Hello from a new fisherman (sorry its a bit long)

[Yobbo70]

Hello, I have finally paid my membership fees and am now allowed to post. I`m more into boating than fishing although I seem to be fishing more when I do go boating, My boat is a 33 foot Riviera which I have owned now for a few years, it`s a older model and only has a single 6cly diesel, it`s pretty slow only cruises at 10-12 knots but it is comfortable for weekends away and very economical to run. I live in Brisbane but I keep my boat moored in a marina on the Gold Coast, my crew (kids) are aged 5 and 7 and we spend almost every weekend on the boat, the wife joins us from time to time.

I usually throw a line over while anchored or rafted up to other mates boats, I have always enjoyed catching stingrays on a small overhead I have, a few months ago I hooked onto something big while I was anchored up at Tipplers, I was having a few beers and watching a stunning sunset when the rod bent over and line started to scream off the reel, my 5 y/o deckie grabbed the rod out of the holder and was nearly pulled out of the back of the boat, I grabbed the rod off him and started to play with something pretty big, then the line went dead, I wound the line in and found what ever we had caught had bitten through the hook and had mangled the steel tracer, pretty exciting stuff,

A few months later ( a couple of weeks ago) I decided to spend the weekend anchored up at Slipping sands, the crew love riding their boggie boards down the sand hills and skimming into the water, We arrived on Friday evening just on sunset. I had borrowed my mates penn overhead combo which is spooled with 50lb braid, I had purchased some "shark rigs" which have a 9/0 hook and a 1m stainless steel trace, I baited it with a big chunk of mullet and threw it over the side. About 1 hour later whilst sitting on the bean bag in the cabin watching a bit of TV and having a coldie I hear the reel screaming, I rush outside and pick up the rod, after a few more minutes with braid still spooling out I start to think I need to try and get some of this line back, I adjust the drag to try and slow it down, no chance the line is still spooling off, I adjust the drag even further then the line went dead, what ever I had caught and busted me off on 50lb braid.

I re rigged with the other shark rig and again baited with another chunk of mullet and threw it out again and returned to the bean bag and another coldie, 20min later the reel is screaming again, this time I let it take more line and slowly adjusted the drag and I started to get some back but 10min into the fight I was busted off again, I had no more big rigs

I have since brought my own large overhead rod and reel and have spooled it with 80lb mono and have purchased more shark rigs, In the next few weeks I will return to Slipping Sand and hopefully have another go at catching something big,

[gr hilly]

Good onya yobbo70 it will be interesting to know what it is,and G,day ihope you have fun using this site i try to but it doesn't allway's work out any way it sounds like your having a ball on your boat good onya all the best G.R.Hilly.

[Funchy]

Welcome aboard. Hope you land the big one and post some pics mate

[spelchek]

Gday yobbo - nice to see another Riv owner on Ausfish.