Tim

Those penn combo's seem like pretty good value to me. I've been on a bottom bashing charter before and that was the gear they used. The charter operator said he'd had them all for over a year and they all seemed to be going fine. I think a rollered 15kg rod is overkill for bottom bashing, but each to his own. I'd be looking for 6-8kg no rollers.

What about using bore water for those of us who have it? Would that do more harm than good? It's a little bit pongy and I don't know, but maybe it contains a lot of minerals or whatever that could harm the engine. Do any of you guys know about this and whether it's safe to use?

How can I get one of those butt caps? They look cool.

What blank are you using?

I used to drive a 1973 LJ GTR torana. It was a beautiful car and had a good bit of grunt too. I sold it last year so I could get a boat. If only I could afford to have both. Never raced it on the track, but certainly enjoyed driving it.

And I appreciate it. Thanks!

Yeah, if you don't mind. I'm thinking about building up a luderick rod for boat fishing. I don't think I've heard of steel head blanks before. A bit of info? Cheers Tim

Hey Saqa, If you don't mind me asking, what blank did you use for the blackfish rods? Cheers Tim

I disagree. I've found these reels to be very reliable. I'm not talking about bream reels either.

People always want to bag out Okuma for some reason. Maybe a lot of the guys who do this haven't owned one and are only going on what they've heard from others in the past. So the reputation lives on. Maybe these stories were all started by Daiwa or Shimano reps. I own a couple of okuma reels and I haven't had a single problem with them. Not one. And yes I do use them regularly. And like the other guy said, it's got a 5 year warranty.

Hey Coast Bloke I think you got my boat's little brother! I only got mine recently too, and am keen to add a t-top before next summer. Would be keen to know if yours is adjustable/removable. Reason being is that the top of my console only just sneaks under the eve of my carport as it is, so I can't have anything taller on it. Mine's a 5metre fishmaster, but they look very similar. I'd attach a pic but the file is too big. Cheers Tim

Hey Ian You can get squid there some of the time. Definitely worth trying. Good luck

The rocks at Avoca are okay. It's very easy to get to, which I think is partly the reason it gets so crowded. People do get good fish there, but when you're competing for space with 100 other fishermen, it takes a lot of the fun out of it. Spinning off the rocks there will get you tailor, salmon, kings, & bonito. There are always blokes there fishing heavy gear with livebaits, but I've never seen any tuna hooked. Did see a big cobia there a couple of years back though. It's a very productive spot for blackfish aswell. You can also catch drummer & groper there. Fishing the bottome will get you a mixed bag of rubbish fish, but can also get snapper, bream & flatties. Be patient, and the fish will come, but it's not the sportfishing paradise that some make it out to be. One last point. Take all your rubbish with you, and pick up a bit of others' rubbish aswell. A lot of inconsiderate people fish this ledge and leave all their rubbish behind. It can get pretty feral at times. Cheers Tim

20 years. Most of it in the last 7 years though.

I think they're going to have to work together and make comprimises if they want to achieve anything. It makes sense.

Hi Captain Regarding Bluecod's tip for line untwisting on an alvey. Another way to do it, which is a bit quicker & more practical if there are other people on the beach is to cast out into the surf then wind the line back in backwards! When you cast back out again, the line will be twisting in the opposite direction and the twist will be gone. I think I saw a photo of a massive GT that was caught off a beach in South Africa some time last year. This thing was absolutely huge! Have fun Cheers Tim

Well done Phil. I wish I'd taken that sicky. Went out on Saturday morning with Target but the seas and weather cut the trip short unfortunately. That's fishing, hey.

Hi Kevvie I haven't been back there yet. Will do soon though. I'll let you know how I go. Cheers

Thanks for the tips fellas. I did get some photos on a friend's digi yesterday arvo so once I get them I'll add them into the post. No Adrian, this was a pre planned day off. No medical certificate required. I prefer to take my sickies mid week cos it looks less suspicious I tried a few spots yesterday and there were poddies at every one. No shortage of bait in the bay!

Hi guys I've been pretty quiet on the reports page for a few months now cos I got sick of reporting that I didn't catch anything again. I had the day off work yesterday and went for a fish for a couple of hours down at Woy Woy bay in the arvo. I was using softies in red/black and orange/clear. Not sure what the proper names of them were. Some sort of shad I think. Anyway, had no luck off the wharves but I tried a storm water outlet into the bay, just down from the boatramp. Hooked a flatty, but lost it near the bank. Then 2 casts later I landed a nice whiting of 39cm! I was thrilled with this. Then 2 casts later and I brought in a nice 50cm dusky. Went quiet after that, so I tried a couple of other spots for no more results. Sure was nice to catch some decent fish though. Had em for tea last night. I think I might have to start using lures more often. Cheers Tim

Well done Adrian. That fish on your first cast would have been a welcome surprise I bet. The speed cameras on the new england are a bit over the top. From about Scone onwards it feels like you're passing one every ten kays! I think they go all the way to the qld border from memory???

Well done May Be NOT. From the post you put up last week about the amount of time you intended to fish over the weekend I'll say you deserved to win. Persistance pays. Pretty funny that the guy who won needs all his knots tied for him though!

Hey Kevvie Any chance of some insider trading with the location of those tailor in brisbane waters? 3kg is a bloody good tailor! I've tried a fair few spots around there since I moved up this year and I'm still catching next to nothing every time I go out. (landbased). Cheers Tim

Hi guys A mate at work is going up to the Whitsundays in November for a week long trip on one of those bare boat charters. He's asked me if I can get some tips for where to fish, techniques to use, and places to visit around the whitsundays. He's taking off from airlie beach on 19/11. Any tips, or stories that anyone would like to share? Cheers Tim

Leave the plastic shrink wrap on it . Or, I know some people who use beeswax on the grip to protect it. Some people also give them a light sand occasionally to freshen them up. Personally, I think grubby dirty looking cork adds character. Kind of like new joggers.. They're too white and I just can't wait to get them a bit dirty so they don't stand out so much.