Pushing boundaries

[NAGG]

Yeah we are lucky here ..closest reefs are 35km's away and max for our trips are 80kms to the edge of the shelf..
The Central QLD lads certainly do some miles to get out to the good ground but Wahoo has a comfy boat...

As mentioned on a good day with a bit of music and a beer ....time seems to go quick if the ocean is calm, dolphins, bait schools, tropical sunshine, blue water, reefs..life doesnt get much better

We also have a few marks on the way out where we try for fish and if they are really on the chew we mightnt end up right out at 80Km's but just 60 if the fish are there..

We were at the ramp this morning all loaded up and ready to launch but it was blowing around 12 knots with close set sloppy waves a bit over a metre and expected to blow up a bit more after lunch..

We watched 2 other boats heading out and could hear the pounding half a mile away....I left the decision to go with our 2 guests...one who is recovering from a slipped disc...

Last week we went out in perfect conditions and they loved it but once they watched the other boats making hard work of running straight into a head sea they decided we might just go for a run up the creek croc spotting this arvo instead...

Yeah the whitsundays and townsville/ayre needs a 80-100 km run to get to any decent reefs..dont let it daunt you Chris..just check your forecasts, particularly for storms, also check which way its forecast for the arvo seabreeze to kick up and plan yourtrip to return with the wind and waves rather then straight into it...(80 km's running into a decent headsea can be a very long trip ...80 km's running with the sea or across it, no problems..)..and i know you are anal so your safety gear is all in order but a Garmin inreach mini also means you can text from anywhere via satelite when you are out of mobile range....

Please tell me more about the Garmin inreach mini ? ....... never heard of it

Chris

[wahoofishingcrew]

https://www.garmin.com/en-AU/p/592606

Pretty much a satellite phone that is text message only. On sale atm for $479 from anaconda and about $240 a year plan.

If things went pear shaped you can text the response team that organise coastguard etc so atleast you know someone is coming.

You can also text anyone from it so handy for letting family know you're alive on longer trips. Also specific location weather updates by text too.

Sent from my CPH2197 using Tapatalk

[scottar]

Yeh agree - on the content (mixes it up as well)

The bloke must be doing alright though - those trips would cost a bomb in fuel ( 2 trips a week) - funding a boat like that ....... nice gig

Dont you get bored traveling that far for that long ? - us southerners just don't need to travel that far ..... I might do an hour (40km)

no doubt you'd see some amazing places ...... fishing less pressured waters , I totally get it but I'm amazed at what he's driven past / over to get to his chosen destination .

Having just looked at where I'm planning to go (weather dependent ) ..... I guess doing 100km isn't that much worst than 75km ( but I will be only going from the outer islands not running from Airlie).
Anyhow just interested in everyones thoughts / experiences

Chris

All part of it. Promoting something that everyone is already doing probably isn't going to get you the same audience as promoting the dream and views are what pays the bills. We all dream of fishing the out of the way places where fish have never seem a lure. Fish that don't see any real amount of pressure would make getting content a lot easier than fishing closer ground - which gives your sponsors maximum bang for buck too. Nobody wants to know that their new $50 lure may take half a dozen trips to catch a fish if it's used in a area that sees more pressure. Being all over youtube in a fairly recognizable rig would create issues with "blowflies" while trying to get good content too. I have mates that have had issues in Brisbane with grubs literally trying to shadow them all day because they are well recognized from fishing journalism. It literally could also be because that is simply what he enjoys doing.

[disorderly]

Wahoo explained it pretty well..

Another issue is when I have done a radio check it can take a while before I get a response from local coastguards...usually Innisfail or Cairns...it can be a matter of minutes or several calls before a response...

That could be a bit frustrating in an emergency situation so at least the Inreach is instant and it also sends out your coordinates as well..

The other thing Wahoo mentioned is at least you would know someone is on their way and you can text back and forth which would give you piece of mind if you ended up floating in the water...

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/sho...garmin+inreach

[NAGG]

Garmin In reach sounds like a pretty good innovation - certainly if you were constantly fishing remote destinations like some of you blokes do .

I nearly felt compelled to jump on line to buy one - then I thought about how often I might be out of range of phone & radio reception (not often) Even if I go wide of the Whitsundays - I should still be withing radio range of Hamilton Island , Hayman Island or even Reef world .
Then we have the EPIRB for real emergencies .

How does the cost compare to having a Sat phone ?

Chris

[scottar]

They are available for rental if purchasing one doesn't suit as are sat phones. https://www.ozsatelliterentals.com.au/products/inreach

[NAGG]

They are available for rental if purchasing one doesn't suit as are sat phones. https://www.ozsatelliterentals.com.au/products/inreach

Thanks for that - If I was doing 2 trips away / year ..... then it would make sense to buy one .... (3 -4 weeks hire)

BTW - I did a quick look ..... you can buy a Sat phone for about $1000 ($15 / month plan) @ $1 / minute outgoing call

A quality phone like an Iridium (IP65 rated will set you back about $1900)

Chris

[disorderly]

Chris just be aware that with sat phone plans its a get what you pay for kind of thing..some of the cheaper plans have limited access to less satelites and can take a couple of minutes to connect and you have to extend the antenea and point it in a certain direction to work....

The Garmin uses the Iridium satelite network which is considered one of the best systems available and all it takes to get your emergency call and coordinates sent is to push a single button.

The inreach will connect you directly to the emergency services group GEOS who initiate the rescue.....

https://my-geos.com/

Rememeber that with a sat phone you actually need to get through to someone and tell them whats going on....It would suck to go to voicemail at Coastguard or as I found out one time ringing triple O can be a nightmare because you initially get the operater who asks if you need Fire, police or ambulance and then dicks around reconnecting to that department ..it took around 10 minutes to finally get our condition and coordinates out..it would not have worked if we were in the water or the boat upside down or sunk.

So the inreach is a specifically designed and operated emergency rescue system as opposed to a sat phone which is, well, just a phone which i actually hate when i am enjoying time camping and on the water..

Also tax deductible..

[bluefin59]

The people I went fishing with had a sat phone but only had it for emergency use in the boat and when we went hunting up the cape . The used to keep it in an orange pelican case

[Brettoh]

Wahoo, We have had it a year or so and havent actually used it apart from playing around with its trackmaps... but its nice to know its there and not reliant on the boats electronics to function and in a waterpoof case its a good addition to the grab bag..

Down in CQ,how far out do you get mobile coverage ..?..its very limited coverage here once we are past 20-30km's out and our local coastguards usually are only manned on weekends..

Between 10 and 25 km depending on Telstra and the weather.
VMR Mckay operate from 8am to 6pm and then handover watch to Hay Point who manage the coal ships. There has been another repeater installed on Penrith Island and now we get awesome coverage all the way out to the reef ,

here is a pic of my simrad on a trip last week 267549576_280339867457983_3070023873737196102_n.jpg

[NAGG]

Chris just be aware that with sat phone plans its a get what you pay for kind of thing..some of the cheaper plans have limited access to less satelites and can take a couple of minutes to connect and you have to extend the antenea and point it in a certain direction to work....

The Garmin uses the Iridium satelite network which is considered one of the best systems available and all it takes to get your emergency call and coordinates sent is to push a single button.

The inreach will connect you directly to the emergency services group GEOS who initiate the rescue.....

https://my-geos.com/

Rememeber that with a sat phone you actually need to get through to someone and tell them whats going on....It would suck to go to voicemail at Coastguard or as I found out one time ringing triple O can be a nightmare because you initially get the operater who asks if you need Fire, police or ambulance and then dicks around reconnecting to that department ..it took around 10 minutes to finally get our condition and coordinates out..it would not have worked if we were in the water or the boat upside down or sunk.

So the inreach is a specifically designed and operated emergency rescue system as opposed to a sat phone which is, well, just a phone which i actually hate when i am enjoying time camping and on the water..

Also tax deductible..

No I get the whole cost of Sat phone thing - charges etc ...... & unless I was going to do something very remote for an extended period - I wont be considering one (either one)
i'll rely on VHF , Mobile phone & EPIRB .

Chris

[Greg P]

I have a Zoleo in my Life Cell that i charge every couple of weeks regardless. Bit cheaper that the Garmin with pretty much the same functions

[disorderly]

No I get the whole cost of Sat phone thing - charges etc ...... & unless I was going to do something very remote for an extended period - I wont be considering one (either one)
i'll rely on VHF , Mobile phone & EPIRB .

Chris

Yep for the small amount of remote fishing you do at least one out of those 3 should work 100km's out...you just wont know till you actually see the plane or chopper fly over you paddling in the water, though...

How good would it be, though, to be able to text back and forth with your rescuers and at least have an idea that they are actually coming and when ETA is...for us that spends a lot of time, a long way out thats a comforting thought..

Anyway if you do get some good weather to be able to get to the outer reefs in the Whitsundays here is a little video that might inspire you to get in the water and check out the reefs....these guys are doing reef census along the reef up to the Soloman islands..they recently checked out the reefs around my area and also up around Lizard island...video is of the Whitsundays outer reef though..

[NAGG]

Yep for the small amount of remote fishing you do at least one out of those 3 should work 100km's out...you just wont know till you actually see the plane or chopper fly over you paddling in the water, though...

How good would it be, though, to be able to text back and forth with your rescuers and at least have an idea that they are actually coming and when ETA is...for us that spends a lot of time, a long way out thats a comforting thought..

Anyway if you do get some good weather to be able to get to the outer reefs in the Whitsundays here is a little video that might inspire you to get in the water and check out the reefs....these guys are doing reef census along the reef up to the Soloman islands..they recently checked out the reefs around my area and also up around Lizard island...video is of the Whitsundays outer reef though..

I was waiting for that kind of comment - mate if I'm paddling around in the water .... i doubt I will be texting anyone .

Fingers crossed on the weather though - it would be nice to get out on the reefs but I don't plan to go out to the outer reefs as I 'm sure I can find enough to keep us interested out at places like Square , Hewitt , Ross & Black reefs .....

Chris

[fishtragic]

As Scott said in an earlier post, Chris, it's the dream of fishing remotely enough that the fish have seen no, or little pressure. Been doing trips like Matts' for 15 years or so and find it hard to be interested in the flogged inshore stuff anymore. Confidence in you vessel, safety gear and contingencies, critical eye on the weather and REALLY careful planning are paramount and make for some incredible experiences going wide. Most of my trips are distances like PPs', 3 days, 2 nights. A lot of the areas nth east from the Daintree only get the odd charter vessel or marlin boat in transit pressure. I'm talking about up through Escape and the lower Ribbons etc. Had some memorable trips out from Airlie from Black reef to the north through Wallaby etc. and you get the feeling that your the first one there when you don't see another boat for days. Anyway, each to there own. I'll keep doing the miles as long as my old bones let me.