How Far Out Is Safe In A 4.35M Runabout? And How/where Do I Find Fish?

[puregeek]

Hey guys,

Just got a new boat recently and have done a little fishing in the bay and in the georges. All i end up catching is little whiting and undersized bream. Some legal ones would be nice, even a snapper. I want to venture outside the heads a little and try and target some bigger fish outside. Does anyone have any pointers on whats out there and what i can target. How far out is safe would you say? Say 500m from shore? Maybe even 1km? I also have a Lowrance HDS-5 fitted to the boat and i want to actually use it and try and sound some fish. Nothing seems to ever come up on the sounder in the river or in the bay. If i headed out a little further will something actually show up on the sounder? Im hoping someone can help me cause its so frustrating not coming back with anything. Any tips would be great.

D

Edited September 29, 2010 by puregeek

[cut_loose]

I take my little 420 out the heads a fair bit mate, Just depends on how much confidence you have and as importantly good weather.

Cheers

[Yarraone]

Weather is the key.. it can turn Veru ugly very quick around the y bay , so you must be carefull and have all your sense on alert.

i think your sounder may need some adjustments.. read your manual again.. I have a cheap Hummingbird, and I had the same problem at first.. now after adjusting the position and sensativity of the transducer it is working fine..

[rebehy]

Hey guys,

Just got a new boat recently and have done a little fishing in the bay and in the georges. All i end up catching is little whiting and undersized bream. Some legal ones would be nice, even a snapper. I want to venture outside the heads a little and try and target some bigger fish outside. Does anyone have any pointers on whats out there and what i can target. How far out is safe would you say? Say 500m from shore? Maybe even 1km? I also have a Lowrance HDS-5 fitted to the boat and i want to actually use it and try and sound some fish. Nothing seems to ever come up on the sounder in the river or in the bay. If i headed out a little further will something actually show up on the sounder? Im hoping someone can help me cause its so frustrating not coming back with anything. Any tips would be great.

D

Forgive me if I am wrong, but you may be a little inexperienced with boating?? Is this your first boat? If so then DON'T head out in such a small boat even if the wind and swells are down. Gain experience in the bay first. Try some rougher days inside the bay but be careful. If you decide you are going to venture out, try to arrange another boat company to stay close by.

Incidently, you should be able to catch legal fish (and even some monster fish) inside the bay on almost every trip. Try some of the well known charters on the bay for a day. Trust me, you will thank me later.

Cheers

Eddie

[Basil D]

Scotty lyons our sposnore is the best Bay fishermen there is.

Watched a show on tele with Scotty and ET, top stuff

[Hamuwaja]

Hey guys,

Just got a new boat recently and have done a little fishing in the bay and in the georges. All i end up catching is little whiting and undersized bream. Some legal ones would be nice, even a snapper. I want to venture outside the heads a little and try and target some bigger fish outside. Does anyone have any pointers on whats out there and what i can target. How far out is safe would you say? Say 500m from shore? Maybe even 1km? I also have a Lowrance HDS-5 fitted to the boat and i want to actually use it and try and sound some fish. Nothing seems to ever come up on the sounder in the river or in the bay. If i headed out a little further will something actually show up on the sounder? Im hoping someone can help me cause its so frustrating not coming back with anything. Any tips would be great.

D

Hey mate, i agree with the above, it sounds like you may not have enough experience to test this alone. But not taking a stab at you at all.

I would say just grab a mate, or maybe someone off the site who goes out there regularaly on small craft to go out with you the first few times, to give you some pointers etc.

does seem like your boat will be fine outside mate, and depending on the conditions, sometimes (and more often then not) its rougher closer to shore, then when you pass that it seems to get flatter, and nicer.

[rickb]

G/day Young fella,

All the above advice is very good.

If you have not got a manual for your sounder,you can download

them free on line.PDF format.

Your boat is good enough in good weather,but experience is essential

otherwise panic sets in if you get into trouble.

Even on a good day just outside you will roll and pitch like mad,

while you are near a headland it is rough,move out 1/2 a click and it

smooths down.

The best way to learn is in another boat and watch the skipper,

fishing is on its own,but that sea can be a killer at any moment.

take all the precautions don't venture out in bad weather,learn your sounder

and you will have a ball.There is no thrill better than pulling in a PB.

Good luck and enjoy your fishing,you can learn a lot listening to the

guys on Here.

Cheers Rick.

[Day's Fishin]

Mate you say the boats a 4.35 runabout, but is it a deep v or shallow draft boat?,what kind of power has it got? Has it got a radio and if it does do you know how to use it? If I were you I would find someone with some boating experience to teach you the fundamentals of safe boating. There are a lot of people who have a boat and a boat licence and would not have the faintest idea of how to drive and handle a boat. If you were to log a post on here asking for a experienced boat person to come with you I'm sure you would get some one with the right experience to go with. If your not sounding fish in botany bay or the Georges river and the sounder is operating properly then you have your settings wrong.

Regards Jeff

[framedtrash]

as Jeff has mentioned the shape of your hull and the size of your motor are some of the most important things

my boat is small but has a nice deep v and a good reliable motor

i take mine 20kms offshore quite abit and feel very safe but i have all the safety gear and always keep a eye on the weather

you really need to head out with some one that knows what they are doing and have done it plenty of times

just because some one has a boat license doesn't mean they should be taking a boat offshore esp a small boat

as for your sounder the auto settings on the HDS units are pretty much fool proof if its not showing you fish chances are there are no fish where you are

[puregeek]

Thanks for the replies guys. I have a 4.35 Allycraft intruder with a 50 yamaha. But this isn't my first boat. My last boat was a 15ft half cabin glass boat 70hp(old thing that i didn't trust to go anywhere), my second was a 19ft stacer aluminum run about with a 90hp. She didn't handle the chop very well (1.6mm bottoms i think it was) so i didn't trust her either. So because of that i spent most of my time in the river and just before the heads. Im more confident with the new boat (3mm bottom and just allot newer) around the bay and with the chop we get in the bay. The 2 problems i get though as that as soon as i start to venture out it just seems like it gets a little rougher and i think its going to get worst - am i being too cautious? So does get better when you go further out? I assumed that it would be worst the further out i got. So when i go about 500m from shore thats where i start fishing or start looking for fish?. 2nd problem finding fish, im so sure i have have the sounder on the right settings. I have used manual and auto settings. Maybe im just in the wrong spot.

I actually have been out on a trip with Scotty last year, and took a few tips from him. But his boat must has some sort of fish attracting device because i tried to do the same thing and i can't seem to get the fish.

[paul1616]

hey mate u should get some more time up in the bay first befor trying to head out side it can turn realy nast fast and so can the bay iv only got a 4.3m ally reelmate and i got out in the harbour and i go out the head most of the time there is no real distance u should go out its all up to u and how conferdent u r with ya self and boat

[Day's Fishin]

When you go outside the ground swell or head swell is what you go through when leaving a harbour or estuary. When you get through this the water calms to some degree because its not battling to get through a small opening or over a bar. Pick your day and don't overstay your welcome,first sign of weather head back even if your into fish there's always another day.

Regards Jeff

[locodave]

When you go outside the ground swell or head swell is what you go through when leaving a harbour or estuary. When you get through this the water calms to some degree because its not battling to get through a small opening or over a bar. Pick your day and don't overstay your welcome,first sign of weather head back even if your into fish there's always another day.

Regards Jeff

The above is true, i found out the hard way. Was out one day on Lion Island and it was on like donkey kong. Fish left right and centre. I realised at about 1, there were no boats, everyone had gone. I was happy, more fish to myself, then within the hour a massive storm hit, instantly. It was a scary drive home!

[rickb]

If you are out and a big southerly is coming up.

You will know long before it hits.

You will swear you are near a railway track,

it will sound like a big loco is flying along the tracks.

Then you feel like doing a Jc straight for the ramp.

[stefan]

hey ppl is it true as soon as you leave the heads you legally need an epirb and spare motor?

[rickb]

hey ppl is it true as soon as you leave the heads you legally need an epirb and spare motor?

No Steve.

[Blood Knot]

hey ppl is it true as soon as you leave the heads you legally need an epirb and spare motor?

Have a look at this link stefan

NSW Maritime

Cheers Blood Knot

[stefan]

cheers bloodknot that link helps a tonne. I guess as just outside the heads an epirb isnt needed but I remember reading somewhere about a spare motor tho is it required for larger boats or something or have i completely made it up?

[rickb]

Steve they tried to enforce it back in early 80,

But it was only short lived.

Most boats then had twin motors.

[Blood Knot]

stefan

Not required as far as I know - some guys have a little 5 to 10hp auxilary outboard mounted on a push out bracket that they carry for a bit of insurance or confidence. Some guys use em when trolling lures if they have issues with running their main motor at low revs.

Cheers

Blood Knot

[stefan]

cheers guys. All sorted out now.