seasponge

Depends whether we're talking whole or fillteted

Thanks Zoran. I had already searched and had seen your old post and wondered how it had panned out.

Thanks. She's a nice ride. Before I got it, I'd promised myself my next boat would have an electric motor. Got this one to be more family friendly, but missing an electric!

I wouldn't look at doing anything myself. Knowing my handyman skills I'll stuff it up and it'll end up on the bottom of the Hawkesbury the first time I deploy it! I don't have the motor yet, am trying to confirm the feasibilty of mounting before I proceed. Photos of boat bow below.

What are mounting options for an electric motor on a 5m fibreglass boat? Would love to see some pics of how others have done it on their fibreglass boats (I'm picturing it not as easy as on an aluminium boat).

Correct me if I'm wrong, aren't most ramps built and maintained by Councils, in which case kayakers would pay council rates and would therefore be contributing. Fishing licence fees contribute to fishing facilities like jetties and fish cleaning stations, not boat ramps.

Nice day and good report. Good to hear there's some flatties up that creek.

Great post Ian. A lot of those spots are already known spots, but your post gives good insight into why that might be. And more importantly, helps others think about what might be happening and how to find other spots. In a system like the Hawkesbury which is so big, finding the fish/spots seems to be my problem. I like to think i know how to fish. This post helps finding where to fish.

Great report XD!

I'm not convinced on the loop knot either, though i definitely don't have any authority on lure fishing. I just find it easier to do a fixed knot so just keep doing that. Always hear plenty of fishing experts talk about using loop knots for SP's. Then one day listening to a podcast with Bushy saying they designed the original squidgie SPs to be fished with a fixed knot not a loop knot. That's good enough for me.

what if you just moved the boat back off the trailer enough so that it is still on the trailer but you have access to where the rollers were otherwise sitting? then just an easy winch back on.

That wounded lure took off pretty quick 😉 Makes you wonder if she would've had another crack if the lure hung around for a bit after the first missed strike.

17 hours ago, noelm said: I think keeping tapered roller would be optimum for ease of retrieving/centering, they look like 18mm square "posts" which should be easy to get. Are you sure you cant lower the wobble rollers and/or move them out? edit......just as a side note! The trailer looks small for the boat, the last rollers are well away from the transom (where all the weight is) it might be just the photos though, how big is the boat? Noel, the size of the legs on the brackets are OK, it's just that they are at smaller centres than the existing brackets and won't fit into the slots without modifying them (I can't find off the shelf brackets with the same centres). I can move the wobble rollers in towards the centre of the trailer which will lower them (not sure if it would lower it enough), but I was hoping to keep things simple by not having to start playing with wobble roller location. I agree keeping tapers would be better. I thought maybe I could keep the first and last keel rollers as tapers and go straight rollers for the intermediates? How far back from the transom would be too far for the back rollers? The boat is 5m

the front keel roller is sitting as low as it can go

In an exercise of frustration I had a crack at it. Plan was to just replace the keel roller brackets with higher brackets, and replace out the tapered rollers. Had to go to 2 different suppliers to get brackets, rollers and spindles to suit. Got home and realised that the roller bracket is different to the current one and that the legs would not fit the slots on the trailer 😡 I thought they would have all been standard! Change of plan then. Changing the keel roller brackets not possible unless I get them custom welded. Not keen on playing around with the wobble rollers unless absolutely need to. Looking closely, I only need to come up about 15-20mm on the keel rollers. The taper on the keel rollers is about that much, so next plan is to just replace the existing tapered keel rollers with straight keel rollers which should be enough to make contact with the keel. 🤞🤞🤞 If not, I'll just have to move the wobble rollers in a bit. The only downside is that my keel rollers won't be tapered, hopefully I don't have issues with the boat sliding off the roller when getting it back on the trailer.

Hi Raiders, I need some help adjusting the roller set up on my trailer. I've recently bought a second hand boat and trailer. When sitting on the trailer, the boat does not sit on all the keel rollers. The weight of the boat sits on the front keel roller and the back rocker rollers. I'm assuming this is not the ideal set up, and that all the keel rollers should be taking the weight of the boat, with the rocker rollers just holding it in position. There are signs of small damage to the front of the keel where the boat is sitting on the front keel roller. So wanting to adjust, however, the front keel roller is already at its lowest position, and the other two keel rollers are already at their highest position (200mm bracket), but still don't make contact with the boat. There is no height adjustment on the back rear rocker rollers, other than moving the whole assembly closer towards the centre of the trailer. What would be the best way to rectify? Should I look to buy new higher brackets for the keel rollers or move the rear rocker rollers in towards the centre of the trailer and hope it drops the rear enough for the boat to rest on the keel rollers?

How do you rig them on the hook?

OK, after the last time they announced they were closing, I said I'd get myself an Alvey. That never happened, but this time around I'm gonna pull my finger out. I've never used an Alvey before but love the idea of an indestructible, Aussie made reel for the beach. Don't do much beach fishing either, but it's something I'll eventually get around to (and expect the Alvey to last me a lifetime 😉) I've had a look at their website but am overwhelmed by the number of options (even after using the reel finder tool on their website). Can any of you wise ol' fishraiders please recommend which reel would be best suited a 13ft graphite beach rod for bread'n'butter species beach fishing (tailor, salmon and hopefully a jewie every now and then if I wish hard enough). I'd be looking at their entry level price range. From what I can determine, the Surf 60GT would be what I'm looking at - am i on the right track here or are there any other suggestions?

That's the same scenario i'm in with the current boat. I'm willing to spend the money for an electric motor, but won't bother on the current boat. So I'm considering it a must have for the next boat.

I'm thinking one of my must haves is an electric motor for spotlocking. Not sure how that enters the equation.

Argh, so much good advice, but pro's and con's for all options! Not an easy call, and just makes the whole shopping process so much more difficult. Such a minefield trying to buy second hand unless you can narrow down the field of search!

Hey essjay, have you just moved to the Brooklyn area? I'm also in Brooklyn and struggle to get the chance to get out for a fish. I can't make it this weekend, but would be keen to find a fishing partner.

Good point on the bowrider! I'm looking for something that's gonna make the day comfortable for the family so maybe the cuddy cab is better option. How easy is it to detect hidden transom damage in a fibreglass boat?

I currently own a 4.5m aluminium runabout. This one’s pretty old and I’m in the market for an upgrade, but really not sure which direction to head. Size-wise, she has served me great as a good size for 2 people on board fishing. However, now have a 4 and 6yr old and it’s not an enjoyable day when we all 4 of us go out on the boat for the day. So am looking for practical advice on what size and type of boat. Ultimately it still needs to be a fishing boat, but comfortable for a family outing as well. Don’t wont to go over 5.5m. Cuddy Cab versus Bowrider/Easyrider Any thoughts from owners of both – suitability of either option as a fishing boat and as a family boat? I like the idea of a cuddy cab but does that restrict space in the back of the boat too much? Aluminium vs Fibreglass Looking at second hand, how old would you go for a second hand fibreglass or aluminium? There are a lot of pros and cons for either, but what would trump the other? Current boat was my first, an old beaten aluminium which is now riddled with corrosion – don’t want to go there again! Any advice to help me narrow down a search would be appreciated. Thanks!

Wow, just awesome.