Those who have been around the boards a while will know I've been pretty quiet and haven't been around much lately. Over that past 8 mths I've been pretty preoccupied with establishing a new incorporated harm prevention initiative, settling into a new working environment and relocating from Logan to Manly West (at least closer to the water) there hasn't been a lot of time for much else. On the odd occasions I've been out as time and weather have permitted, not a lot has come over the side and so I haven't really had a lot to say.
Man was I ready for Fraser!
The Flamin Riptide crew this year was Foxy, Birdy and Swano...a better bunch of blokes you'd travel a long way to find...and each one a very capable fisho in their own right but don't tell them i said that! In fact even though the oldest, I'd be the novice of the crew.
Shane Boese tee'd up a house for us for this year (thanks Shane) which we shared with Greg Lamprecht and his crew (dad Terry and Rob AKA Maccamania) and Roger Bairstow with his new rig Fisha' Bit'n and his crew (Johnny Bellas, Andy Bellas, Marcus and Pete Bellas) add Redspeckle and Pauly, there were people everywhere in the house but we all rubbed along really well. Don't recall one bit of tension though the whole week...whoops...there was the Rovex sticker incident Shaneo????? I still maintain innocence until proven guilty!!!!
Anyway, we negotiated the trip up with a couple of minor incidences. Got to Rainbow, let the tyres down and about to pull onto the beach to hit the barge when the engine temp is going ballistic. Must be a stuck thermostat - so with a minor procedure we gut the thermo, but notice there is no coolant in the radiator. I had the Patrol fully serviced the day before and I checked the vital signs before leaving Brisvegus earlier that morning. Could only mean one thing...the Radiator Cap was up the putty and the coolant was blowing out under pressure. Unable to get a new cap at Rainbow we pushed on toward Indian...ever mindful of the temp.
We snatched up to Birdy and negotiated Indian without much drama but got stuck on the run up to Champaign Pools...Birdy snatched us through again but the engine temp was beginning to climb. The tracks were much softer and cut up this year and at one point the old girl was hitting 260 degrees with a bullet trying to pull this Flamin Riptide through the soft stuff. Man these Patrols are tough..she wouldn't give in...We eventually got to Waddy, dropped the boat off and I was cursing that we weren't able to get the new 5 core PWR alloy radiator fitted before the trip. Fortunately the old girl wasn't hurt.
Well, we're here now so...BRING IT ON!
Early thursday we hit it at speed. It was the first time I'd fired the Riptide up with a beautiful f200 Yammie on the back - it was a known and proven motor to me so I wasn't too concerned I hadn't had it out before the trip, but I was wondering if it was propped O.K. All aboard...Birdy had already fired it up to get the boat off the trailer, I could see the tach had bounced into life, but I couldn't hear it and had to check the tell tail to see if it was going or not! I must admit I resisted hitting the key again! We're now motoring down the gutter, a little squirt to see how responsive this this is and the crew now has whip lash! Who said four strokes have no hole shot?
We punched out the gutter and into some clear water so i said "Hang on" and hit it. I think the smile is still imprinted on all three faces! Man this Flamin Riptide can go!!! Very Impressed and we can still talk to each other at normal volume??? Very Impressed.
We head south about 20ks to some ground we scouted out last year and sound around to find where the fish are hanging. Then we begin our work. First drop Swano is into a snapper around 2-3kg on a plastic (I reckon they should be called synthetic bait) Next drop Swano boats a nice coronation. Next drop I nailed a horse of a green jobbie that went 10.5kg and we're having a great day. I pulled a nice Coronation then a 23kg Gold Spot estuary cod...we tried to swim him off but his air bladder had burst through with bubbles under his scales, we vented his air bladder and tried everything to get him down to no avail. Reluctantly we put him in the esky as he'd have ended up shark bait. The following day we caught another 5 that were successfully returned.
Jason began to perform with a couple of nice Jobbies and we've had a good day. 5 Coronation, 3 Green Jobbies, assorted Maori, Venus Tusk, Red throat and the lone squirey snapper. A nice way to commence our Fraser 2007 campaign
Foxy joined us on Friday and we scouted for some new ground, boated a few fish but we realised that it was going to be hard work this year. The fish were showing on the sounder, but hadn't really turned on...in fact that was the way it was for most of the rest of the time. We'd always come home with a reasonable feed, but not the quantity or quality of last year. We only boated a handful of legal reds for the trip...heaps of juvenile just unders that we returned. A lot more good Maroi Cod this year and Jason nailed a legal red on a nuclear chicken gulp which was a nice effort. But no Scarlets' or Large Mouth Nannygai. I wonder if it was still too warm for them?
Greg's mob were doing O.K. Rob nailed an absolute snodger of a Red at 16.5kg that would have taken second in the comp...if he had have waited!
Roger's mob got on the board a couple of times and eventually took out second place with a nice Red Throat. The boys fished hard and were rewarded with good catches most days. See photos of the boys fish on Shane's Thread "more pictures from Fraser comp"
One day we had some fun with John Gooding's boat "Outlaw Charters". We had a stand up drag between Waddy and Indian. There are some claims that John backed off to give us a chance...but the video tells the story
The weather was fantastic and saw us fishing 8 days straight on some of the flattest water I've ever seen
We didn't get on the board but had a great time in a house full of reprobates!
The lads have the photo's and hopefully will post them when they pick up the thread.
The big news was the new radiator was finally built and a mate was able to bring it with him on the Wednesday - thanks Gordon. We fitted it for the trip home which went pretty much without a hitch until the trailer decided to bail off the tow ball coming back through a very cut up Indian head. Fortunately the Redco trailers have very heavy safety chains and so it wasn't too much of a drama but it provided a flutter of adrenaline just the same.
All in all we had a great time, met a heap of ausfishers up there, shared some great yarns, and had some excellent laughs and hope to be back next year.
Congratulations to all that made the Fraser comp a great event again this year
Cheers
Rhys
Reply With Quote
, glad you enjoyed yourself. You have been a bit quiet of late, so here's hoping things settle down soon and you at least get to run in the Yammie b4 Xmas. If not, i would be happy to help.
Originally Posted by Deiter
Re: Late report - Flamin Riptide at Fraser Comp 2007
