Justin80

Yeah, they're in serious plague proportions off Sydney at the moment, and have been for a few weeks. I work on various fishing charter boats and the amount of tackle we've lost is unbelievable. Last weekend I must've spent 3 hours straight just making up leaders. We had 40 wire paternosters on-board and they were all gone within an hour or so. The jackets were just biting through braid above the swivel. We would've caught over 100 in maybe an hour-and-a-half. They're a real pest at the best of times but when you're a decky on a fishing charter boat with 16 people on-board, they're an absolute nightmare. I almost asked my skipper for a raise! Never worked so hard on a boat before. At one stage I could've just scooped them up with a net. They are good on the chew though, I must admit.

Whoops.... little bit too much red wine is the problem here. I did in fact mean the rocks South of Curl Curl, not Narrabeen. Just North of Harbord Diggers. Also, at low tide and when you're comfortable with the conditions, you can wade out to the little shelf off Long Reef Point. Probably best to do this when you can spend a few hours out there before the High so you can wade back in after it drops and is not too deep.

G'Day Kaos, .... and welcome to the area. I live in Dee Why, a block back from the beach. It's a nice area, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Dee Why rocks is ok but there are plenty of snags and it's fairly exposed there to a southerly and can get dangerous. Plus there are always a tonne of kids and families running around. I've fished it a few times, but it can be hard going. The rocks south of Narrabeen are very popular, and if you like chasing big pigs then that's where you should head. There is a nice wide and relatively safe rock shelf with plenty of fresh weed for bait. I've caught snapper off these rocks also, along with tailor and salmon on metal slugs. There is good depth there and very few snags. It can get busy though, but everyone I've met down there has been friendly and I've seen a few of the rock pools absolutely packed with blackfish, so i know there are plenty there when the conditions suit. I don't wear cleats, though I would recommend them. Dee Why beach itself fishes well too. Usual suspects - tailor, salmon etc, and shark can be had of a night-time too. If you're chasing Noahs off the sand though bring some heavy gear. I've been spooled down there before on 35lb. You should also try Narrabeen lagoon. The lagoon is stocked annually with bream and I've seen some very nice flathead come out of there. Everyone has told me how great the carpark across from Woolworths fishes, but I've never had any luck there. Not to say it's no good, just my personal experience. If you're keen for a bit of a drive, the rocks just south of Whale Beach can be productive. Also Palm Beach can hold some nice fish, along with squid in the weed beds just south of Barrenjoey Headland. If you're up for a walk, Flint & Steel point is accessible on foot, though it can be hard going coming home after a long day. So, plenty of options. Let me know how you get on. Good luck mate, and welcome to the neighborhood. Justin.

I'm not sure if squid are colour blind, but I'm almost certain they can see ultraviolet light. If you look at your squid jigs or most other lures and jigs in fact, under an ultraviolet light they appear the be extremely bright. Their colour under ultraviolet doesn't seem to correspond to the colour they appear to us in normal sunlight. They tend to glow a very bright white, blue or green. The big Japanese branded squid jigs have panels that positively blaze under ultraviolet.

Yep, I won't go near the place anymore. Last time I was there a 'gentleman' had 4 rods out. Two were running parallel to the wharf and the other two were straight out. I stood there for a minute not quite believing what I was seeing. I then approached him and explained that he can't simply dominate one entire side of the wharf to himself and that he wasn't the only person who would like to use the public wharf. He looked silently at me as I spoke and then turned away to face his rods again. I contemplated picking his rods up and throwing them into the water. My girlfriend convinced me to just leave, so we did. Not only did I pay an extortionate amount for a few hours parking but I never even got my line wet. I've never been back.

Just got back from a weekend in Smiths Lake, which is a very short drive South of Wallis but much smaller. I know the locals regularly catch large crabs, both Blue Swimmer and Mud, in pots placed around the lake. There are plenty of flathead in the lake also. You can wade out almost to the middle and flick plastics around no problem. I've not fished Wallis Lake, but if you're not having much luck try the short drive down to Smiths and see if you can't get a few crab for the pot. Also, the entrance to the lake is open to the sea at the moment and is very productive. I dropped (much to my girlfriends amusement) some nice tailor there off the beach, so there are plenty of options to try. Good luck. Very hard to beat fresh mud crab. Justin.

Hmmm.... how many strands in your double braid, Slink? Does it have a multi-strand core too? I learnt to splice 3, 4 and 5 strand line (rope) and had trouble initially. Once you get the hang of it it becomes very easy. My girlfriend took to it naturally and ended up teaching me in the end!! I don't know how I'd go with 8 - 12 strands, or does double-braid have even more than that? I would go buy some cheap line from your local hardware store (cheaper than Whitworths) and practice a bit before you start cutting up your expensive stuff. There are loads of videos explaining how to splice on line. Good luck! Justin

Thanks for all the great info guys. Picked up a few things from reading your posts. Thanks for the info, Frantic. I figured a Forrester is our best bet. I want some of the advantages of a 4wd (I do a bit of camping and hunting when possible), but not so many of the downsides to a 4wd (fuel, tire costs, etc). Plus, my girlfriend will drive it most days so it has to be something managable for her as well. Jim and Nathen, what sort of a fuel range did you have? And what sort of fuel-tank set-up did your Sea-V's have? I have heard that range can be an issue, especially with larger two-stroke outboards (relative to the boat, I mean). Thanks again. Justin

You're right! After I'd posted I had a closer look at the photos. Apologies. The photo in the top right looks just like the rock ledge off South Curl Curl. I actually lived in Sylvania until I was in my early 20's. Never fished much in the RNP, though. Anyway, nice catch regardless. Justin.

I recognise that rock shelf. I live Just up the road. I've fished this shelf a few times with limited success. A few small snapper and bream, but nothing spectacular. I bottom-fish there, but I seem to be the only person there not targeting blackfish. I've seen a few of those rockpools stuffed with fish like yours. Excellent catch by the way. Am I wasting my time throwing out heavy lead with big strips of squid on a paternoster? Took the gf down there today with the intention of having a fish right on high-tide. Conditions were beautiful with a gentle swell coming over the front lip, but there were 3 or 4 guys already spread-out and there wasn't much room. I noticed all of them were fishing with weed scraped from the rocks cast out under a float. Well done on the fishing session mate. Might see you down there sometime. Justin.

Thanks for the response, Geoff! The braked towing capacity is listed at 1400kg in the manual, but I wouldn't want to be pulling that sort of weight around in a wagon. Maybe around the 1000kg mark is not so bad, though. I had read somewhere that the Mariners were Mercurys. What were the Mercurys like back then in the 90's? I think 90hp is listed somewhere around the maximum for the 4.74m Sea-V, but would a mid-90's outboard still be putting out anything like the horsepower it did when new? Huey, if you read this and have a spare moment, what are your thoughts? Also, do you offer pre-purchase boat appraisals or inspections? What does a service on this type of boat roughly cost? What would it cost to have the hull cut back and re-coated? Is it worth spending money for a engine rebuild just to be sure? I'd rather spend money now than require a tow back in and THEN have to spend the money anyway. Thanks for your time again Geoff! Justin.

Hello Raiders, As the title suggests, I'm in the market for a boat! I figure with Winter fast upon us, the next few months might be a good time to sniff out a bargain. My budget is $12,000 in TOTAL. My thinking is that it may be wise to spend $8 - $10,000 on the boat and trailer and keep a few grand in my back pocket to cover any potential repairs and servicing that may be required. If I don't need to spend any money on repairs all the better. I can then spend this money on making modifications or improvements. What I am after is a boat to comfortably get me out off Long Reef, and on a fine day with an easy ocean a fair bit further. I'm not talking shelf runs, but maybe some FADS. I'd also like to be able to throw some camping gear somewhere dry and take my mates or the girlfriend camping and fishing for the weekend occasionally. I work most weekends as a deckhand on various boats that range from a 42' timber charter fishing vessel to a 80' luxury cruiser, so I'm reasonably experienced. But not so much in small boats. I took some mates out on a steel plate 5m boat recently and thought the size was about right, but we caught a bit of chop coming back in towards Barrenjoey and the ride was, frankly, terrible. Fibreglass it is then. I've looked around a bit and I'm leaning towards an old Seafarer Sea-V, but I welcome any suggestions. I understand their hulls were quite seaworthy and I still see a few around Sydney, usually launching off the Manly Ferry's wake. Any thoughts, guys? There is one close to me. He is asking $8000. It looks as though it has been well looked-after with new carpet, GPS, bimini, windscreen, bait tank, battery and propeller. The trailer is completely reconditioned with new bearings, brakes, etc. The hull is a '90 with a "...90's Mariner 90hp". How are the Mariners? Anything to look out for? I believe a 90hp is about right for this type of boat. I also understand the transoms can soften with Sea-V's. Would $2 - $4000 cover replacing the transom and stringers, and perhaps raising the transom while we're at it? How about an engine rebuild? Also, would a Subaru Forrester have any problem pulling this up the coast and off slippery boat ramps? Sorry guys, lots of questions I know. Even if someone answers one of them I'll be much better off. Thanks again guys, always a pleasure to click through these forums. Justin.

Hmmm.. I was working on Sunday on a charter boat. bom.gov.au predicted light westerly winds early on and 1m of swell, with the temp in mid-20's. Which was pretty damn close to the mark, except the swell was more like 0.5m. Weather is notoriously hard to predict. I usually only bother checking the weather the night before heading out fishing whether for work or pleasure, and I find it's mostly in the ballpark. I don't take any predictions over 24 hours in advance seriously. I laugh when I hear people discussing 30-day forecasts.

Hi Raiders!! Long-time lurker, occasional poster here. First of all, thank you all for all the tips and clues I've picked up while reading these forums. I've tried to contribute wherever possible, but I will admit I have learnt far more than I have been able to pass on. I've managed to persuade my girlfriend to vacate the premises for the Easter long weekend so I can have my mates over for a boys weekend. We're golfing on Friday, and fishing on Saturday. I've arranged to hire a 5.1m boat from Borowra Waters. I am planning on gunning it out through the Hawkesbury and South of Barrenjoey in search of pelagics and maybe some snapper and big flathead. So, I was thinking head out a mile or two at a couple of knots dragging lures, look for some structure on the sounder and drop some fresh baits down. Maybe if we spot some surface activity we could throw some plastics or some chrome lures into it and see what happens. The plan for the afternoon is to head up-river against the tide and flick plastics for flathead and bream. I am taking two types of commercially bought berley along with my berley bucket which I will use on all occasions. I have worked on charter fishing boats for two or three years now, but we run out of the Harbour and we bottom-bounce with very heavy gear, which I'm honestly not terribly interested in. I would like to perhaps jig for snapper or trawl slowly for some mack tuna or tailor.... Kingies if the Gods are shining upon us! Most of all, I would like to see my mates catch some decent fish. I know people are (quite rightly) very protective of their spots, but is there an area within 5nm of Barrenjoey that is productive? I have access to all the necessary gear short of down-riggers. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Glad to help mate. I picked up a 4-day a week gig in a factory while I started working on boats. It's not hard once you get a start to make $450 a weekend so long as you're willing to work both Saturday and Sunday. I do Friday night fishing trips sometimes if I have nothing better to do and earn $200 or so for 5 hours work. (I also like to live fairly well!) I don't know whereabouts in Sydney you are but I did my Coxswains at Northern Beaches TAFE behind Warringah Mall. I believe Ultimo TAFE also does Maritime Studies. My Coxswains cost me $700 - 800 dollars I think. A GPH might only be $200 - 300 but you'll have to check. Either way, you'll make that back quickly. Once you start working on a boat all future courses will be tax deductible. On that note, I deduct everything. And I mean EVERYTHING. I'm talking all my personal fishing equipment, bait, tackle, fuel, personal boat running costs, etc. So, all my earnings this year should be tax free! Good luck mate. Any more questions, let me know.

Hi Mike, I went through the same thought process as you are now about a year ago. I'd spent 10 or so years working in finance and decided I'd had enough. I was fortunate enough to be able to take a few months off work and attend TAFE to undertake a Coxswains course. This took 7 weeks full-time. You can, however, simply do the Deckhand course, called a GPH (General Purpose Hand). This can be done in two weeks I believe. Longer if you would rather do it part-time of an evening, or shorter still if you attend Sea School instead. Be aware that most boat operators look more kindly upon those who get their tickets through TAFE as it is more thorough. The course is interesting, and regardless of your experience level you will learn at least something. I myself learnt an awful lot. Remember, you MUST have at least a GPH in order to work on a commercial vessel. I found my first job working as a deckhand on a fishing charter vessel on gumtree. They were advertising for a Master 5 to skipper the boat. I sent through an e-mail explaining my background and got offered a trial run the following weekend as a decky. I still work on this boat. As others have said, it's not all sunshine and snappers.The starts are early and you WILL get your hands dirty. Expect to earn between $20 - $25 an hour initially. But it can also be very rewarding and is definately a nice change from sitting in an office 45 hours a week. I also work on a 75' luxury cruiser doing corporate cruises, buck's parties and the occasional 3-day trip. The money for this type of work is quite good, but the work is both casual and seasonal, obviously. I have had offers to drive water taxis and ice cream boats around the Hawkesbury River, so there is plenty of work around for the right type of person. I'm knocking back work most weeks. Water Taxis in particular are quite lucrative and the work is easy and pleasant. Coming from a mechanical background you'd be an excellent fit. As you say, a lot of your knowledge will translate well to marine engineering. You will work with lots of big diesels of course, which should be a walk in the park for you. Also pumps, valves, etc. You must be good with lines, or you must be willing to get good at them. I have heard of skippers kicking deckhands off boats at marina's for either failing to listen to instructions or pure incompetence while coming alongside a wharf or while berthing. If you listen and pay attention you should have no problem. There is a certain pride in working with an experienced skipper and springing a 80 tonne vessel onto a wharf in a 50 knot southerly. Oh, and I almost always come home with fish and/or beer in my bag. The first year or so you will need at least part-time work during the week to supplement your income from boats. Or be prepared to move home to your parents place! I have just accrued my hours as a deckhand in order to sit my Coxswain examination with Maritime. The money gets a lot better from here on and more options become available. My brother is a Tug Master with the largest tug company in Australia and let me tell you, he does very nicely thank you very much. And I mean very nicely..... and he works less than 6 months in the year. Any more questions, let me know.

Nice one, Slasher. I'm tied up the next two weekends but free most weekdays. Drop me a line whenever you like. Cheers, Justin.

Hi guys, Been lurking around here for a while, absorbing plenty of excellent info. I've just finished my Coxswains course at Northern Beaches TAFE and am looking to log some sea hours in order to undertake my oral exam. I'm a pretty keen fisherman too. I've been fishing on-and-off my entire 31 years, but would only consider myself competent. I've recently converted to SP's and braid, and am keen to get into some reef or off-shore fishing. I'm located in Dee Why but will travel anywhere within reason. PM or drop me a line on 0431 927 400. Regards, Justin Buchanan.