May, the challenge is to calculate the scenario.
Here are the variables;
- Depth of the reef.
- Depth of water you are intending to anchor in.
- Amount of current, which is dependent on the time of the tide. (rules of twelves applies -   http://www.sailingissues.com/navcourse7.html
- Direction of the current
_ The fishing gear you are using - how much weight your sinkers are or are you straylining only.
- Where you are intending to fish? some guys fish a floating bait down to the top of the reef others want their  bait to land just a short distance upcurrent of the reef. Depends where the fish are!
- what gear are using? Soft baiters are happy drifting across the reef.
- type of reef, is a bloody great huge rock or ledge a metre of the bottom?

You put all the variables in the computer (your brain) and then anchor your boat in the best position you believe to catch fish.....then get your gear in the water>>> which leads to fish in the boat.

I am not the only guy who hates those who turn up on a reef, anchor, haul up, have another go, then anchor again, not happy haul up, re-anchor - and still do not have any gear in the water!

good fishing

I would be closer than that in water under 30-40 meters but happy to be up to 80 meters away on deeper spots with good current. A good burley trail travels a long way and will pull fish away from a reef system. It just takes a good current and consistent flow of the right burley

when straylining i usually anchor so I can comfortably land my bait around 5m from rocks, but get to know an area first, have a good look around the first time you go in and see where rocks etc are, best to do this when good visability!

Hi Jason

Here is a diagram. I double the main and then I join it directly to the trace (no leader). Main is doubled to bring it to an equivalent thickness of the trace. My personal preference (out of habit) are spider hitch and blood knots.

I understand its to bring it to equiv thickness of leader