Berleyguts

I don’t have many Alveys but value the ones I do! I think my models are a 650C5, a 500A5(?), and a Blackfish reel. I also have what looks like an old Alvey copy. It’s embossed with “Queensland Fishing Tackle, Brisbane, Australia”. I must check my Mum’s garage for any of my grandfather’s gear, although it was probably thrown out years ago.

Corks were great! We used to float them in a bucket of water and when a fish took the bait, the cork just spun around and the fish took line with no resistance.

As dry as you can expect from an open boat, I guess. Most of the stuff gets pushed down and away but certain winds will throw spray at me. I cop it worst if it’s coming over the starboard quarter. Sometimes you just gotta grit your teeth and get wet! 😂 Sometimes I wish I had a higher wider windscreen to duck down behind. I tend to drive as fast as I can when I can (except when trolling and sounding around of course). The boat so far has handled anything I’ve thrown at it. @Scratchie has ridden in it a few times. He might give you a passenger’s opinion. Some days I can do 20-23 knots to Broughton, other days, 10-14. I went to the FAD once (12nm) and it was tougher than I’d expected and I could only cruise comfortably at about 9 knots, so I trolled all the way and picked up a stripey. 😎

I think the Stacers have their own hull design but I’m sure they perform similarly. I find it very stable at rest.

Wasn’t there a guy that used to set up on the north side of the Minnamurra bridge?

Ha ha! 😂 I’m thinking of going back to winding some mono on a Tooheys long neck and see how I go! 😂 Or maybe find some gut line... I know a place where there are hundreds of stray cats... 😂😂

I can’t speak for the AnglerPro but I have a Stacer Outlaw 449 (4.5m) side console and am very happy with it. I originally wanted a 4.8m boat or longer for the PFD issue but, honestly, it is 2nd nature now to wear my auto inflatable PFD. The 4.5m length suits me to a tee and handles conditions offshore with ease. If you need the extra 0.3m, fine, but I wouldn’t let the PFD issue force me to break my budget. If you’re ever up in Port Stephens, I’m happy to take you out for a ride in mine, if you like. (Might be a reason I can give the missus so I can go fishing!😂). However, I work in retail, so lots of weekends and December/January up here is a nightmare! One thing, I have a side console. It’s great... but I sometimes wish I chose a centre console. I mostly fish solo and there are times when I’m doing an early morning winter run to Broughton Island and the spray is coming over the starboard quarter that I wish I was a little closer to the centre of the boat! 😂

The good old Wonder Wobbler caught a lot of fish in the day. I still have a few and break them out occasionally when I tire of soft plastics on flathead etc. Halco (based in Fremantle, WA) still do a wobbler with a red tag. 😉 Yours look the goods, too, Frank! 😎 The 2nd fish I ever caught on a lure was a flathead caught on a 1/4oz Wonder Wobbler from the beach at Dolls Point when I was a kid. The 1st fish I caught on a lure was also a flathead at Dolls Point on a lure I made from a toothbrush. (The Wonder Wobbler was easier to cast!)

I’ve hooked a few. They’re a bugger to release! 🤬

Thanks for the clarification re the possession limits. I should have checked. 😬 It makes no difference for me - I rarely get to fish again until I’ve run out of what’s in the freezer anyway! 😂 I reckon the kingfish fishery in NSW is pretty good anyway... from all reports I’ve seen, the kings are on fire in Sydney anyway. 😉

Properly looked after, kingfish freeze well. I reckon the bag limit of 5 is about right. Especially given that I don’t bag out very often. There’s also a possession limit of 10(?), I think, which should stop people bagging out every single day.

There’s a WD40 white lithium spray grease available at Bunnings. Would this be suitable? I have no idea! https://www.bunnings.com.au/wd-40-specialist-300g-high-performance-white-lithium-grease_p6100408

Plus 2. Just a swivel. Spent many a session in my youth spinning the beaches for tailor and salmon with chrome lures like the 3/4 ounce or 1 ounce Wonder Wobbler or the Abu Toby. They’ll still work, so any metal lures like them.

Yum. Food or bait, Rick?