The last thing I would buy for river fishing is a fibre boat. Too many things to chip it on and too heavy for shallow water. Good on the blue in chop but not something I would expose too often to the rivers.

As for tiller steer they provide a lot quicker reaction time and a tighter turning circle. Takes a fraction of a second to turn a tiller full lock as opposed to a fair bit longer to make multiple turns of a wheel. The down side is that they become a pain to hang onto all day and if you are doing long runs you get tired hanging onto them.

Buy what ever boat you get down in queensland before you come up splash!!! Pay far less down their for a HIGH quality rig!!!!
Cheers.

Forget fibreglass,

If your going to be doing alot of fishing tiller steer will really work out your shoulder, I had one for three years and did 3000hrs in it. Wouldnt get a tiller steer in a boat over 4.2 now.

I bought a 115hp opti, cheap ($2000 cheaper than M 4 stroke and 5K cheaper than yammmablah/ 3k cheaper than poozuki ) and very light,m 5yr warranty and no problems in 300hrs plus great top speed, holeshot and economy, down side is a little noisier and 2 stroke oil use.

As for the size, you pay 30K-35K for a 4.8 with a 60hp or you can get a 5.3 with 115hp for 38. Yes its bigger but it can still get up the creeks with a little persuasion.

As for the hull, go for a ride in all of them and make your own mind up. If you plan to keep it 5+ years buy plate/custom

Great responses guys!

Consequently, I have just listed my Haines for sale. Would be sad to see it go, but that's progress and the sacrifice I need to make so that I can experience the barra fishing of the Top End.

Great tips on the tiller stuff. No tiller for me. So, I guess the next question is the optimum position of the center console? I have read that some install the centre console as aft as possible - as opposed to in centre of boat. Your thoughts on the ideal location of where a centre console should be when fishing the NT river system?

SPlash

Centre rear and side console are all the rage up here,personally my set up is centre console wich enables all round fishing and suits both sides of the fishing coin being, blue and estuary.Centre is a nice ride in good swell and very dry,and not so hard on the back.
Cheers.

Thanks Biff.

Do you have a rear located CC or is it placed further forward and what is the length of your hull?

Splash

Gady splash my console is placed further forward about 1300 from the transom give or take and the over all length is 5.3 with a Df 140 suzi am very happy with this size can launch and retrieve by self can be a little hard when the conditiones are a bit shity actually its a pain in the arse but doable.My personal opinion this size is a great all round size.
Cheers.

I like centre rear console as it gives you all the forward space for sleeping and fishing. it still allows you to fish off the stern especially if you have a decent transome pod. This set up also gives a really good ride if you set the fuel tanks and weight up right. Arrange all the seating at the stern and the fuel tanks towards the bow. This means the bow cops all the jarring and the stern stays in the water giving it more cushion. If you know how to trim a boat appropriatly you should get a good ride over the short chop that we get up here. Under floor storage for evey thing gives you great fishing room.

Thanks guys.

SPlash

Hey mate,

I just upgraded to one of the new quintrex 460 renegades' with a 60hp 4 stroke yammy on the back and can't fault it. I upgraded to the 70L under floor fuel tank and the 60hp is amazing on fuel. I had alot of extras done and it still came in well under 40K.

I havnt fished Darwin very much at all and my boat is in Jabiru 24/7. I dont know if it just my hydrolic steering that hasnt got the response but the tiller has more response with a quick tide. When you get out here for the run off you will see...Nearlly all the guys out here do get away with the console boats but have a few scratches and dings...Anyhow this is only what I think and what I have been exposed to. If it does help my boat is a SC and im getting it changed to the rear centre. Anyhows when you get out here give us a yell.

_________________

thanks mate.

your thoughts on a 4.1m polycraft tiller with a new honda 50 4T for the arteries of this river system (and no blue water)?

i look forward to the move


Splash

BarneyRubble - you have a PM waiting to be read...


splash

splash, one thing ive noticed is, the size of boats here in the territory have doubled since yester year.
a 3.5 used to be the normal barra rig, run up and down the rivers and hit the reef on a good day.
now a million dollar 5.5 plate is the norm.
20 years from now we will be negotaiting P&O cruise ships to chase barra.
i will offer an opinion from the other side of the fence to some of the above.

my first boat up here was a 480 deep hull plate centre console, while great in really ruff weather, i felt it was far to much boat when i wanted to hit billabongs and upper reaches of river in flood, not to mention the cost, caused me to baby the boat to much and concentrate more on not scratching the paint instead of getting in there and hitting barra.
i have since sold that boat and now i have a 4m quintrex explorer with a 2smoke 25.
IMO it is a lot better suited to my needs, as i am always in rivers or billabongs, im not really into reef fishing.
i have set this boat up with a bow mount and big fuel tank, fron cast deck and am currently making a new floor.
in rough weather it is stable and safe, just have to go slower, that was offshore from darwin though, im yet to experience a river or billabong with enough water chop to phase me thus far.
also the outlay in cost for the boat was far less so im not nervous getting up on a flood plain, or cutting my way threw some skinny water to get to a flood plain etc.
the boat is easier to tow and get into isolated areas too.
this boat meets my needs, especially on your door step in the yellow water billabong and jim jim etc.


the cons of this size boat is.
-people dont take you serious as its not huge and covered in stickers.
-camping on extended trips can be a challenge to get all your gear to you selected camp spot
-camping on the boat is probably impossible with anymore than 2 people
-touring range isnt as far as the big boats. 9a new 4 stroke would help a lot)
-offshore is a bit of a risk and can be dangerous



now sleeping in the boat, i havent yet but i want to, but im scared.
i slept once in my bugger plate boat, and a croc gave it a big bump and i have been put off ever since, so i load up the gear and swags and select a suitable area on land away from ther water to camp.


you need a boat that will suit your needs, not what catches your eye at the boat shop.
if you wont be hitting offshore, its my opinion that you dont need a 5 metere plate boat with a million hp.

just a bit of food for thought,
can give you a demo of it if your keen next time im out yella water.

So you don't like fishing billabongs in my 5m boat with 100hp motor then hay joel?