Scratchie

Thanks for fattening them up! I could do with a few decent snapper! Haha 😂

That is awesome! I’m very happy that you were rewarded for your efforts. As I said earlier that it’s a lot of waiting but the wait is always worth it! well done and congrats 👏 cheers scratchie!!!

Awesome video guys! The laughing, the comments, the fishing awesome! Then swordy calls himself “the squid master” 🤣🤣🤣 I could think of a few other names lol 😝 Great work gents. Good to see you both catch up and brain them!! cheers scratchie!!!

Haha! Your not wrong Adam, they were bloody good eskys 🤣🤣🤣 Mate, just another adventure we’ve shared and another fisherman’s tale to tell in the years to come. Your right, let’s hope the next one is about the fish, maybe whiskers 😉

I actually had a canvas not marlin on the wall. The wife relegated it to the garage. I hope whiskers brother doesn’t receive the same fate! 😩 Not really enough room to mount 4 spearos but I’ll ask! 🤣🤣🤣

They were there for about 30-45mins they reckon. Scary alright 😬

That’s awesome Zoran. I too have spent the week looking at my safety gear. I’ve just installed a new VHF radio, got together all my flares, epirb etc and about to purchase myself a grab bag before my next trip! I also been fortunate enough to be contacted by the owner of Dometic, and will receive free products and the famous floating esky free of charge. I always wear a life jacket as I’m not a strong swimmer but do remove it for the occasional photo 😉 I hope all you raiders go and have a look at your safety gear because you never know when you’ll need it and you want it in good working order when you do! cheers scratchie!!!

We troll one about 40m and run a dredge about 20m behind the boat and sit another livie about 5-10m behind that.

Good site aye!!! Throw up a few questions and get some very experienced responses! 🤙🤙🤙

Firstly welcome to the site! Your definitely on the right track. A rule of thumb for trolling....... Live bait 2 knots Skip bait 4 knots Deep divers 6knots Skirts 8 knots These are a general maximum speed you should troll at. If you are finding bait in those locations then without a doubt I’d be trolling live bait. This time of year there are a lot of smaller inshore blacks and stripes. Like with all game fishing it’s a patience game. 95% waiting for 5% mayhem! Keep at it and your time will come. Hope that helps. cheers scratchie!!!

https://www.nbnnews.com.au/2021/01/19/four-fisherman-two-eskies-and-one-remarkable-rescue-at-port-stephens/ Here is the footage that appeared on the news tonight!

It will feature on channel 9 and NBN news tonight! Fishraiders rule 🤙

I heard from the lads today and they are all doing well. They are still a little bit shocked at the events that unfolded but are so grateful that they had the right safety equipment at hand. Apparently the insurance company have advised them that they are not salvaging the boat at this stage. So I’ve named the new reef “THE ESKY”. And there’s only six of us that know the location. 🤣🤣🤣 cheers scratchie!!!

I always seem to be at Broughton Island 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣

Those life cells are amazing. They hold everything you need and are a sort of floatation device themselves. I have looked into them properly yet, only the one I seen first hand. But I will definitely be investing in one!

@zmk1962and @GoingFishing We were racking our brain all day and surmised that they had cracked the hull or they’ve had a malfunction of their bungs. They definitely didn’t leave the plugs out and they made it from shoal bay to Broughton Island with for people on board and a load of spear gear. Why there was no flotation in the boat is definitely sketchy but that’s not for me to comment. The important message is that they were well prepared for an emergency and they got home safely!

Thanks for all the comments raiders. It’s certainly an experience that I’ll never forget. I’m sure you all would have done the same thing if you were in the same position. The fact that these guys were well prepared certainly highlights the need for boating safety on the water and to be prepared for anything. They had a life cell, epirb that they activated and flares. As well as life jackets. Here is a write up by Newcastle Herald.... https://www.newcastleherald.com.au/story/7089316/lessons-to-be-learnt-four-men-praised-for-carrying-safety-gear-after-boat-sinks-off-hunter-coast/ As for the reason why it sunk is a mystery. I would have thought it would have some floatation required too 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY!!! cheers scratchie!!!

G’day raiders, Had a very eventful day with @Spearer1 The plan was to chase some snapper early then once the sun come up high, go marlin fishing. Started out with a fair lump of swell but managed an ok drift. My mate came up tight to a pannie and the drift start improving. A heap more cast and time to move. As we were making our way to the second spot, we could see a light ahead in the choppy waters. Thinking it was another boat we maintained course and then realised that it wasn’t a light but a flare. We hastily made our way over to find 4 POB’s in the water hanging on to two eskys. All wearing a life jacket. They looked pretty calm but you could tell they had been through an ordeal. We asked “where’s your boat?” To which they replied “down there about 26 meters. So we now, call marine rescue, had to deal with phone calls from NSW Search and Rescue as they had activated their epirb. Lent them a phone to call home. Then we proceeded to take them to Esmeralda Cove to drop them off, so the Westpac rescue chopper could send a paramedic down to access them. And marine rescue was on the way to pick them up! Once we knew all was in place we headed off to continue our fishing. They were very lucky lads and they said their boat went down in only 30 seconds. It was a 2019 Formosa. What saved them was the life cell they had and managed to throw it overboard as they tipped over. It had their epirb and flares which ultimately got our attention. Very lucky lads indeed. We only moved because the fish weren’t biting in one spot and I wanted to show my mate a new area. We pushed on with the day hoping that Karma would return us a marlin but I think every boat other than ours got one! So we left with our tail between our legs but our journey today was obviously not about the fishing! Then on the way home we seen another boat in tow by Marine rescue, who noticed us and gave us a thank call on the way past. Its been a big day and I’m ready for a good sleep! Please be safe on the water raiders and make sure you have all the safety gear. In this instance it saved 4 lives! cheers scratchie!!!

Sounds like an eventful day KC. Those wobbegong have the deadliest teeth and I’d rather it bite the net than my hand! The bloke you helped was rude and your right, will have a bit of karma coming his way soon. The skutes you made look pretty good. But I’d go with more natural tones and see how that goes! At least you got out mate! cheers scratchie!!!

Great stuff Rev. Always nice when a plan comes together. Everyone gets a feed and you get another pass to take the lads out again! Well done 👍 cheers scratchie!!!

Great stuff mate! Fabulous report and congrats on the new records! cheers scratchie!!!

Good fish brother! It’s about the only beach this time of year you can find a spot. Lucky it’s 39 kilometres long haha! And you certainly picked a good spot 🤙 well done on the PB Cheers scratchie!!!

Wow! Some great lizards there mate! cheers scratchie!!!

Wow, now that’s a report Sam. Well done to the both of you. Unlucky on the marlin but what a cracking blue eye and congrats on a PB @zmk1962 Sam, you seem to have an uncanny ability to meet up with raiders and for them to pull a “rabbit out of a hat” haha 😂 cheers scratchie!!!

Nice work Bob. Great for you to share your time and knowledge on the water. And isn’t it good to see the prolific return of the kingfish right up and down the East coast. My last 3 trips, the kings were that thick you could walk on them! They kept stealing my plastic before the snapper got the chance! Grrrr. But still fun all the same! Good luck with the chores and the next leave pass! cheers scratchie!!!