kingfishbig

The Trynos has a metal cage compared to the TLD which is all graphite. As well as being stronger the Trynos is not prone to thread stripping of the screw holes which is quite common with the TLD's. If you are happy spending a bit more then the Trynos is a more upmarket reel. 2 speed gearing is probably not much of an advantage with 10 - 15 kg line.

I would be going for mono for the reason outlined above. About 0.35 mm would be a good choice, which usually corresponds to 15 lb b/s. Platypus make a low stretch mono for lure fishing which is also quite fine for it's b/s, so you get somewhat the advantages associated with braid but the handling advantages of mono.

They won't be imported unless they are cooked. All raw prawn imports have been banned earlier this year due to the outbreak of white spot disease in our local prawns. It is therefore a good principle to never use fresh imported seafood for bait because of the risk of introducing a disease.

He is using it for LBG, not much casting is involved (the big lever drag game reels are only marginally castable anyway). The rods are often left in rod holders and the ledges are usually flat and drop down into deep water so you are not any safer 2'' further back from the edge.

The main drawbacks with loops knots are 1. they significantly reduce the breaking strain of the line (so only OK if you are using a significantly stronger leader than your main line) and 2, you have to re tie them any time you wish to change lures. Snaps have the obvious advantage of making it easy to change lures. They also give something for some lure retrieving devices to lock on too. I tend not to use them on very small lures as their bulk might upset the action. They are a potential source of failure though I must say i have never had one come open on a fish.

If you are looking at ABU's then you might want to consider the 6500 CS Chrome Rocket. It is more corrosion resistant with chromed brass side plates and is tuned for distance casting.

I'd go for 7 to 7.5 foot, provided the ledges are accommodating to a short rod. 9 ft will give away too much in leverage and make it hard to stop a kingfish trying to reef you.

It might be unsafe if it ever breaks and I doubt it would be up to the rough and tumble of being in a small boat (I take it is glass and not fiberglass).. I think plywood is hard to beat as it is strong, cheap and easy to work with. It shouldn't rot if treated with Evadure or similar.

The new Ford Escape is getting good reviews. The punchy turbo 2L petrol engine would be good for towing, as would the turbo diesel model. The Hyundai Santa Fe will be available with a 6 cylinder petrol engine this year. A lot of people prefer a petrol engine.

The Hyundai Santa Fe is well regarded and gets good reviews and will certainly tow 1.2 T. Actually you have lots of choices with that towing weight - you don't even need a 4wd as a Falcon or Commodore will handle that easily. PS: You said 1.2 T up to 1.5T packed. It's not a good idea to use your boat as a trailer, especially on a long trip at highway speeds. It's a good idea to get the actual weight on a weighbridge too. There can be serious implications if you have an accident and the rig is overweight either for the tow vehicle or the trailer.

That makes sense now. Thanks Wellzy94.

The 2017 Pajero still has the same 3.2L engine. You must be thinking of the Pajero Sport which is a totally different vehicle and has a 2.4L engine. I am not sure what your reference to the Triton means.

There aren't that many overhead surf rods on sale in Australia. The only other one I know of is the Daiwa Sensor Surf which is a very nice rod. For reels you could look at the Daiwa Millionaire 7ht mag. Also the ABU 6500c Chrome Rocket. Though the latter comes with a level wind in Australia and is not magged (it is still very fast though and casts a mile). There are more choices if you by on line from overseas of course. I don't see any advantage using braid and as has been pointed out even minor over runs will mean having to cut and discard line.

The head gasket should be replaced after 10 years as a precaution. Ie a failure is on the cards after 10 years of use. If it fails it can let water into the engine. If the crankshaft bearing start to rust then the engine won't last even if the pistons and bores are rebuilt. So I would ask your mechanic about this before spending anything on the motor.

The SS toggle bolts should work as long as the floor is reasonably strong. They create a large backing area when deployed. A well known boating retailer in Sydney's south has them. I can PM the name if you are interested.

It depends on how the fuel is stored. I think it can last a long time if it is not exposed to air or water. So it's a good idea to keep tanks full (though underfloor tanks are connected to outside air via the breather tube). I think kighhightide's fuel would probably still be OK if it's not much over 3 months old.

If you have a click on fuel connector to your motor you can remove it from the hose, hang the hose over the transom and run it to a fuel container on the ground. Then just squeeze the fuel bulb a few times and the siphoning effect will do the rest.

Yes and experience can lead to overconfidence and complacency. It happens in rock fishing when experienced fishermen get swept off the rocks. So Locodave's original post has some merit, ie having some sort of limit with regards to conditions you will go out in. As I said having a limit how far you will go out, irrespective of weather forecast, is not a bad idea either.

Why not just put a hatch over it?. What are you trying to achieve?

Not surprising as trawlers are slow compared to the planing boats we fish out of so can't stay on the back of a fast moving wave. Likewise the surf ducks are a very different sort of craft as they don't have sharp bows or V - shaped hulls so tend to resist broaching. But getting back to the boats we fish from, waterline length is important as the greater the length the less likely the bow is to dig into the trough between waves. Also a lot of small boats (ie 4.2m and under) don't have power trim and tilt which is a big asset in following seas (you can trim the bow up).

You might find this guide by Roads and Maritime of use: http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/maritime/safety-rules/before-boating/wave-heights.html There are safety limits and as you can see the smaller the boat the smaller the seas it will safely handle (common sense really). The major risk if you push the limits is capsizing, which is a big cause of boating fatalities. Small boat are prone to broaching in following seas which can lead to capsize, or they may lose power, get swamped etc.

Don't forget that the weather can change for the worse once you are out there (and not always according to forecast) and the further out you are the less you are able to out run it. Perhaps the question 'how far out you should go in relation to boat size' is just as important.

Well you can replace one at a time. That said it is not a good idea to rely on a jack alone - so a stand is a good idea. I have always used the long beams to support the trailer.

If you haven't had any problems before then I don't think there is anything to worry about. Those dust caps don't actually seal out the water and there are still the seal between the bearing buddy and the hub and the other seals to possibly let in water. PS: There is some debate as to whether bearing buddies do any good. If possible don't dunk your bearings in the water if you don't want to regularly re-pack them.

You can use standard game hooks but a good idea is to file away most of the barb. The large barb requires a lot of pressure to penetrate and is the reason for a lot of failed hook-ups. Also if you can rig the hook stiff instead of free swinging on the shackle this may help. Using bait and a drop back avoids the poor hook up rate but it is often more convenient to put lures out.