Mick54

Hi guys, I am new to sounders and would like possible suggestions as to what this might be on my sounder.

Best post I've read in a while. I live in Western Sydney and always stay too long on the water wishing for that one last bite that will produce a big one. Just when exhaustion kicks in, I have to face the afternoon peak traffic on the M5 and arrive home totally wasted and disappointed with my day's fishing. Might try the back to basics too.

Great post and good reading. I love to hear the how, where and what people have caught and to have it expressed so well is just a bonus. If you are good at what you do and achieve results, its not bragging, it's informative. Please keep up the posts.

Hey Softy, hard to identify without picture but maybe invisible fish

Can't help with locations but avoid Silverwater ramp. At low tide only about 20cm water and 60cm mud for about 20m from the ramp. If a river cat goes by while launching or retrieving, you have to contend with a 60cm wash from the wake.

Great post and good catch. There will always be the one that got away, that's what keeps you going back. Launching by yourself is always daunting at a busy ramp but remember we have all been there done that and help, if needed is never far away.

Nice King mate but from the look of the video, you were right on top of the Bare island bommie. Just as well there wasn't much swell or the kings would have been on the surface while you were on the bottom.

Great video, what lure were you using?

Forgot to add picture

Headed out this morning from Botany at 6.15. Plan was to troll from Botany heads to the fad and then on to the Peak. Water was calm 21.3 to 21.6 degrees with 2 - 3 meter swell, little to no wind. No sign of any surface action and no hookups. No dollies at the fad either. Stopped at the peak for a jig and bottom bash. Lost a jig and 2 sets of bottom gear first drop. Lots of small yellow jackets chased the swivel from my jig line to the boat. Moved to a spot a little north west of the peak in 70m water and lost another 2 rigs before they hit the bottom. Headed in toward Coogee and about half way sounder indicated a small reef patch in 60m water. Dropped down a 2oz jig head with a 7" soft plastic and hooked up within seconds of hitting bottom. Landed my first Pearl Perch, just over 3kg. Had another couple of attempts but the jackets showed up and lost the rig both times. Found jackets everywhere once the depth was over 40m. Finished off with a flathead drift off Maroubra for 3 nice flattys and a flounder before the wind came up and I called it a day.

Can't recommend product due to site rules but hope it's ok to tell you to type boat alarm into search on ebay

I was out there last week and the jackets were so thick my sounder was showing 18m of water, so your sounder may not have died..

Hi guys Answered my own question. Went out this afternoon and fished several spots from Botany heads north to Coogee. Same thing, jackets everywhere if more than 50m from shore. Managed one 7cm snapper, that's right 7cm on 5/0 hook and lost heaps of gear again. Have never seen so many Jackets before. Might head north next week.

Hi Raiders I have fished south of Port Hacking as far as the Humps over the last three weeks and can't find any spots that the jackets have not taken over. Any further than 30m from shore and you can't get a rig down without loosing all your gear. Are they the same north of Botany Bay, The Peak, Coogee ect. ? Can anyone advise as I hope to get out Friday but won't waste my time if they are about.

Hi raiders, fished close in near the Manly treatment works today and caught my PB Mowie in the middle of the day 23m water and 21 degrees. By the way size 7 thong

Thanks everyone for the tips. Hope the whether is good and he doesn't get sea sick. will report back with results

Taking my son in law (never fished outside) out from port Stephens next week. Any tips for snapper, kingy or trolling spots not too far out, only have 5.5m boat but would love to put him on to something good. i have not fished the area so any help would be appreciated. PM me if you dont want to broadcast to the world

Hi Geoff You assumed correct, picture taken at home hence no depth and the location of the black marker. the other items on screen are water temp, battery voltage, distance traveled and time. I like to be able to see these all the time. This is the Navionics chart and only shows channel markers up to Salt Pan creek on max zoom. I am now assuming that the area above Salt Pan creek is not charted and their map is inaccurate beyond that point. I had the boat out in Sydney harbour last night and it was totally accurate. Zoomed right in and motored up to channel markers and it was spot on. So it appears the problem only occurs in uncharted waters. Thanks for your suggestions anyway.

Hi Geoff Thought the best way to show you is with a photo. The pink line is my track down the river and as I do not have a hovercraft, if that was my true route, I would have spent a lot of time beached. The river is only 50 to 100m wide in that area and the tracks are a similar distance on shore from mid river.

I paid $608 incl postage for a Lowrance Elite 5 DSI combo. Saved about $300

Just to let everyone know, finally received the correct product but almost 3 months after my initial order.

Hi guys, I have the elite 5 dsi combo with the navionics gold card and I'm not that impressed. Recently took a trip down the Georges river and most of the time the chart plotter showed my position 50 to 100m from where I was. Much of the time it indicated that I was on land rather than in the river and would be useless if I used it to navigate in the dark. The dsi is amazing even picking up submerged cars near the ramp near bankstown airport. Do I have the settings wrong? Tried it at home and it was still about 50m from my actual position. Not sure if the charts are wrong or the accuracy of my GPS is out. I have used it offshore and had no problem locating my usual spots with the GPS but once you are offshore the charts have little use.

Thanks for the advice, it had not occurred to me that there might be a problem leaving the car at those isolated ramps.

Thanks, will give it a try

Thinking of targeting the upper Georges river for some night boat fishing. Anyone got any tips for good locations and species to target as I am new to the area?