SquidMarks

I have just been doing some rsearch and im leaning towards the HDS7 Gen 2 Touch Combo without transducer or map. Now, picking a transducer. I could use the existing 83/200 transducer but then I have been looking around and there seems to be a grea option in the HDI transducers which sem to offer great functionality at a great price. For example: the Elite HDI 50/200/455/800KHZ T/M Transducer will give me 50/200hz beam for sounding and 455/800khz downscan for 279! (as opposed to a straight 50/200 transducer for roughly $225). does anyone see any issues with this transducer option?

Wow! i have a handful of old files which are just sitting there, i think you have inspired me to have a go!

nah.. i reckon he is waiting on the right reply..

that reminds me of a rodney rude joke.... it has a bit of swearing (being rodney rude!) but if your interested look up "rodney rude pensioner eats pelican"

Anyone with any experiences with the sounders that im looking at?

Sadly (<>) is no longer a sponsor. :/

Thanks for your feedback Daniel, that sort of feedback helps! Just realised that in my tired self, I have placed the greater than rather than the less than sign in the thread title

Hi guys, It seems that my Gen 1 Lowrance HDS5 has bit the dust after 8 years of use and its time to buy the next unit which will hopefully get me another 8 (or even more) years. Im trying to keep the budget under $1000. So far i have looked at only the Lowrance units (im looking at what i know). I have come up with: 1. HDS7 Gen 2 Touch Combo without transducer or map ( i have the 83/200 transducer already installed from the HDS5 but have no map as i only used the inbuilt map in the HDS5) <- breaks the budget by $30 dollars 2. Elite 7 CHIRP Combo 50/200/455/800kHz T/M T/D & XL9 Map (this will get me the Navionics gold map aus wide and a transducer which will get a bit more definition across the board but also in the offshore water which i occasionally fish, about 70M deep )<- on budget, $999 3. HDS-5 Fishfinder/Plotter Gen2 inc 50/200KHz T/M Transducer - no map (just swap it over into the preinstalled mounting bracket, install the 50/200 transducer and pocket around $350 in savings!) With the old HDS 5 i only used chart plotter and fish finder (i never utilised the networking features of the unit and did not have all the gear etc hooked up) so im wondering if i need a HDS again or should that money be better invested in other features. The only thing that draws me to the hds is the processor which is supposed to be more powerful over the elite series so the interface might be more responsive, also the botto lock feature is not availavble in the elite series so i heard. Im also willing to look outside the box and explore other manufacturers but i would be relying on word of mouth from the fishraider community to help me out here For example, i might have head a good thing or two about the raymarine dragonfly units, i could go for the: Dragonfly7 Sonar GPS w/CHIRP DualBeam Transducer + XL9 Map for $999. PS: If any site sopnsors have the units available for a comparative or better price then i would prefer to buy from site sponsors so please chime in via PM! thanks!

love it when the lure is bigger than the fish.

Bwahahhaha, some of these posts are gold! Keep em coming guys! i reckon we add to the post as we catch them. I have a story from overseas, we went to visit the family and they love whitebait, they catch whitebait using a fine net (3-4mm eye), anyways, we went with a uncle to go and grab some because they are great fried. So we ID a school and drop the net then start splashing around to scare the school into the net. We thought we caugh a whole bunch and when we pulled the net up there were barely a dozen! Well, the uncle starts cursing and and complaining and the following statement comes out "the damn size of the eye of the net is too large, that's the problem!" Me and my brother just burst out laughing.... their mentality is so different to fishermen in OZ, we asked him "dont you mean that the fish are too small?", he goes "nope, the problems in the size of the net".... no wonder they get excited when they catch anything over 40cm overseas.....

adamski, im guessing that's a trumpeter whiting?

never heard of a pyjama cuttle.. i thought the colouration/markings were that of a juvenile cuttle. Luckily it went back unharmed (i reversed the orientation of the jig and the bugger fell into the drink and swam off).

we talking moray, conger or freshwater eel here adamski?

Having been inspired by nickb111's report with the small tailor, i remembered a while back i caught a small specimen on a lure as well. I though for a bit of fun, lets see what your smallest catch has been to date. (im not talking about scooping plankton with mesh either, im talking about genuine catches which were meant for decent fish but the little buggers just about got too greedy!) I have attached my submission as an example: That there is a size 2.5 squid jig... greedy cuttle! (or as my wife calls em "cuddlefish")

and lets not forget a pair of waders as well Mrs Swordy! http://cdn.wideopenspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/A1funny-hilarious-ugly-people_zpsac914d81.jpg

Found one just for you Mrs Swordy! http://www.jacobimages.com/home/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Cordilleras_9862_7551.jpg

I haven't bought a mag in quite a while, though i was given a subscription as a present to modern fishing. The articles can be ok but as other have said, most are reruns of the same old. One thing that really irks me though is the new 'style' of photography with these fishing mags. here are some examples i found on the web... https://www.isubscribe.com.au/images/covers/au/32/122/xlarge/ModernFishing14815115721.png http://justmediakits.com/images.mediakit/0/fly_fishing_in_salt_waters.500.jpg http://www.americansamoa.travel/Websites/asvb/images/nz_fishing_news_january_2012_cover.jpg http://www.fishing-lures.us/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/bassmaster-fishing-magazine.jpg I understand we as fishermen (and women!) can brag about the one that got away and are known to add a couple of cm to our catch, but these wide angle photography sessions are really bugging me. Im seeing sub 30cm bream being presented as monster fish and 50cm flatties being thrown forward full arms length to make it look like a croc... Maybe its just me, the photos i take of the fish i catch (pb) all have a label of the date and size of fish with the photo taken with the fish being held comfortably in front of my chest or a side on profile. In fact, if the photo looks like the fish is massive, i tend to remove it from my own list as its not a recollection of the memory i have had catching the fish. Now, THIS photo is what i would like to see in fishing mags! https://saltwaterjaws.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/salt-water-sportsman.jpg Nice, side on photo, no exaggeration (the subject holding the piscatorial specimen was not a determining factor in the choice!)

Thanks Fab1, that helped! Yeah Welst, i came up with that as well but it was a bit hard to figure out the position when you dont know the landmarks people are referencing to!

Im willing to be the guinnea pig here and try out the bommie theory but i just a clarification, when he says 'behind' the bommie. is he talking seaward side or the shallow, calm inner side?

Only problem is i didnt reply or post in that original thread so i cant find it that way

Hi guys, Im hoping someone can help me here, Im looking to do a bit of fishing on the weekend and was going to try out the supposed reefs in south west arm. I remember a post a while ago where a member asked a similar question and got a reply with a google map image and a circle for location, I cant find that post anywhere after searching for 2 hours now! if anyone can help me out with the post, or if your timid, pm me the spot/spots I would appreciate it! thanks!

That alvey is not only serviceable, you could end up fishing with that thing all your life and then passing it on to your kids!

Sorry for the late reply stephan, i mostly squid outside the heads but inside i find the same thing (afternoon going into evening). My tactic is different, i use 3.5 size jigs and go as close to the bottom as possible (snagging weed every now and then is a good indicator that you are in the right depth zone). I drift across weed beds and rarely wind in, the drift does most of the work, all i do is impart a twitch, jig every now and then. Good luck and let me know how you go!

Nice work on the squid mate. I find i catch most squid in the afternoon session leading up to darkness (after dark it dies down).

how long is 'super long'? that way we might be able to guide you in the right direction.