General Zod

Rug up and have a go. Top effort and nice read, keep them coming.

Thanks swordfisherman, I'll be posting up that timer switch as well which I modified so I cant forget if I left it on when I take off and start planning. yeah, I like too, helps rinse the pump out as well. Ill do a Youtube video soon.

Next was cleaning up the inside surface for the sikaflex to have good bonding to mount the skin fitting. After I put the bracket I had to take it out and mount the pump, hose and skin fitting all at once, because like I said b4 I cant get my hand to the back of the transom. Now just need to cut and fix that bracket. Took me 40min just to cut down half of it, no space to work with. I couldn't take the whole thing out while it was in there. When I need to check or fill the bait tank at home I can just connect the hose to it as well. Bracket fixed above. Installing bait tank pump part finished. Now after it was done I did take it out for a run and it went well, but I forgot to turn on the pump every now and then so some bait did die, but once the pump was on they lasted until we packed it up and went home. Had about 15 yellow tails in there about 4 died because of pump not turned on. So the next thing I'm going to do is to add a timer, that well be in the part 4 of this continuing post. I've tried to make it as simple as can be by adding a lot of photos for you, but it really it did take some time and drama's. Hope you enjoyed.

Nice tailor, well done.

After writing and adding some photos of the live bait tank progress on Friday night, hit the post button and it wouldn't let me post because I had to many pic's, so I had to cancel. ill write it up as parts now. So lets continue . Now the Rule pump. The hardest part because I only had 8cm of space to work with. Again I couldn’t get my hand inside the back wall of the transom. I could probably get the Rule pump in if I needed to, but what about when it comes to cleaning the cartridge, there’s no way in the world I could get to it once it’s in place and secure, so I needed to think of something and this is what I came up with. Only had 8cm to work with Now I need a bracket inside the boat hull which the Rule 500 tournament series would fit into, needed it to be under the water line as well. After I put the bracket I had to take it out and mount the pump, hose and skin fitting all at once, because like I said b4 I cant get my hand to the back of the transom. Now drilling the hole in the transom this was scary, once I start there no turning back. to be continued..

Ok, where to start. I wanted a live bait tank, not a portable one because when I go fishing with the family it’s in the way. I like to put something in then leave it and not have to worry about it after. I wanted something big, but space and cost was an issue. The bank didn’t approve of the funds (wife) and the boat really didn’t have a lot of space anyway. I was scared a small one wouldn’t be good enough but then I just kept researching, and researching and what I found was as long as I can turn over the water every now and then, the fish should be fine. So I went on that after reading and seeing it. With all this wind and wet weather and coldness I thought it was a good time to do it as well. Bit by bit. Now I didn’t want a bilge pump hanging off the transom, although there’s nothing wrong with that, I just didn’t like the look of it. (Personal choice I guess). Thru hull I thought about it and decided not to go that way because there would be consent pressure pushing water thru the hull and even though there would be a shut off valve I just didn’t want that. . (Again personal choice) Maybe later down the track So I went to boat show rooms and saw how they had thru transom fit outs, it looked neat and effective so did research and thought that’s what I’ll do. Now I didn’t want to drill a hole in the transom but after seeing YouTube and the show room boats I decided what the hell, all it is; is a hole with Sikaflex around the skin fitting, just like the drain plugs in the back of all boats. I just had to come to terms that my boat could take in some, alright a lot of water if I didn’t do it right. But I’m confident with my projects and I’m pretty confident it will work. There’s no secret trick to it, just common sense. (Fingers crossed) Now I did make some mistakes along the way with other things but it all worked out fine in the end. I should of set everything up before drilling but that’s ok because I made it look like that’s what the holes where meant for anyway. I see it this way. My mistakes are your gain. So here is the almost finished product, it’s a 25ltr Johnson live well bait tank from flee bay $90 new and unused from a bloke that had it sitting in the garage for a while, with a new Rule 500 tournament series pump and some flow-rite connections. Still need to add a light. The goodies from flowrite, (Marine Warehouse in Australia) To begin with, where I’m I to put it. Easy choice, ladder gone that’s where. Cut the hole first using the template which came with it. After drilling and fitting all the skin fittings it can hold 19.5ltrs of water, which is ok for me. But as u get near the finish of this post you’ll see it can hold a lot of live bait Fit the live well tank and pre drill holes and extra ones for that extra support. I reckon I shouldn’t have cut any holes in the tank yet, but too late I did. Luckily I brought a drain plug. I needed to removed the bilge pump outlet and put it on the drive side where I can see it if I need to pump out the water. Before I couldn’t even see if it was pumping out the water. I will use that hole for the over flow for the live bait tank. I needed to file the hole bigger to fit the 28mm skin fitting. The hose from Flow-rite is good but not flexible enough. The one in the pic is more flexible, less strain on the fittings. New bilge pump out hole with new 19mm elbow skin fitting from Flowrite. I used the old hose as well, still in great condition. Now the drainage for the LBT (live bait tank) this is where I made the mistake of drilling a hole before I actually had a proper look to line up the drainage out with the outlet. Although the water will still drain out there will be some water left in the hose. Not a big deal, but it’s just that I want it prefect. So I will use this outlet for the bait board now. I hated turning the bait board around to clean it, and the bloody water and guts which fill down the bottom part. Now by putting a drain there it allows me to clean it easily and acts as a little burley bucket as well after I gut the fish. Now I need a straight skin fitting as I’m going to let the LBT drain out the back of the boat, thru the transom but above the water line. This was a bit difficult because I couldn’t get my hand inside to tighten the bolt was I had to look around to find something like this (MA-072-QLB Qwik-Lok bulkhead thru-hull) sort of like a reverse skin fitting. I just needed to modify it and cut off one side to make it work the way I needed it. see below to be continued.....

Same thing happed to my mate last month, he was just mucking around with a bream rod chucking lures around and then Bam, the dirt is gone, I mean the lure and line gone.

Yes I have two. One in each eye, left eye now effects my vision a bit. I can see clearly but if I'm stopped at the traffic lights and I cover my right eye I can sometimes read the number plate in front of me and sometimes I can't. Sometimes it feels like a have a small rock stuck in my eye and cant get it out. I have to get mine surgically removed, not looking forward to the pain which follows the procedure.The right one isn't as bad yet, vision is still good. Had it since mid 2013 and it got bigger slowly. Didn't really think about it cause it didn't effect my vision at all until now. My wife would always tell me to get it looked at and I was nah it'll be right, regret it now because I had eagle eye vision before. Still have good eye sight but not as good as before. And yes I do try and remember to put sunnies on. Before it was on and off.

So yesterday I went to NSW Sevice's to get a 10 year licence combined with my boat. After waiting 1/2hr I was a bit disappointed to fine out that I couldn't combine the two for 10 years. They only allow 5years combined. Apparently maritime doesn't offer a 10year licence yet! So I purchased 10year car licence because I got a discount of 50% (good driver record) which I think is an awesome idea, and a 5year boat licence. Also they don't give u the card licence there they mail it to you, car and boat. I understand the boat but mail the car licence I thought it was a bit backwards. So if your thinking of getting a combined licence u know what to expect.

Your persistence paid off, well done. It's good to read u help some other bloke as well. Legend.

Nice catch. Well done

Nice job Fab1, the pleasures of doing it yourself, try and put a rubber seal around it before you screw it in or the inside well start to corrode. I know from experience.

Gold, fond memories that both of you will remember. You will get use to not catching fish for a while and watching your daughter or wife catching all the fish, but don't worry that's awesome as well, even better sometimes. Top report.

Hey matey, I'm at Eagle Vale, not far from you. I normally fish botany bay and windang sometimes only now. As for a Campbelltown meet I would be in for that as well. Should have a casting comp at the end of it.

That's awesome, fish first and worry about the boat later. What a fine feed as well, and u didn't even have to go to far. Gold.

Awesome, nice feed. Looks like to was cold. Were there many people

Hi, can any raiders post any pics of their through hull (I meant thru transom) live bait tanks. I'm going to get one but just not sure which way to go. Through hull or transom mount. Can I use one of those Aquajet Mini Pressure Pumps. If I go through hull and not have a pick up do I need a shut off valve. I was thinking of one those Flowrite Bait Tanks, 30-40 ltrs. Is it better to have rounded corners inside of it. Should i go aluminium. Im only going to keep yellow tails 5-10 max, or some squid for kings. Any help would be appreciated.

No iPads, or iPods, that's just awesome. I enjoyed the report, well done on the quality fish.

After losing countless portable burley buckets and almost forgetting to bring them up when about to motor away, it was time to get a permanent one fix to the boat. So I contacted sponsor DM Marine Services to get one made up to my likes. Again great guy and service, really listens to what u want. I never used the ladder on the boat, so I wanted that off, but then it might look as though something is missing. So Dave and I thought lets use the ladder brackets, so now it looks like it was part of the boat in the first place. Get it powder coated and I'm a very happy customer again. I well be going back for other stuff in the near future.

Good observation, I didn't even pick that up. yeah he'd be pushing past 80cm close to 90cm I reckon.

Congratulations, nice report and fish. I knows its 76cm but that 3rd last pic the way your holding that kingie it makes it look way bigger than what it actually is. Roughstyler that kingie would have pulled heaps harder than the salmon.

Thanks

Thanks man, yes I'm very lucky, she even had a cold but still wanted to go. I use the ET ones always work just not this time, i eat b4 I went as well. Maybe a shouldn't take a month off:-) Just wait till there a bit older and then the whole family can go fishing. I've got one of those portable DVD player so they watch movies when there bored. this case my brother looked after them. Get out there, there's nothing better than fishing with the wife, or son. Though my son sometime gets bored or he releases all his fish even if there legal size.

What a horse of a bonnie, great catch would of been a great fight. Pitty about the bigger kingies. Reminds me of a few yrs back the same thing happen on a ledge but they hanged around for us to catch. Monsters they were.

Headed out with the wife to botany bay yesterday at about 2pm. Wind was blowing and it was choppy but my wife still wanted to go out, so I needed to find a sheltered place. We went near la perouse and it was still to choppy for me so we headed to the north side of bare island near the nudy beach, stayed there for about 1/2hr with no bites. The only thing I got was sea sickness so after a bit of my own berley we headed around Captain Cook landing, much better but my head was spinning and I really wanted to give in, the sea had taken its toll on me, but I had to hack it for the wife as I knew she really wanted to fish (she hasn't been out in over a month). We anchored and I had to have a sleep or it was all over red rover. About 20 mins later I wake up to the noise of the line peeling away zzzzzzzz zzzzzz, my wife's on and she brings up a nice legal trevally. Now I feel a bit better, and start to make a berley trail using pilchards, not my own this time. About 10 mins later my sons little 1000 reel with a prawn gets hit hard and the line peels away I quickly pass the rod to my wife so she can experience the grunt this fish has. I call for a salmon and 3mins later she brings up a nice little rat kingie. She was so happy she got her first kingie but at the same time a bit sad because she knew she had to release it, but it was all good. I started to berley more and again the rod gets hit hard this time it's in the rod holder so I tell my wife to take it. This one fights a bit harder taking more line than the first one but she finally brings it up and another rat kingie only more fat. Quick photo again and it's released to grow big and strong. As I was recording the other rod got hit hard but I wasn't quick enough to get it, but that's ok watching my wife land the fish was enough for me. It was good to see another boat close by also catch take some quick shots and release the rat kingies as well. Setting a good example to there children. After that my wife hooks up 2 more trevallies and then we have to head home because we need to get the kids ready for school the next day. Wind and swell really died down as well. It was a nice couple of hrs spent with the wife at some thing we both love doing.