bluebottle18

Before starting one why not visit a club or two and see how they operate. You might like the club and join it They are not the easiest of organisations to run and need plenty of volunteers. There is one at Concorde that has a meeting every week.

Why not next time set a trap for him. PUT out a few hats with a rock on the end as well as some with the hat. Just sit back some where and watch them . Just dont fall in the water P-----ing your self laughing. You leave a note saying sprung and police on way or look at the camera and smile Then pay him a visit. better still phone Water police. If this behaviour is so common they will be easily caught.

Don`t believe you can go and have a feed of KFC when you have such a great catch of Seafood fresh in the boat. All I would be thinking would be those tasty BS waiting to be gorged. good work on your catch. WARNING don`t forget that you have a couple of live crabs in the pot when fishing for the jew. OTHERWISE //////////////// ??????????????

Hi Down to Fish, Another option maybe to weld a three sided plate to the Transom. Then you can bolt what you want to that . Pretty solid and might last for ever. Its upto you the size of the plate CHEERS. BLUEBOTTLE.

Would cutting out a sheet of water proof ply to fit across the stern/transom of the boat and have the ply bolted to the transom along with having this glue you bought or another glue used to assist in sealing it to transom. Then you can connect what you want to the ply. You could also cut out a second piece to fit inside the transom and the bolts go right through and again you can fit what you like to that ply. All up four bolts and four holes and a very solid transom. Hope I make sense. I did this to a tinny I had and never regretted it. Outboard motor also was bolted onto the board

Sticky, You must have two children that fathers dream about to spend the night on the boat with you. Great catch and hope there are many more.

Good mornings work. Any later than 8am and you`d be catching those ...........craft You can not go past nippers for a good bait. You must have enjoyed breakfast.

Hi Diesel, Yes the hawkesbury is not what it once was. It was not ever an easy place to fish but regular fisho`s could find a good feed. Today you would drift off Patonga for a good feed of Flatties but none the next. I think you know why. We have slaughtered the Jew fish population with so many of those huge Jewfish being kept and not released. Bream populations no longer exist and there are good reasons why that is so. I was listening to an old timer on the radio today who confirmed what you had experienced and he is a person who knows the Hawkes better than anyone. Hope it gets better for you next time.

I think you are referring to Banjo Patterson Reserve. I suggest you fish the litte sandy beach or the rocky area that faces Abbotsford . The wharf is ok but does get annoying from young ones who like to go for a swim at times. Yes can produce but is also Hot + Cold.

It was good timing for Jew Fish if you looked at the moon and the tide you fished. Good to see that it happened . Top effort and hope you continue to catch many more.

I am sure that very few new the name of that drift that many of us fish for a feed of flathead. Thanks Tuffy for that info. One for the Karaoke nights oops TRivia nights.. Happy Days.

Great post as like so many members we love seeing photo`s of children with big smiles and a fish in their hand. Looks like what fish there are in the bay have moved into the river. Hope your son and yourself have a great season and many more happy snaps.

If at all possible go for a swim. It IMO helps to balance the body.

Yum fresh fish and bread rolls yeah great brekky. What a top morn to be on the water to catch a few fish. Well done.

IMO I don`t think it matters what you take in lures to catch fish as they seem to eat anything. Just depends on where you fish as to what to use. The main thing you have to remember is the quality of the lure as in some areas they only come one size Huuuuuuuuuuuuge. How ever there are times when the place does go quiet. Have a great time and make sure you have a massage lady waiting for when you return as on a good day your body will be stretched to the limit.

Hi Predator, Reminiscening of OLD TIMES of the 60`s at that place. I use to catch Long Toms every morn for breakfast there and if you liked eel they were of a humungus size. Hard to believe I know but true. I know like so many other places. Back then there were only two houses and a bus on the San Remo estate. We had the bus. Toronto just a 20 min drive up the road and yes worth the trip. Plenty of places up there worth a try these days. Does get very crowded. Cheers.

Hi Buddy, Good to see you had a bit of luck.Any body nick name you Mr Bean.

Hi Jason, Back again. Your hull seems a pretty solid one and the bench seats are as well. Think about using some old esky`s or similar containers to fit inside the seats. Upto you weather you want them to fit flush. The front seat is a good start as it is probably the least used. Can be used as a fish/bait box. It is upto you with your imagination as to how far you want to go. A couple of grab rails around the boat will be good. Think about having a swivel chair ( a kitchen chair customised ) put in the boat and sit it over the middle seat if your going to fish alone. It might look silly but you will be surprised how much better it is than sitting level to the water. There are many simple things you can do to make your fishing comfortable and the best way to do that is spend some time down at the local boat ramps and see what others have done. I guess some of the modifications you want to do might depend on your own DIY skills. Good Luck.

Hi Jason IMO I think you are asking too much for the size of this boat in what you want to do with it. I doubt it would be too stable and there is very little depth/free board in the boat to install a platform. I would talk to the person who is welding the transom for his opinion and what you are thinking of. How high up off the floor are you going to put the new floor. Rod holders, grab rail, a cheap fish finder etc would be OK. If it is going to be a one man boat how about a kitchen chair to sit on to give you height from the water. Might look odd but does help. I know others will have a different opinion but each to his own. IMO I would sell the boat and put the money to a bigger boat and customise that.

Great Report. It is good to see people telling other fisho`s where they fish land based. I am sure this info in general does not harm any body but could make fishing much more enjoyable. I have fished several of the spots mentioned so next time I am at one of these spots I might say good day and ask do you post on FR. I am surprised about the catches you get at Chiswick as I have had no luck there at all. Hope your luck improves.

As Brett said it can be confusing as to buying the right parts. If the trailer is an original see if you can contact the maker and ask them. They will advise you all the info you need including where to buy the parts. You could also go to a local traler repairer/builder for advice. Just be careful of quality as well. I would certainly buy the best on the market as well as putting hub /bearing buddy on. I had a Dunbier trailer and was glad I spoke to the company. They were very helpful. As I am not mechanically minded I had a trailer business do the work for me and glad I spent the extra. Cheers.

NO NO NO . IMO what is wrong with the latest ones out around $150 or less if your looking for a cheep sounder. I used one not for the purpose of seeing fish but to read the bottom. Lasted 7 years and was faultless. Sold it with the boat. If you are saving $30 I can not see the value. I would want it half price. Just my opinion.

The best advice one can give is that most of the Marine Upholsters are pretty good at their job. If they have been around for some time you can be assured they know their job. They amaze me at what they can do. You can check the boat mags for a start or your local marina. They are not cheap. The boat show at end of the month could be of some help. I don`t believe one person is better than another so could not recommend one person against another.

Careful when you get Fish & Chips. Ask what they are using including restaurants. Yeah I also buy Hoki and hope its the real thing. Anyone buying those imported prawns should be very careful. America ban them totally re cancer issues. Their taste is appalling in my opinion. Always concerned about anything from the seafood section of the supermarkets. Just take a look at the sea food mix you now get all imported. I am very fortunate to live very close to Pyrmont markets so do my buying there. But again be careful. Our commercial operators should think very careful about what they are charging for local fish and mark ups. It recent months I have seen a great drop in patronage down there as prices for fresh fish has become twice as dear as meat and even higher than chicken. I know that the price of fish is govern by what they pay at Auction. The professionals that are left along with all other concerned parties should all sit down and work together in attempt to reverse this. Due to the retail cost of fish the black market has risen its ugly head, ie, Hapuka -$20 wholesale $40 + retail. Swordfish etc are just another example. Really ??????????????

Once your ready to refit the boat make sure you write everything you want done and draw up a plan. Write down all ideas and thoughts so you don`t forget any thing. ( you probably done that ) Can you draw a picture of where you want everything in your plan Alot of what you want to do is your personal likes etc. Do you really need to have a built in fuel tank. Fuel these days doe`s not last as long so remember this if you need to replace old fuel and perhaps clean tanks. Think about shade and shelter as this can create issues in regards to comfort. IMO it is important to balance your batteries and fuel. Some hulls are not suitable for centre consuls and if not properly balanced will cause bouyancy issues and steering concerns. Generally speaking it is not a problem to have your batteries fitted under your consul but as previous poster stated increase the size of your leads. I would ask the experts in this area and the type of battery needed. Personally I would try and fit the batteries closer to the motor to avoid any possible issues as the battery ages. Build a platform for them to sit on. Compensate with moving fuel tanks forward. Don`t skimp on the consul you buy and buy the best you can afford. Remember you need plenty of room to fit all your instruments and GPS gear. I know they are expensive. Don`t forget where your lights are going to go. Other things to think about are bait well, rod holders, seating and storage box( customised to hold your extras you may need.) I know some things maybe obvious but they can be over looked. I once helped a mate do what you are doing in a much bigger boat and learnt a great deal from his attitude to doing it right. Even then we missed a few things.