Saintly Fish

great write up mate  theres always next time boys looked like they had fun thats all that matters 👍

Looks very comfortable in the cab. I like the way you put the rods upside down so people don't give you a hard time about being a lefty. 3m of water sounds crazy shallow, did you burley the area to try and bring the fish to you.

i use two types of braid  one is/was  £40 for 2000m     8 strand    80lbs    that i use  when common skate fishing and the odd   shark / giant mackerel   trip     the other is  16 strand  hollow core  that costs   £109   for  2000m     i use  this to  splice  nylon top shots into    and to make wind-on leaders        id never trust ( J )  to fly a kite  never mind  using it for fishing       i did import some c16   hollow core from the states   and its  great to use   but very expensive   so    never use it now     tight lines Alain 

@JDP I just had a quick look and prices here in the UK are running at approx £70 per 300m. Maybe it's taking a while for the news to travel this far!! 

I'm going to re spoil all mine soon so I will look out for this! Ta

@JDP I just had a quick look and prices here in the UK are running at approx £70 per 300m. Maybe it's taking a while for the news to travel this far!! 

For anyone who may have read any of my posts over the past few years, I've highly recommended the 131 braid. I've found it to outlast any other braid I've used, which ends up costing far less in the long term as I don't need to replace it often. In fact I've not replaced any in 4 yrs. The reels that I originally put this braid on have handled all sorts of fish, both large and small. Its only downside has been the price. This line casts very well, but like many braids, the accuracy of the strength labelling seems a bit off - expect it to break well above what the rating is.

Apparently Sufix are not making enough out of their premium line and sell far more of the cheaper 832, so are dropping the 131 from manufacture. So tackle stores this side of the pond are now selling it at well bellow the price of jbraid and other budget braids. If I hadn't recently spent so much on my boat and trailer I would be buying a little stock pile given how good the price is, however I have ordered 4 spools of 300m which should cover me well for the next few years.
 
If you have never tried it and considered it too expensive, keep an eye on prices to see if your local tackle store drop the price. Price here equates to around 20 quid for 300m of 10-20-30 and 50lb. 
 
A non related image of my boat in the background just to brighten the page !!!!!.....because I know Jon likes random pic's.

Nice one Ian. Good to see some nice bass. Hoping to get out tomorrow if Lord Andy isn't too late as per usual!! 

Bet my seats would fit nicely 😁

If it were a fish box where would he put the yam 55?? 🤯

Glad you finally managed to get a new boat Steve. Now get to work and go fishing for a change!! 

So where to start?
Well yesterday, finally got on it, and first unexpected problem found was drainage. With the cockpit floor somewhat lower than the main deck, it was flooded. There is a drain in the floor, but it doesn't flow to the main bilge where it can be pumped! Then, when the front locker was opened, that too was flooded, with nothing in the way of a drain! Need to have a proper look at these, either additional pumps or out with the drill and putting drain holes in. So far, an hour spent manual bailing did the trick.......
 
I also had a look at the electrics..... Ahem
What a mess!!
Did go through the functions, and quite a bit surprisingly worked, and chased down some of the hanging wires and identified them. No anchor light and no cabin light. Deck lights work but a bit feeble, so 2 areas to look at there....
The bilge pump was also playing silly buggers, but this might just be the battery needs charging. Will try again today hopefully....
I will add pics later, as stuff starts happening, also, it will be videod and on youtube....
 
There will be an upcoming thread and getting the engine up and ready, a yam 55 PTT, so new wiring will be added for that as well....
There will also be a trailer project when I go pick it up, as no doubt, you will have noticed, that this boat does not fit this trailer.......
More later with pics.....

Very nice Malc. Food looks delicious 

More of a shared post due to been busy commercially fishing followed by a stuffed back. 

My last trip in my own boat for a fish was after seeing big numbers of snapper while commercially catching abalone (shellfish). I took my daughter along on the 60km each way run to find the snapper truly on fire. I got off to a good start but after a deep cut from the gills of a snapper things went down hill, to the point even getting seasick!!!!  My daughter continued catching snapper after snapper on plastics, resulting in over 40 fish caught and released to around 15 by me. 

 


The plan was to shoot a few fish to take home. A few days before I'd had to get my divers from the water at this spot due to a large great white showing interest in the seals and snapper at this spot, so I wasn't keen on her diving alone. Still vomiting we hopped in and soon had the first fish, a perfect kill shot. Still vomiting at the surface and gagging while holding my breath at around 10-12m I must admit I wasn't feeling the best. It was still amazing to see these fish in such numbers that rarely interact with humans given the location we found them. 
 



The day after we popped her on a plane, where she headed off to NZ on a hunting holiday due to the charter boat she skippers being quiet this time of the year. Target species was Tahr, a species she hasn't shot before, so she was even more excited than her normal hyper manic self!!!!!  This hunting was pretty remote extreme stuff, first getting dropped by helicopter high into a remote mountain area for 7 days. Target species found and knocked off the list and several nights of fresh meat.

 

 
So with the New Zealand trip done and dusted she headed home for two days before deciding to head north and try some new toys from Daiwa (her sponsor). First target was freshwater murray cod. After a tough day and hundreds of casts she managed this thumper cod, not bad for a freshwater fish. There were a few smaller ones around the 55cm size.




Next day was back to one of her favourite river species, barramundi. Barra can be quite common in some areas especially the smaller fish. Last year she caught and released over 100 on one tide with a fishing buddy but the holy grail of these is a fish over 1m. Last year she managed a 1.30cm and sure enough after hundreds of casts she's managed another cracking 120cm specimen. Not bad for first fish on the new barra rod and reel.




So with a new trailer and my back on the mend, I hope to be posting a few of my own catch reports soon. I was meant to be heading offshore tonight targeting broadbill and tuna but my fishing buddy stuffed his shoulder. All part of the getting old syndrome.

HI all,
readvertised as sale fell through, price reduced,
2 x boat seats,new cushions, new lockable turntables.
both seats in very good cond.
selling as pair and collection only,might meet if not too far.
£100.ono

Ok, so I have a trailer now, double row bunks, so I guess we will see how that goes. Got some remedial work to do first before attempting to lift a boat on, like correct size wheels with tyres of correct load rating..... New winch required, brakes will need checking/replacing etc.... Once that is home I will get some pics up. Got to order outboard service parts up too......

Managed to get out on Saturday after having had a few issues with a gearbox but now all sorted so was lovely to be out
 
sadly the forecast changed at the last minute I warned the crew we’d be in for a rough ride but tbey were keen to get out. 
 
After a rather bouncy 3 hour steam we were on the shark grounds…. First run in 30 mins. Was a decent porbeagle but sadly managed to slip the hook. Rather frustrating! 
 
we had another run which after a spirited battle we had a cute little porgie abour 100-110lb to the boat. It was wrapped up but a wave soon washed it through the door…
Quick photo, tagged and released. 
 
Anorher blue of about 80lb soon came along, again tagged and released. 
 
Sadly the crew lost another porgie just underneath the boat…. 
 
I was keen to carry on but with 4 anglers with heads over the rail they decided to head in… another 3 hour steam home in a lumpy beam on sea and we were home 🙂 
Lovely to be back out there hopefully a few more weatger windows abd can get out again 🙂 

My Penn Fathoms are over worked, the amount of massive fish they reel in weekly is why they are noisy, Jon’s reels are virtually still brand having never caught a notable fish in over a years use🤣🤣🤣

Tight lines! 

Too good a Saturday forecast to miss saw me towing to Cornwall Friday night.
arrival around 1ish launching at daylight meant couple hours sort rods unstrap pack away and shut eye for not very long but it all helps.
first stop was bait and I was picking up some
jumbo mackerel only close in which was great after about 8/9 I headed out.

i stopped off on the way out around the reefs what difference the not netting of pollack has made. Well saying that Iv seen more fish in the past but compared to last year there were a few good fish back !
 

 
Pushed out to the 20mile band it was glass on the way out which was lovely then I spent an hour or so over the slack trying for ling on this wreck. I know they’re on there I just couldn’t get them ..another time !
dumped the chum over and waited quite a while with no wind i was moving with the tide but not a great deal.
then I had one probably of 40lb.
Hour or so later I had a better one round more like 75lb the boat going for the chum bag and the proper.
i had this fish round the bait and I could wind up any more so I just hand hooked her and she wernt happy gave me a searing run. Great fun

the Yank
The run 

chum

curious blue


 I ended up with another one so 3 in total
Had to pull the hook in again by hand to get that last one tight , rather that than deep hook. 
 
food as follows

Bangers on boat took some skin damage @JonC

 
Dinner made up for it
then I crawled into the tent 💤 
 
Josh 

i have mate thanks i am in the prosess  of sorting it 👍

Then why not DM @GPSguru first to sort the finer details out, then you'll know where you stand!!