Rick T

David I use tuf line xp on smaller baitcaster and larger overhead. I have 15lb on my curados, 30lb on my tekota and 50lb on the charter special. They are definately softer than fireline and I rate the performance as exceptional. I have never had to replace the line yet in a few years of usage. It is very easy to get birds nests out of too. I have tried it on egg beaters and it doesn't cast as good as fireline.

Here's a few pics of a new Triton ABA got in today, it is aimed at the tournament fisho that also wants a family/general fishing/watersports boat. Sort of an allrounder. indash and top mount sounders to be fitted 100+ltr rear live well. boss's boy scratchin' his rear while checkin it out.

Hope quinnie follow suit Mick if they already haven't . When they replaced my decks the first time they only did all the hatches that were badly warped. Then the decks went the same way and I had to remove the lot and have it all redone. I had no probs with the warranty section just the boat was off the water for a couple of months.

taking care of bubs this weekend so no fishing for me. start my paternity leave next week with 4 months payed leave so will start doing a midweek fish with Mick with weekends for family time

Hawkesbury probass was the first comp I fished and the atmosphere was much more relaxed and u can fish with a mate if u like. Still some good fisherman there though so don't think it is a pushover. The weighin rules allow returning to the field because of bass and ep legal limits. Yes they allow ep's to be weighed in as bass which makes the bass comps much more fun.

Here you go Ken, just quoting myself from the flattie thread incase u didn't go back to it.

trackka could you give us a report on how your US rig handles aussie conditions mate Has she seen bumpy water and what was your experience in it compared to aussie rigs u have been in? There have been a few rumors on the vine aswell that a well known aussie company has been purchasing US Nitro boats with permission to rebadge under their name so for a few of the aussie boat supporters they may well be supporting USA without knowing.

Thanks fellas GM glad u found the eastern side Good onya Ken, sounds like a great rig, they r a tough proven boat and am sure u will get alot of enjoyment. Not sure which electric u should get, I recommend trying to get to one of the socials and ask a few fellas for a go and make up your mind from there. They r very personal and I wouldn't buy one on anyones recommendations. As for sounders go with the 27 anyday cause of the big screen. It is basically the same sounder as my 37 but without the wider beam which I don't use a hell of alot anyway. If purchasing local the new humminbirds are being released so u may be able to get a good bargain. Wish u the best on your new rig and look forward to seeing u on the nepean

Nice work Joe, some good fish there My largest trevor was caught on my old BR 7' rod which has a light slow action and I have to admit it took ages to land and I felt like I had no control of the fish cause the rod was bending from the forgrip. Luckily they usually just do circles around the boat, geez they go well

G'day fishraiders Got out for a couple of hours this avo with the old fella down the road for a flattie drift. He has a nice 6m cruiser and had the family out earlier so I met him at the wharf at lunchtime. Headed to one of his gun spots which ended up being the eastern side of Lion Island and did a drift along the reef edge. I finally convinced him to use a fishing rod instead of a handline and we had a little competition. He used a paternoster rig with squid and pillies while I used a 1/2oz jig with 4" powerbait. We ended up getting 24 legal flatties in 3 hours most of which were returned. Bill caught more fish on bait (double hookups helped) but I caught the better size fish with one in the low 70's and 3 in the low 60's. A great avo on the water, good company, good weather, good feed and a few beers

As of next week I will be a housewife for 4 months Harry so I might just get in contact with Triton to see if they want a new rep Who would think there would be a day when men are given full pay by their company to stay at home and take care of the new born. Seriously it has been a good topic which has been fair in showing good and bad sides to both manufacturers but in the end it is only demonstrating one thing, aussies are more aware of the quality they can expect. Better boats for aussies whether they are aussie built or US built are on the way. We can keep going back and forward here but I reckon that is just what u r after, we all like different boats for different reasons and being an aussie boat owner myself I look forward to them bringing out better built boats to give me good quality options on my next purchase. When I do upgrade I will do so with an open mind and ride in as many of them as possible and will choose the best boat for me, I am not fussed what country it is manufactured in.

G'day Ken I have been in your position where the boat I wanted was just out of reach and I really have one suggestion that will save u alot of heartache later. Be patient, save another couple of $K and get a 4m boat with decks and a 40 hp. It doesn't sound like much but I know of a few people that have gone with a 30 only to upgrade very quickly (and expensively). I think a poly 4.1 with a 40 would be about $9K on the road but I am sure Ben would have given you the low down so it must not be an option that you prefer. Also in the time you are saving a second hand boat may just pop up that fills void. don't go rushing into a boat and take your quotes to another dealer, the travel to dealers may seem a waste but it could save you money and u could get more options on your boat. Even ring around with your quotes once you have decided on a boat if travelling is not an option.

have a wedding to go to on Saturday, getting out only for a couple of hours one of the other days for some old school fishin' with the old fella down the road. Flatty drifting at his gun hawkesbury spot (although he hasn't fished it for years). I'm gonna take him on, bait vs sp's and see who can land the most and who can land the biggest

Great work Harry, I commend u on your enthusiasm on defending the aussie market. So mate give us a yell when your bream project is finished and we'll line em up at the next fishraider social. Unfortunately the last tinnie was sold this week so unless the owners are willing to bring a tin triton to the social day it could be a problem to meet your conditions of entry. ABA have a few fibreglass boats on order because at the special price of $30k they will sell more successfully than the tin versions because as you have stated there is too much competition with aussie tin boats. Is there a reason why you do not want a fibreglass boat to compare with, afterall the whole question of your thread is US vs Aussie bream/bass boats?? We can have the fishraider team have a ride in your aussie boat and in the triton and give a report on the site of which they prefered for ride and finish. Hopefully we could get a few more top quality Aussie bream/bass boats to also compare and if Micks negotiations are successful maybe another brand or two of american bass boats. Joe, Pete Morgan has been fishing the ABT rounds in the red Triton tinnie, is it possible to get some info from someone who has been doing some extensive hours in Aussie conditions in a Triton tinnie Mick? Sorry I forgot the bum is out fishing today so I guess he will get together some info and get back soon.

I have a 435 with side console. Maybe second hand could be an option. Talk to Pukka, he purchased a 435 tiller steer hornet second hand and may be able to give you some hints on where to look etc. as I mentioned there is no moulding at all in the Alleys so anything u put under the deck hatches is getting wet and the finish on the smaller boats is in my opinion rough. They are a few grand cheaper which is why I looked at them but REALLY happy I didn't end up with one. Don't sacrifice a few K for something u wont be happy with later, just do what I did, put the few $K to a better boat then buy the electric a few months later. Remember if u buy new to have the electric mount as an option. If u would like to have a look at it let me know, I know u fish nepean a bit and my place is 5 mins away from there.

G’day Narra If you are on a budget I would put polycraft on your must see list. Between the sponsors ABA and Yabbie (whichever is closest or cheapest) you will find yourself well looked after and may even be able to get something a little bigger like 4.1m with larger tiller donk. They actually look very neat especially if u choose a good colour and ride extremely well. Re your question about Alley Craft I wouldn’t bother with the smaller flat bottom boats if u r looking at new boats, they are not flash in any way and don’t ride anywhere near as good or as stable as a poly. How do I know, after a few test runs in the larger 4.65m model (as they had no 4.1m in stock) I actually ordered a 4.1m shadow mirage when trading in my allison. 3 months later when the boat came I went to pick it up and there was no side console, I asked what happened to the console I ordered as an option and they told me that although Alley craft accepted the order they ended up not being able to fit the optional side console therefore they just sent the standard model and would refund the console price. I obviously threatened legal action and luckily they hadn’t sold my allison so I took it back and left. When I had look another look at them last time I went there to pick up a sarca anchor I noticed how chunky the welds looked compared to my hornet, how narrow the beam was and when checking under the floors there wasn’t even any moulding to hold batteries/clothes/storage etc. I was very happy they didn’t fit the console and that I had purchased the hornet instead. This wasn’t the case so much with the larger 4.65m flat bottom Alley that I test drove but they are much more pricey. Still don’t just take my opinion, go and check them out yourself but definitely compare their finished price with a poly cause I reckon u will get a much better boat for the same $$.

support bash on this one I owned on for a little while and it was heavy and worse the line used to get caught in the chrome drag cap which caused me dramas when casting.

tackleback is another very valuable item if u r a regular expensive lipless user (sounds like a habit ). You become much more brave when u can retrieve them from a snag and thus catch more fish. I reckon there is no use buying these lures unless u r going to put them where the fish are.

sneaky work mate Guess with all the talk there might just have to be an on the water Harry's bream boat vs Triton/american boat at one of the social days to see which boat rides better and is finished better. It is good that u have raised some good points for aussie boats. I think customization is a great point u have raised On the other hand you have mentioned what will happen if the distributor goes out of business, I would say the same thing as when an aussie builder goes out of business or stops building as may be happening very soon with a popular aussie builder. I don't think anyone stated that american boats were here to take over the market, there is no doubt they won't do that as bass boats are only a small portion of the market, but it is better for all of us that the aussie builders are being forced to increase the quality of their product. Thanks for your imput Harry, I would be even more impressed if u took up Micks offer of a ride in one and put some comments on here about your impression of the ride compared to aussie built comparisons, good or bad.

yeah as I said I'm not gonna get sucked in anymore, it is an excellent comparison thread so far and I know where u r trying to lead me mate. I don't have sale figures for all american boats, I only know what Tritons have been sold at ABA and what has deposits on it and that is not something that both ABA and the new owners may want aired. I am an unhappy aussie boat owner but I do like rigs such as the new model stacer pro elite and elegants so don't think I am bagging your boat personally. They are stepping up the mark in aussie boats and that is a good thing, but they are only doing that because of the popularity of tournament rigs and competition from boats such as Triton If you have imput for the thread please give it, I have answered all the questions I can from my experience with both types of boats.

Another happy quinnie owner now we start to see the advantage of the confidence in workmanship of lifetime warranty on decks and hulls on some of the american boats (sorry wrong thread ). Mate do not pay a cent. I wouldn't trust your dealer either no matter how nice they seem. Hats off to Hunts marine who only asked me to remove all my decking personally and send it away for 6 weeks but they did get it all replaced at no charge with alloy core boards and I haven't had warping probs since. If Hunts didn't get charged for the warranty board replacement why would your dealer?? They were a bit chuffed when I made them put it all back in the boat when I turned up to pick up the boards but a couple of serious legal threats and they saw it my way. Quinnie didn't give any me troubles regarding warranty, just took their time getting the new boards made just left me without a boat for a month and a half, and longer for other members such as Ken. I have no doubt u r not the only one not going back for another quinnie and with the reputation they are building I reckon sales will be taking a hiding. I remember when I first bought my hornet I was very keen on a new boat in the market, elegant boats but didn't go through as I was not happy to buy a boat without a recognised name. Now I would go elegant any day of the week over quinnie as he takes much more pride with quality and after sales service. I guess some good comes out of it, as quinnie declines (as I am sure it will) it opens oportunities for better boats for everyone.

mainly TT's for everything except deep bass. Like Nitro painted heads in 1/2oz for that. Swoff try gamma round 211's in 1/16 size 2 or round 29's 1/12 size 4 for better hook strength (still not perfect though)

Your absolutely correct aussie, under 20k has to be aussie made no arguments there. I am one of those that quinnie was the best option as I only had 20k to spend. Doesn't have to be a cadilac price to start comparing though. Above 25k and we can start comparing american to aussie which is what harry initially asked. Not 100% certain as I haven't looked at quinnies for a while but I reckon 25k will get u a new fully tournament fitted out 445, all inclusions like livewell timers etc. ABA just sold the blue triton tinnie for 25k fully tournament fitted. I know which one I would prefer to own as the triton not just looks nicer, it has sealed decking, moulded seating and many other inclusions. have a look at the pics from triton post A fully tournament fitted 475 quinnie would probably sell new around the 30k mark. ABA have just ordered a few 16.5ft fibreglass tritons at 30k each. Basically look the same as the red boat in the triton add but a little bit shorter. This is just a comparison with quinnies, but I know Mango has his attack (nicest aussie fibreglass boat I have seen) for sale second hand at around 33k mark, Ross's full plate elegant fully fitted cost over 30k and I am sure Mike Metcalfs will be mid 40's (just a guess on that one) so really comparing american to aussie is not a holden ute to cadilac comparison in price ranges. Don't get me wrong Harry, I will also be happy to see an aussie company make a boat as good as the tritons I have been in, but in answering your initial question at the moment I don't beleive they do and if u had taken micks offer for a run I am sure u would agree. As I stated in my previous post the fibreglass triton has handled some decent swell and chop much better than any of the aussie boats (including full plate bream boats) I have been in, I didn't comment at all about being the fastest so please don't think these boats are designed just for speed, again I challenge u to take a ride in one and then tell me differently. Mick fished racks on the first day of the hawkesbury, Mango fishes racks in his fancy fibreglass attack. If u buying one to help u be in the top of tournament fishing then u will have to take it in nasty country and it will do damage just like to any other type of boat, if u are buying a boat to enjoy rec fishing or social comp then u more than likely take care of it more, I very rarely fish the racks in my hornet because I don't want gouges in it and it is only a 20k investment. Instead I look elswhere for my fish and still do ok. Thanks Harry, u r absolutely correct, my mistake I didn't realise they are different manufacturers but just basically a comment on how well made my allison was. Anyway u guys have sucked me in enough, I challenge the people that think the boats are just to look pretty and go fast to have a run in one then make up their own mind. In my opinion aussie don't compare and I have had experience with both types and am australian boat owner

Please don't hold back on my account, especially if u have had experience with both to make a comparison as harry has asked about. Everyone has different opinions which is why everyone has different boats. As long as a person doesnt join the conversation to bag aussie or american boats without experience with them I am all for an open discussion. I have experience in driving and travelling in both including boats from quinnie, stacer, cairns custom craft, elegant and attack and my opinion only is that the aussie market has alot of refinements to make with hull design and decking/seating to match the triton boats I have been in. I am not trying to force my opinion, ABA have had a free water test day for anyone who is genuinly interested and wanted a true comparison to form their own opinions.