Fish'n'Dives Outback & Trailer Setup

[happyas]

What a labour of love. Congratulations on a great result Eoin. Lots of thinking there.

[Seasherpa]

Cheers Larry

[moirae]

Can I just say, and I think I speak for most of us on here...


Your trailer is fucking awesome.

Well done.

[Seasherpa]

Can I just say, and I think I speak for most of us on here...


Your trailer is fucking awesome.

Well done.

Cheers Andy,
I've actually made another little tweak since the last shot, in preparation for the road trip to SWR in the new year. I wanted to be able to put a yak on top right way up so that I could have it rigged. (Some ungrateful bugger was complaining that he had to put his yak upside down on trips up to the Wendouree). I was originally considering a set of Lockracks for the top which would hold and lock a yak on the top but in the end I went for the cheaper option and picked up a set of used whispbars for $20 on fleabay and attached them instead. The rubber strip grips better than the rails alone when carrying a yak upside down and now I have the option of sliding in a set of cradles too.
All I want now is a nice Stealth glass yak to put on top of it but at the rate SWMBO is ordering renos it might be a while down the track

[yakhangger]

There are some picky buggers around aren't there mate

[Hammertime]

What did the elite 4 set you back, including the battery and everything else? I'm about to get an outback and expect I'll be copying quite a lot of your work

[Seasherpa]

What did the elite 4 set you back, including the battery and everything else? I'm about to get an outback and expect I'll be copying quite a lot of your work

Sorry mate I thought I replied to this, better late than never: the batteries are cheap about $35 for a 7ah 12v lead acid. There is a thread about using l-ions for sounders on here too if you want to keep the weight down, try a search.
As for the sounder it was about $300 but they are discontinued now and replaced by the hdi model. Bear in mind that a maps card will cost you extra.

[Seasherpa]

All my rods to date have been either two or three piece but after picking up some live-baiting gear for the January SWR trip I now have a pair of Mariner 1 piece rods to carry up north. I also have a surf rod that I might bring to Adelaide this year as a back-up if the weather is no good over Christmas. I went shopping this morning for parts to build a rod tube for the trailer but found that caravan accessory places sell ready to go tubes for as cheap as you can make one yourself. Also dropped into Lovig's on the way to Ghurkin's and picked up a few Hobie bits and pieces for today's mods.

Shopping list

I had planned to mount it on top of the rails on the left hand side but it turns out the tube fits perfectly between the yak and toolboxes.

Front View

Rear View

I have been looking at how to set up the yak for live-baiting two rods one on the downrigger and one running normally. My plan is to use two rod extenders in the front moulded in holders and set the downrigger up on the right hand side. I figure that if the rods are in front it is easier to watch the tips and the stealth boys up north all seem to troll with the rods in V formation rather than flat in scotty holders or ram mounts.
I don't use rod leashes when fishing on the yak as most of my gear is cheap and replaceable. I think with big fish though there might be a good chance of a rod getting swiped on the take and want to set up leashes to run straight up the rod holder to the rods. I needed some anchor points for them and wasn't keen to chase up pad eyes and split rivets to do it and then thought of a simple mod that doesn't require any new holes, just a p-clip and a small stainless ring. Easy to do just unscrew the cap fro the existing rod holder and thread the screw back through the P-clip. Here's how it turned out should be easy to clip a leash to if the need arises, I can also attach the rod holder extenders to it in case I go upside down.

Front rod holder

Rear rod holder

[Seasherpa]

A few more mods were on the cards for the SWR trip. I wanted to finalise a way of transporting a yak right way up on the top racks and picked up a set of U-racks as a second hand bargain on fleabay. Still unused in box just gathering dust in the blokes shed.

U racks

Don't want them to get nicked so I called down to a 4WD place in Hopppers and picked u some M8 security nuts and some locktite thread glue to make it harder for would-be thieves. They also come in M6 and M10 if anyone is interested, here's the link http://www.stedi.com.au/universal-anti- ... -10mm.html

U racks

Next up was a downrigger for the livebaits. I had originally planned on making a little sawn-off version from a surf rod but I was given a few BCF vouchers so I ended up going with one of the mini kayak riggers that BCF stock. I've installed it on the left utility tray, only because the same spot on the right already has an anchor cleat installed. A backing plate was made from some 10mm chopping board and the base sits just a little above the gunnels so it shouldn't cause any major hassles when doing re-entries. The depth finder braid should arrive any day now, so it will soon be ready for a test somewhere when I get back at new years.

[joffarob]

Next up was a downrigger for the livebaits. I had originally planned on making a little sawn-off version from a surf rod but I was given a few BCF vouchers so I ended up going with one of the mini kayak riggers that BCF stock. I've installed it on the left utility tray, only because the same spot on the right already has an anchor cleat installed. A backing plate was made from some 10mm chopping board and the base sits just a little above the gunnels so it shouldn't cause any major hassles when doing re-entries. The depth finder braid should arrive any day now, so it will soon be ready for a test somewhere when I get back at new years.

Trailer is looking fantastic

I have the same downrigger on my yak and wanted to be able to use the echo mount for a rod holder when not using the downrigger, I checked out bcf's option which were a bit limited. I ended up buying the echo tubular rod holder. I was able to swap the echo bottom half with a Railblaza top half. (Only had to drill the railblaza hole a bit bigger for the echo bolt) attached a couple pictures which hopefully make s bit more sence.