Captain Spanner

I don't have it in my boat but have seen a lot of different types around yards and pools. Some get slippery, some get hot, some will have a rubber type backing and trap moisture underneath. Some will be softer, thicker, thinner, sharper. All thing to think of. And some may give blisters/cuts standing on them in wet feet all day. I have removable heavy duty marine carpet cut to the template of the floor with enough upturn on the sides and holes cut for the seat pedestals. I now have a layer of foam tiles underneath the carpet and a double layer of the foam under the driver and passengers feet. It makes it all much more comfy for driving and all day. And also a lot quieter when people drop things like sinkers on the floor, or a recently caught Jewie tries to morse code his friends while you are taking the hook out on a quiet night. To clean it I can lift the seats off, pull it out and hose, gerni, scrub, soak, whatever. Then hang to dry. It normally only needs a hose, drag across the wet lawn, hose and pour the leftover suds from washing the boat and hang to dry. And that is with pilchards stepped into it.

I just wear lightweight long pants that are like a quick dry material, wetsuit boots and keep my top half warm and dry. But if you do go for waders I would suggest as a minimum you wear a manual inflatable pfd to pull the second you get knocked over and if at night it wouldn't hurt to have a glow stick around your neck so your mate can find you in the shore break. Not many people would be able to swim in a shorebreak in waders full of water.

My trip to Orange has been cancelled so i will have to have a crack next time.

Which day are you going? I don't know Port Kembla but if are going on Saturday and you guys get crook i would probably stick to the Port Hacking tomorrow with the predicted southerly winds and swell. If Sunday then you could try down there. But if you head outside and someone gets crook and you want to come inside to fish then there are more options heading in and out of the Hacking. You could head out of the Port Hacking and head south around Jibbon or as far as you feel like and come home with the chop behind you if you pull the pin. It will be lumpier around the bommie and the cliffs than further out. Another option would be to head straight out from the Port Hacking until you get to 30m depth and look for a current line. Drift for flathead with paternoster rigs. If you dont get bites within 5-10 minutes or you are only getting undersize flathead then drive out to 40m depth and try there. This can be repeated as far out as you like but it gets a bit more work winding up once you hit 60m depth. You will find that the flathead are hanging in schools of similar sized fish.

Does anyone have any advice on the above question. I will probably head up next weekend.

Hi guys, I am probably heading up to Orange a weekend or so before the June Long Weekend and my brother in-law has suggested we head down to Lake Canobolas for possibly a little fish for a couple of hours while the kids run around. Can anyone give me some advice on species, gear, techniques so i have a chance at getting a fish. I have read the little bit of info on it and it says that it has trout, redfin, yellow belly, Murray Cod etc. I am assuming that this means these species are in the lake but not necessarily straight forward to catch anything. I am a saltwater fella normally so i do not have much of an idea in the fresh but happy to give it a crack. I would prefer to have a go at a trout but if you guys think that they will be a low percentage to zero chance, especially with a short fishing window in the middle of the day and no fresh water or local knowledge then any tips on higher percentage options would also be appreciated. Thanks

You just needed to set the alarm for 3:30 instead of 4am and fire up the leaf blower to clear a path to get the trailer out

Probably the cable. Be careful not to force or bend the cable when replacing it or it will be stiff and put pressure further up the line and break other stuff like the worm screws and stuff in the helm.

From looking at the rods i think the Prevail might be more durable, especially the guides from a corrosion point of view but i have not have had any problems with any of my aerowaves. I may get a prevail in the future. My mate said he has the new Catana 1062 4-7kg and the older 902 6-8kg. He said it they would handle large tailor, salmon, rats and jewies on an open beach. I think these rods would all easily cast the weights you are talking about. the Catanas will be lighter in the hand to spin with but wont be as ballsy fighting larger fish/sharks/rays, or casting heavier baits.

I haven't seen a daiwa sandstorm in real life but they get mixed reviews online. I would walk into a shop and pickup all of the Penn prevails that are around the length you want and see which one feels like it will best suit your purpose. They have a in the 9-11' range, all 2 piece. They are really nice rods, especially for their price. Also look at the new (white ones with K-Series Guides) Shimano Aerowave Graphite rods. They are 3 piece and come in 9'6", 11' and 12' around the weight range you are looking at. I have an older 12' heavy composite and a new 13' heavy graphite and they are both great rods for the money. Once again pick them all up in the shop and feel the weight and action. The Revolution Coastal Range also has nice rods but the action might not suit you in your chosen size. I have a mate that loves the Catana beach rods in the size that you are looking at and they are also nice for a cheap rod. They have saved the money on the guides with those i think. Some of the Daiwa Sensor Surfs are nice and some just feel a little out of balance. They are probably out of that budget but i don't think you need to go there unless you love them. My advice in short, walk into a shop and start with the Prevails and the Aerowaves and see which one you like the feel of. Even take your reel or ask the shop guy to stick a reel like yours on it if you are wondering about the balance. If you have your reel with line on it he might let you thread the line through to feel the action if you want. Worth asking. Good luck

The bungs may be an issue but dont forget that even if they are perfect, water in your boat can also come from above; rain, spray, splash, overflowing bait tank etc. Those rivets don't look promising.

I was considering getting a pair of blue mirror for more Bluewater applications fishing all through the middle of the day because I thought the grey base might be easier on the eyes but I tried a pair out in the water recently and they seemed even brighter than mine and a more yellow colour. I don't know what base they were on but you would assume grey. I only had them on for 30 seconds and it was the middle of a sunny day. I think you will get used to whatever you have. I do think that after a long day in bright sun and glare your eyes feel a bit cooked with the green mirror and copper base but you can see well. A different colour might be better for theee conditions but I only own and wear the one pair

I think the situation you were in is a difficult one anyway and even more difficult by yourself. I think the landing and getting the fish up the rocks problem is all part of it. I'm not one of them, nor have i seen it done much, but I think the guys that catch alot of big fish off the rocks and are good at it probably somehow control the fish to a more convenient part of the wall for landing. They may do this by fighting it from a different angle on the wall or by letting the fight go on a little longer out wide from the wall and wearing it out while it is still a safe distance out from the wall so they can guide the tired fish up or down the wall a little bit before it is thrashing around at their feet in an inconvenient spot. I also think that sometimes conditions wont let you have any control over this and there is not necessarily going to be a safe or easy way to do it. I think a long handled gaff is the best option. While they are a bit cumbersome and not easy to carry while you fight a fish, you still have some control over the end of it. I'm not sure how well a traditional cliff gaff would work on a breakwall as they seem to be more designed to drop down a tight vertical line pull up fish vertically. On a breakwall you are not directly above the fish so you cannot lower the cliff gaff down the main line to the fish in the same manner you would on a jetty or tall vertical/overhang cliff. So essentially you would be sending it down your line on an angle like a flying fox and hoping for the best and then having a similar problem of having your cliff gaff rope washed/tangled in the rocks as your line was, once the fish is washed into the rocks by a wave.

I have the Green Mirror 580G Costas and the image is very clear and the lenses are super scratch proof. I used to have the 580P lenses but they eventually became too scratched and ratty and i think sometimes sunscreen can delaminate one of the layers on the lenses. The frames are a little more comfortable on my head than my spotters, which are an older model and not quite as scratch proof (I think the new spotters lenses are more scratch proof now). I also find that the lenses in my Costas give less funny colours at different angles than my spotters and are generally better for reading digital (LCD style) screens. I think Costas are pretty light for glass lenses too. My sunnies are more low light lenses, with a copperish tinge but i wear them all day everyday. If you want a darker lens then you should probably look more at the grey end of the colours than the reds, coppers and yellows. I find that while my lenses make colours brighter they really do cut through glare well. Cutting Glare with good polarisation is a different thing to just having a dark tint that lets less light through. I am not sure which Maui Jims you looked at but the ones i have looked at in the shops have super thin and strong glass that feels lighter than plastic and is meant to be very strong and scratch resistant. They are lighter than the Costas i have tried and owned. I am not sure about Maui Jims as my friends haven't broken theirs yet but both Costa and Spotters have very good after sales service from my experience.

I have had a couple of pairs of spotters and Costas. I prefer the costas. I have friends with Spotters and also with Maui Jim's. I tried out some Smiths when picking my costas. They were also very good. I think all of these brands are good and it comes down to personal preference. I would get glass lenses if you can afford them and as mentioned the photo chromatic lenses don't really work in the car or under canopies, in cabins as the lens is shaded but you at looking out to bright stuff.

I don't know the Okuma Rod but can recommend the Aerowave. Just remember that being having a higher recommended/maximum casting weight often means the rod has a heavier/stiffer tip to be able to do so. This is often the tough balance in finding a good Jewie Rod that will cast the big baits and control the fish but have a soft enough tip for the bites/takes.

That's ripper. Great work guys. It sounds like you went there well prepared for what you were after.

Nice work. It makes all of those extra bits of time and effort worth it.

I have a cheaper funnel shaped one. We fish in a 4.7m (about 15 foot) FG half cab and I bought one for a 23 foot boat. It slows me down much more than my old one that was the recommended size for my boat. I use it for any type of drifting where i am wind affected. I have about 1.5 to 2m of rope from the drogue attachment point to a stainless steel swivel. To the top side of the swivel i have the middle of a doubled over rope looped on. Sliding on this between the swivel and a choke (stainless steel ring that has the double rope fed through twice like a cats paw) i have a foam ball of the size you would have on a crab trap (grapefruit size). The float stops the drogue/swivel sinking to the bottom when the wind stops or if the drift goes funny and rope goes slack. From the choke the two ends of the rope run about 10m long and each have a loop to put over the cleat. The double rope allows for a bridle setup, which gives more control over stability and drift angle/steering etc. The length of each rope can be changed by either sliding the choke or by tying each end of the rope a different length to each corner cleat or to a different part of the boat to modify drift angle. One or both ropes can also be tied of the front anchor bollard if that direction is preferred. I haven't used a parachute style one but have been interested. My stiching has stared to fray a bit where the webbing is attached to the funnel/tarp material, It is about 2-3 years old.

Don't overlook Currarong (technically north of Jervis Bay). As this list is long it may not appear helpful but it is all valid.Pretty much anywhere from Bendalong down to Pretty Beach (South of Bawley Point). A few places in between in rough north to south order: Manyana, Cunjurong Point, Lake Conjola, Narrawallee, Mollymook, Ulladulla (there are a few beaches), Burrill Lake, Lake Tabourie, Bawley Point, Kiola, Merry Beach. Pretty much most of these will have beach and rock fishing options within walking distance of some type of accommodation, often a choice of caravan park (with camping to cabins) or residential type houses. I know that the options continue pretty similar the whole way down the coast but this list is the extent of places i have actually spent any time down there. Hopefully JonD will weigh in on this for you.

I got an alloy solas prop for my 90HP suzuki 4 stroke and paid about the same price as you are looking at. The prop has been good and service was great from Solas. I got it delivered.. The alloy props are pretty soft and do get chipped easily but are much cheaper than stainless as you can see. I got given a 19"prop with my new motor and it had great trouble getting on the plane with any weight in the boat. It was fine if i only had 2 people and not much gear but it still had no hole shot in rough conditions. They reckon that you get better performance from a stainless prop due to a number of reasons relating to them being stronger, stiffer, thinner, sharper but i don't think for my application that this would be noticeably worth it. I went to a 17" prop and the boat pops out alot quicker and easier. I just have to be careful as you can now redline (rev out) the motor if you trim it right out at full throttle. I have also lost 1 - 2knots top end speed. I still just get 30 knots on flat water. This is still a much better result than not being able to take off or get on the plane under load. I can also pull a 100kg bloke up on a wakeboard with 2 passengers. I couldn't even get on the plane with 2 passengers with the 19" prop.

Upgrading your rodholder is a good idea and I noticed that too but weren't sure how super heavy you will fish. If you are going to get excited and put holes in your boat and upgrade your rodhder, is there the possibility of putting another angled rodholder in closer to the back and bolting the downrigger (or preferably a base that allows you to remove the downrigger when not in use) over the top of where the existing rod holder goes in. It will depend on what is und r the gunwhale in that area.

I used wet & dry on one of my aluminium spools after it had a fight with a breakwall and it worked fine. Doesnt look new but is smooth and functional. Casts fine and no damage to braid. That was on an 8000 spool so 30lb and 50lb line will be less effected than what 4lb or 6lb may be. It would also depend how deep your scratches are obviously.

You may be able to get away with that. I used to run mine similar with a longer rod reaching over the back of the downriggger from the front holder but i had to use a 7'6" rod to do this and that isn't always what i wanted to do so i changed my system. You had to keep an eye on where the downrigger line and the fishing line were, especially when turning. I never ran over them but it would be a possibility. It depends how long the rod is and when the boat is stationary and the bomb is hanging directly below the end of the downrigger and the line goes straight from the rod tip to the clip. I think that rear corner rod holder is slightly angled out to the side isn't it so the line may miss the corner of the pod and end of the downrigger. You need to make sure that the line from the rod tip never touches or tangles on the end of the downrigger, or touches the pod (platform on the back of the boat). To start with I would be tempted to run the downrigger on a rail mount on the driver's side towards the back end of that grab rail (where the swivel rod holder base is attached in the photo) and have the rod in the rear holder. You could consider angling the downrigger back at an angle instead of sticking square out the side but this may require some modified or additional attachments. This means you wont have to drill any holes in your boat. It will be removable then which is a plus, it may not look as pretty. I know the 1050 has a base plate that the downrigger easily slides in and out of, does the 1085 have the same system? Having the downrigger on the drivers side makes it easier to jump back and forth from the wheel to the downrigger to wind it up.

People might be able to give you a bit better ideas if you are able to put up some photos of your boat. You also need to think about where the rod is going to sit in relation to the downrigger and how the line from the rod will clear obstructions and the strength of the rod holder. I have two gunwhale rod holder on each side. I run the scotty 1050 down rigger in the front one with the arm sticking out the side and the rod in the back corner rod holder. I have extended the line for the release clip so it reaches from where the bomb sits in the vertical position to the line of the rod tip over the back of the boat so that i minimise line blowback and everything runs straighter. I wouldn't use the rod holders that come on the scotty for kings unless you have alot of spare outfits, thhose holders aren't strong enough.