Grug85

Awesome! Someone needs to open the pens once the fish hit 65cm lol

Hi Scratchie, can you fish around the Kingfish pens?

Cheers mate, awesome app! I noticed the free subscription temperature map id dated 19/12, does a paid subscription give more up to date temps?

Cheers Raymondo, what app is that?

Anyone been out to the Terrigal or Broken Bay FAD's yet? Thinking about having a look on Saturday. Wondering if there have been any reports of dollies out at the fads yet yet or any action out wider? Any recent updates on water temp, currents etc out there would be much appreciated! Cheers, Craig

Is that a Pike in the middle? Any good to eat? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Snapper Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome this has been a long time coming, I will check it out! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well done mate! Do you mind me asking where abouts in broken bay you get them. I have tried for squid a couple of times in pittwater / broken bay for nothing! I cant seem to get them anywhere except terrigal haven!

All I have to say about gumtree is be very weary, I know quite a few people who have been scammed! Sorry I can't help u with the boat info Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There has been a few sightings over the years... bull sharks and even great whites. Just google 'tuggerah lake shark'! they have been a few sightings at canton beach, nothing stopping them moving further up towards budgewoi, hard to imagine what else could spool you like that

Thanks mate. The formosa is my mates boat, I wish it was mine! I have an old 4.5m savage scorpion runabout with a 50hp mercury so I can only get out to the FAD's if the conditions are right. I'm hoping to get out in my boat next Sat but waiting on weather reports, fingers crossed. With baby number 2 on the way I fear my few 'leave passes' will soon diminish! lol

Shark maybe?

Headed out from Terrigal on Australia Day with fellow raider 'strike zone' (Glen) in his boat along with another one of his mates. Plan was to hit the Terrigal FAD to try for some dollies and then head out a bit wider to do some trolling for marlin. Got down to the ramp at about 6.30am and like others have said, surprised to see only a few trailers. We launched the boat and set course for the FAD, it was bit choppy early on with the 10knot wind but the forecast wasn't predicting much of an increase. The ocean smoothed out about 5 mile out and we arrived at the FAD just after 7am, there was only 1 other boat out there. The water was very blue and about 23 degrees. We pulled out the light gear (6-10kg rods with 4000 reels) and started drifting past the FAD with pilchards and squid. Several drifts and half an our or so passed with no action at all, it was very quiet. We passed the other boat and asked if they had any luck, they said they manged half a dozen small dollies (70cm) on bait before we arrived but the last hour it had gone quite. We persisted for another half hour or so for nothing. The other boat had started trolling skirts past the FAD when all of a sudden they hooked up, after about a 15 min fight and several impressive jumps they landed a nice dollie that went 120cm. We decided to switch to the marlin gear and pull some skirts as well. Trolled for about half an hour around the fad with no luck, the other boat had left so we decided to troll south to the Broken Bay FAD and see if we could pick up anything along the way. We came across some traps on the way which we marked. Took us about an hour to get to the BB FAD, we trolled around for a while and still no luck with the skirts. We switched back to the light gear and started drifting past the FAD with bait. After about 45 mins of nothing 3 rods loaded up which produced 3 small dollies (60-70cm), finally some action we thought! But just as quick as they came on they went off again, another half hour of drifting for nothing! We decided to head back to the traps we marked earlier and try some baits around them. We had done a few drifts between the traps with no luck, one of our drifts was a bit off line so Glen said "leave the baits in the water and I'll slowly motor the boat over onto a better line". I had just finished saying '"wouldn't it be funny if something smashed the bait while we were moving" when we saw 3 or 4 big dollies following closely behind our baits then bang, one of the rods buckled and reel started screaming! I grabbed the rod, tightened the drag and immediately new this was a good fish! It put on a great show with 3 or 4 big jumps off the back of the boat but on the light gear with 6-10kg rod and 20lb braid this fish was certainly dictating terms. Every time I got it close to the boat it took off again, but finally after about a half hour battle the fish was in the boat! She went 126cm and 9.5kg, only my second ever dollie and certainly one I will never forget! not quite the raider record but good for second place. After several high fives and cracking a beer we headed straight back to the traps in the hope that the others we saw following the baits were still there. We swapped all the baits to whole squid and started slow trolling through the traps. Sure enough on the first pass one rod buckles and starts screaming, from the 2 or 3 big jumps we could see this one was the same size if not bigger and then snap! busted the leader. Given the size of these dollies we decided to quickly swap to the marlin gear before they disappeared! In our haste to get the lines back in the water we completely forgot about leaders and attached the hooks straight to the main line... rookie mistake. On the next pass we hooked up again, this time it went deep and after about a minute...snap, gone, bit straight through the line. At this stage we realised we had forgotten the leader, we added 100lb to all the rods and went again. About an hour went by with nothing, just like before they were gone as quick as they came! We thought about chucking the skirts back on and giving them ago but with one in the kill tank and 3pm fast approaching we decided call it a day. As we packed up the gear we noticed another boat heading in from out wide trolling skirts heading in our direction, they saw us and the traps and changed course to run through the traps. Sure enough on their second pass they hooked up a big bull. It put on a spectacular aerial display and after about 10 mins pulled it on board. We motored over for a closer look and this thing was a monster, based on the size of our one I reckon it would have gone close to 150cm. Kinda spewing we didn't give the skirts a go but at least we got our fish. These guys said they had been trolling out wide all day for nothing so they were stoked to pick this up on the way in, I wonder if it was fellow raider? All in all a great way to spend Australia Day, thanks again Glen for taking us out, it was a trip I will never forget. Now I have got the bug I cant wait to get out there again in my boat! Here are a couple more pics... Cheers, Craig

Anyone been out to the FAD's lately? Heading out to Terrigal FAD in the morning, wondering if the Dollies are around?

Well done mate, nice feed there. Whats the story with those 'spiky flatties'? I pulled a few up last time I was out, covered in spines (mainly all over and around the head), I had never seen them before. Chucked them back cause I didnt know what the deal was with them.

UPDATE So I received the replacement and it free spools no dramas, there was definitely something wrong with the original causing it to bind. Thanks for the ideas and advice. On another note anyone got suggestions on how to permanently attach the handle? It freaks me out having it loose, knowing me I will lose it or forget it rendering the winch useless and me red faced!

Thanks Holls. I was thinking yakka or slimies. I know that inlet, have fished there in previous trips. I was thinking of using the ramp on the north, looks like more parking available. Is there much difference between the two ramps? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for that Traktor. I use the Navionics app as well, its bloody awesome! I did notice a few marks on there so I will give them a go (its annoying that the marks disappear when you zoom out, have to do a lot of panning around to find them). Didn't know the marine rescue app has marks, I will check it out. Good to hear you were getting fish anywhere and everywhere, looks like there are plenty of drops and peaks in the area to try. To say I am keen is a massive understatement! Thanks again

Thanks for the info mate Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Also any advice on where to catch livies! Cheers

Hi All, I am heading down to Mollymook for 2 weeks after Christmas and taking the boat down for the first time to launch from Ulladulla. Keen to target Snapper and summer pelagics on the inshore reefs around Ulladulla in anywhere from 15-70m of water. Anyone who knows the area well care to share any tips or gps marks? I know there are several posts up here with marks but im having trouble working out which ones are easily accessible from Ulladulla and what species to target or techniques to use at each. Thanks in advance, Craig

Some nice fish there mate! I am heading down to Mollymook myself for 2 weeks after Christmas, taking the boat for the first time and keen to head outside from Ulladulla. Any tips on where to target the snapper? keen to fish the inshore reefs anywhere from 15-70m, any marks you are willing to share would be very much appreciated!

Hi Ric, Yeah I figured the weight off the boat would be enough to get it off the trailer when launching. Like you said I was more concerned about retrieving and getting a bit of extra length off if needed, dont want be running up to the winch to wind it off each time! I spoke to the manufacturer today and they said it should free spool easily when lever is released, they are not sure how/why it is seized straight out of the box but they are sending me a new one for free so I'm happy with that! They dont even want the original back.... gotta love aussie companies with good customer service and a 'no probs' attitude! Lets hope the new one works lol Cheers, Craig

Thanks for the responses guys. Blood knot - Definitely not a brake winch. Antonywardle - Definitely not on backwards NaCIH2OK9 - I will upload some photos in the next couple of days, the boat is at my brothers house at the moment. I have attached the image form the website for now. I am also waiting to hear back from the manufacturer to see what they have to say! Cheers