macka17

Best knife I found for all round work on boat.For cutting bait.Berley. Slicing fillets (In bigger fish. is the mid price range of 8in/10in Chefs' knife. Deep blade. Not too heavy. Fairly stiff.(My good ones twice the weight.) Perfect for cutting tuna strips. Bait. etc. Best small knife. I use Boners knife from Meatworks (Stepson a boner). $15 bucks a pop. Keep good filleters. German Steel. at home in kitchen. Gerber. and Puma. Buck do good knives too. I've used knives over 50yrs. Done a lot of buff's and roo. so not too bad with angles. But 2 or 3 deg's makes a lot of difference. You can feel when it's right. Sticky on fingertips. and can slide a piece of skin off, without going down to flesh. (you have seven layers, on average). Macka17

Hi. I made up a similar oufit recently. Used daiwa Capricorn 4500J,reel. With 30lb Tuff Line. I chose a Berkley Saltwater dropshot.6 ft 10in, Just to try one on poppers. But there's plenty of mid range sticks on market will do the job. Once you get above 20/30lb. Prices go through roof. I've also got Accurate 870n. and Saltiga's with Jap jig sticks too. But that little setup will pull some nice ones in, as well as Spinning reasonably too. have fun up here. it's great.. Regards Macka17

Hi Interesting looking boats. But. Going on the ones I've seen up here. Queensland. Buy a MIG at the same time. They need a lot of rewelding. Regards Macka17

Yep. It'll do that job ok. Saltist 30 will do a good jig job with that reel for you too, at a cheap price. We at Yeppoon. basically coastal Rocky. Water due to peak here Sun/ Mon. It's rising already. One thing though. There's not many cobwebs. Missus hates spiders. Macka17

Hi. I think you'll be disappointed with the Daiwa as a jigger for several reasons. One it's too big. Two it's only about 3.5 to 1 gearing. and the roller tip on rod is for trolling and fast running fish. Not sluggers. I've got a 450h. which is a great trout reel here on reefs. If you can afford. I'd keep that rig for fishing. and go different for Jigging. It's a specialists game. Ask at local tackle shops. They'll put you right. Get standard tip put back on rod. and look for a Daiwa Saltist. or similar.You'll be a lot happier and a lot more comfortable jigging. Regards Macka17

Penn Reels solid as. just like brick shithouse. and just as crude. Nothing fancy. you won't kill them though. Live forever. I got an 8500. and have 6500 on order. There's lots others on market. but. Without going much higher,cost wise. For a solid reliable reel. i don't think you'll better. $400 will get you 1 reel 1 spare spool. and, if you go overseas. Some good Braid to suit too. I just got some more delivered. 1 was 600yds 50lb Tuff Line. $73 to door. Regards Macka17

That's why I suggested the Capricorn. Some may find it a bit heavy. Myself, Im the old school. Weight never bothered me. (I was brought up on the old Mitchel 499..Dam. and blue Shakespeares. )But it's more than adequate for any bluewater fishing he'll be doing. Plus he'll be very glad if he picks up a metre plus barra. Big Jack. Queenie etc. It's all compromise. Regards Macka17

Whatever you do. i'd make sleeve at least 30cm . and spend a bit of time sanding down the internal of sleeve, tapering it. both ends.So as not to form to much of a hard spot. where it ends at each end. Inside blank. Where it is, it shouldn't affect action too much... Just give a bit more grunt... macka17

Find a coupla small builders. They'd use in Petrol mixers.The fuel in my Aluminium tank is well over 3 months old. I run an Opti on it. Not a problem. been there since mid June.. Just mix up with a bit of fresh fuel. it'll burn.... Macka17

I use Tuff line mainly. never had a problem, but I've loaded some Fireline 20lb on one, just to try it. People reckon it's better for Eggbeaters. Time will tell. You get two spools with reel. Load one Braid. One Good Nylon. Low stretch. X10 etc. I use both.. Nylon for the Mack's, trolling. Bastards hit like a freight train. Macka17

Hi. Berkley Dropshot. With a Daiwa Capricorn 4500j. Will land anything you can pull up in a Yak. Rod getting reasonable reports. and i have two 4500j's. Won't get better for price.... Macka17

That's not Queensland. You're still a Southerner down there. Q'Land starts at Bundy. and goes up....

Hey Huey. From memory. 20ish (maybe more) yrs ago. there was a european company putting out a small diesel outboard?Didn't get too far in this country though. But with todays technology, and alloys. Should be a viable proposition. Time will tell. Regards Macka17

Sorry Ross. Just that, with a donk that old. Regardless of condition. I'd have at least an auxilliary, Just for such an occasion. I take a 15hp out with me.(From rooftopper.) use as auxilliary. But. Also perfect for trolling.with 5.25 Stacer. Maybe time to be looking for a loan. Regards macka17

90 Optimax. You'll never look back.... Regards Macka17

Bluewater. Line capacity is important. I'd look at a Daiwa Capricorn 4500J. 20/30lb Braid. Leader to suit... Built for Serious jigging. But casts ok too. (I got 2 of them now) They go for $260/275. Will handle 99% of fish you encounter up there. Spend rest on Penn. Berkley. etc. rod. To suit. In that price range... Macka17

Hi. If you going to to just everdure the bottom of transom round plug area. I'd be drilling a few holes in transom. rediating out from plug area. Just to be sure. You can just soak with everdure. and then fill with epoxy. colour tint in epoxy. It won't show. and you;ll know. But there again. I'm an overkill merchant. I value my life, and like peace of mind.... I was out in sons Crestcutter down in Melb, over X'Mas. Yep.... They still bang...... Regarding trailer. Does it work ok. Then leave it alone. Change something when it rusts out.. Regards Macka17

Hi. I have a Stacer 5.25 Bowrider'02 model. Came with a Merc. Carby. 75hp. Same year. 64hrs on computer reading. I wanted a bit more h.power for towing grandkids, without going overboard. I went to a 90hp Merc Optimax. 15 hp on paper. 50% on water. and no comparison with fuel. 90 Opti uses about 60% of 75ph fuel. On same trips. Long and short. Trolling. I don't even neeed a fuel tank. 90 Opti will give you more power than old 85's by a fair margin. With a fraction of fuel consumption. If boat still good for a long while yet. Providing Transom weight ok. That's the way I'd go. Otherwise a new carby motor.. Cheaper. and lighter. Plus noisier and thirsty.. Think about getting a pod welded on back of boat. Not too exxy. All bonuses. Longer waterline. Rear step. Carry more weight. Plane easier. Full transom. Safer.. There's one up here.. Great older boat.... Second hand motors.. Why buy somebody elses problems.. WHY was it sold..........I don't think the old Suzy's have spare part supplies anymore ???. Similar to the Chryslers. Could be wrong there though. But, at 22yrs old. Going out to sea. New motor in my eyes. Quinnie will last forever anyway. and for coastal fishing in that size. There's not many really much better Tinnies around. Without going to the Fishers etc. (Zillions of $$$$$$$$$$$$$ too) I'd get a good service/check up on thet donk. while saving for a new motor. Give peace of mind at least. Regards Macka17

Allison 24 Walk around. twin 115 Opti's. Heaven. and affordable.. Macka17

Price.. Macka17

Ditto. Macka17

Only advice I can give you. Is. it's your life you playing with out there. Get it checked by a boatbuilder, Regarding Transom etc.Then get advice on how to fix it. Properly. Yourself or a pro. Transom leaks.. Boat can sink. Period..... End of story...... Regards, and enjoy. It's not that hard. with a bit of common sense.....and a few dollars... I had one once. Good fishing boat. 115 Evinrude on back of. Macka17

Dan. If it's a Saltiga Stick. It'll be a Parabolic. Bends all the way through. Not a Stroker type. They much easier to work with. Specially with bigger fish. Macka17

Join a local fishing club with boats. You don't know what you're doing. It's too easy to get into trouble.. Somebody will give you hands on information. and maybe a mark or two.. Get a cheap hand held GPS too. Garmin 72 good reliable unit. $270ish.. Will hold marks for you. and get you back, if you ever get stuck out after dark.. Also. Don't forget flares. Jackets and EPIRB. fines are exxy too.. Enjoy. I bin doing it for 56yrs now. and still get a shiver when I go out .(Had my first boat. In the North Sea. at 9 yrs old.) Macka17 EDIT : Inappropriate advice [MOD]

Swains. One of the better places without going real wide. Check with boat. Some provide rigs. some provide handlines. You'll want normal reef fishing rigs. Lotsa lead. Leaders. Hooks. and beer. 50lb min 80lb better. Some use heavier. depands on boat. Sport or meat.. I use braid. But can be exxy on reef. Stick with your Penn X10 and similar. ANDE good leader. Solid reels. and sticks. Penn 850/950 good reels for eggbeaters. Any strong. O/Heads to suit line will do. Alvey 15in Deck Winch. Perfect. Don't know if he'll allow though. Use STRONG hooks. there's some big gobs down there.. Just go, and enjoy. You change your mind. I'll have tickets off you. Gladdy only down road..and I'm a poor old retired pensioner.. Regards Macka17