what details would you like in your ultimate GT chasing rig?

[Travis Heaps]

Like the question says - what would you like in your ultimate GT chasing boat?

I'm not quite in the position to purchase one just yet but the planning has begun.  For me its a 6.5 to 7.0 centre cab.  Full walk around with a casting deck and fighting cage on the front half. 

The centre cab would be lockable and contain enough room to keep a few swags dry plus a private compact boat toilet at a pinch (scuse the pun  ). 

The rear would have no side rails to impede casting and a transom door to help land big fish without lifting out of the water. 

The centrecab would be dry and contain all the necessary electronics.

Two rod holders positioned central would allow for an insertable bait board and an insertable hot plate for cooking. 

The two walk areas down each side of the centrecab would be big enough for a swag to allow sleeping overnight.

Fuel tanks would total around the 400 litre mark, giving enough range to venture to the outer GBR. 

Sealed side compartments, dual level with enough space to fit two shimano tackle trays standing up, for lure storage.

A 150 litre fresh water tank with plumbed nozzle head for washing down and showers.




What else would you include as essential on a purpose built GT chasing rig?

[Travis Heaps]

PS I would especially like to hear from the boys (Luke, Brandon, Mick, Jay etc) who have done this caper for a while now...

[Jon Li]

Saltwater deckwash to supply water into the fish's mouth when being dehooked , photograph , etc. and you seem to forget the most important thing to keep the anglers alive , a big ice cest for those cold drinks n foods . 

Jon .

[Jay Burgess]

I pretty much agree with all your comments there Travis, with the addition of a saltwater deckwash as suggested by Jon.

I've got a question for everybody, will your ultimate GT chasing boat be constructed from Ali or Glass?? I bet you're glad you were in an Ali boat when you hit the reef at shoalwater but for ride and comfort you can't go past glass, especially on long distance trips - so what would it be for you? interested to hear peoples thoughts.

[Warwick Joyce]

Glass boats have a better ride however once you get an ally boat above the 6.5m mark and all the gear wouldnt the extra weight aid in ride smoothness?
Provided the correct balancing and hull design I think if you were doing solo boat trips into hostile reefie areas plate alloy would be the way to go I think.

The other thing I would add to the center cab would be a solid roof above the cab area for storage of light gear and stuff that can get wet, also could be used as a sort of spotting position (depending on sea conditions of course!)
Also a sealed hull with floatation in case of the worst the boat will still float.
Maybe roll down shades to get right out of the sun if needed.

[Brandon Khoo]

I have absolutely no expertise in boats whatsoever but as I have been asked to comment, I can only comment in terms of the type of platform I like for fishing. As a general rule, I much prefer smaller boats over big. I find small boats are more manoeuvrable and easier to react to the way a fish runs. I also like open boats with no canopies or outrgiggers sticking up all over the place to get in the way of your casting.

I really like fishing from the Nomad dories as the rails permit you to really lock yourself in when fighting a fish and yet you can turn and cast on most directions. That said, you do cop a pounding in rough conditions but as GT fishing platforms, they're great. Big centre consoles like the Contender or Edgewater are good too but I find them hard on the knees especially in rough conditions and when fighting a fish.

I suppose if I was ever seriously looking for a rig for GT fishing, it would be very similar to what Travis has outlined. It'd be a big centre console but one where you have enough room in the front to be able to cast and move around. There are too many moulded lumps and steps or whatever in most of the big centre consoles I see.

I can't ever see myself getting a boat notwithstanding I probably spend the equivalent of a Contender in charters every three to four years!

[Luke Wyrsta]

• Padded knee supports against gunwhales
• Adequate storage for several fully rigged popper rods while enroute between spots, this may also include a small bay near the gunwhale for rigged popper storage (I hate securing my rigged popper to a guide foot/ring)
• Non-slip deck - standard boat fitouts are pretty crap - it's quite easy to slip on wet deck, particularly if you need to move from the front to back while under heavy drag pressure

[Travis Heaps]

[Chuen Fan]

try a sizeable piece of thick marine carpet glued onto the gunwales, u can place the trebels or singles of most lures onto the carpet. most of the time they wont come off without a good yank, and it lasts quite a long time, saves the problem of popping/scratching guides out of rods when underway. also won't have to undo a whole stack of tangled trebels when u decide to get a lure out of a livewell/bucket etc.

[Ken Best]

Great report in the popping section Travis, well done.

This is a good question, for me being safe is number one going where you did.

I think a large centre cab, 6m+, with good fuel range, an economical motor and a removable cage up front for casting would be ideal.

I like Chuens idea about carpet under the gunwales for holding lures.

Jerry cans are easy to carry but take up room and theres always the worry of holing one of them or spilling fuel. It would be much easier to have all fuel below decks in two tanks with separate fillers and hoses, if you get water into one somehow or lose a filler cap, the other tank should still be good.
Adequate fire extinguishers,(more than 1),are a must!

Two marine cranking batteries, and a separate deep cycle for engels etc.

One of the other guys mentioned life jackets. I really like the inflatible type. I fish some competitions where they must be worn when the boat is on the plane, so we end up leaving them on all day. I have worn one for a 16hr barra casting session in summer and not been bothered by it. On a trip like yours, once you are travelling they would be great insurance for a man overboard. Lets face it, in a heavy swell, if someone falls over, by the time you can get the boat around, they will be outside of the swell you are in and hard to spot. A charter boat I go on, the skipper always tells us to throw stuff overboard that floats if a man goes over and keep doing it till he can turn the boat to follow the floating trail toward them.
On another forum I visit, an American guy stated the rules on his boat for long range trips.
He has inflatible lifejackets with torches and epirbs. If you go on his boat, you either wear them or stay at home.
Oh, and carry spare gas cannisters for the life jackets. One canister is no good if you go over twice!!!

Spares are a must also. Props washers nuts and spilt pins. It is no good if you only take a prop and in the process of changing it you drop the nut into 20m of water!!

By the end of this you should have a great boat!!

My 2 cents,

Ken

[Ivan Verhage]

i would like an unsinkable boat like a stabicraft 650
its not too bad on fule
you can get out to the grounds safley
if you do take on water you arnt swiming with the sharks

cheers

[Robert Palcak]

i would like an unsinkable boat like a stabicraft 650
its not too bad on fule
you can get out to the grounds safley
if you do take on water you arnt swiming with the sharks

cheers

I've had a 6.1m stabi for about 4 years now and love it with a passion... but it's a cuddy cab, so not ideal for casting. I'm running a 115 merc 4-stroke and average just under 2kms/lt.
A couple of months ago I had a look at a 659 Fronteir (centre console)... very sweet boat... with a price tag to match! If money was no object... I'd buy the 659 with twin 90 Honda's on the back... then look out Shoalwater!

[Jay Burgess]

Good points, I've been in large plate ali centre cabs before and they certainly ride ALOT better than the smaller ali's. I agree, ali would be so much more versatile, especially when fishing remote gt destinations.

[Janelle O'Connell]

Some sort of fixed camera pole - then you could hook up the DVD cam and let it run while you are fishing.  I watched some of the boys footage from the Ribbons and listening and watching them fight the fish was cool fun.  Seeing this is the ultimate boat I am guessing I can dream so I would also add an underwater cam to get more footage.

Can I keep dreaming...........  built in popper storage boxes.  Some of the American bass tournament boats have them and you just open a hatch and slide your tackle into the designated spot.  Would be cool to lift the hatch and have drop in slots that would hold a rigged popper.

ooo ooohhh one more wish- a lackey who can re-rig for me so that I don't have to stop fishing.

Ok back to reality now

Janelle

[George Pang]

For me the ultimate boat would need to be -

1. Trailerable - the locations are spread up and down the east coast of Oz, and the fishing windows are short, so get there quickly is a priority. Beam 2.5m max to allow night time trailerablity in QLD - this rules out most US boats. LOA approx 7.5. Gross mass (wet) less than 3.5t.

2. Fast - the distances travelled can be huge - over 100km one way. Would like to average 30-35kts if possible. So that narrows it to a deep V or a cat.

3. Twins - Reliability and grip, particularly in aerated water such as some of the more ugly bars around SEQ.

4. Long Range fuel tanks - fast and twins means big fuel tanks. Ideally nead around range of 300-400nm. This means 550-600L for twin 150-200 installations. This can be done with turtle pac collapsable fuel tanks which can be plumbed straight in if underfloor is insufficient.

5. Completely flat floor

6. walkaround - either centre cab or center con.

7. circular live bait tank -  sometimes I weaken and go for other fish besides GTs.

8. Saltwater deckwash + fresh water deck shower

9. Toilet for the MRS.

10. Mega electronics package - 1+kw sounder, Large 10" plotter, Radar. VHF + sat phone. +- HF radio.

11. padded combings

12. foam filled hull

13. true self draining deck

14. recessed rails and cleats

15. recessed trim tabs

16. 2 house batteries and 2 cranking batteries

17. transom door

18. ample rod storage

Now for the crazy stuff

19. 80-160W solar panels

20. Ultra portable powered desalinator - katadyn do one that fit into trailer boats.

I think for me speed and range are the most important things, so I think fibreglass is probably the way to go. Admittedly Travis' little adventure may force me to rethink that..

All in all I think the contender 23 open fits the bill, fast smooth and built for hard core fishing. Saw one at Sanctuary cove boat show, very nice.

Other options would be the seafarer voyager - but the front deck is not completely flat and the fuel tank is relatively small.