mike82

Great photos! Thanks for sharing

Hi. Yes you do need to de-register an EPIRB before disposal. You can do this online at: www.amsa.gov.au/beacons You should also remove the top of the EPIRB and disconnect the batteries. Hope this helps.

Would something like this be appropriate? No drawers but at $79.99 delivered (flat pack) might be an option as there are no clips to foul on fore grips of longer rods. What length do you require for your longest fore grip? Would the centre support foul on the reel or seat? Making something like this or modifying it should not be too much of a drama.

Amazing!!! Thanks for sharing those awesome videos! Put a smile on my face!

Good advice there ross. On the XT Forrester (not sure about other variants) the brakes are more than adequate, they are the same as the WRX, so no probs there. The subi would far out-brake the V6 auto crewman that i previously had, Which suffered from brake fade under hot conditions. (it had a towing capacity of 2100kg! and 900kg in the back! It was a really poor tow vehicle at a little over half of that) In saying that I wouldn't like to load the Forrester up then pull the max 1600kgs (especially with over-rider brakes on the trailer) I think you would be pushing the auto's capability. Making things work at their maximum capability will reduce the life span of the gearbox and brakes etc, too. Especially in the peak of summer.

G'day Phil. I have a manual 2005 XT (turbo) forrester. It has a braked towing capacity of 1800kg and suggests that the auto version can tow 1600kg braked. Or 720kg un-braked for both. When purchasing a boat consider the amount of people in the car and the over all weight of the boat PLUS the trailer, fuel, gear, ice,etc that you will be taking. You don't want to be pushing things to their limit. It adds up very quickly! I tow a 460 Quintrex coast runner (with a braked trailer) behind mine. With gear and fuel I think it's about 1200kg all up. Tows it no dramas at all! Barley know its there. I get 12L per 100km's on the highway. It tows 100 times better than the crewman that I used to tow it with and uses HEAPS less fuel. Hope this helps.

Good on you mate! Sounds like you did the right thing by all involved. All the best to you.

For what application? (type of use, size of engine etc.) If it is for starting the engine and not heavily discharged regularly it should be ok, remember to match the size of engine to size of battery, (bigger is better!) They are matinence free calcium batteries which can sometimes require a higher charge rate for longer to bring them back to a full charge. They cannot have the electrolyte topped up (being matinence free). They also have a 24month warranty which is good although manufactured in Asia. They don't seem to have any reinforced plate separators that other manufactures offer to combat vibration (from engine and wave pounding, although their plate design may not require them). When purchasing any battery check how long they have been sitting on the shelf for and/or if they have a manufacture date on them (especially imported batteries) as I have seen them sold flat due to sitting around for too long! Calcium batteries can be very hard to bring back to life if fully discharged. Anything over three to four months don't touch. Hope any of this helps!

Ditto to both the above posts. Bear in mind it could be dead calm and sunny at Lithgow itself, and up at TCD blowing the bills off the ducks and snowing! The dam has it's own climate, You wont know till you get there. (usually windy and cold!) Good luck!

Good luck mate! VERY jealous!!!!!!

Unlucky mate! We had very similar showings on the sounder at the peak on sunday. I would suspect they were small baitfish as we jigged through these schools for hours and didn't lose any jigs to jackets!! Scored a few kings, 5 to 10 Meters off the back of these schools so it was well worth while on a slow day.

Let us know how you go! I will be heading to the peak and 12 mile on sunday! Hopefully not to feed the jackets large expensive lumps of lead. Good luck!

Thanks guys! It was great to have some nice weather! @Dory The Fish I was using chook pellets for burly, pilchard and squid baits.

Headed out from roseville at 6am this morning to just before the spit. Tied up to an empty mooring and deployed some burly and some unweighted baits. Within 15 minuets the sounder came alive and we netted a few nice fat trevally, some almost legal snapper, bream, and a nice tailor that a few kings liked the look of. They had a few swipes at it and took off cruising in the burly trail. They refused all offerings no matter how light the leader and how well hidden the hook was, so kept floating baits downward, a few more tevally later and finally a king took a liking to a sluggo! Went 64cm and back in the drink. Over the next few hours saw more trevally, 5 more rats all 64 to 64.5cm on squid and a few dustings! Around lunch some jackets slid in snipping off hooks and destroying baits, and that was our que to leave. All in all a nice day out on the water.

I have learnt heaps from the Australis bass yak too. If I had a fatter wallet I would be defiantly in a Hobie!!!

I live 5min up the hill from you and meet all your requirements. I can't head out all the time due to having a 2yr old boy myself and a lack of funds atm but his mum has him on most weekends so ill PM you my number so you can give me a call for more info. I also have my own boat, tackle, car and boat licence if need be. I enjoy fishing for trout, bass, kings, squid and all other usual suspects. Cheers. Mick.

Hmmmm... You could imagine fisheries saying: "Got any white bread on board?"

The different styles will suit different uses. Sit on top will- Take a small wash over it if you were using it in the surf for example they will have "drain" holes in them to allow water to pass through. They will be better in rough conditions due to being stiffer in the way they are constructed. A foam seat and backrest can be fitted to most sit on tops which can be quite comfortable. they generally have sealed in hull storage compartments front and back. Rod holders and accessories are usually easier to fit to sit on tops. My sit in has a moulded plastic seat that is comfortable with a thin foam pad on it. A bungee cord can be fitted to most kayaks around the top to tie off your valuables in event of a rollover. Or stick on velcro for your tackle boxes. They will of course get wet. They are quite stable whilst sitting in them because the weight is down low to the water. Roof racks for a kayak are easy. Most brands of roof racks sell dedicated canoe mounts and accessories for them. I have the ROLA style. I think they are good because the mounts can be taken off very quickly when not in use and come with all straps and accessories. For some brands you can also buy a paddle holder attachment! A decent paddle is a must too. I would suggest trying out a couple of different types before buying.

I prefer the NGK but they can sometimes be a bit more expensive. If they are identical, it sounds like the dealer is making a nice little profit!

Was the dealer selling the champion brand or NGK?

I have an Australis kayak. Use it on the nepean for bass, on the harbour for kings (on a nice day) and lake lyall for trout. It is basic, stable, light yak (think it is about 16kg) that does many jobs just fine. It only has room for one rod holder and I run a small sounder. Tackle trays can be stowed behind the seat. It would depend on what and where you expect to use it and the style eg, sit in or sit on top as to what you end up with. I like my sit in because it is warmer in winter you are a bit more protected from the sun on your legs in summer and I don't get as wet if it rains. A lot harder to get back into if you fall out though! (haven't had to yet. Touch wood.) Is also wider and less streamlined than some, so when fishing snags for bass half a paddle doesn't send me 10m down the river, If you are traveling some distance is a bit slow compared to an ocean yak though. hope this helps. Mick.

Trevally and I have heard squid is not bad.

You can buy (and I would recommend) a float switch that will automatically turn the pump on if water enters the bilge unbeknown to you. I would also have a switch on the dash to turn the pump on manually. I would not see a need to have a three way switch to isolate the pump, incase you accidentally bump it to the off position. It should be run straight off the battery (not powered from an ignition feed) and on a separate fuse to other equipment. Hope this helps. Mick.

Great repot and great pic's guys! I use to venture down the Thredbo at the same time each year, Brings back memories of such a beautiful place! Cheers.