Croydon

Hi Marty, I have a 560c Barcrusher with a Furuno 585 and airmar TM260 1kw transom mount transducer. I have found this combination to be great. The transducer is reasonably large but easy to install and operates very well. I have no complaints regarding the combination. Performance at speed and in depths out over the shelf are excellent. As for the other options, I have no experience and can't comment. Hope the info helps. Dave

Hi mate, That's fantastic. Things are starting early up there. Your first is something you never forget and it makes all those quiet days worth the effort. Hope the next one comes very soon. Well done........ Dave

Sounds good to me Ian, good luck............... Dave

Will do Ian, if you get stuck and can't find too much give me a ring and I'll see if I can help out. Wife's got hockey, neighbours kids afl and I've got soccer next weekend. A busy time of year! South/North Durras are my favourite fishing grounds. If the weather is good head up there it's a great spot. Hope you have a great time. Dave 0418447790

Hi Ian, No probably won't get out this weekend, it's grandfinal time of year and so the weekends pretty much out for me. There's always plenty of flatties where you mention but usually most under size. Head out a bit further east of the tollgates and between black rock, into about 40m. Sound around and you should find some good patches of reef holding fish. Just make sure your outside the sanctuary zones. If you want to go a little north past yellow rock at the northern end of the bay, head towards the bommie off Richmond Reef or out a bit wide of this, into about 30m and some good ground there. You could also try in close to some of the headlands at the northern end of Malua Bay beach, can be good for snapper. There has been plenty of bait around snapper island, sound out a patch, berley with bread and you should have heaps of yakkas and slimies in no time. Have a look at the ramp at Durras, conditions may just be right and you'll save yourself a long drive into town. Good luck and hope you have a good weekend. Dave

Hi Ian, I've got a 560c barcrusher and live at Batemans Bay. I wouldn't use the ramp to launch my boat. Not to say it can't be done. Depends on tide, wind, sea etc. If you have a 4wd you may be better launching off the beach. Just have to check it on the day I guess. The ramp is well maintained but it's reliant on conditions. As for the fishing, the lake is open but I haven't fished it for a while. The bottom bashing has been good. Snapper are in real close feeding on dead cuttlefish or out on the wider reefs 50 - 60m or so. There are a heap of big mowies and pig fish on pretty much all reefs at the moment so you should have a ball. Good luck with it. Dave P.S. Just saw you we're here on the weekend jsut gone. Sorry about that. How did you go?

It's pretty special, share all that with mates, tell stories (lies)around a beer or two. Butcher the fish, take her home to family and friends. Best day ever eh!! Well done, enjoy it those days are few and far between....... Cheers.... Dave

Mine is called Bar'z Open. Seems to fit................

Nice one jizzo. I've got the 560C and love it. That thing just looks a treat. I'm sure you will have a ball in it. Now for a name to match!!!! Dave

Went out yesterday off Batemans Bay, not much about until we reached the 1000fathom line and then good numbers of albies around the 5kg mark trolling dark coloured lures. A few mid size yellowfin were also caught, on the cube and jigging. A nice day out all in all....... Dave

Hi Brad, Are you still looking for a 50W, I may have a tiagra that suits you? Dave

Hi Luke, Have you fished the area before? As you cross the bar the first island in front of you is Snapper Island. Sound around the left hand side and in front and you should find plenty of slimies for bait. Berley up with some bread and they souldn't take long to show up. Head out and turn north or south just make sure you are outside the sanctuary zones. Find some hard ground and there is plenty, and you should get a good feed of mowies. They are thick at the moment and of good size. The snapper however have been a little slow and hard to find. You don't have to go far, start looking around 25m deep and then move out until you come across the fish. Good luck.......... Dave

They have been catching them around the sea mounts of Narooma and Bermi, which is about 25mile off shore. A bit hit and miss at times, but when they are on they are thick. Good luck............. Dave

Good onya Ray, That is one special place and by the sounds of it you had a ball. Congrats and great photo's....... Dave

Hi, I recently sent a reel up to Jack Erskine in Qld and he did an upgrade and service with carbontex washers. Great result and worth every cent. Hope this helps.... Dave

Fantastic effort on a great fish guys well done!! And what a cracker day on the water. Nice Seafarer too! Dave

Hi folks, Headed out yesterday morning for a cube session with a mate off Batemans Bay. Found a good school of slimies first up and caught enough to cube with and also put out a few live baits. Headed out to batemans Bay plateau with a slight north wester blowing. Water was cool and a bit green looking. Set a cube trail in 18.6deg water at the plateau and sent out the baits. Not too long after a nice big Mako came up the trail and ate everything we put over. After hooking up a few times it got the hint and hit the road. But soon he or a mate was back. Made it impossible to fish so it was time to move. Headed into the shelf line and set another trail. Within half an hour I see two big bronze whalers flash under the boat and both live baits go off. I handed the 24kg outfit to my mate and grabbed the 15kg stick. Reel screamed for 30 seconds and then nothing. Trace bitten through. I look over at my mate on the other side of the boat and he's hooked up solid. Just then to my surprise a nice fat striped marlin rockets out of the ocean and just takes off. Not the fin we were looking for but we were'nt complaining. Especially Rick who was hooked up to his first. Well didn't this fish give us some curry. She dragged us from the shelf line out to the 200 fathom mark in the next 90 minutes. I'm not sure who was more tired the fish or my mate! It was about this time I realised that we only had a 100kg trace a very light gauge 6/0 circle on the business end. Now I was worried. But as luck would have it everything held together and the fish came to the boat. She was beautiful, about 100 - 120kg of magnificent marlin. Rick was exhausted but also the happiest man on the ocean. He'd finally achieved a life long dream Check out the pics.... After a few cheers and the usual photo's we swam the big girl for 10 minutes or so and then watched her swim away. What a fantastic day. Thanks and hope you enjoy the read.........

G'day Steze, I think you'll find it was the low oil alarm. A continuous alarm is overheat and an intermittent alarm is low oil. Good luck...... Dave

Hi Stan, I don't believe the ballast system has any effect on the amount of free board and as such I don't have any fears of the boat sitting too low in the water and waves coming over. I've been in plenty of good seas and this is not an issue. The deck is not self draining in mine and I think this is the same on the bigger models. Any water that does come aboard is gotten rid of by a bilge pump. As for 1 or 2 motors, it's a personal choice. As there is a single fuel supply I think the value of 2 engines is negated. Can't comment on the bunks in the bigger models, never been in one. As for engine type, once again it's personal choice. I think all the new model, major brands are fantastic. And as for 4 stroke/e-tec who know's. All are fantastic int their own right. All the best........ Dave

Hi Stan, I take mine out to the shelf off Batemans Bay on a regular basis and been in some ordinary weather. At no time have I felt concerned with it's handling or ability in any reasonable conditions considering it's size. I've had plenty of blokes out in in, who have fished in all types of boats and they all comment on it's ride and sea ability. I regularily bottom bash and I think it's a very stable platform and better than many others I've been in. As for the bigger Barcrusher's I can't comment. But I'm sure their ride, build quality and fishability will only continue throughout their range. Get out in all types and brands of boats your interested in and make up your own mind. But for mine, I'm extremely happy with what I bought. Good luck with your search.... Dave

G'day predator, I've had a 560C Barcrusher for about 3 years now and I love it. Every time I go out the smile just gets bigger. Good luck with your search... Dave

Thanks Dan. Yeah was a shame but it happens. Was put to goood use though. Not a bad 'tinnie' are they!! Very happy with mine..... Dave

Hi Adam, I don't have a humminbird, but usually you can't change these settings if the sounder is in auto mode. Make sure it's in manual mode. Good luck... Dave

Yeah she's not a bad tub (the tinnie not the wife that is!!) Having said that she's not half bad either I guess...........

Thanks mate, Your not wrong, it's fantastic to do in your own boat with your own gear. Been a long time coming and a hell of a lot of fun.... Dave