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Hi all, I was on a holiday down in Victoria for a week (went for one fish for trout but no luck) and got back last Thursday around midnight. Decided to have a rest on Friday but Saturday morning @Cavvy and I tried a spot on our kayak. We launched at about 5am and arrived at the spot by quarter past, just before the sun rose. We spent the next four hours flicking some shallow diving hardbodies around but unfortunately, we did not catch any threadfin. There was plenty of bait jumping but I guess the fish weren't hungry, so we will have to get them next time. Stats of Trip: Tide: 9:30AM, .6M, Low. Moon Phase: 25% Lures Used: Zerek Pyra and Megabass Oneten R Air Pressure: 1015 Humidity: 83% Overall Success Rate: 30% - first session on the river this holidays The next session was today with @Thorbjorn Hale at The Port, on Thorbjorn's tinny. We launched at around 9am from a very crowded POB boat ramp, and after we got away first thing on the agenda was catching some livies. It wasn't long before we had a fair few mullets gathered so we went out to the wharves and started fishing. It was awesome weather, and it was quite flat for as far as I could see. On my first cast my live mullet remained untouched for a fair amount of time before line started screaming off of my reel. Thorbjorn picked up my rod while I wound in my soft vibe and the fish took a good run. I started the fight and the fish was taking some decent runs and had some good headshakes. It wasn't long before I had a nice 60cm or so snapper on the deck of the boat, which we were both happy with (and I was regretting not buying some ice for the esky). After a quick photo we released the snapper and got lines back out. Snap Following this, we each caught a decent sized stingray, but after that the bite went very quiet, so we decided to go and chase some livies at the Poo Chute and try again. We were successful with the herring (despite my substandard cast netting), but back at the spot we couldn't lose a bait, apart from Thorbjorn catching a small shovelly. We moved again, and at this spot we each pulled in a catty, which wasn't a great sign. As we were moving though, we noticed a boat was hooked up to a decent fish. We waited until we saw it, and sure enough the gold of a thready emerged, so it was good to see someone was having some success on the soft vibes. We chased a bit more live bait which was fun and had a quick rest before anchoring on the edge of the main channel around the Clara Rock area. Unfortunately for us, this didn't equate to any fish, and the only action was a few nibbles and plenty of waves from the Moreton Island boats. At about five, we decided to call it quits and we drove home. Overall, it was a great day with the weather staying flat for basically the entire day, thanks again for taking me out Thorbjorn! Stats of Trip: Tide: 8:15AM, .9M, Low, 1:35Pm, 1.6M, High, 7:15PM, .8M, Low. Moon Phase: 35% Bait Used/Caught: Live mullet, herring, whiting, prawn, silver biddy, anchovy Fish Caught: Snapper, catfish, shovelnose, stingray Lures Used: Soft vibes Air Pressure: 1015-1017 Humidity: 64%-81% Overall Success Rate: 75% - fun day out with a few bites and a new PB snap for me. Anyway, thanks for reading everyone, hope you enjoyed the report. Cheers, Hamish.

Hey guys wanted to put a question out there. What is your favourite lure and what fish do you target with it?

Hi all, I have just bought my first boat, unfortunately I won’t have a shed to put it under for a few months. I have bought an Ocean South cover that fits OK, but noticed a lot of condensation under the cover and in the boat in this weather. Has anyone found a way to combat this? Or are there covers made of different material that handle this better?

im a new fisherman on lord howe island and was wondering if any new fish species are being created or is it just natural selection and stuff. also what is a good boat for newbies

Hi guys, so I am purchasing a 4.2m tinny and its all in relatively good condition but super basic and not comfortable for my fishing style. Planning on doing a deck and making a casting deck but don't know what would to use? Dont want something super expensive but dont want something cheap. Planning to put marine carpet or some boat mat over it, any suggestions for that is appreciated as well. Also what hp motor should i put on it? Thanks in advance

Hi guys, im looking for a boat preferable something under 5k so i was thinking a tinny and maybe doing it up a bit. Was wondering what size i should get, thinking of going moerton bay, fraser island and straddie island, also the sea way and port of brissy. Whats the smallest size boat i should get for those condiitons since i know seaway and seawall can be quite rough sometimes Thanks

Hi all Today I was lucky enough to be invited to go out fishing at the Port of Brisbane with Steve ( @Old Scaley ) on his boat. Brian ( @ellicat ) was also joining us to fish out of his boat as well. We met at the ramp a little past 6 and headed out from a crowded Port of Brisbane boat ramp. First on the agenda was catching livebait, and even though I'd caught a few livies plus a bunch of herring the day before we decided some more wouldn't hurt. This effort was unsuccessful, but that was no thanks to my cast netting abilities . After that, we went and dropped Steve's crab pots. We baited up with a mixture of reef fish frames and scraps, and dropped a string of pots in an area we decided looked likely. After that, we went and joined Brian who was fishing at one of the wharves. We had a look on Steve's sounder but couldn't locate any fish, so decided to start off nearby the bait school Brian was fishing. We dropped a couple of livies down and got pickered quite quickly, including on a rather large mullet. We gave it about 30 minutes here but, after having no luck, we had a look out at the front rock all. We casted a mix of herring and squid around here for the best part of an hour, but apart from a few rays breaching and a couple little bites it was pretty slow here. We went back to Brian, who was still patiently flicking lures at the wharfs, and had a bit of a drift there before going upstream a bit and having another drift. After having no luck on this front, we headed off to give the pots the first check of the day. Anticipation was high, and we ended up with two sandies from four pots. Not much but better than nothing! We got back to fishing, and decided to go for a couple of drifts around a couple of Steve's spots which are normally quite reliable for squire. It was a little quiet on the first couple of drifts, apart from myself missing a good run/bite on a livie because the rod was in the holder and I didn't get it out quick enough, and Steve getting pickered a couple of times. We repeated our drift in a few different locations with Brian nearby, and eventually we decided to give the crab pots another check. This brought one more legal sandy, and after repositioning some pots we were back to fishing. Steve had a couple good bites and eventually hooked a undersize squire, but then it went quiet again. We kept fishing, and a little while later we heard a big WOOHOO from Brian's boat... We were feeling hopeful after seeing his catch (if you haven't already read his report A Trip to the Synagogue), so continued to persist with our drifting. We gave it another hour and a bit but eventually called it quits a bit before two when we hadn't landed another fish. I did finish up missing three good bites in a row, mainly because I had a hook slightly too small for my large herring. We collected the pots which didn't bring any more crabs and motored back to the ramp in the still calm conditions. Overall, it was a great day out on the water with some awesome weather. Big thanks to Steve for taking me out on his boat and for the fun days fishing, hope you didn't mind having me along! Sandies Hope you enjoyed reading, Here are some brief stats from the trip: Stats: Tide: High tide, 8:30AM. 2.4M, Low Tide, 3PM, .7M Moon Phase: About 8%, near New Moon, so a fair bit of run Bait Caught and Used: Bait used consisted of herring, squid, and a couple livies. Crab bait was mainly reef fish frames. Tackle and Lures Used: I used a Shimano Stradic 3000 on a Shimano Raider and an Abu Garcia Ambassadeur on an Ugly Stik with 15 and 20 pound braid and 30 pound leader, Steve used similiar spinning gear and leader. We used circle hooks and ball sinkers. We also flicked around a couple vibes and Steve through a slug around for some tailor which were busting up. Notes: Weather was great, wind picked up slightly as the day progressed. POB ramp very crowded and a fair few boats about. A few schools of tailor eating bait on the surface around lunch. Air Pressure: 1009 - quite low Overall Success Rate: 55% - a fun day on the Port, even though the fishing was a little quiet Cheers Hamish

Hi Guys, I've just purchased a kayak and going to be targeting kingfish, small tuna, mackeral, snapper and reef fish. I own a small 2500 combo that I use for bream, flathead and whiting but need a bigger combo for the bigger fish. My budget is around $200-$250aud. I was thinking an ugly stik but need suggestions on the rod and a reel. I was also thinking trying to snag a bargain of facebook marketplace but would prefer brand new. Do you have any suggestions on a rod and reel around $200-250 aud? Thanks Muhammed Zaakir

has been a long time between posts I have not long finished my second boat build which took 12 monthsI will

Hey all i have finally done the boat it has a seadeck casting deck from aluminium sheet and new seats and stickers we also have a watersnake geospot on it my mate has recently signed up for the flatty classic i only fish for trevs and other seaway fish so i needed to buy a $300 setup probably for the bigger flatties also some ideas on lures to fish would be great

For the next Boat business case or in my case a trolling motor that will cost almost the price of a small boat.

A mate of mine's uncle recently passed away. Doing things he loved... building his "Dreamboat". It looks like a ripper. Sadly, or perhaps not I don't know, he was most of the way through making this awesome vessel. It is up at Toorbul on a private slip. It needs finishing before it can be moved but there is scope to use the slip till its finished. It is something I have dreamed about doing for years but I know that I take too much on and that I would probably never finish it... Anyone know where they could advertise this one?

I placed a deposit on a boat that I am now having second thoughts about. It was advertised with one of the engines having extremely low hours so my assumption was that it was new . After mechanical inspection, I found that it had triple the hours advertised as it has a faulty gauge. I would not have offered what I did had I known this. So is it reasonable to ask to be released from the deal.

Inflatable Nifti Boat with outboard comes with 3.3hp Johnson, paddles, foot pump, anchor, repair kit, oars, diy trolley, inflatable life jacket No holes tears tips or any other damage. Bought for our around Aus trip 2019. Little use since. Ideal for inshore waters, lakes, rivers, creeks etc. Folds down into carry bag that fits in your average car boot and weighs in at 32kg plus sets etc Hull only retails at $1400 REASONABLE Offers considered. Pick up Capalaba 4157 Ph 0403016296

Hi all, I recently bought this 5m boat but it doesn't have a hull ID on it and am not sure what year, make or model it is. I thought it was a Steber but they said that it wasn't. Any help would be much appreciated. Cheers. IMG_5816.HEIC IMG_5823.HEIC IMG_5825.HEIC IMG_5826.HEIC IMG_5827.HEIC IMG_5828.HEIC IMG_5869.HEIC IMG_5872.HEIC

Hi Fellow Fishers, Im taking an RDO tomorrow and will put the boat in at Shorncliffe tomorrow. For the first time in a few months. im out of touch on what’s biting at the moment. Thinking of heading over to Moreton and throw a few pillows around early then maybe chase some whiting. Open to any suggestions on what to chase this time of year? cheers TowKnee

Hi Guys, Long time since i posted on here but with the demise of Nuggets and another private forum it is time i contributed to the only good forum left. I have been quiet for the last couple of years due to my 40yr old tinnie finally being bashed to death and unsafe to get offshore anymore. Time has come to buy a new boat and after opinions from the more experienced than myself. I have up to 70k to spend on my dream boat to last me until i retire. I am liking the Quintrex Top Ender 520 but the dream would probably be a Haines SIgnature 543sf but a bit out of my price range to have it fully fitted out. 80k plus new. Does anyone on here have a Top Ender and how do they find it? I have been out in Youngy's 485sf plenty of times and it is a great boat but would prefer something a bit bigger to get further offshore so hence the 543sf. What i am after, A boat to get offshore safely with high sides to safely hold me and the pup. Ideally get out to Lady Musgrave etc. for an overnighter. Will the Top Ender be capable? I think so. Something i can sleep in. This is why i would like a side console and not a centre to give me floor room for a swag. Electric motor is a must. Soft ride for my old decrepit back. Longevity and quality. You pay for what you want and the better quality the better. Time is not really a concern. I have waited this long a few more months to get a custom build won't concern me. Rod lockers on the 520 TE look good but are they functional? Youngy has some but does not use them as they get water in them. Suzuki or Yamaha? I know these days most motors are reliable but i believe Yamaha have the best reputation? Sorry for all the questions guys but this is something every boater dreams of for a long time. I can't wait to get back to seriously fishing again and catch some fish i have wanted for a long time. Any opinions on what would be your dream boat would be awesome as well. Thanks guys in advance and look forward to putting up many reports in future.

Hi all, Needing to find something to do without wearing a mask today, I start reviewing and rationalising my current rod and reel collection. I am trying to get two combos for each of the following: 1. Whiting/other small irrelevants 2. Grassies/snapper shallow water 3. Reefies (Moreton Bay size) 4. Trolling for Pelagics (Moreton Bay) 5. Pelagics (sight casting - mackerel, tuna etc.) 6. Jigging for bait I have 1, 2, 3 and 6 covered. Just need a decent lever overhead (suggestions welcomed) for number 4, which leaves no. 5. Looking for recommendations for length, style, type of rods and reels to suit sight casting for Moreton Bay pelagics. I should mention I already have two good baitcaster reels and two small to medium size overheads which can be cast as well. They are a Shimano Bantam 50, a Shimano Chromica 100B, an Abu Garcia 6600BCX and a Shakespeare SKP 6000. If I were to use these I would obviously need a couple of good baitcaster rods to suit. Or if everyone thinks spinning reels are better, what size etc. and which rods would suit. Would appreciate any suggestions, or if it’s all too hard and makes your brain hurt, just disregard this post. cheers Greg

Dear All! We’ve launched our Kickstarter for our Boat Monitoring Platform! Location tracking, battery monitoring and more coming! No contract! No subscription! Self install! No pulling wires! Fluid. Monitoring for Boats, Caravans and Other Assets. by Fluid Automation — Kickstarter See you on the water! Michael Fuhrmann Micha@getfluid.io

Iam looking for a set of Gibson hydrulic trim tabs or any info on where I might find some or where i can get a ram for one tab

50hp 4-stroke EFI Mercury (440 hours), Electric Start, Hydraulic Trim and Tilt Minn Kota 55hp bow mount Riptide electric motor with Auto Pilot, foot pedal, 110ah Ritar AGM battery Quintrex galvanised trailer, disc brakes, light truck tyres (80% tread), walkway, spare galvanised wheel/tyre Lowrance HDS 5X sounder with transducer, plus LSS-1 structure scan Canvas bimini cover (removable) Under floor fuel tank (approx 50 litres) LED navigation lights, 1 metre high anchor light (removable), under gunwale LED floor lights Extended front casting deck (removable) Swivel bucket seats x 2 (removable) Plumbed bait tank with variable timer switch Sand anchor, chain and rope Electric Bilge pump Safety equipment (2 x lifejackets, 2 x oars) Selling due to upgrade $11,000 ono

Hi all, Well! Happy to report that there is finally some movement with my new boat. It has left the factory and is with the dealer to add the finishing touches. I had a look at it last Wednesday and work was well underway. The engine was already on including the digital throttle and shift. The HDS7 live was in as well as all the gauges. They are replacing the 3 blade 23 pitch prop with a 19 pitch 4 blade. I am trusting the dealer that the change is worth it because he has trialed various props on the demo boat and he just happens to be a power boat racer (the big ones!) and is currently leading the Australian championship! Still to be fitted were the epirb, the 750b black VHF radio, the fire extinguisher, various USB charger/cig lighter combos, dual batteries, rod holders, engine colour coding, bait board and boat numbering. One item of interest is the radio which has all necessary buttons and controls on the mouthpiece, obviating the need for the control box to be inserted into the dash. I also went for black because I am sick of the white ones which discolour after a couple of years and turn that dirty beige colour. The dealer expected all of the above to be completed by today before going to the trimmers to fit the canopy. He said it should be ready to pick up the end of next week, although I’m not holding my breath! I’ve only mentioned the radio, prop etc in case someone has knowledge and wants to comment on any of them. By the way, the motor and boat look awesome!!!!!! cheers Greg

Gday blokes, hope everyone had a great Christmas and is starting the new year well! My names Peter I'm 26 and I live in Pac Pines, been living on the Goldy 10+ years. I'm looking for some buddies/buddy I can go fishing with, either tag along on a boat with some good blokes as I don't have one or just off the beach/spit, I'm an easy going bloke, always up for drinks and having a laugh Cheers guys

Hi guys been a little while between posting but the weather has not been to flash up in Cairns as of late. I say a result of that I had some time to think about my boat and my setup and decided to advertise my Fisher has an expression of interest to see what it would Fetch Well unintentionally sold in 4 days so I had to move fast to secure the new boat which I'm extremely happy about It's a 2050 Stabicraft Frontier with a 150 Yamaha pushing 65 km an hour in 15 knots of wind I should be able to bring more Reef reports and photos from up here with this new weapon Couple of puctures for your viewing pleasure

Hi all, I am still in the market of looking for a boat and have gotten some experienced opinions from people I know but I would like some more. I am looking at a Quintrex 420 Dory with a 2015 Yamaha 40hp two stroke with 50 hours on the back. The boat is fully kitted out with a 75 litre fuel tank, 7 inch Garmin sounder, custom bait board, Bimini, stereo and safety gear. I have checked the specs of the hull and the overall length is more like 4.35 metres. Does this mean that I am looking at a slightly bigger boat in reality? It would definitely be reef fishing on the good days and headland/creek fishing on the not so good ones. The guy claims the boat ‘flys’ and I have heard of them doing more than 50km per hour. What are your thoughts on a boat like this (I know it’s not a proper ‘reef boat’, but I will have to make do) and it’s top speed? Thanks