Scienceman

Another benefit of winching on is that you dont have to back your trailer so far into the water, although the steepness of the ramp affects how far you need to go for drive on. I try to keep my axel and brakes out of the briny which has enabled my trailer to last 16 years before the rust got hold of weak spots at the very end of the trailer. (new one under construction just in time for Xmas - yay!).

Hi, I have exactly the same boat (2000 model) and am also replacing my trailer. I have gone with a local manufacturer on the Central Coast and would be happy to pass on their details so send me a PM if interested. Going with a manufacturer rather than and off-the-shelf lets you customise some important aspects which will add significantly to the life of the trailer. In my case I am having the axle+brake mounting plate gal dipped and having the cross beams rolled rather than bent which prevents stress fractures in the middle where the rollers are mounted which can lead to rust. This was the main reason for the demise of my current trailer. FYI - Quintrex boats are fairly unique and have an I-beam for a keel that can support the weight of the boat. This means you can go with a partially rollered trailer for support down the back and keel rollers to carry the weight.

Mine was brand new from Hewitt Marine, fitted with the 70hp so it definitely should have been withing legal requirements. From memory it was the largest HP for that model.

Re-reading my post I wasnt clear that the 70hp I bought with the boat was a 2-stroke. I also read that although the hull is rated to 175kg for the motor, it isnt recommended to go past 140kg as performance will suffer.

I have a 475 Bayranger Caprice, cuddy, 2000 model so the exact same boat. Mine was new with a 70hp yammie. Perfect 1 up, OK with 2 adults but performance starts to go down with 3. OK for a few hours for a family day, 2 adults + 2 kids. I am also considering a 4 stroke but the extra weight will impact performance at 70 or 75hp. A 60 fourstroke will definitely have less oomph but for 1 or 2 adults it might be OK.

I use the FG but from testing I have seen on-line it seems to give only 60% - 80% of the braid strength. The PR knot should be close to 100%. Got to get me a bobbin!

Hey mate, be a shame to lose you from the Gosford RSL FC

I'm going to head out real early on Saturday for a flattie + crab hunt. With luck I'll have something there at the weigh-in on Sunday.

Spot on Belligero, sure you wern't in the boat next to me?? (they only got one and left - he he) However dont always wait for them to start pulling line as they can just sit there and chomp on the bait.

Good guess golf_fish There certainly are some good size ones around. I like ~3m with deeper water near by and close to oyster leases and weed beds so the end of Paddys has quite a few options.

Heard a few reports around that crabbing in Brisbane water is particularly good at the moment so with a 5am start and some frozen mullet I thought I would find out for myself. Fore and aft ancor out, sitting in ~3m of water and lines in by 6am. Nice and overcast but the SSE was a bit fresh.I usually fish the head on a heavy handline with sinker straight down and toss around mullet strips and an SP while waiting between bites/crabs. First drop and a crab on the head within 2 mins. The next 30 mins we had 5 in the boat. A few more and it went quiet, maybe we had caught them all in the vicinity so we upped anchor and moved 500m away. A bit slow until the tide started to run out then another 5 all from my side of the boat, none from Matts side. Total was 12 crabs plus got a 55cm flattie along the way. Went quiet by by 9:30am so we tried a few spots around the Rip Bridge for another smaller flattie. Stayed out for another 3 hours but really just killing time, the best had been just after sunrise. A mate turned up in his boat at ~9am and only boated one bream so you have to be there, ready and in the zone early or you miss out. Now to decide how to cook them, so many recipes to choose from .

Try a Zion - Sakana. I have used one for the past few years and am very happy with it. Hopefully you can get it for <$200

Iceman is spot on. I will share a secret with you, when I was a teenager a couple of decades ago, i would catch big winter whiting around moored boats to the north of the Royal Moter Yacht club. I am sure they are more widespread but I knew I could get them there so that was where I went.

Welcome to the Central Coast. I moved here for the same reasons 15 years ago and it's a great place to live and raise a family. Fishing can be great but so much to learn, even now. Hope to see you about and am happy to share some local info

Thanks Huey, I have had a good chat with you previously and understand the benefits of the E-TEC but the aim for my post is to get feedback from those that have actually made the switch and what their experience has been. This is a much more personal thing than techs & specs. I didn't mention E-TEC because it kind of sits in between 2 and 4 stroke in terms of benefits, so I would expect a more extreme experience when from 2 to 4 stroke, either happy or not.

I have a 14 yo 475 Quintrex cuddy cabin + 70hp Yamaha 2 stroke (circa 1999). I am considering upgrading to a 4 stroke as I want decreased engine noise (estuary stealth fishing and less noise while traveling). I don't rack up large distances but improved fuel efficiency would be good too. I do have concerns about performance, especially getting on the plane and increased weight. It was suggested that I would need to go up in hp to 75 or 80 otherwise I wouldn't be happy with holeshot peformance.Also reliability and potential corrosion issues over time weigh on my mind. Yamaha 2 stroke are basically bullet proof, low cost to maintain and are cheap to repair if it ever breaks down. So, who has made the switch and been happy or unhappy?

I find early morning before sunrise and just after work best. Fish move onto and off these reefs so if you cannot see anything on the sounder or no fish after anchoring within 30 min, move on. Dont be afraid of going closer in or wider out as well. Just watch for the nearby fishing exclusion zone.

Cannot agree more that they are synergistic. I'm a dedicated reefer and set this 450L, 6ft tank up 2 years ago. Here are some pics:

Yeah Matt, thats what I am now thinking. The max drag for the reel is 25kg but that is ridiculous, 10 - 15kg is the maxumum anybody can reasonably apply and not get pulled overboard. I tend to fish my gear well within its operating limits so prefer lighter rather than heavier drags. Might still be at the maxiumum for this rod but will probably be OK. Have just looked at a Fin-Nor Offshore 80 and this is pretty similar (but only 5'6" lenght) Out of curiosity, what rod do you use?

I have an Ecoda Hornet HS10000 loaded with 50lb braid. I am looking for a versatile rod ~6'6" long for large SP work, jigging, live baiting, bottom bashing, trolling etc. I was recommended the Demon Blood 64, however it is only rated PE 2 - 4. I was under the impression that 50lb is >PE4 and so was wondering if I am exceeding the specs for the rod?

Have a look at the Ecoda Hornet HS. I purchased for heavy beach, rock and boat work recently. So far the best has been a 10kg whaler off the beach, which it handled easily. At <$200 is excellent value for money. (15kg drag from memory)

I was thinking about options for a heavy beach and rock reel which can also extend to boat fishing for kings and small pelagics. I was just passing a tackle shop and droped in for a chat and walked out with this. For $200 regular list price I couldn't resist. Too may features which made sense and is no light-weight so it really feels the goods. Got the 12000 model and spooled with 50lb braid. I was told these have been out for almost a year now so has anybody given them a hard time and have an opinion? Curiously the website lists 4.9:1 retrieve but on the spool it has 4.1:1 which I confirmed is correct. Doesnt matter too much as it has such a wide spool that 90cm of line comes in with each turn of the handle which should be heaps. Had to face the "financial controler" but as it is replacing a Shimano baitrunner I have had for the past 20 years all was OK. So if you’re serious about tackling big fish, with a reel that will outlast you, check out the Ecooda Hornet reel series. There’s nothing else quite like them. High strength aluminium body and side plate Computer balanced aluminium rotor Double backup anti-reverse Ball shaped anodised spool for perfect line lay Carbon fibre drag washers Heavy duty aluminium bail wire Screw on machined aluminium power handle ‘O’ Ring sealed waterproof body and rotor for saltwater protection Machined stainless steel drive gear Machined stainless steel pinion gear Machined stainless steel main gear 7+1 Precision stainless steel ball bearings & roller bearing Lubricant oil port Model Gear Ball Bearings Weight (g) Drag (kg) Spool Capacity HS-6000 4.9:1 7+1 560 20 PE 3/190 (0.30mm/240m) HS-8000 4.9:1 7+1 570 20 PE 3/230 (0.30mm/280m) HS-10000 4.9:1 7+1 780 25 PE 4/300 (0.35mm/300m) HS-12000 4.9:1 7+1 790 25 PE 4/390 (0.35mm/360m) HS-15000 4.9:1 7+1 890 30 PE 6/310 (0.40mm/370m) HS-20000 4.9:1 7+1 910 30 PE 6/390 (0.40mm/430m

I wonder if she would consider selling on ebay all the shoes, handbags etc she hardly ever uses now she no longer has time to go out because of the kids?

15lb braid + 20lb fluorocarbon leader down to a running pea-sized ball and 1/0 suicide. I use a 9ft Starlo Surf Spin rod + 4000 TwinPower. Its a lot easier to pull a big pig back into deeper water than it is up onto the rocks. Even then, you can get them near the boat and they do a powerdive that you cannot stop until the line goes "ping" on the bottom. Fun!

I like to pick a day with <0.5m swell and W - NW winds so I am gently blown away from the rocks. I then keep the motor running and back as close as I dare while keeping the bow pointing to seaward and often fish from the controls in case I need to clear out quickly. So far I havent had even an anxious moment but it only takes one rogue wave to put you up on the rocks so I stay vigilent. On the day I also caught a couple of good bream and a smaller pig. Lost a couple of big ones as well but thats par for the course. Usually get busted by more than you catch. A month ago no pigs but a 43cm and 41cm bream which felt like a pig when hooked.