frankS

Noel. Doesn't look like me ever getting the ETec back on the water so thought it about time I done something with this oil. Might put it on Buy and sell and see if there is any response . 1/2 price should attract someone ?. Frank

Yes mate that's what I keep telling myself. When I go to the bay I think maybe I should have gone to the Hacking and vice versa. Frank

Went out to Port hacking to target Squid. Got on the water at 6am and headed for Jibbon point/beach got 1 cuttle fish there and that was it, headed up to SWA and got 1 squid once again a loner and a lot of hard work, from there went up to Gymea bay baths and got 1 more loner so worked my way back to the point for yet another loner. Got the boat back on the trailer around 2pm and nackered, a hard days night for 3 lousy squid and a cuttle fish. Anyhow still had a great time on the water . Frank

I think it's just the epoxy discolouring. Frank

Do you want to meet me at the ramp at 6am and come fishing ?. Frank

I have a couple of questions. I have approx. 17 ltrs of XT100 left over from my Etec days, it's been about 6 years since I used the ETec and the oil has been sitting around in the shed gathering dust. First question, Does outboard oil go off with time if not used particular the xt100 ?. Question 2 IF the oil does not go off, could I use it in my 30hp Mercury 2 stroke 1998 mod and if so would I use it at 50/1 like normal 2 stroke oil OR would I use it at 100/1 like I did with my ETec 90hp ?. The Mercury normally runs 50/1. Any help would be very much appreciated. Frank

Going to try Port hacking river tomorrow. Just after some squid and maybe a few jackets, launch from Wonga rd about 6am and take it from there. Frank

Ojay. Fantastic report and great video. You done well to land that fish, new gear christened and looks like you were pretty happy . One tip though, get a deck hose, washing blooded tuna like that can lead to disaster. Remember once I done it and a approx. 3 metre Tiger shark decided it wanted the fish for dinner, almost took me with it. Frank

I'll go with juvenile Pennant Fish, the black blotch on the base of the Dorsal fin gives it away for me. Frank

You all look like you are enjoying yourselves . But not for me Once it gets below 20 C I start covering up and whinge about the cold, although I do enjoy fishing for hairtail in Winter. Thanks for sharing with us and they are great photos. Enjoy. Frank

As I stated in another thread. I made up a couple of paternoster rigs using 0.8mm stainless steel M I G wire with small 14 long shank hooks, just put a tiny piece of prawn or any form of bait just on the tip of the hook and you will catch your bag limit in 3-4 drops. Be careful not to touch any part of your line with your hands after handling bait, I use a baitcaster reel so I don't have to touch the line when dropping the bait. Frank

gordo. Funny you should mention that. That's about my usual going rate when I make things for people and some of them look at me as if I am making money from them. I just enjoy a challenge and like helping people, specially fellow members of the site. BTW I make Pancake bombs for downriggers, they don't roll around the floor when not in use. Frank

Great report and photos, you done all right for the table, nice conditions, I was on Botany Bay with calm conditions the wind started getting up around noon we packed it in around 1pm. IS that a Flying fish just left of the FAD or something else?. Frank

Can't help you with details but that is NOT an OLD rod, looks to be a fairly nice bit of gear and if all eyes etc are OK it would be all right to use. Shakespeare built some nice gear. Frank

Guys Thanks for your comments. Neil. I didn't think I would ever get back on the water again, every time I tried to get out something went wrong. It wasn't the best days catch but better than nothing. I made up a couple of stainless steel paternoster rigs for the jackets thinking they might be in plague numbers but they were scattered and not easy to find, however the rigs worked well and will keep them in the boat. Had a funny thing happen, 2 of my squid jigs the end ring that you attach the line to just pulled out of the jig, cheap jigs and the wire had no form of hook on the end to hold inside the jig, looks like they are just held in with super glue or similar, will have to check all my jigs ( got about 50 of the things ) and modify them, OR buy more jigs. Think I might go again next week and target the squid. The boat goes very well but I feel it would be more comfortable with side console as I feel that I am sitting too far forward with the factory position. Maybe just spoilt from owning side consoles . Think I will be heading down Burrinjuck in a couple of weeks. Frank

Today. Went to foreshore ramp on Sunday just past and there wasn't a spare space in the car park, lucky I didn't have the trailer on the back. Did you do any good ?. Frank

Why not launch at Wonga rd in the hacking, not a bad ramp if you get there early enough for a car and trailer space, then go out through jibbon. Saturday is going to be blowing around 35 k ph . Frank

Got out to the ramp before sunup but had no torch in boat so hang around till first light, there was a bit of a breeze before we launched but by the time we got to Yarra bay it was really calm ( unusual for me to be on the water and it to be calm ) done a couple of short drifts for zero and went to Watts reef and picked up some just undersize squires ( released ) and a Red Morwong, tried for some squid but tide pushing the wrong way and didn't want to anchor. It was here I discovered I left the phone in the car so no camera. trolled along the beaches ( yarra ) not a touch so went up to Molinoux and picked up some squid, all toll we came home with 7 leatherjackets 7 squid and a couple of Flathead around the 45cm mark. The boat went like a charm and I am very happy with it, might convert it to a side console with the controls around midship, this will make it a great boat instead of a it will do boat. Sorry no photos. Cheers Frank

Plenty of wrass and small scorpionfish, be careful around the rock pools as blue ring occys frequent the area. Frank

The other boats were probably using lead line to get the depth. Love fishing in that fashion, keeps you pretty busy adjusting your depth all the time but very productive method. Frank

Waza. Great write up and certainly times to remember. I tell people about stories from way back when and they look at me as if I am telling a load of porkies. For me by the time the 80's came about the fishing was in decline, the mid 60's and 70's was my hay day on the water . I remember the tailor boils covering half of botany Bay, these days you see a 1/4 acre boil and you think it's amazing. Frank

Neil. Good to see you getting back on the water and catching fish. If you didn't mention the differences I would not have noticed, your eye for detail is much better than mine, I would have just called it as another Cod and put it back. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us with some great photos. BTW I am going to try and get out to the bay tomorrow. Frank

Andy. This one could be a little more difficult to sort out. Could be a number of things and you would need to go through a process of elimenation anything from too high amount of oil in fuel ( 50/1 usual ), wrong or bad spark plug, faulty high tension lead, weak coil, contaminated fuel, blocked fuel line, air getting into fuel system, fuel pump gasket, sticking needle in carbs, wrong float level, rubbish in jets in carbs. Those are the easy fixes, then there's the harder fixes like cdi ignition or loose earth somewhere ( but usually a more consistent miss ), stater ( under flywheel ) loose or cracked side plate, or cracked head or gasket. And others will no doubt come up with even more things it could be. Let's hope it's one of the easy fixes. Frank

Andy I have sent you a PM (personal message ) regarding further contact details. Cheers Frank

Yes they shrivel up into a ball as soon as they hit the hot fry pan, it's like chewing on an old piece of leather, a mate tells me they are OK if boiled but after my first account at trying to eat one I gave up on them. When hooked they often seek refuge under a cave or overhanging rock and stubbornly dig in and are pretty hard to pull out, you think you are snagged but if you relax and take tension off the line they sometimes come out from the cave and you pull them up like a wet rag. Frank