Mutt

I have attempted to use a new baitcaster for the first time today, loaded up with braid but noticed the line does not spool evenly onto the reel, the guide stays in one spot! What am I doing wrong???? It is a Shimano Caius.

Hope this helps....

I have always done well on nippers and fresh hawkesbury prawns (fairly large), drive to the last red marker before the bay opens up, head east halfway between the marker and the sandy beach (Towra side) and drift up the river with the tide towards captain cook bridge, nice sandy patches in about 3m of water- seem to always get a few nice bream, flathead, whiting etc. Good luck mate!

Thanks again to all....will oil it up and hope it does the trick!

It's cable, thank you so much! Will give it a go tomorrow, any oil you recommend? It's a Yamaha 2 stroke 60hp..

Took the boat for a quick run this afternoon to dust off the cobwebs, it's a 475 Quintrex Coastrunner. Haven't had a run for about 2 months, started beautifully but was VERY hard to turn the wheel. Lowered engine down fully and managed to just turn engine, once we were up and running it slowly loosened and, all was good...is this normal? Thanks in advance....

Various sized rods but the guy who was smashing it had about a 7ft, very light rod, probably fishing about 3kg mono. He busted off on one fish.

By the way, all were casting far into the fast flowing part of the channel

Am down at Warilla for a boys weekend and packed a few rods as you do. Fished off Warilla beach late last night with pilchards. Hooked onto a good beast from the sea, after a great 10 minute fight it bit through the line before I could land or see it! Don't think it was a ray, some very powerful head shakes, shark??? Anyhow...while enjoying a hangover helper coffee this morning, watched the anglers just under the Windang bridge (on the northern side/ocean side) on a small stretch of mud and oysters. There were some very decent bags of flathead, probably saw half a dozen flathead landed in 30 minutes, the biggest being 85cm. The key points being: 1. Runout tide 2. Small poddies, the guy who was landing the most had poddies about 3cm and was putting 2 on. He was also fishing VERY light. This seems to be the key! I'll definitely try my luck later this afternoon... Hope this helps anyone keen for a flathead feed, it seems to be firing down here at the moment!

Another disappointing part of the tale was there was an adult supervisor in a tinny, keeping an eye on proceedings. Surely he could have motored up to me and given me a heads up? This has happened a number of times now, I know the water is there for all to share but I think what angers me the most is the attitude of the sailing fraternity, like I was encroaching on their space when their race started at the sailing club right under Captain Cook and I was a couple of km away. There were also no marker buoys etc either. Anyhow, the boating law is the law....

Thank you so much, mustn't have got that question in my boating exam!

Was talking to a sailing mate recently about a recent experience I had near Towra. We were leisurely drifting back up the river in search for flathead when basically a whole armada of junior sailors surrounded us. We had to wind up and carefully motor out of there as our lines could have been cut they were that close. I know I have to give way when under power but what's the rule when drifting? My sailing mate couldn't answer, he just said he regularly runs over fishing lines!!!! Will deal with him later....

Thanks so much, with better fuel efficiency they would probably pay for themselves over time. The kids are just a tad young at the moment so looking forward to towing them round next Summer...

Great job! I can guarantee you probably gave your granddaughters one of their best day of the holidays! Catching fish is always a bonus...Well done!

Great question as there's quite a price difference, from what I can gather from this forum though nearly everyone swears by the stainless steel props but I'm no expert!

Sounds like good advice, I did notice the existing prop has a bit of wear and tear so might invest in a stainless steel one. Thanks!

I feel so much better about bumping the wharf the other day...thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much for your advice! Looks like I can do this by not having to do any work on the boat, I'll try the grab handles.

I recently bought a Quintrex Coastrunner 475 with a 60hp Yamaha and know it is too underpowered to ski but want to tow the kids (small at this stage!!!) in a tube, do not have ski hooks but there are 2 handles mounted on the transom as well as the 2 bollards at the stern. Would these be suitable to run a ski rope from? Would one be more suited than the other? I don't really want to drill into the transom if I can help it! Thanks...

Thanks Tony, we caught the leatherjacket drifting back towards Captain Cook bridge from the opening to the Bay. I used to always catch them at Port Hacking so didn't realise they were a bit of a rarity.

It took a lot of snacks and the promise we wouldn't catch a shark! The best part was watching the family devour it tonight, gotta love flathead tails...

With the 18 month old in Childcare and stuck with the 4 year old, decided it was a great day to fish. Planned to be on the water at 8am, ended up at 10:15am due to parental responsibilities and leaving the boat key at home, d'oh!!!! Picked up some nippers and prawns and dropped the first bait in the water on my daughter's tiny (about 60cm rod) pink combo. Straight away we were into it, the pink rod doing all the damage with a couple of nice whiting and a bream. Lost 2 of the whiting due to them escaping from the keeper net!!!! Oooops! Anyhow, same drift and landed another nice whiting, leatherjacket and flathead. A great mixed bag, happy daughter and wife about to come home to fresh fish, salad and chips! Happy times......

Thanks so much! Can justify the boat a LOT more if I bring in some fish! Happy New Year!

Compliments of the season to all! So have finally upgraded to a boat that I can push out to sea (Quintrex 475 Coastrunner) and am heading down to Ulladulla for a week. I was wondering if anyone can share any good marks that are not too far out from the harbour for some wife pleasing and kid pleasing table fish ( snapper, flathead etc) thanks! Mutt

Well I bought it! Due to work commitments etc didn't get a chance to get it on the water until yesterday and it went like a gem! Very happy! Thanks again to everyone's advice and Merry Christmas to all. Now to sell the tinny...