bmar560

Do you mind sending me a PM too about costings and contact details ? Looks like I'll be in Bali in June for a few days.

I've got one of those Leadtek USB ones connected to rabbit ear antennas as I don't have a roof antenna. It's very good for the price $50 and at first I was using it with their software. Then I tried windows 7 which came with the revised windows media center. That program is the bomb !! tv guides are there and it made scheduling your recordings really easy. Try it out if you haven't, I didn't like the media center that came with vista but I love this one. I reckon my tuner could perform better with a roof antenna, I'm not getting some of the channels if the weather is bad. There's nothing like watching live sports in HD !

Hi Ceph, You can try the Revo STX INSHORE Not as bling bling as the steez but it's a solid baitcasting reel. Tackletour rated it very highly. I think you can get 2 revos with the price of 1 steez.

I have a 70pounder Minnkota on my 4.1 poly and it works a treat. being a 24volt system the battery also last longer. Buy the best your money can buy I reckon, a big boat like yours would require alot of thrust to move her along. I've had Minnkotas for the past 5 Years, 55lbs on the old boat. BLA services them and been quite happy with their service, one way or another one of the parts will break down. That's why BLA is so good with their turnaround time when repairing them. Never really looked at other brands really but I guess they're just as good. Minnkota's proven aftersales service made me go back to them. EDIT: I bought mine from Huey they had the best prices in town !!

Silver biddy

looks like a baby GT to me

This guy was bored :-)

I bought a revo inshore from a mate. Haven't caught any fish on it, but very happy with it so far. Tough little reel.

It might be just me, but I can't seem to find a pair of Makos or Spotters that fits as nice to my face as my Maui Jims(ergonomicaly speaking) The lenses are great nice and clear and it sure blocks the glares off the water surface. They claim to be saltwater proof so the hinges and the screws that hold them together won't rust. Last but not least the model that I have is made in Japan :-) I got them through my health cover so it didn't cost me anything but they retail for $260.

Try the MAUI JIMS ! I think they're better than the MAKOs and Spotters

Often the original mechanics wiring the trailer did a dodgy job, especially joining the cables causing short circuits. Run separate cables with the left and right trailer. do it once and do it proper and you wouldn't have any problems. I found a rotting joint on my trailer once, re-wired the whole trailer took me a few hours with a mate's help.So glad we did it.

ditto

Having owned 3 different boats with different materials I can tell you that poly's ride is between alloy and fibreglass. I like the ride quality of a glass boat but you really have to be careful with the hull. My current boat is a 4.1 poly, they only bad thing I can think about them is that it's kinda wet when the wind is blowing in the wrong direction. They are very durable and you can call the hull maintenance free, I'm not too worried if don't wash the hull after every outing. Poly boats are quite heavy compared to a tinny thus require more horsepower to push the boat, so I'd recommend getting the Max HP allowed if you're getting one. When I was doing my research the poly best fits my budget and requirements. Oh and if you have a scratch on a poly all you need is a heatgun to mend it. Swordy also have a 4.1m poly and I'm sure he's happy with his. They do make a 4.5m model from memory and they have a new 4.8m model. go to polyboatowners.com all the poly fanatics are there and they're really helpful. If your budget can stretch further the yanks version of the poly is the triumph, they cost a lot but their finishing and layouts is something I envy. http://www.triumphboats.com/. Check out their ads in youtube and you'll see some crazy stunts they do with the triumph. As Ross stated with your budget you have plenty options to choose from... start reading up on boats to get a better understanding of them, and also make sure you get a boat that suit your needs, so that you don't end up selling it after a few months of use. Oh make sure you get something with a steering wheel my first 2 boats were tiller steers and having a steering wheel make things a whole lot easier. "BOAT= Bring on another thousand!" Ditto to that ! new sounders, electric motor, downriggers, new seats, deckings, carpets, etc.... it's neverending.

in the recent years i've been fishing there I've seen umbrellas, fishing rods, reels, chairs being pulled out of the waters near the wharf, could be interesting I myself lost a baitcaster setup there, rumour has it someone found it the next day.

thanks for replies water is clear as far as I know and in the inflow there's a strainer that's made of some sort of cloth. I do have a pump running when I flush the engine otherwise the water will only trickle down. and with the new earmuff I just purchased the water flows a lot better in and out of the outboard.

Hi all, Since my dad installed a rainwater tank at home I've been using the rainwater to flush my engine. Is it OK to do so ? does anyone here do the same ? I don't feel guilty anymore when I flush my engine for 5minutes and wash off the boat after that. Cheers, Mario

Third one is an Port Macquarie made koolabung fizzers. great little topwater lure

The 50lbs should be OK for that boat. But if you can get the 70lbs also get the longest possible shafts nothing worst than having a shaft that's too short. Here's the advantages of running a 70lbs: 1. more power, means you can go faster I can get up to 2.5 knots on freshly charged batteries. you can also fish if the wind is blowing hard. you;ll be struggling if the wind is blowing hard on a 50lbs. 2. longer battery life, you have 2 batteries instead of 1 and you don't have to run them on full power all the time. disadvantages: 1. costs more $$ they're roughly $200-400 more (well worth it IMO) 2. extra batteries means an extra 25-30kgs on your boat. this also an extra cost, a good 100AMPhour batteries is around $200-$250 mark auto pilot is a good feature to have but they cost $300 more than the standard co-pilot model, so I didn't get it with mine. it's good when you're fishing along the banks, just press the button set the speed and you're on cruise control. I do miss it sometimes... also get the quick release bracket for the electric. can be quite handy.

I'd say yes it makes a lot of difference. Bow mount gives a lot more maneuverability of the boat. And having a foot control helps you control the boat with your feet while your hands are casting lures. Can't do that with a tiller steer stern mount electric. What sort of boat do you have Alex ?? Electrics are the way the go for estuary fishing, I've got a 70lbs riptide on my 4.1 poly, it's running on 2x12V batteries, I only have to charge every 3-5 trips whereas in the old days of my 55lbs I have to charge the batteries after every outing. price difference isn't that much between the 70lbs and 55lbs. Minnkotas have a pretty good after sales service. They usually have a pretty quick turnaround time. Do shop around ! I got mine from the site sponsor Huett Marine best deal in Sydney...

Clifton gardens in the main harbour have a beach where you can beach your boat, just watch the tide, or you'll have trouble re-launching the boat. Clontarf also have a beach with a BBQ area I believe.

Petzl is pretty good I've had mine for years. My brother uses Princeton Tec, they are even better !

Yes I have, I was there July last year. spent a good couple of hours over there, bought reels and tackle accessories(boxes, braid cutters) that you won't be able to get here. They don't speak much english so just point and show them the money. You can also try to bargain with them, especially if you're buying stuffs worth a few $$$ Yes they speak english when it comes to money.

I think that's a barb not a carp.

There's a few shops in shibuya. They're called Sansui, 3 shops I think, each specializing in different sort of fishing (salt, fresh and terminal tackle) check out this link http://www.japantackle.com/Topics/tackle_shops_in_tokyo.htm

It is certainly worth it to get stuff from there. Alot of the stuff you can get there, you can't get here in aussie. Prices are wayyy cheaper too. Which part of Japan is he going to ?