greg123

well done mate!! I can't wait to land my first. I'm in the position you were in (pre yesterday). Been getting some gear recently and trying to land my first marlin offshore. In fact I was just heading out to the sydney FAD yesterday as well but had to turn back as we had to be home. Without getting into details would be able to tell me about how far you had to go from the fad to get into that sort of marlin catching territory? I'm still trying to learn all this stuff so any help would be greatly appreciated! Again well done! Hope the steaks went down well! Greg

Thanks for the replies, hopefully I'll have some success on the weekend. Are the FADS holding any at the moment ?

Hi all, I'm new to game/offshore fishing and would like to start by targeting dollies off sydney (maybe at the FADS). Would anyone like to give me some basic ideas of rigs or lure set ups etc that I could use. Any suggestions would be helpful. I have suitable gear for the job (2 15-24kg shimano rods, one with a tld 20 and the other with a 25 spooled with 30lb mono) cheers, Greg

Thanks for your help, I'll be giving the FADs a go as soon as I can get the boat in the water

hey mate well done on the dollies! Just a quick question, how far out did you have to go? I just got an offshore capable boat so was just interested in learning all the offshore species i can possibly target. Cheers

Hi I just got a used 19ft Vickers and am looking to get it resprayed, new Bimini and clears put on, the cabin reupholstered and new decking/carpeting put in and possibly the wiring re-done. I know I can do most of this myself other than the paint but does anyone know of a company that will do all of this for me, like a sort of boat customiser or refurbishment company?

Hi, looks great! Where abouts did you get it done?

Hi, I'm considering buying a half cabin with a 1998 model Yamaha V pro 200hp with low hours and good condition. I've had it checked over by a surveyor and all is well. Has anyone had one of these? Or heard about any common issues?? Cheers

Hi all I'm about to buy a 20ft half cab, fibreglass vickers 570 but the paint is in a sorry state as the previous owner had spraypainted the name along the side. I was wondering if anyone had been quoted for a respray for a boat this size. I don't have any spraying experience but am prepared to do most or all of the prep. I think I may be able to do the respray myself with the right equipment as I'm fairly good with handywork but am not sure how difficult it will be (any advise on this?) So if anyone has gone through this proceedure before and could give me a rough rigure on cost (assuming i do all the prep work) that would be very helpful. Cheers

Hi all, I'm going to inspect a 19ft fibreglass boat on the weekend that from what I can tell from info gathered is in fairly top condition, however I would like a second opinion before I hand over the cash. Does anyone know any marine surveyors that could help me this weekend around the Newcastle area? How far ahead do you need to book them and how much do they charge etc? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm fairly keen to upgrade

Hey mate, I used to be in a similar situation as you are now. I towed my tinny (4m) with similar motor and battery etc, with a FWD VW Golf. I didn't find any major problems when it came to driving other than a noticeable decrease in acceleration. However, the major issue I found was traction. Most ramps in Sydney were fine (including Roseville) but I found myself having to inspect the ramps properly to see whether it would be too slippery with a low tide etc. Eventually as I wanted to start fishing other areas I found my car came unstuck on some ramps that I needed to use, so I came to my senses and bought a 4WD. In short if you stick to the ramps you know well you should be fine, but as you want to fish some more remote areas up the coast or even off long reef (to save yourself the trip from the harbour) you may want to consider buying a small 4WD. Good Luck with your fishing

Hey mate i have a similar sized boat and am looking to head out to the colours on a good day, may i ask how you located the reef? Do you use a gps or just a sounder?

i have a boat the same size and if the wind is calm i hook the end of the winch line to an eyelet at the back of the trailer before reversing it into the water and when im driving the boat up i lean over the bow at the last minute and hook the line to the boat then climb out and winch it up ect

aren't the pink ones the 24hr ones??

hey, what type of sp's were they taking (if you'd like to say). I tried some recently but they may have been a bit big for the rats that have come in.

does it seem powered the first try and then not at all after? or is it on and off randomly no matter how many times you try?

hey mate im thinking of fishing off terrigal for a one off thing soon. Just wondering how far off you have to go to reach the kingy grounds etc (not asking for any spots) just an approximate distance.

thanks thats what i thought, i've seen them being flogged on all the fishing shows on tv but i've never heard an unsponsored pro fisherman even mention it.

I went into a fishing shop today and had a look at those 'Stimulate with Ultra-Bite' products, such as the mix, liquids and sprays and wondered if anyone has tried them? If so did it make a significant difference to your fishing and which one in particular did you use? I wanted to make sure it wasn't some false claim before I bought it. Cheers Greg

hi i went out from roseville this morning with plans to chase some kings. We stopped at the spit bridge for about an hour looking for some squid with no success. The water was crystal clear but i think the current may have been a bit strong. Anyway just under the bridge i noticed a brown lump moving up and down on the surface heading towards the harbour casually. At first i thought i was seeing things and my morning coffee had been spiked but my mate noticed the same thing. As it came closer we heard a sort of puff sound, like the type that dolphins make only a lot more quiet, however there was no fin and it was way to big to be a penguin. It was definitely swimming, not just floating rubbish. So my conclusion was a seal that ventured a bit far up because of the cold water and its clarity this morning. Is this possible?

yes i've always managed to get some in the harbour but im not too keen to trek it up from the harbour, boats a little small... its probably time for an upgrade. Cheers for your help everyone.

Hi yes i do have a sounder. I was going to launch from the ramp at long reef next to the golf course yesterday but decided against it (i tow with a vw golf so definitely not the car to deal with the sandy ramp). Since then i've read some of the other reports that suggest pushing the boat in from the sand which ill do next time. Ended up going to the harbour instead. Cheers for the advise though. I'll give the wall a go for some snapper. Where around there can you catch squid for the kings? Thanks Greg

ok thanks, so is there any good grounds just off that point? on the southeastern side? I was hoping for some decent pinkies or maybe a stray king if they're around (or are my hopes too high for that close to shore)

thanks a lot slinky, ill give it a shot. I have a smallish 4m aluminium so iv been waiting for a day with little to no swell and wind...do you think its too small to be taking out there? I dont plan on going very far from shore at all.

Hi i plan to fish around long reef tomorrow but iv never fished there before. My boat isn't really capable to go to the FAD etc so i'm not quite sure where to go. Can anyone please give me an idea of some spots (approximate areas if u don't want to disclose). I was thinking of targeting snapper? Anything else? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Cheers