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Garfish
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Registered: 06-2005
Location: Glen Iris, Melbourne
Posts: 5
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A few questions before I jump in the deep end...
Morning all,
Firstly, congratulations on the forum. I started researching kayak fishing on Monday morning, and this site has me thinking about buying already.
I've been fishing all my life, without ever having the storage capacity for a boat. Because of this I spent a few years fishing from an inflatable boat with an electric motor, which was a superb way to fish(50cm+ flathead popped the boat once, but that's another story).
Anyhow, it occurred to me on the weekend that this is probably the next step... great way to fish - no running costs, launch anywhere etc.
This is where I hit you with a few questions:
1) I'd probably use the kayak for estuaries - lake tyers/barwon river etc. However, every now and then id love to get it out on the bay. How often can you do this kind of fishing? (use a 'perception swing' as an example) Is it only on those two days a year when the sun is out and there is no wind?
2) At the moment I'm living in a flat with no garage, so storage is probably an issue. Does anyone know of places in Melbourne where I would be able to store a Kayak (for a fee)?
3) Would it be worth taking a few paddling lessons with an instructor beforehand? How stable are the kayaks mentioned?
4) Using the 'perception swing' as an example, is there plenty of room to store tackle, bait etc. or would I need to customise it further?
5) Is there any obvious drawbacks or limitations from this kind of fishing?
That's all for now, I'll probably follow up with some more later.
Cheers.
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21/Jun/2005, 1:47 pm
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The Mariner
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Re: A few questions before I jump in the deep end...
Hi Garfish,
Welcome to the forum  ... and the dark side 
Whew, this is the grand-daddy of all questions. Rather than type a long response if you'd like to PM me a number I can call you on after 7:30 p.m. tonight or tomorrow night I'm happy to give you a call & discuss it all with you.
Last edited by The Mariner, 21/Jun/2005, 4:24 pm
--- Regards,
Phil.
Forum Administrator.
Visit www.hookedonkayaks.com.au for kayaks and kayak fishing accessories. |
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21/Jun/2005, 4:23 pm
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Garfish
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Registered: 06-2005
Location: Glen Iris, Melbourne
Posts: 5
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Re: A few questions before I jump in the deep end...
Thanks for the feedback guys... loved the pics from Point Wilson by the way. My grandfather used to man the gates on the RAAF jetty there going back around 30-40 years. He had some great fishing yarns to tell...
I'm thinking of heading down to Canoes Plus on the weekend just to see what's on offer. Won't be buying as yet though... will make sure I give Phil a call when I'm in a better position to buy (thanks for the offer Phil).
Do you spend much time around Corio Bay Rod? On the rough days, Grammar School Lagoon is a great spot to fish and produces good numbers of pinkies, whiting and trevally. Have heard stories of some BIG snapper catches over the years as well.
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22/Jun/2005, 2:07 pm
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The Mariner
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Re: A few questions before I jump in the deep end...
Hi Garfish,
My offer was to answer your questions & talk about kayak fishing in general, not to try & push you into buying a kayak from me, and it still holds 
Please don't think you'll be wasting my time 'coz you aren't ready to buy yet. If I can help you make an informed decision when you are ready, regardless of what you choose to buy & who you choose buy it from I'll be happy.
Enjoy being a novice & finding out about this new & exciting past-time but don't be afraid of asking questions, either of me or any one else on this forum.
--- Regards,
Phil.
Forum Administrator.
Visit www.hookedonkayaks.com.au for kayaks and kayak fishing accessories. |
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22/Jun/2005, 2:20 pm
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bent1
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Registered: 01-2005
Location: Bruny Island Tasmania
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Re: A few questions before I jump in the deep end...
Mate, i can vouch for the quality of the kayak recommendations given by the users of this site.
I did a bit of research but the boys on here pointed me in the right direction and pointed out the deficiencies in my research and i am now paddling a yak that perfectly suited my needs and makes fishing from incredibly easy and enjoyable compared to my old sit in touring kayak.
My new yak suits my fishing so much that my tinny hasn't seen water since i got the new yak. Again thanks for your input guys.
Catch ya Bent
---
"Katana" OK Prowler XT
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22/Jun/2005, 4:10 pm
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The Mariner
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Re: A few questions before I jump in the deep end...
Hi Garfish,
Here's a few answers...
quote:
1) I'd probably use the kayak for estuaries - lake tyers/barwon river etc. However, every now and then id love to get it out on the bay. How often can you do this kind of fishing? (use a 'perception swing' as an example) Is it only on those two days a year when the sun is out and there is no wind?
Rod's guide of 15kts max. is a good one. You can certainly get out on the bay & offshore in good conditions & certainly more than 2 days a year. How many times you can get out is dependant on the weather & water conditions. How long you stay out & how far you go is dependant on your experience, your equipment level, the sea-worthyness of your kayak & how long it will take you to get back to dry land if the weather turns nasty. Take a read of 'don't be like this guy' in the Safety Forum.
quote:
2) At the moment I'm living in a flat with no garage, so storage is probably an issue. Does anyone know of places in Melbourne where I would be able to store a Kayak (for a fee)?
Storing your kayak off-site will be a tricky one. Maybe Melbournites will have some ideas but you could rent space in a self-storage facility but it's expensive. Alternatively can you store your kayak somewhere out of the way at your bock of flats covered with a plastic tarp & chained up to a fence or something ?
quote:
3) Would it be worth taking a few paddling lessons with an instructor beforehand? How stable are the kayaks mentioned?
Learning the correct paddling technique will make those long paddles a lot easier on your body but it's not something that requires a lot of instruction. I'm sure you'll learn heaps of cool stuff if you take a couple of classes with an instructor but if you go on a fishing trip with other Melbourne guys chances are one of them can show you most of what you'd need to know. Failing that you can read-up on the technique on-line or get a kayak instructional DVD that covers it.
Stability... now it gets tricky. All kayaks are stable.. it's just a matter of how stable. There are 2 types of stability, primary (how steady the kayak feels when you sit straight up) and secondary (how far you have to lean it over before you flip). A good fishing kayak will have moderate primary stability so you just feel comfortable at rest while moving about fishing but good secondary stability so if you lean over it 'hardens up' & it resists your lean the more you try to lean it.
Stability also affects sea-worthyness. A flat-ish bottomed, v-bottomed or really wide kayak with rock-solid primary stability will usually have poor secondary stability. As an example, if faced with swells side-on it will try to roll with the swell (which is bad for the paddler) where a kayak with only moderate primary stability will not try to follow the swell, but will rock to the side allowing the paddler to actually remain more upright. Gets complicated, doesn't it !
In a nut shell... try to stay away from a kayak that has aircraft carrier-like primary stability for a couple of reasons.
1).. These are usually the shorter, wider kayaks. They generally won't be as seaworthy in rough seas so you will be limited in the number/duration of trips you'll be able to make out in the bay or offshore. To illustrate this, look at any of the better quality sit-inside sea kayaks. They are more seaworthy due to their length (longer = better rough water performance) & are quite narrow. However don't go too narrow either as a fishing kayak spends a lot of it's time stationary fishing compared to a sea kayak which is almost always moving. A fishing kayak needs a suitable amount of at-rest stability & finding this balance is the hard bit.
2).. The super-stable kayaks are generally wider & shorter which makes them slower compared to longer, narrower kayaks. You may think that stability is the No. 1 concern but remember.. stability will be learned, just like when you first learned to ride a bicycle. Get a kayak that will suit what/where/how you want to fish in the future & provided you get one that is already used sucessfully by other kayak fisherman of the same size & weight as you, and for the same sort of duty it will suit you. If you go out & get one to suit your current experience level (ie zero) now & you may find you outgrow it.
Any of the current range of fishing-friendly kayaks, such as O.K.'s Prowler, Scupper Pro & Scrambler, Perception Swing, Malibu Pro Explorer, Extreme & X-Factor, Viking Tempo & Espri & Wilderness Systems Tarpons are stable enough.
quote:
4) Using the 'perception swing' as an example, is there plenty of room to store tackle, bait etc. or would I need to customise it further?
Storage for gear is taken care of below deck by hatches or above deck in a tankwell. Most fishing-friendly sit-on-tops have combinations of both. Storage is most effective if you can access it while on the water. Kayaks that have massive bow hatches that will hold heaps of gear sound great but if you cannot get out of the seat & open the hatch safely whist on the water they arent much use. The better fishing kayak designs have big hatches & tankwells within reasonable reach from the seat. The Swing has a big hatch behind the seat & a tankwell behind that. The Prowler has a huge tankwell. If you need extra above-deck storage this can be achieved by strapping a milk crate into the tankwell. I have a cut-down milk crate that will fit the tankwell of my Swing but I don't need to use it.
To be honest, you will often find you have too much space & that allows you to carry more gear than you actually need.
Remember, the more crap you carry the harder it is to paddle the kayak.
Customising your kayak is part of the fun !
quote:
5) Is there any obvious drawbacks or limitations from this kind of fishing?
Nope. It's addictive though so your family life may suffer
If you are heading to Canoes Plus take a look at the Dagger/Toy Boy Cayman & Ventura. Guy, a.k.a Saab463 on this forum has a Cayman so if you are hot for that one PM him & ask his opinion of it.
Hope this helps !
--- Regards,
Phil.
Forum Administrator.
Visit www.hookedonkayaks.com.au for kayaks and kayak fishing accessories. |
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23/Jun/2005, 12:16 am
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Garfish
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Registered: 06-2005
Location: Glen Iris, Melbourne
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Re: A few questions before I jump in the deep end...
Thanks for the low down Phil.
I definitely owe you my first fish from a kayak when it comes along - I'll have it packed in ice and shipped to adelaide for you.
May have sorted out the storage problem... pending negotiation with a few relatives with empty garages.
The plan at the moment is to check out a few kayaks this weekend, go for a paddle in a couple of months time... and then maybe make a purchase in time for summer.
The Cayman looks okay and seems to be at the lower end of the scale price wise - may have to weigh it up against the perception swing (the noosa photos look pretty darn good).
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23/Jun/2005, 12:52 pm
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The Mariner
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Re: A few questions before I jump in the deep end...
You are welcome
Thanks for the offer of your first fish but that's not necessary. I'll settle for a photo !
You probably wouldn't believe it but I don't eat fish 
--- Regards,
Phil.
Forum Administrator.
Visit www.hookedonkayaks.com.au for kayaks and kayak fishing accessories. |
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23/Jun/2005, 2:12 pm
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