AGP

I have a 420 Renegade and bought it new 3 years ago. To answer some of your questions.. Yes waves will occasionally come in through the transom in swell/chop or boat wake. Its never enough to be a big problem and yes they come standard with auto bilge if you ever take too much water, Usually this has happened to me while fishing in torrential rain for hours. I have a 50hp 4 stroke Yamaha and get about 55kmph out of it. 3 people is fine but I would in no way put an engine under 50hp on one. I have spoken to other owners who have 40's and regret not going bigger. They can handle offshore conditions quite well and I regularly have mine a few km's offshore. Just check the weather religiously and stay away from any strong wind and you'll be fine doing light offshore stuff. The other must have bit of gear has been a 55lb Minn Kota Ipilot. Easily my favourite bit of gear on the boat.

How can there be 2 x commercial fisherman with licenses to net in Cowan Creek when it is illegal to do so? See below link. Its from the DPI website and says all netting on all species of fish is banned in Cowan. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/fisheries/info/closures/commercial/eg/bullet_list_1_az_dcr5/hawkesbury-brisbane

Juvenile estuary cod by the looks. Where was it caught?

Depends how the fish is taken, top water metre plus Kings are somewhat of a holy grail. A big Jew on lure however is another story.... Any regular fisho knows a big Jew is a much more difficult adversary than a big King. Not fight wise unless over 30kg but more difficult to target in general.Kings seem easy at times when they're on, Big Jew on lure are the pinnacle of angling in NSW in my opinion. Anyone can fluke a few good Kings, The big Jew are another story. I guess I'm more talking about using lures for both species though..

Great stuff and good angling solo.

Thanks to all for your comments, Much appreciated.

Got the PM Katoe cheers mate! Roylo i'd have to double check what size although I know its of much larger capacity then the original one the dealer installed. I was more concerned that its a cranking battery running a host of electrics that a deep cycle would be better suited to run so wouldn't a dual purpose be better suited? Alternator is working fine checked out recently with my 200 hour service. I think when the original went flat it was a case of short trips with the engine/alternator on then long sessions using multiple electrics at anchor so I was taking out more than was going back in. I never worried to much about it going dead because the dealer said I never need to trickle charge due to alternator.

Thanks for the input guys. Katoe where did you get the jump starter for $120 from? This seems like a great option for piece of mind especially for the night sessions. Feel free to PM me the details. Thanks!

Hi Guys, Would appreciate a few comments on my below situation. I purchased a new Quintrex Renegade from a dealer as a complete boat, tralier, motor package which included electronic fit out around 2 years ago. It came fitted with a deep cycle battery at the front of the boat, purely for running my Minn Kota I-pilot and no other electrics attached to this deep cycle. The rear of the boat was fitted with a Century marine cranking battery. This battery was setup by the dealer to also supply power to my sounder, Nav lights, Anchor light plus bilge pump for live bait tank. The Yamaha 50hp 4 stroke has an alternator attached which I was told by the dealer would charge up the battery enough to keep all those electrics running, Plus never have to be trickle charged.. Well things ran fine for a year before one night at anchor whilst running my sounder, anchor light and live bait tank the battery went flat. What could've turned into a dangerous situation didn't as another boat passing by was able to tow me back to the ramp although it did take the poor bloke over an hour! Unhappy with the dealer fitting that amount of power sucking electrics to a cranking battery I bypassed them and went to see a specialist battery store. The owner there talked me into buying another cranking battery and not a dual purpose. His reasoning was that this new cranking battery was of much larger capacity and would power all those additional electrics considering its larger size and charge from the alternator when my engine is running. After the breakdown I am still nervous though, I am regularly up against cliffs fishing and fishing at night in areas you would not want a flat battery in. Am I kidding myself not running a dual purpose? The cranking battery is a Lion and I cannot connect the other electrics to the deep cycle that supplies the Minn kota due to how the dealer has done the initial setup. Any comments/experience would be great. Cheers

Good on you mate, Better still your first King was on a lure!

Nice old photo. I've seen lots of old photo's like that from around Wisemans and Spencer. The Hawkes held an enormous amount of Jew and all the photo's show the same boat full all at big sizes. What I find more concerning is that even 15-20 years ago the population seemed so much more abundant. Don't get me wrong, I know dialled in anglers out there have exceptional catch rates in the river these days but this is not the norm. I have caught my fair share in the river too but things are very different to when I first started targeting them in the Hawkes as a young bloke. I'll admit it was almost easy back then. Everyone has a different theory and I've heard my fair share of "It's not the pro's doing it"....... In my opinion it is the gill netting and mesh netting and nothing else.

Well done that is a stunning Sydney fish...Even if you did fluke it with it taking a pinkie! (Don't worry my biggest John Dory was caught exactly the same way) I also applaud you for releasing what is an extremely rare species in Sydney.

Good winter Breaming, Especially in the Hawkesbury. Whiting are much more of a summer species.

Summer sees more species in close especially pelagics. Winter is Salmon, Trevally, Snapper in close and offshore and Jew in the estuary. Winter is also prime luderick and drummer fishing. Big Kings are targeted in winter also and can show up in close.. Both are great times of year to fish, You just have to change your approach to keep catching.

Killing it Butch! Reds can't be far away.

Nice fish mate definitely looks like an Aussie Bass/Mullet hybrid lol. I love fishing in other countries and the new species & scenery are what I love about travel fishing. Tarpon in Florida for me next year and I cant wait!

I had a session recently where we had a feeding school of Jew holding right next to the boat. We were landing fish in the 70cm range and I started throwing around a plastic on a Samaki Zing extreme 3-5kg and a 3000 reel running 8lb straight through. Low and behold a few casts later and I'm into a much larger fish. I've caught enough big Jew to know when I am onto a serious fish and unfortunately the fish was between two moorings and heading closer to one with each drag screaming head shake. After a couple mins I had no choice but to apply more pressure and try and turn its head. This resulted in the leader wearing through and it was all over. You can catch Jew on very light gear, Just not near any structure. Really big ones pull like all hell in shallow water and will bust you in structure no dramas. The gear you are using is too heavy, I'd be halving that and you'll be fine. Below is a photo of the smaller fish we were landing that day a few weeks back.

Labor have just announced if elected they will declare Sydney Harbour a permanent recreational fishing haven. No lockouts or the like mentioned. Unfortunately the coalition have not yet released any information on their stance.

Fair call mate, We are all bound to have different opinions but I would like to reply and explain my thinking a little more. I am aware that the commercial sector also have the 70cm minimum rule apply to them however the 10 fish by-catch allowance of fish under 70cm is a real disappointment and not enough of a deterrent for the gill netters. A senior Fisheries official explained to me that the 70cm minimum size was put in place to specifically deter the commercial sector from targeting Mulloway. Allowing the 10 fish by-catch of under 70cm I and many others believe is just a band aid style action and not enough to protect a species that Fisheries admit is in fast decline and in need of recovery for a positive future outcome. As far as that whole rec's taking 5-1 Mulloway volume compared to the commercials I believe this is a seriously poor reflection of the true state of things. A close friend of mine has worked both in the prawn trawl fishery and also had some experience in estuary netting along with working on off shore commercial boats in NSW. We got talking and he said that while obviously the commercial operators want a long term healthy fishery, He witnessed some pretty shocking by-catch that is a very grey area in regards to comparing who takes more stock. At times vast numbers of juvenile Mulloway so small they were hard to identify were taken. These were discarded as rubbish fish or wastage and not recorded as an official Mulloway take. When a situation like this occurs how can Fisheries determine this 5-1 claim? Do you think by-catch like this is some rare event?? Do you also think all Mulloway too small tossed back dead are recorded with accurate numbers passed onto Fisheries? A recent article such as this http://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/fisheries-confirms-jewie-bycatch would indicate this is a State wide problem and a major contributor to future generations of Mulloway stock. I completely agree that neighbouring rec havens have created more pressure on places such as the Hawkesbury and this is a shame. However it is now up to NSW Fisheries to actually manage the problem rather than continue doing the same thing that clearly isn't working. That is why I mentioned a 3rd world style management when they know full well and report that the stock is in trouble, Yet continue managing it in a way that just sees more of a decline in stock. It is not proactive management and in need of a major change. To me the 70cm minimum size increase was not anywhere close to being serious about rebuilding the stock. All of the techniques that contributed to the decline are still happening. Maybe we will need to get to a point where this is a total no take period for the species. I'm sure many guys who actually seriously target the species would welcome such a recovery period. Obviously the commercials would not like this.. Lastly if you have time please read the following written by a Hawkesbury Jew angler that has allegedly caught more big Jew than anyone in the country. He has written extensive detail from a period of 1960-2012. He tells a story going back decades of what the fishing was once like in the region, Plus what it is like now. Learning from people who have witnessed the decline first hand is hard to beat. http://yaffacdn.s3.amazonaws.com/live/fishing/files/dmfile/Broken-Bay-Mulloway-Original1.doc Yes recs have contributed in a major way especially in years gone by but now that there is a recognised problem, A more serious action plan needs to be in place.

I received that exact copy of email after contacting the NSW Opposition Leader while trying to figure out who to vote for. None of my specific questions were even attempted to be answered. While Labor have yet to release any specific details on fishery policies, I am 100% sure rec fishing will not be banned in that ridiculous map showing most of Sydney included while leaving the Hawkesbury to cop the absolute commercial hiding that it does now. A rec fishing ban of that size is not only not viable it is so unlikely that I have never taken its proposal of having any serious chance of happening, Even if Labor win the election. Where have there been any specifics on rec fishing being banned in these areas? And I mean specific detail showing where banning will take place and what the banning will actually entail. Not just a map with shaded areas not detailing what is even being banned (Hopefully just commercial nets!). I suppose if they get in they could potentially make lockouts afterwards but I still can't see mass rec lockouts occur especially when they recognise our economic contribution to the state which just happens to be vastly bigger than the commercial sector. Imagine the uproar?? Rec fishing has also proven to be sustainable if size limits are adhered to. A lot of scare mongering with no actual rec ban facts is what im seeing. Don't get me wrong I personally have never voted Labor in my life, However am open to change particularly if any government is willing to take the commercial pressure of the Hawkesbury and let the system rebuild. Current NSW government have 'recognised' Mulloway stocks are screwed and done NOTHING besides make a rec minimum size limit increase while netting flogs the breeding stock and prawn trawling does its best to collapse the juvenile stocks. Something needs to be done and I for one can't wait to see the nets out of the Hawkesbury and Pittwater. We need to look at countries like the USA and what they have done with important species such as white sea bass where they have put in place actual restrictions to allow the population to rebuild despite upsetting the commercial sector. Something of that nature clearly needs to be done with Mulloway in NSW. Currently our fishery is run more like that of a 3rd world country allowing fragile estuaries to be hit so hard with nets.

This is an absolute joke, Much the same as making St Georges basin, Botany bay, Sydney Harbour and Lake Macquarie all net free and rec only but allowing the Hawkesbury (the largest and by far the most important system in the region) to be absolutely smashed by nets.. You are right in saying the worst thing about this is Australian fish stock is just going to be sent to countries that have hammered their own fishery. It's about time these pollies recognised once and for all that rec angling brings far more to the community and economy than netting and trawlers ever will but we wont stick around wasting our dollars if systems get fished out.

No, Just spray very lightly with freshwater. Some guys just use a spray bottle on expensive reels. I put the hose on a light mist and shower from a 1-2 metre distance. Salt water will always ruin gear faster but they'll last longer if you don't imbed salt in them by blasting with a hose.

Haha yeah preferably squid that 5 seconds old! They readily eat hard bodies and in particular plastics. They are absolute suckers for a well worked lure.

Hi Mate, Been there too it's horrible when it happens. They leave such distinctive marks in the livey. Many different theories but it changes depending on the fish. Iv'e had many just inhale the livey or squid and immediately hook themselves and others like yours, Swim off just mouthing the bait. Striking to early and you'll get an angry head shake or 2 as it thinks the bait is trying to escape then ...Spit!! And off he goes.

Great report well done on getting a few. They are definitely a bit hit and miss in the harbour at the moment. They'll be really thick from Feb onwards. Also, good on you for mentioning legal size to the moron fishing next to you. Next time call the fisheries hotline and pass on his rego.