Berleyguts

Thanks Gazza, No parking fee but about $20 in return tolls! That trip is 70km one way and takes at least an hour towing the boat. That's if the M5 isn't like the car park I usually find it when fishing on a week day! I love to fish out of Botany or Hacking but I've found the trip to Brooklyn quicker and easier against the traffic and only 56km. Roseville should be about 40km and 45 minutes or so and no parking fee for me because I have a pass. Thanks for the suggestion, though. I will fish out of there sometimes on weekends but I'm leaning toward Roseville now for my Tuesday sessions (my day off). Cheers, Baz

Thanks Scratchie. Any ramp is a fair haul from my place near Quakers Hill, so I've been making the trip to Parsley Bay but wonder if there are better options. I have a National Park annual pass, so parking fees aren't an issue and I understand there are boat flushing facilities at Roseville, which would save me a bit of time. On Tuesday, I left home about 4:30am and was still cleaning the boat and putting it away at 6:00pm! Cheers, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi, Approximately how long does the run take from Roseville ramp to Sydney heads? I can cruise at 25 knots. Thanks, Baz

I picked up 4 fishing on my own on Tuesday morning trolling along the rocks near Barrenjoey, Whale Beach and Lion Island. Dropped a couple more. Also picked up a frigate and a tailor. Water temp was about 20.5 - 21 degrees. Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We plan to visit PS in May. Will do some fishing and look at a few houses. Also hope to squeeze in the odd weekend here and there. We try to get to Port at least once or twice per year. Cheers, Baz

One of my auto inflatable PFDs self inflated while I was cleaning the boat yesterday. The auto inflate valve was due for replacement anyway so I wore another one. I had it in the forward storage area and really gave the carpet a thorough wash down. I opened the hatch while hosing and the water must have gushed directly from the carpet onto the valve! It burst the storage bag! Getting a new valve AND a bag! lol Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Boat: Stacer 449 Outlaw side console Rego: AHR066N Colour: white with black bimini Call sign: Sportfish 63 or Sea Miner VHF 16 Fishing out of Broken Bay at the moment Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You're not wrong there, Scratchie! I'm hoping to head out again next Tuesday (my regular day off) if I can't persuade the missus to come out on Sunday. And I can't wait to take it up your way to Port Stephens (where I hope to move to in a few years!)... would love to head up to Broughton Island, weather permitting! Might see you out on the water there one day! Cheers, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Here's a pic of the tailor I caught on Friday. Here's the boat: Took it out again yesterday on my own. Couldn't get yakkas at West Head, so headed out for a troll. Picked up a bonito while heading out past Barrenjoey. Trolled down to Avalon, then out a mile or two. It was getting a little lumpy, so I headed back into Whale Beach and trolled back up to Barrenjoey and Lion Island. Picked up fish near Whale Beach rocks and Barrenjoey Headland, also Lion Island. Finished with 4 bonito, 1 tailor, 1 bream (while yakka fishing) and a frigate mackerel (kept for bait). Actually, I didn't finish with the bream - a pelican pinched it off the cleaning table! All fish except the frigate and bream taken on the same white minnow. The frigate took a small Xmas tree. I had another hit on the Xmas tree but the line broke due to a knot I missed from line twist. I love that white minnow! Cheers, Baz Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'll take a pic of the boat when I put her in the water again tomorrow. The Minn Kota is a 55lb thrust, 42in shaft I think. Didn't get a manual - the dealer is chasing it. Oziodin - I did enjoy the day out with my son and his mate. It's the first time he has been fishing with me since he was about 10. He's just not into it! Got no sea legs and can't tie knots! lol But he was impressed that I remembered to put the bung in this time and put him onto some fish! Baz

First Jew?! Wow! Great effort! Baz

Nice fish. Well done! Baz

Took my new boat (Stacer 449 Outlaw side console) on Friday on her maiden voyage. Had my 21 y.o. son and his friend as passengers (couldn't call them crew, lol!). A bit late getting away from the ramp at Parsley Bay because they took off after a goat! Picked up a dozen or so small yakkas at West Head. The Minn Kota iPilot anchor lock sure beats dropping a pick and retrieving it. Trolled from Barrenjoey down to Whale Beach. First strike went to my son's friend and he bagged his first bonito about 50cm. Spotted a lot of mutton birds working about a mile out, so trolled over and enjoyed watching a huge pod of dolphins smashing into baitfish (I assume slimies). The boys thought that was pretty cool. Trolled back to Lion Island and my son bagged a small bonny out the front. On the next pass I got a nice tailor (47cm). On the next strike my son grabbed the rod and struggled to fight the fish. I think it may have been a small kingy but he spat the lure not too far from the boat. Spotted 3 fairy penguins near the island. Had a great day out and I LOVE the new boat!!! Hope to get out again, on my own, on Tuesday! All fish were taken on a white minnow about 5 inches long. I had no luck with live yakkas inside, so those I didn't use went back. The bonito and tailor cooked up well on the barbie yesterday. Cheers, Baz

Looks like you had a great day out! Great pics too! How far out were the dollies? (Forgive me, I'm not sure where the Whale FAD is)> I took my new boat out on Friday on here maiden voyage just to look around and spotted a lot of mutton birds working about a mile off Palm Beach. We trolled out there and there was a huge pod of dolphins smashing into baitfish, I assume slimies. Baz

Bought my new boat at 53. This is my 3rd boat. The first was a 10ft punt that fell off the back of a truck (literally). The 2nd was a 2nd hand 4.0 aluminium runabout. I traded this on the new boat, a 4.49m Stacer Outlaw side console with 60hp Evinrude Etec, Minn Kota iPilot. Absolutely love it! No issues. Only regret is that I haven't put it in the water yet... I only picked it up 2 weeks ago. Will christen it very soon! The wife was very kind to me and suggested I buy it - but I will probably have it until I die! $75k is a lot to spend on a boat and I certainly couldn't have spent that at your age. I guess you have to consider the usage, ongoing costs and weigh that up against real estate. If I was in your position I would find a boat for half that or less and put the balance towards a house. Just saying. Baz

I assume you are fishing the Swansea channel. The tide does race along there. Fishing an hour or so either side of the tide change is more manageable. However, try this... use enough lead to get a live poddy down near the bottom and let the tide take it along and walk along with the bait... you won't have so much trouble with the line swinging back onto the wall as you are keeping level with it... you might just manage a few of those big lizards Swansea is famous for... watch out for the kingies around the bridge! Good luck. Baz

I'm on the ;lookout or a reasonably priced motorised dolly, too. In my case, my driveway is very steep. I drive up into the garage, then unhook the trailer and manhandle it across the flatter part of the driveway at the top, onto an extension slab I had laid off to the side, so that the boat and trailer sit parallel to the front of the house. I can just manage it on my own (if I remove the anchor, the fuel tank and all my fishing gear etc) but if I get a bigger boat or a little bit older, I'm sure I will struggle - it's nearly gotten away from me a few times...! Baz

I took voluntary redundancy from Australia Post 2 years ago after nearly 24 years with them. Yes, I got a pretty good payout which provided a buffer but our mortgage is bigger than it should be due to borrowing against the house to invest and then the GFC hit (won't use that financial advisor again!). I expected that I would find a job that paid maybe $10-20k less but that wasn't so easy after all at 51 (at the time). Admittedly, I was being selective with where I wanted to work, figuring I could take lesser pay if I worked closer to home etc. but I didn't really feel like going back to study. After enjoying a short break and treating ourselves to a few nice things, I took a full-time job at a local Bunnings, which I enjoyed but I didn't like working every weekend. I now work for a former colleague from Aussie Post in his Licensed Post Office, close to home with great hours. I don't miss the 90-120 minute commute to the city... I'm more relaxed, fitter, happier, even if I have dropped about $40k per year. I haven't dipped into my super yet and overall life is good. If I need a bit of extra cash, I can still take some casual shifts at Bunnings if I want (and I keep the staff discount ) I do miss my friends from the office and some of the perks but I don't miss the politics! I was lucky in that my employer provided extensive career change counselling through Ranstad. That was worthwhile, even if I didn't go after a big office job again. If you can get some counselling, I recommend it. It can be a bit daunting but most people I have spoken to agree that in about 6 months, you wonder what you were worrying about. I agree. Good luck in whatever you do. Baz

Thanks Gazza, I'll hit the yellow pages. Baz

Thanks Huey, I think you might have suggested before that a newer 30hp outboard might have more grunt than my '94 25hp Yamaha. I assume you mean an Evinrude ETEC?? Could you please PM me a price on a 30hp ETEC with power trim/tilt, fitted? And would you consider a trade-in on my Yammy? I get 20 knots at WOT with the 25hp Yammy, sometimes 22 knots with the Hawkesbury tide but I prefer to back off the throttle a bit and run at 18 knots to treat the engine more kindly. (I don't have a tacho). What do you think I could get with a 30hp ETEC? I would really like to improve the run time from Apple Tree Bay to Broken Bay! Thanks, Baz

Hi, The compliance plate on my 4.0m Stacer shows Maximum 35hp but beside it is stamped "40" (see pic below). Does this mean I can safely/legally fit a 40hp outboard? I currently have a 25hp Yamaha, which runs fine but I would like more power and a 40 seems the way to go. Thanks, Baz

Hi, Can any Fishraiders recommend a repairer for aluminium boats? Obviously, by PM, if a public posting contravenes site rules. I live near Quakers Hill in north west Sydney, so somewhere not too far away would be preferable. My 4.0m Stacer has a few small (pin-sized) holes, which I have patched in a fashion but it still takes in a bit of water, I think around where the bungs are fitted. It might be time to replace these, so, if it's affordable, I'd like to look at getting all leaks professionally repaired and maybe a paint job, too. At the same time, I'd be interested in having an electric motor mounting plate fitted forward. Any leads appreciated. I don 't want to overcapitalize, as I'd like to upgrade to a larger boat down-track but I don't really have the expertise/time to do it myself. Thanks, Baz

Great report, Pete! And you finally put your mate Dave onto some decent fish! You got me hankering to get back down to Wisemans - haven't been to the caravan for months. One last trip before it sells, maybe. I must forget about happy hour at the park and fish those tide changes at night! Baz

Great fish again, Ron. I'll have to catch up with you at a club meeting soon to talk about 1kg rods. Mine is on the bottom of Port Stephens and I need to build a new one! Baz

That looks pretty cool. If the fish aren't biting, you can sit and watch your bait! Baz