Kayak Kapers Part I

Written by John Cahill.

Appears courtesy of South East and West Fishing magazine.

Having worked up a solid sweat paddling the 4 or so kilometres out to a favourite mark out off Frankston, it was proving to be a great first trip in my new yak. Conditions were perfect and with a couple of calamari in the bag the kids were sure to be happy with a feed. Arriving at my favourite reef, the sounder lit up with pinkies and I wasted no time in deploying a Lucanis jig out one side of the yak and working a Gulp! nuclear chicken stick bait on the other side. Pleased with a couple of pinkies, I was then smashed on the drop by something better! What felt like 10 minutes later of getting pulled around, I was trying to gill a 4 kilo red into the yak not yet having purchased a landing net, not a bad start to this kayaking caper!

Kayaking need not be expensive, however, carefully chose gear will make the whole process safe, fun and productive.

The need to paddle….

Living on the fringe of Port Phillip Bays eastern side near Beaumaris, I have long held a fascination with fishing from kayaks however only recently did I take the ‘plunge’ following the sale of my last boat.

Deciding on what to purchase was a chore with so many options. I eventually narrowed down my selection to a few key attributes important for fishing; stable, able to handle open water, a ‘sit on top’ configuration and either purpose built for fishing or at least easily customisable. Not having the budget to extend to a Hobie with the desirable Mirage Drive foot pedal system I settled upon a US made Malibu Extreme and have not looked back, besides I was keen to work on my fitness at the same time and loose the gut!

It was pretty exciting to see what a kayak could do as the new options seemed endless such as fishing soft plastics and inshore trolling open up as well as everything else you do in a boat in an inlet or bay.

Set up

Without a doubt you can purchase a standard kayak and fish immediately without another cent to spend. Customising however gives a distinct advantage allowing you to explore more options beyond the basics. Whilst some options are a luxury – some are a complete necessity, let me guide you through some set up considerations.

Ready for action!

Sonar essentials

I find it hard to fish without a sounder and in a kayak this is no exception. Many yakkers opt for a base unit that pretty much gives you an idea of the depth and bottom composition however I need more feature than this. I hold the theory that in a yak your ability to move long distances to explore different GPS marks in order to find fish like you might in a boat is an obvious issue so if there are fish in my chosen launch area I want to find them, hence purchasing a better quality unit to maximise chances. As most kayak fishing is done in relatively shallow water I also recommend a dual frequency unit as they provide a wider transducer cone to improve fish finding capability. My Humminbird unit provides a cone width as wide as the depth of water I am in – a very handy feature. If deciding upon a sounder, you also need to find a place to mount a 7 amp – 12 volt battery in a waterproof bag or container.

Pinkie snapper are perfect targets for kayakers - they were made for each other!

Where am I?

Being in a small craft, centimetres above the water where you are takes on a new significance from a navigation perspective! As mentioned regarding sounders, honing in on the fish is vital so a handheld GPS is a key piece of equipment. All kayakers build up data on fish captures in the inshore areas and these become gold. I have also found that when actively fishing soft plastics, you are regularly setting up a drift over productive areas and then paddling back over. This is pretty difficult without a GPS to guide where you need to be. I personally only use a basic Garmin ETrex unit and although it is low on features it is at least accurate and that is the most important feature in a GPS receiver.

Rod holders

Although one of the benefits on kayaking is the ease of lure casting, there are many occasions you will need solid and versatile rod holders. Options that may need consideration include bait fishing at anchor, where rods need to be mostly forward and a few degree’s above parallel with the water, and trolling where rods need to be at right angle to the kayak and ‘in transit’ where rods are best stored vertical and out of the way. Options include names such as Ram, Scotty as well as customised versions. With rod holders, it is vital to ensure that your preferred position doesn’t interfere with your paddle stroke – there is nothing more infuriating!

Being close to the water in a kayak gives a completely different perspective.

Anchoring

Kayaks drift fairly quickly if there is any breeze about (when isn’t there?) so anchoring of some sort is a vital aspect of fishing a mark. Most kayakers use simple collapsible units with a small length of chain and my favourite ski rope. The key issue to anchoring is fitting an easy to use anchor trolley. These simple pulley operated units enable you to deploy the anchor anywhere from bow to stern whilst seated depending upon the needs of the tide and wind.

Safety

Safety in a kayak is a major consideration being small, light crafts that are low to the water they are highly susceptible to being tipped over if things turn nasty. The most important aspect has to be when you go out and what the forecast indicates. In the beginning of this article I described an awesome first trip in mill pond conditions. Luckily it was a short trip and I was off the water in no time heading off to work. Late morning those perfect conditions turned into a major gale with many boaties caught napping and taking on waves before they could up anchor – not a nice scenario 4 km’s out in a kayak! A forecast of under 10 km/h is defiantly desirable as is fishing with a buddy so you can keep an eye out for each other.

In relation to the safety equipment required, individuals should check the requirements themselves at http://www.marinesafety.vic.gov.au/ and be aware that requirements change if you stick an electric motor on the back of your yak. As a minimum, I make sure I always wear an inflatable PFD1 (although there are strong arguments to wear a non inflating PFD as if hit by a boat you may be unconscious and unable to inflate), bright clothes or jacket, sun protection and a headlamp when launching around dawn or finishing a session at near dusk. Fishing after dark on Port Phillip Bay is a fairly dangerous activity with the sheer number of boats on the water. A sensible inclusion to your fit out is also a brightly coloured flag to assist boats identifying you as you are so low to the water. A mobile phone, a set of flares and a hand held VHF radio are also good investments. I would also like to include a shark shield but that’s another story!
 

Transport

Getting the kayak on and off the car is a major consideration as they can be relatively heavy, unwieldy things. Well laid out roof racks that allow access from the side or rear of your vehicle are great options and save your back as well as the duco on the family wagon. Another important gadget is either a home made or off the shelf kayak trolley to cart the craft into the water help make the whole exercise enjoyable and not a chore.

Get out there!

Yakking is serious fun and although it will never replace boat fishing for me, it is a great easy option for those perfect mornings when it’s too good to pass up a quick trip on the bay. Be safe and seen out there and tangle with some quality shallow water fish while getting some exercise!