Fish_More

Undecided if going to the footy this weekend. Not even sure if tickets are still available. Think Glen Willow would be a good place to watch a game, you can get up nice and close! Not a Dragons or Rabbitohs fan. If the Broncos (or any Queensland team was coming to town to beat the Cockroaches), I would be there without a doubt!

Gandalph Do some research on a little camping area at Buckwong Hut. One of nicest camping areas I have ever stayed at. No facilities and only a little stream, but have seen people fishing there and bank is not bad access from one side. Good luck with it and very envious. The High Country is a great area of the world and somewhere looking forward to get back to for another trip. Cheers Mark

Thanks guys. Hope the weather is kind and the fishing good.

Hi all Just booked a holiday at Minnie Water for Easter this year and the week after. Can't wait!!! If anybody is going to be in the area, let me know and happy to head out together one day for safety in numbers. Going to have first go at beach launhing in the lagoon at Minnie as will have somebody to help me. Have read a few threads on here about where to give a crack including North West Rock. Happy to take any tips on beach launching or areas to fish around Minnie. Going to be taking my boat for outside and my Dad is bringing his tinnie down for fishing in the river at Wooli if the wind is up. Do any of you use Maxtrax (or similar) for beach launching and do you find it makes a difference? Mark

Well done Rick. We had a crack at Broughton the weekend before and came up donuts other than sharks and undersize. There was plenty of bait just outside Port Stephens on the way up.

Hi From the limited experience I have had with both, if I already had a HDS Carbon, I would not be upgrading to a HDS Live. I don't think there is a real big difference between the two. Not sure about LiveSight which is not coming until later in the year. This might make it worth it, but I would be waiting to it comes out and what it really is before I would be bothered to spend the money. I actually made the decision when the HDS Live came out to take advantage of the price reduction on HDS Carbon to upgrade from a HDS Gen 1. Gives you any idea of what I thought of the difference between the Carbon and Live. Cheers Mark

Thanks all. I used Navionics up until recently until my little boy (love him to bits), dropped my iPad. Like the idea of a 12v cable for the GPS/'sounder in the house. Might have to think about that given have a spare one that could use already. I haven't tried, but might also look at entering waypoints into Google Earth and saving as a GPX file that I can then late upload to the Lowrance. Benefit is also can see what the points look like from a satellite perspective.

Hi all how do you go about researching a new fishing spot? One thing in particular, if you find a few GPS marks while doing some googling, how do you get them into the GPS on the boat? Last thing I want to do when I'm lying in bed search the next trip is get out of bed, go out to the shed and put them into the GPS. What programs or websites do people use for a GPS database? Cheers Mark

Hi Richard I generally get mine done every 12 months even if I have not done the hours. Especially going offshore, it gives you peace on mind that everything is ok. If it was me, I would be getting it done immediately before your holiday each year so you can go away for your holiday knowing that everything is all good. Yes, there is a cost for this, but at least you are not going to get there on the first day of a three week holiday and something goes wrong. At least at Forster, there would most likely be somewhere to get it fixed, depending on how long it takes to get it done. There is another way to look at this, you just neeed to use your boat more to make sure you get the 100 hours up each year. Mark

Good luck with it Oscar. Maybe I should come out with you as my goal is simple. To get my first king is! Mark

How do you get a fish that big on board?

Agreed re phone/tablet version. I normally carry an iPad as backup with Navionics on it.

You have convinced me Coffs is the way to go. Just need to find where to fish now. Have done some searching on here of places to give a crack.

Hi mii11x Attached are a few screenshots taken from both cmap and navionics of Shoalhaven area. First one is cmap of the area. Second one is navionics of the area at hte same zoom. Third one is navionics at about hte same zoom but on a HDS2 touch. Last couple are some screenshots of the HDS live with the AI ducer. Hope this helps. Mark

Yep, you are right, dud information on my behalf. Coffs ramp is open. Spoke to Marine Rescue and only on a 0.2m low tide is it a problem. it was closed recently for the rally.

Thanks Rick. I assume it is a beach launch? Can't find much information about it.

Hi all My understanding is that if I want to fish the Solitary Islands, I effectively have 3 options for boat ramps. 1. Coffs Harbour - think the ramp is currently closed? 2. Wooli - not a very good bar and not very experienced on bars. The only bars I have crossed solo are Batemans Bay (wouldn't have even realised was a bar other than the shallow bit that I went over) and 1770. 1770 was a bit rough one day when we went out a couple of times. Once went across the bar just to see what it was like as new it was too bad outside to go any further and another time turned around once outside as did not want to pound out 50kms to the fishing ground. Have also done Bill Courten's bar crossing course and crossed South Passage bar 10 times in a day, but you have somebody sitting next to you telling you what to do. 3. Minnie Water - will be flying solo, so not sure a beach launch (for the first time) is the go. So I guess these really leaves me with Wooli bar as the only option? Am I missing any options? Thanks Mark

One area in particular I have found Navionics to be better is in the estuaries etc. I went with a Carbon and an Active Imaging Transducer and found out the hard way that they are not compatible. Apparently in the next software release they will be compatible, but not 100% sure. Have been able to return the unit, so all sorted now.

Will second that have both and never use c-map as Navionics is better (more detail). Something else just to be wary off, the new Active Imaging transducer does not appear to be comparable with the HDS Carbon like you might see stated in some places. Agree the Carbon is good pricing at the moment (purchased one recently for this reason). Side by side with a HDS Gen 2, the Carbon resolutions is so much better.

Hi Sea Ranger Yes, traditional 2d sonar works at least. Also have transducer from HDS gen 1 on the back that still gives traditional sonar. At lease came home with some fish today. 7 flathead and 1 snapper (more squire than snapper). Mark

Hi all Spoke to Lowrance support today, apparently HDS Carbon may not be compatible with the Active Imaging 3-1 Transducer (at the moment). Even thought the Lowrance website says it is compatible. I have had to send some screenshots and photos of transducer installation to support this afternoon for them to investigate further. They think the next software release when available will make it compatible. More than a little bit frustrated by spending over $2k for a structurescan sonar to find out I don't actually have one. The y assured me yes it's is compatible, just not yet! Pity away for a week on holiday hoping to use it. After getting the run around from support for a while, did get to somebody that was very helpful and did what they could and has promised to come back to me. Anyway, I have had my rant, should get some sleep as hoping o go catch some fish early tomorrow morning. Cheers Mark

Hi all This is all I get out of structure scan. Initially structure scan was not holding depth but appears to be now. Any suggestions?

Hi all Here is what I ended up with. Happy with the outcome, even if a little bit agricultural. Took it for a run this morning and no leeks. However, structure scan not working properly. Will post some photos as can’t get anything from it. Not even holding depth initially but is now. Mark

Thanks for the offer back cruncher, very much appreciated, think I will just go with a plate with a slot in it. Have got the previous transducer of and surprised how big the hole is anyway. Only need to enlarge about 5-7mm. Think I might put the new transducer closer to the centre so my dream of trim tabs later on can go outside it. Also need to clean up some corrosion around where the old stainless screws where.

I remember reading an article either on the web or in a Club Marine magazine where they tested the so called approved anti-theft devices. They could get around them all easily, it just came to a degree of difficulty. A bit like was said above, make it more difficult to steal your boat then the one down the road and hopefully the go down the road and don't take yours. Feel sorry for the bloke down the road, but at least you still have your boat.