jgrant666

Thanks twinfisher - that's a good tip for the run back in with a noreaster! Do you know what the bottom is like around lion Island and also some of the closer inbreeding like esmerelda or the valiant? I haven't got a reef anchor yet and don't want to lose a sand one. I've seen a few boats anchor up off the NW of lion Island and was curious Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Thanks mate - exactly why i'm going to be doing baby steps in broken bay for starters, it's exposed to the ocean so I can get some experience navigating in swells then start to venture a bit further experience as I get more experience both with the boat and reading conditions :-)

Thanks mate, probably good advice. That would be my decision point closer to once the forecasts are a bit closer I'd reckon :-) As for the rest of your comments (much appreciated as always btw), I'll be more concentrating on drifting at this stage, as we've got bugger all experience with lures and no idea whether we're using the right ones, I figure to try and get ok at baits first before branching out into lures then we'll always have a fallback if we're having no luck casting/trolling lures. Our boat is a fibreglass 4.6m half cab, though not the deepest of Vs and seems a little top heavy. In my experience so far the wind has been much more of a factor than the current either when drifting or even just anchored (especially when the bimini is up!). Definitely safety first though, wanted to hit lion island again on Sunday but got to Barrenjoey and it looked bloody messy out in broken bay so gave it a miss.... Good info though on currents around the island & coastlines though - cheers! Your own swell limits sound like good starting points for me though which is what I'm after, as it'll influence where I launch - if it looks good then I'd probably launch from bayview which is a longer drive but closer to lion island or the closer in offshore reefs, but if it's a bit iffy looking then parsley bay or apple tree will probably be the go since you've got sheltered spots in cowan creek or the hawkesbury proper if broken bay tuns out to be messy. Pittwater itself seems to be way too busy with other boats to have much of a shot catching anything in really good weather hence would want to venture further out..... May have to try botany bay or the hacking soon though, since you seem to do pretty well down there

I was thinking that for Lion island at least as well as further out southerlies and westerlies could be a problem, especially westerlies for coming back in from outside....

Hi all! I've been doing a lot of reading on here and elsewhere on how to properly read wind wave & weather forecasts, and have come across a lot of good info. So far i've mostly played it very safe as I'm pretty new to boating & fishing, but I've not had much luck in the hawkesbury system so far and would like to try more around lion island with a view to moving a little further outside to some of the reefs just off broken bay and barrenjoey etc as I get more comfortable with the boat. So far I've just been checking willyweather, seabreeze and the BOM and sort of averaging across them to try and get an idea what conditions might be like on a given day on the weekend so I can plan my weekends accordingly. I've done pretty well so far (except last Sunday when the winds turned out to be WAY more variable in terms of both strength & direction than anywhere had predicted) for fishing the estuaries & protected waters but I'm way less confident with assessing how conditions might affect more exposed locations like round lion island. I'm keen to hear from experienced fellow raiders what sorts of conditions they'd regard as favourable for lion island & beyond, and what might be classed as red lines or no go days? It's early days yet for the forecasts for the weekend but today it's looking like about a 1m swell both days, Saturday winds around 10kts mainly from the NE and swell from the SE with a period around 8.5 seconds, Sunday winds looking like starting NE shifting to SE later in the morning and swell starting E shifting to SE and a shorter period of around 5s. High tide at 6am & 7am respectively so will be mostly a run out for the morning (lights on my boat aren't rigged up yet so I'd be launching at sunrise to maximise legal time on the water). Based on the above I'd be guessing that the combination of a run out tide and the winds coming from somewhere in the E would mean somewhat steep waves, but the saturday looking a bit better due to the longer wave period (less chop?) and the swell from the SE so should be protected a bit by barrenjoey head as opposed to Sunday where the combo of an easterly swell with a run out tide and easterly wind could be a bit rough? Obviously will have to watch how the forecasts evolve, especially once the BOM marine forecasts come into range (they only go as far as Friday today) but would appreciate people's reading of whether I'm on the right track and suggestions for the area

Cheers - have to make sure I've got an epirb by then then! Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

That's a stonkin great snapper, well done! Heading down that way later this year, roughly how far out would 35 fathoms be? Within site of shore? Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Yeah it sucked a bit, but I spose that's fishing and we're keen to try again. First time fishing an unweighted pilly so was glad to pick something up with it! Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Morning Raiders! Since we had a rare kidless weekend the mrs and I decided to spend it exploring pittwater, since she was on call and we needed to ensure we stayed within mobile range, plus I've never fished it before, even as a kid! Saturday morning we took out 2 friends who had been dying to come out on the new boat, managed to get to the ramp by about 6:30am (don't you just hate waiting for other people when you want to make an early start!). Decided to hit up the basin since it was pretty deserted, got a good mooring in close to the sandbank and a jetty. got a good burley trail going but after 2hrs only had a couple of very small juvenile snapper (plus plenty of pickers nickin' our bait). we had a mix of normal bream rigs (size 4 hook on a 50cm leader to swivel then a running sinker) plus a paternoster out with a mixture of squid, worms, and prawns for bait but no real luck. I was flicking a couple of different size squid jigs round the structures and over the flats too whilst I waited and hoped for something to grab one of our baits, but not even the squid were about. With no luck there we decided to try our luck drifting for flatties over the weed beds along barrenjoey beach. by this time the tide was well and truly on the run in. We were drifting about 200m off the beach in about 3m of water and did 2 slow passes right along 'joey beach but again no takers, saw a couple of other boats with the same idea but none of them seemed to be having much luck either! After a quick stop at palm beach boaties for a coffee (first time beaching the new boat so was a tad nervous!), the wind & swell looked favourable and it was a bit over an hour from the top of the tide so we decided to try our luck off lion island. Spent a good 2hrs drifting the southern side of the island, had 4 rods bottom bashing plus I'd rigged a pilly on a gang hook with no weight free floating. We'd had a few good solid bites but unfortunately both our passengers had lost their sea legs and by about the 3rd drift were helping with a nice 'burley trail' off the side of the boat . It must have helped as not long after the pilly goes off and I hooked into a nice tailor probably around the 40cm mark. Almost had him to the boat when the bugger bit me off! Oh well it was a good solid fight and loads of fun. My wife also managed to hook up a beautiful Crimson-banded Wrasse (thanks Raiders for the quick ID!) but we had to let it go as we had no idea what it was and didn't want to inadvertently take something protected or undersized. By now our passengers had suffered enough so it was back to the basin for lunch and a swim, plus a bit of time just chillin and listening to tunes whilst they found their stomachs again Decided to troll a couple of Lures on the way back to the ramp, and literally just as my wife was winding the last one in as we rounded the last sandbank a few hundred metres away from the bayview ramp - ZZZZZZZ! what looked to be a monster Tailor at least 60cms took off with the last lure. My wife put in a valiant effort but again unfortunately it bit us off just as it was nearing the boat. My wife loved the thrill though and we've learnt our lesson - next purchase will definitely be some wire traces! Next day sunday was just the two of us. After our Tailor near misses on Saturday we were very keen to try again so went via flick 'n fish in thornleigh hoping to grab some wire traces & snap swivels before setting out, but they were closed!!! They usually open 4:30am on Weekend mornings though I spose I can't blame the poor bloke for wanting a sleep in occasionally. The diversion had us miss the really early start we'd wanted but were still in the boat by 7am. Trolled a couple of lures round scotland island but no takes so decided to try for lion island. It became clear as we passed Careel bay though that the wind (which was blowing pretty strongly and swirling around from S to slightly NE but prevailing SE) and the chop were not going to be kind to us, and still being new to the boat decided that discretion was going to be the better part of valor so stayed in Pittwater. Found a nice little hole at the southern end of Portuguese Bay that was somewhat protected from the wind so anchored up but it was pretty pointless. the wind and current were both pulling strongly in opposite directions making it very hard to keep a bait down anywhere. We got jack of it after 45mins so pulled up and headed back into Morning bay and anchored in a sheltered spot off a ledge just inside off woody point. By now the wind had mostly settled into a sou'easter and being about 90mins out from the top of the tide the current had slacked right off so we started burley trail with the last of the day before's burley and had instant results. For the next hour and a half we pulled in at least 10 juvenile snapper, including a couple that were just under size (if only the DPI would let you off for 2~3cms!) and a few small bream as well, but still nothing legal. At the top of the tide we tried one last drift for flatties over the flats up the end of Morning Bay but no takers so we decided to call it a day. All in all a great weekend out on the water, despite dropping those Tailor and the otherwise just undersized fish. We're getting closer though and I'm sure it won't be long before we're finally putting something on the table that hasn't come from the local (and luckily very decent) fish monger at Top Ryde! Now we'll just need to decide if we launch at pittwater again next weekend since it's closer to Lion Island, or back to apple tree bay since the current is less there and the bays are sheltered if the weather doesn't play nice for us to get back out to the island / broken bay. Decisions Decisions eh?

Might’ve been a bit big for a livey, you mean fillet & salt it down? Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Awesome, thanks Tony! Speedy reply too :-) Seems we should have kept it, a quick google suggests they're decent eating Oh well live and learn.... Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Hi raiders, my wife caught this little fella drifting off lion Island today, have NO idea what it is, didn't look like anything in the dpi booklet or stickers???? We released it just in case it was a protected species or something, it almost looks tropical I reckon..... Will post a full fishing report tomorrow after we head out again in the morning but am curious if anyone knows what it is :-) PS sorry if this is in the wrong subforum Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Sikaflex did the trick thanks Roylo :-) transducer stayed put nicely and helped to put us onto a couple of good drop offs! Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

@pistolpete - I'm sure I felt a couple of leatherjackets mouthing the bait but couldn't manage to get one to bite, maybe hook size was still to big for them. We'll keep at em though! Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Oh and thanks @beginner, I started playing around more with lead and hooksizes, and it does seem to make a difference Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

So we managed a little better today! Started off just inside Jerusalem Bay, not much doing so after an hour we moved round into pinto Bay & anchored about 2 boatlengths off the sand flat. Got quite a few bites then my eldest noticed some squid chasing our baits so I rigged up a couple of squid jigs. I managed to land a good sized calamari which we'll be cooking up shortly. My eldest also hooked a couple of squid but dropped them near the boat, we'll have to practice some more. Also landed a couple of undersized bream & snapper By this time the tide had well n truly turned and was running out so we moved over to a spot off a little beach so the kids could have a swim. Whilst they were gone the missus and I landed a bunch more undersized bream and snapper. We may not have got to keep much but we all managed to land something at least this time out so everyone was happy, all in all a lovely way to spend a Sunday! Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Well done, great flatty ! :-) What sort of rig were you using when drifting danger Island? I assume ganged hooks for the pilly, any weight? Looks like you were closeish to the island on the eastern side? Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Thanks mate, nah we certainly won't be put off! Gonna hit up Cowan Creek tomorrow and see how we go round Jerusalem or yeoman's bays, if not much doing might try a drift for flatties in the weeds behind palm beach Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

@Locodave - is that for a boat or an aircraft carrier ?!?! Impressive work! Nah I don't have anything like that, it's an older boat and atm literally everything is running straight off the battery. Well I say everything but it's just the motor, power trim and sounder - the nav lights & cabin light weren't hooked up when I bought it........ That setup is pretty impressive but might be a bit of overkill in my case as all I really plan to run is the lights plus the sounder of course and maybe a stereo or VHF down the track. I figure a single combined basic 3 or 4 switch & fuse panel up front where all the gear is anyway will be sufficient for my needs? Not looking to spend a fortune since it's our first boat (and the missus might kill me!)

@Oz_Brett - Decided to take your advice and try and do some of the wiring myself! @amkr / Tastee Cleaned up the battery terminals with bicard & wire brush and they're looking much better now...... I'm curious though, on each terminal are 2 heavy contacts (the ones with the yellow sleeves in the attached pics) which I assume are for the power trim and engine starter, plus 2 smaller ones. One of those I would imagine is for the sounder but I've no idea what the other one would be for, and would rather not have to trace all of the cabling back from the engine to the driving console to find out! My aim is to install a simple triple switch & fuse panel, with one switch for the anchor/allround light, one for the red & green sidelights, and one for the sounder, cabin light, and possible future accessories like a stereo or marine radio. To save on running new cable do you think the existing cable that's there for the sounder would be sufficient to hold that kind of load if I just cut it and connected it as the input source for the switch panel, then ran a new cable from the required switch on the panel and connected it up where I'd cut the initial sounder cable? If not I'll have to bite the bullet and run a new source cable from the panel back to the battery

Sorry guys another query, what's the best method for cleaning battery contacts? Got a bit of corrosion probably from the bungs incident..... I think I read somewhere a bit of bicarb in some water and a wire brush? Also do you need a special jigsaw blade for glass? Gonna try mounting a fuse & switch panel for the accessories myself Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Will definitely check out the other post you mentioned tomorrow and consider it :-) Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Wow thanks mate, it's a fairly old boat so I'm not sure if it's plain glass or if it's got a layer of ply. Brand is sportsman craft but haven't been able to find much about it on google Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

That sounds like what I'm after, thanks mate. I'll try that first and if the sounder works well mount it permanently! Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk

Thanks guys, was hoping not to have to pierce Tue hull, but I suppose with liberal doses of sealant either side it would be ok I may still try an adhesive first though just to try and position it, I've yet to use it so not sure if the spot it was in was the right place? Any recommendations for something that would last a trip or two so I can test it before mounting permanently? Tastee - yes please do pm your local contact :-) Sent from my D6653 using Tapatalk