Gabm

Thanks for posting the question ARC H & all the answers, found it really useful. I'll be hitting my local tackle store for a couple of these options this winter too.

You'll want to go as light as possible to suit the depth (boat based) or if land based the area / cast distance. Your rod weight will also determine how light you can go. What rod weight are you using? Generally any of the fish like SPs will do the trick on flathead. Just hop along the bottom, and pause occasionally, they'll generally hit on the pause.

Thanks Takethebait. I wish DPI would find a better way to pass on info like this e.g. Via their app.

Hi Johhny, I'm not really experience myself but I know that you need to find weed beds. Yarra Bay - I haven't been here land based personally but there are lots of squid in the weed beds in the bay & ive seen a few targeting them off the shore. Looking at google maps, you can see some likely looking spots you should be able to cast to. Land based have caught & seen squid at Taren point bridge (under the bridge at night particularly, but also various spots off the rocks & even the wharf), there is an abundance of weed. Look out for snags at low tide especially though. Good spot for a bream & especially flatties too for a change up. Good luck.

Great fish. Well done again. You are certainly living up to your name

I was looking around that $ range & recently installed a Garmin Striker 5". Can't fault it so far. It's got a GPS to mark spots or routes, but no maps. It's screen is wider than the equivalent size in some other brands. Depends what you need really. Id suggest you have a chat & look at a local seller on options to fit your needs.

The most consistent catch since we got the boat has been squid. But not a great amount, generally only a couple each session when we try. Which is great as they are tasty & great bait, so keen to improve our technique. I've noticed a few things these last few months & wonder if some more experienced Raiders can please comment? Retrieve: I've read slow is best but noticed that in deeper depths (to 20m), a faster retrieve seems to attract more squid?? They'd often follow sp's & jigs meant for fish, moving very fast, all the way to the boat, ignoring the squid jig already In the water! Action: In deeper water, we sometimes leave a rod in the holder with a paternoster rig while drifting & this would almost always get arrow squid rather than Calamari? Are Calamari harder to fool & need more action on the jig? Depth: In shallow weed beds, we've caught only Calamari - do Arrow hang out in deeper water only? Season: Summer months have being mostly Arrow squid & winter mostly Calamari. Yet I've seen several reports recently with Raiders catching Calamari. Are they more active at different times of the year? Or have I been unlucky? Or perhaps it's all about the action, or colour, or something else & has me fooled into the wrong thinking? Sorry for all probably silly qs. Thanks.

Thanks. Luck would have been just one or two fish I'll keep trying...

Awesome result. My first time I came home just with less plastics! If I may ask - were you working the whole water column, or mostly bottom? On plastics, Ive caught lots of flatties at times but never trevs - wondering if im doing something wrong?

Zoran, awesome setup. If I do go custom I'll look into putting in some of these great ideas. Sigma, thanks for the link. I was looking at the same supplier + another similar one in QLD. Will also contact the site sponsor. Your Quintrex is longer & wider, so I assume the extra weight up top isn't a problem. My little Coastrunner, moves about a bit more so have to be careful of the weight distribution. I'll do a few tests first. Thanks again everyone, you've given me lots of ideas to think about.

Thanks for all the suggestions. FlatheadLuke - the 50kg is from a ~30-35 ltr tank + weight of the board. I looked at a 25l plastic Johnson tank, but there just wasn't enough room to get the lid cut into the stern (only 20cm across). The photo looks deceptively larger than reality. I could mount inside, but I've a long row seat which I'd have to fold down & with two kids wanting to sit, not ideal. I love the idea of a small round tank mounted on the transom & will explore. Thanks for the video JonD, very informative. Possibly mounting to utilise the existing ladder (yes, boat has one) & will test performance first with a small esky for both positions - thanks Welster. The added bonus of the bait board model is I could also get a window built in give the young ones an aquarium to keep them happy when things are slow. Was mostly worried about sloshing & performance but it seems with the transom setup, it would be no worse & obviously works, so will test as suggested. Thanks again.

Hi Raiders, I recently looked into getting a live bait tank & was told unfortunately there's just not enough room in the stern to house a live bait tank. I then looked at the option of a combination bait board / tank, but a little worried about the added weight on the back, up high (~50kgs filled?) & sloshing around / spillage when cruising from point to point. The boats an aluminium Quintrex 435 coast runner. Would look to mount on two rod holders on the stern just in front of the motor. Has anyone used one of these for a boat this size and / or can offer any other suggestions? Appreciate any advice. Thanks

Quintrex 435 Coastrunner with 4-stroke 40 HP Yammy

Last minute decision to head out on Anzac Day with the wind seeming to hold off in the morning. After a sluggish start, got on the water around 8:30. Headed to the Yakka grounds just around from Moli pt. but, just before reaching it, we spotted several bust ups off the southern wall & headed over. Over the next hour & a bit we threw several lures, hard bodies & slugs, & floated a piece of fresh squid to no avail. Had just the one strike on a Halco twisty but unfortunately the hook didn't set. It was the only strike. Several other boats joined us throwing all sorts of lures & baits. One angler said they'd caught a Bonito on an SP, but there didn't seem to be too much success from the other boats? With the excitement over, we headed just past the point for a drift. Not much action for a while but then my son started getting strikes on squid strips & eventually pulled in a couple of small fish, including a just undersized flathead, which finally brought him a smile, before a quick release. Normally we manage a few squid but this time only the 1 arrow, at least it was huge - so heavy I thought i was bringing up a clump of weed with it. Lost another at the boat which was a shame as it was a great live bait size - not our day. The bust ups started again near our drift at one stage but with the same result as before. We even tried trolling near it for zero. So we called it around 11:45 with the wind picking up. Turned out to be a nice morning on the water. My son was happy to catch a couple of fish & we had one fresh squid for dinner that night so all good.

Hi everyone, I visit this site daily & have learned a lot from it the last few months. Stocked it will continue on so thought I'd finally say hi & start contributing. Fished a lot when younger & only just back into it now my kids are of a fishing age (6 & 8). After a few months struggling land based (with kids), we bought a small runabout & have been fishing Botany Bay recently. We regularly visit W'Gong too where I grew up, so will give Lake Illawara a go one day. It's a struggle keeping the interest up for the kids with regular catches but we are getting better, slowly. Keen to continue to learn from this great site. Thanks. Gab