mark_s

I was thinking of slow trolling around moorings/markers etc as I make my way from the boat ramp to the bait grounds. So I guess tailor & kings and any other pelagics or suckers that get in the way. Have caught tailor at night on bait before, but never tried with lures. Interesting to know about the flatties and bream at night. I may even cast my soft plastics around a few times to see whats happening.

I am looking at an early start tomorrow and am wondering if there is any point in putting some lures out before the sun comes up? Or should I just focus on bait gathering?

Some damm good posts already so I will just add a couple of things: - live bait tank that can double as an insulated ice box when not fishing - Access ladder at the back + lockable openable rear of boat (for swimming and diving) - I prefer high chairs with a high steering wheel rather than sit down chair with legs under the wheel - Rod holders every metre up and down the sides of the boat, including one right next to the steering position to make trolling easier. - Canopy thats easily removeable and clips onto the wind screen - keeps the spray out when travelling in chop - If possible a built in storage area for my takkle box (so I can just put it in the boat and lock it into place) - Lockable (with decent locks) storage so you don't have to worry about some bastrd floggin your stuff when you go to get the car etc. My next boat would have a 4 stroke. Have you thought of a cat design. I like the look of the Webster twin fishers.

Bingo, Woolgoolga's the place - "its a hard name to say but a great place to stay"

Thought someone would get this. Martin was just down the road (according to his fishing report posted) and I think I read that Darryl regularly holidays just up the road at Arrawarra. Also anyone who regularly fishes out of Coffs would see the water Tower on the headland - its used for quiet a few fishing marks. The beach towards the right of the photo is one of only two common boat (ocean) launching spots between Coffs & Wooli - and the other one is Arrawarra.

You are pretty close location wise ankles, even got the first letter correct. Here is another pic

Further up the coast than either of those two. The pic is actually a glue together of two individual photos. Will post the two individual photos tonight to see if that helps. There is altealst one relatively distinctive landmark that is hard to see in the big pic.

I'll give you a hint - its a small town on NSW North Coast. I know that some of you have been near here over the break.

Over Xmas break

Top fish Joe and great report. Well worth the wait.

I can't really help much but I know a guy who was given life jackets as part of his free safety gear. They were really cheap and almost impossible to get on, so he had to buy some more anyway. Another trap that I have seen is people being talked into smaller motors to save a few $$$. Its saves $$$ upfront but is painful down the track once the boat is loaded with gear and people. Take a few people with you when you have a test run so you can see how it goes with a bit of weight in it. As for boat types, I am a happy owner of a quinnie runabout. For us the extra $$$ was worth it (I brought it second hand though) for the extra comfort features and fit out. The wife loves the boat and won't hear of me selling it (even when I offered to when $$ were tight a few years ago), and regularly wants me to take her and her friends out. Even though its not the perfect fishing boat I can still do nearly all of the fishing I want anyway. Whats more I probably get lots more use out of it, than if I had of bought something that was more fishing specific as I think the wife's level of interest would have been much lower. Personally I am a big fan of a windscreen and canopy, but I tend to spend most of my time in the less protected areas like in shore reefs and around headlands. Its a tough choice but enjoy it.

On a kind of unrelated note, my brother rolled his boat recently (not in Sydney). Luckily he was alright, although he was very shaken up for a few weeks, and the boat (18ft fibreglass milligan) was able to be salvaged, although obviously all electronics were stuffed, motor needed heaps of work & lost heaps of gear. Basically he was in the wrong place at the wrong time (in behind a bombie when a freak wave came and hit him side on as he never saw it coming). Its a place that he and other fishos regularly fish. Afterwards he was asked to attend a Waterways interview. They asked him a range of questions and he answered them all in a frank and honest manner. Waterways have since hit him with a $500 fine for not keeping a proper look out, abit like a negligent driving charge. This is nasty cherry on top of the over $5k damage to boat and lost gear. So if you are ever in a boating incident be careful about what you say to Waterways, and if its a serious incident think about have a legal person with you. Waterways did not explian to my brother that his statement would be used as evidence against him. Indeed without his statement Waterways would not have been able to fine him.

South West Arm?

IT does look a bit like port hacking river at the bend near grays point (think its called leg of mutton bay or something)

Matt & Bung I have no idea if either of you are right or not as I don't know the formal name of the beach so I will tell you where it is and you can tell me who (if either) is correct. The beach is the small beach on the eastern side of the spit, just around from the bridge. To the left of the photo is the place that hires out kyacks and to the right is the coastguard station. It is amazing that there are no kyacks or other boats moving in the background as the photo was taken right on lunchtime (we had stopped for lunch). The photo is taken looking across middle harbour (the shore on the other side is Clontarf.

No to Bung and No to Matt, although you are very close Matt

Well your both wrong, its not the basin, in fact its not even on the Hawkesberry

Where is this

Thats a cracka flattie keenist. I once saw a baby kingie like that one. Unfortunately it was on a cleaning table. The guy thought he had caught a nice sized tailor To be fair, he was pretty shocked when I told it it was a baby king.

Joe it does have an action shot setting, the problem is that it still takes 1 sec or so to focus the first pic, after that its ok. Also if the school moves after the first pic the camera needs to refocus otherwise its blury again. Darryl, no lures this time but a few snapper leads and other sinkers that will be put to good use over summer.

A real easy one for a front steer boat is to turn your steering wheel to full lock so that the steering cable (at the motor) is fully retracted in its covering/tubing. This stops the grease from drying out and the cable siezing up, which happened to me when I didn't use my boat for a couple of months a few years ago. Thats been my most expensive repair so far. A couple of other things I do: - I flush out my trailer lights every time I use the boat. Even though the trailer lights don't get wet they still start rusting and corroding. - I leave strips of cloth in my bung holes when storing the boat. The boat is also tilted up just slightly. The strips of cloth then "wick" the last of the water out of the bottom of the boat. - Every now and then, depending on use, I take the motor cover off and give the motor a light spray with the hose to wash the salt off. It builds up from splashes and chop etc. Afterwards give it a spray with WD40 (or I think INOX is better) before putting the cover back on. - Also check the water level in your battery every now and then. I busted a battery by letting it run dry. I have found that boat batterys use more wtaer than say a car battery, maybe it splashes out when bobbing around. Of course the best regular maintenance is a regular trip on the water.

Cannon Ixus 500 with underwater housing. Relatively basic setup but goes ok. Main problem is that it takes over a second to focus and shoot. Makes it very hard to get pics of constantly moving schools of fish.

Wombat - there is a sole hidden there. You can just see the outline of him. A couple more: A better one of the tailor: Three pike: And a school of poddies in the shallows:

some more: a nudibranch (sea slug): The view from our digs: Eagle ray: A school of yakkas (or are they?). The pike and trevors where there as well but they are out of range of the cam. A school of tailor: Sorry the pics of the drummer aren't good enough to post.

Here are the pics: Some interesting looking rocks at bottom: Not sure what type of fish these are: a little tropical anemone sunset a sole - hidden