a Google Photo Album : Australian Fishing Online - Public Shared Album
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QvdZs2kL9cH3UmFV6
You should be able to access this link from any PC or Phone
*******************
How to upload from an iPhone
1) Click the link to the album https://photos.app.goo.gl/QvdZs2kL9cH3UmFV6 (Choose either Web browser or App when prompted)
2) Top right corner there should be a button to "Add photos" (Button is a frame of 2 mountains with a + sign) - You will be prompted to sign-in to Google (if you haven't already)
3) This should present a drop down to choose photo from "Photo Library"
5) Select the photos you want to add. Click "Add" in top right corner to submit.
6) Wait for the photo(s) to be uploaded to the Album.
How to share a specific photo you have just uploaded
1) Whilst viewing the Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QvdZs2kL9cH3UmFV6 
2) Click on the specific photo you want to share
2) Top right corner there should be a button to "Share" (looks like this symbol <). (In the App its down the bottom "Share to...")
3) A screen will pop up. Ignore everything on this screen and just click the bottom left button "Create Link" and again click "Create Link" on the next screen. (In the App click "Create Link")
4) A link will be created. Copy this link and paste into your forum post. This is an example of a direct link to a photo in the shared photo album https://photos.app.goo.gl/73tueFhyKCyefiiE6
Things to Note:
Anyone with the above link: can view photos that have been shared (no google sign-in required) - ie its PUBLIC can upload photos to the album (google sign-in required) Once the AFO Photo issue is resolved I'll upload all the photos back onto AFO. *******************
How to upload from a PC (very similar to iPhone)
1) Click the link to the album https://photos.app.goo.gl/QvdZs2kL9cH3UmFV6
2) Top right corner there should be a button to "Add photos" (Button is a frame of 2 mountains with a + sign) - You will be prompted to sign-in to Google (if you haven't already)
3) Top right corner there should be a button to "Select from Computer"
5) From the Pop-up screen navigate to and select the photos you want to add. If you want to add multiple photos at a time hold the "Ctrl" key down and select the additional photos for upload.
6) Wait for the photo(s) to be uploaded to the Album.
How to share a specific photo you have just uploaded
1) Whilst viewing the Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/QvdZs2kL9cH3UmFV6 
2) Click on the specific photo you want to share
2) Top right corner there should be a button to "Share" (looks like this symbol <)
3) A screen will pop up. Click in the bottom left button "Create Link" and again click "Create Link" on the next screen
4) A link will be created. Copy the link and paste into your forum post. This is an example of a direct link to a photo in the shared photo album https://photos.app.goo.gl/73tueFhyKCyefiiE6