tinny for Barra

G'day Barry,

I use a 3.7 stessl edgetracker sort of a haybrid between a punt and a deep vee tinnie. I would have wanted a deep V on some occassions but otherwise I'm happy with the hull shape. The main reason I went with this model was that everything is welded together no pop rivetts. I have a 15 HP two stroke for simplicity and weight and generally it gives me no trouble. Croc proof? I'm not sure but we have seen some biggies over the last couple of months and I leave them alone and they seem to do the same for me. The boat weighs something just under 80Kg and lives on the car and the outboard weighs 32Kg which is manageable on my own.
This croc was larger than my tinnie

Kind regards

Theo

G`day Barry,
It depends on many factors, some of which are, how, when and where you want to fish. How difficult it is to load and unload the boat, motor etc from the vehicle.
Number of persons available to help unload, launch and retrieve.
The 3.7 m is an ideal size for an on the rack situation,anything smaller will have serious limitations.
Either shape of hull (except punt) would be OK in the calmer waters of the rivers and estuaries, however if you intend to go a little bit offshore I suggest a boat with a deep vee hull and no less than 3.7m in length and even then a great deal of care is required.
As for make and model there are a lot to choose from, Horizon, Stacer, Mako, Quintrex, Edge Tracker, etc.
Any reputable marine dealer should give good info as to what you need, you might have to "walk away" a few times so you can gather info from several different ones.
Talk to other fishermen ( I know that`s what you are doing here) as to what works.
Don`t be in a rush, the outfit can be a bit expensive, so get it right the first time is the go.
It`s a competitive game at the moment so it will pay to shop around.
For a matter of interest have a look at my Blog "Scrubby`s Boat Loader" if you haven`t already done so.

Good luck,

Scrubby.

To him, you in a small aluminium boat is like sardines in a tin to us. The top is already off and ready to serve.

Hi,
Suggest you check out the CrossXCountry composite boats. They are much lighter than an ally boat, and you can roof top them if needed. I carry mine on my Kimberley on a boat loader and it works vey well. They come in 3.7 and 4.1 lengths. Only need a 15hp to push the 4.1m along at 32 to 35kph on flat water.
Phil

We did the Glyde river a few months ago and had a 4 metre boat with 3 of us. Personally I would have liked a little more freeboard as the boat had a floor which put the weight higher. We carried radios, firearm and all the goodies in case. Caught plenty of fish and there were plenty of crocs but mutual respect prevailed.

We fished the Daly river this year and each trip was 17km from Mango Farm C/P to the `Golden Mile`. There was anything up to 100 crocs along the river. We used our Savage 3.4m Jabiru with a 15hp O/B. Most of the fishermen in the various C/Ps used similar - that is 11 to 12 foot tinnies.
The locals told us that if a croc really had a mind to get you he would simply jump in the boat. But it doesn't happen like that and as long as caution prevails you will have no trouble. If a croc swims toward you simply start the engine and move away from him. If there is one on the bank near you and he `barks` at you simply start the engine and move away from him. Avoid leaning over the side of the boat or putting your hands in the water where ever possible - use nets, gaffs, boat hooks. This advice is from people who stay for 2-3mths a year and fish every couple of days.
It was our first time barra fishing and with the advice given to by the regulars we ended up with 8 `keepers` in the 10 days we were there.

We have a 3.5 SEAJAY Nomad with 15hp OB. Carry up to 3 when trolling, but better with 2 for casting. The Nomad hull is semi flat with a V bow, I have a casting deck in the front and standing there its very stable. Reasonable amount of free board feels safer than some you see getting around. There is a hatch under the casting deck for storage of safety gear pluss extra fishing gear, keeps the deck clear of the bits a pieces.

With the 15 on the back gets along really well if you have to motor any sort of distance before you start fishing.

thanx for the replies fisherman, appreciated Barry

I lived and fished in the NT for years. Loved it. Just felt very uneasy with all the crocs around. Yes be very careful. Most of the advice is spot on. I have seen tourists in tiny alli boats dragging their barra catch in the water attached to the side of the boat because they did not have enough room in the boat for the fish with two guys and fishing gear. I thought they were just asking for a croc to come sniffing.

In my time up there I bent up two props hitting crocs under water. Had a few get too close and needed to smack them on the nose a few times to make them go away. Lost lures to crocs. Watch other guys lose fish to crocs but not lost one myself. I never got nudged by a croc but nearly had a croc board my boat. He got to within a metre when he surfaced and was about to launch when we made a lot of banging and noise before quickly scarpering. I think he was lining up my 10 year old son who was fishing on that side of the boat.

This photo was in the NT news. The guy was teasing a croc. Go to the NT news website and have a look at some of the croc photos collected

http://tools.ntnews.com.au/photo-gallery/photo_gallery_popup_preview.php?category_id=1065&offset=32

I asked a similar question some years back before we headed north for the first time. The general advice was use caution (as others have suggested) and be more careful during the wet season when they breeding. Because we had space issues we traveled with a 3.3m car-topper tinny and an electric motor (couldn't fit the 10hp motor in). Fished yellow water in Kakado, Roper river and several other places. Caught Barra and saw crocs. Never had an issue with the crocs but when we saw one we quietly snuck away and fished somewhere else
Have fun
Cheers
daz

Hi Bazz,

In my opinion if I was to be in the market for another tinnie I would buy a
375 Quintrex Explorer, v nose dinghy.


The reason I say this is that I have had 4 tinnies, all have been good but having seen the range now available the 375 will suit me.

Two average people, moderate gear, 15 Hp. two stroke and you are set.

Crocks can be a problem but in my experience keep a good lookout at any time.

Good luck and good fishing.

Have fun Haji-Baba

Hi all
First post here. I travelled for years with a 3.75 quinny and have seen crocs much bigger than the boat. I now live in the NT and have a 5.5m boat. A mate of mine was attacked in his 5m boat recently.
The croc punched a hole in the boat big enough to poke your thumb thru.
This time of year they are very very agro. Normally they willmove away but they are getting very cheeky

I often camp overnight on the Daly and on 2 occasions, i have had a croc rest its head on the transom while we slept.