T E NT S

O N
C 11 15 21

4 Barra Dreamin Lake Baroon The Bream of the Morning Coffee

Derwent Anyone?

28 41

34 46
Fortune Favours In Search Of The Setting up for Bream on the fly
the Brave Green Kayak Fishing

64

51 57 60
Dove Lake, Cradle Welcome to the Camping with Kayaks and Squid Fishing From
Mountain Jungle Western Still Waters Your Kayak

68 72

79 85
Depot Beach The Noosa River Lizards at the Trash or Treasure
Snapper Local

92 BLADE KAYAK FISHING JOURNAL

www.bladekayak.com.au
EDITOR / STEVE EVANS ~ editor@bladekayak.com.au
SALES / GRAHAM FOLEY ~ advertising@bladekayak.com.au
ART & DESIGN / OLLIE JACOBS ~ artwork@bladekayak.com.au
PROOFING / MELISSA MASON
CONTRIBUTORS /
Rob Vardy, Wade Turner, Greg Rigby, Stephen Worley, Robbie Alexander,

86 Annette Gray, Rod Harrison, Jamie Robley, Jarryd Aleckson,

Nathan Meyers, Tim Meehan, Jonny Stephenson, Alex Hickson,
Owen Gray, Mark Saxon, Christopher Thompson, Kyle Roberts,
Steve Bolin, Josh Gurney, Dave Solano
New from Tackle That Moment
Tactics and ZMan
If you wish to take up kayak fishing be sure to follow and learn all safety rules and boating regulations before going out into the water. All articles and stories in the publication have been written by experienced
paddlers and anglers, remember to learn the basics and your limits before taking on extreme adventures and always consider safety first. Always wear life bouyancy vests when on the water.
COPYRIGHT 2016 BLADE KAYAK FISHING JOURNAL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. NO PART OF THIS MAGAZINE MAY BE REPRODUCED, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, WITHOUT THE 1
PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. ALL MATERIALS SUBMITTED ARE AT THE OWNERS RISK AND WHILE EVERY CARE WILL BE TAKEN THE PUBLISHER
DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY LIABILITY OR LOSS OR DAMAGE.
 .
The editors yak..
Welcome to the first ever
BLADE Annual
Since Edition 22 was published, the BLADE team have been full steam ahead in developing our web page.
Imagine a bunch of old-school fishermen, all over 40 years of age, trying to come to grips with the challenges of web
design, hosting speeds, refresh rates, metadata, google analytics and so on.
If I wasnt already bald then I would be
by now! I am pleased to say we have man-
aged to crack the challenges and, even
though its still not quite where we want
it to be, the BLADE website is 90% of the
way there. We have had a slight lull while
we have been putting this Annual togeth-
er, but are now refocused on the webpage.
Keep your eye on www.bladekayak.com.
au over the summer holiday season to see
new stories and material constantly being
posted.
I am still amazed by the growth in kayak
fishing throughout this country, and the
2
world. I recently was out on my local dam
and watched a father son team paddling
(peddling) along trolling lures and hook-
ing a few bass. The kayak was set up beau-
tifully for the young fella (I think his name
was Ashley?) with a kiddie seat, food, and
drink all within reach. The youngster was
out enjoying a couple of hours on the wa-
ter with his dad and was never going to get
bored. In between hook ups and winding
in fish he had plenty of snacks and scenery
to keep him occupied. Looking at these
two and their set-up started some mental
wanderings as to how far kayaks and their
Are yours at the bottom of the ocean?
designs have come in the past couple of
decades.
As a teenager growing up in Grafton in
the 80s there were three broad categories
of kayaks available: white water kayaks,
flat water tourers and iron man style surf
skis. If you were an angler you really con-
fined yourself to a Canadian style canoe.
At about this time, the wave ski was in-
vented. Small, manoeuvrable, fibreglass
craft designed for surfing the face of a
wave. I think these were the tip of the
iceberg for specialist designs and pushing
the boundaries of conventional thinking.
As soon as moulded plastics came on the
scene, the sky was the limit when it came
to design and customisation. In addition
to the camping and touring kayaks, which
arent designed for fishing, we now have
kayaks specifically designed for fishing
with categorisation including fibreglass,
plastic, composite, offshore, inshore, rivers,
long range, short range, sit on top, sit in,
paddle power, peddle power, electric mo-
tors, petrol motors, standing up, etc It
is a long, long way from the old fibreglass,
flat water kayak I first started fishing out
of as a teenager.
The next generation of propulsion is
also about to hit the market, with Feel-
HIGH QUALITY 5
free unveiling their Overdrive system at
the AFTA show earlier this year. This is
Polarised floating
a leg-powered pedal, propeller system but
with a simple click an electric motor is
Polarised Photochromic styles
engaged and drives the propeller for
you. It also has a variable pitch propel-
Polarised Reader
ler depending on whether you want to
cover distance or slow down for trolling
Polarised Photo Reader
or casting. Who knows what will be next? Polarised Prescription
Have a great festive season everyone and
make sure get out on the water and enjoy
our fabulous sport of kayak fishing. SHOWROOM - 11/4 LEDA DRIVE,
Cheers BURLEIGH HEADS QLD
Steve PH: 07 55764365
www.barzoptics.com.au
 Barra
Dreamin
By Dave Brace

A selection of
lures
the author pref
ers
to use to targ
et
these magestic
fish

Never a week goes by where I dont think about the prospect of heading to central Queensland
to target Barramundi in the various stocked impoundments within that region. The thought of
spending quality time with great mates, sharing a few laughs, spilling a cold ale and cooking on
the coals of a camp fire is what sometimes gets myself and many of us through the daily grind.
The fishing is just a catalyst that bonds
this mateship. We had planned to fish
Lake Kinchant and Teemburra Dam near
Mackay and although the fishing was
somewhat tough at times, we certainly
caught our fair share of quality Barramundi.
Mainly equipped with kayaks, we also
took a few boats along for the journey for
support.
No matter how many times you visit
these lakes, every time you first launch
there is a feeling of trepidation and
uncertainty as to how your time on the
water will unfold. One thing that I have
learnt over the years fishing these land
locked environments is that there is never
two days the same. Preparation is the key
to success for these fishing trips and prior
to the event, I spend my time observing
water levels and the weather leading up to
our departure. Lures are selected carefully,
reels are wound with new line and knots
are tied with utmost precision. The outfit I
prefer is Silstars 66 Crystal Power Tip rod
matched with Okumas RTX Pro 40 reels
spooled with 30lb Platypus Platinum Plus
The author
e big
showing th
this
flanks on
solid fish
braid and a short length of 60lb Platypus
Game leader. The soft plastic lures I have
most confidence in using are Z-Mans 6
SwimmerZ in the colours of Golden Boy,
Red Shad, Houdini and especially Smoky
Shad which represents the baitfish I have
witnessed swimming amongst the weedy
structure in daylight hours. The Z-Mans
are made from 10x Tough Elaztech and
can sure take their fair share of abuse,
catching copious amounts of fish before
they require changing. Rigged weedless on
the award winning TT Lures SnakelockZ
in an 8/0 hook weighted at 1/4oz. also
gives me confidence in staying connected
to these aggressive fish throughout each
session.
I personally had unfinished business to
attend to after losing several fish in excess
of 120cm during my last north bound
trip back in December 2014. Some I even
estimated to be in excess of 130cm. I was
hoping to impart some vengeance on these
fish and regain some self-pride. I had set
myself a personal goal, to land one of
these fish of that magnitude. Launching
the Safari H2O The Murray kayak I
was feeling very positive with optimistic
thoughts generating constructive and
encouraging actions.
.....
Smoky Shad
e h at ch
Down th
of a bu c k et
mouth
It wasnt long after I had launched when
I caught my first Barramundi for the trip,
which measured 103cm. Soon after a
pattern emerged as I observed and analysed
how, when and where would be the best
options to target these fish throughout the
week ahead. Fishing at night amongst and
above the luscious submerged weed beds
in a depth of 2 metres or less resulted in
me catching approximately forty fish
throughout our short stay. Prime time saw
me being on the water at night prior to the
moon setting.
My goal of catching that significant fish
of 130cm plus wasnt going to happen
easily. Motivated to succeed I persisted
with determination running on about
three hours sleep per day. When time
allowed, I rested during the day re-fuelling
my body for every paddle stroke I needed
to take at night. All of my senses told me
it was my time to achieve something that
I have only dreamed about. During the
first two days of the trip we experienced
some inclement weather. Not deterred by
the rain, I persisted in the hope to land
a few more fish yakside and expose a
pattern of bite periods that would be most
productive. Sitting in my kayak with my
feet either side of the vessel embedded in
a weed bed to hold me into position as
the rain pelted down, I began to ask the
question, What in the hell am I doing out
here? Arms crossed with my head tilted
forward, my Akubra wore the brunt of the
continual precipitation. The wind was also
strong and relentless making conditions

4 5
 even worse and sure made me think I
should definitely be rolled up in my warm
swag back at camp. Enough to blow a dog
off a chain! I stayed strong and sat out the
short storms that continued to come and
go. Between the squalls I witnessed active
Barramundi feeding close to the surface
between the weed beds with reflections of
their red eyes radiating in the dark from
my head lamp. This was enough to keep
me very enthusiastic in persevering and
as a result a few more healthy fish were
caught and released.
The next morning the conditions
changed for the better. Launching at 3am
I landed four fish in quick succession
while waiting for the sun to rise and
warm my essence. Glancing at my watch
I considered it was very close to the first
Where dreams are
made into realit
y
6 7
Adrenaline kicks
in as the fish is
finally secured
tinge of light appearing on the horizon. I
began to troll my lure stealthily and closely
behind my kayak between two large weed
beds in a lesser body of water no more
than 10 metres wide. Approaching some
submerged shallow weed mid-stream in
this stretch of water, I had a strong gut
feeling that there was a fish on the other
side poised and waiting in ambush mode.
I took three strong strokes of the paddle
and glided stealthily over the weed.
Cruising slowly I waited in anticipation;
shoulders bunched waiting for my lure to
reach that strike zone. On cue, my rod tip
loaded up alerting me to a striking fish
as the line on my reel was stripped from
Fishing through its spool. I immediately took another
night storms
prior to sunrise
three aggressive paddle strokes to set the
Its not all about the fishing, camp
hooks prior to lifting the rod from the rod
cooking is a big social part of the trip
holder. Distinctly hearing the fish jump I
was instantly confident it was a good fish,
especially noticing the size of the splash it
made on re-entry. Knowing I had to keep
this aggressive fish on a short lead before
I could get my first real look at this beast
of a fish, my kayak uncontrollably veered
towards it. The fish jumped profusely while
I fought it, concentrating on keeping very
low rod angles. Turning its head every time
it approached the edges of this narrow
corridor of water and the thick weed beds I
remarkably stayed mentally solid, keeping
more composed and collected than
with any other fish I had fought of this
magnitude. Steering the fish through the
water with the use of my paddle, switching
the rod in either hand once I thought I had
enough line back on the reel to control it
more comfortably, I soon saw signs of this to evade capture. Its gigantic caudal fin tightly I was hoping it wouldnt fray on any
colossal fish wearing and tiring. displaced large volumes of water as it of the kayaks attachments. My emotions
With every pass of the fish adjacent to my swam beneath the kayak time and time were escalated with anxiety and for a
kayak I got glimpses of it from a distance again. There was little I could do but hang while I was feeling completely helpless
as my head lamp reflected the silver shine on and steer the kayak as best I could, back and in the hands of the Fishing Gods. In
of its presence near the surface. It launched paddling when time allowed to give me addition to the main line rubbing on the
again now within close proximity and I the upper hand on this belligerent fish. On kayak, my thoughts also turned to the 60lb
finally got my first true glance at its size. several occasions I witnessed my bent rod Platypus Game leader rubbing through
The enormity of this particular fish was wrapping tightly around the extremities of on the Barras raspy, armoured plated jaw
not lost on me as it breached the surface my kayak with every guide thumping the line. Knowing the lure was embedded deep
on a couple more occasions as it tried side of the vessel. With the line stretched within the fishes mouth I was confident,
come
Dreams do
c m of
true..... 130
i
Barramu d n
 Platypus P8
yet still nervous, my line would just hold
t talking
up for a few more passes yakside prior to Camp Kinchan
tying
subduing the fish and claiming victory tactics and re
kn ot s
over this spirited Barramundi. A shot
of adrenalin found its way through my
body when the lip grips firmly clasped
the fish and reality kicked in. Hands now
shaking profusely, I couldnt believe what

Super strong & slick Australian

I had actually just accomplished in the
cover of darkness. I actually bloody did
it, I thought to myself as I looked at this

made 8 carrier braid

incredible fish in total awe.
My thoughts quickly turned to the well-
being for this fish and I immediately
alerted two mates Aaran Denschel and
Dean Mathers who were fishing in their
Extra thin and round, P8 is premium
boat nearby, hopeful that they would be
quality braid made by Playtpus. Utilising
able to assist me in
8 strand construction ensures P8 is one of
swimming the fish
the thinnest braids on the market. Round,
smooth and supple, P8 will pack more
for a healthy release. They also were able to
In awe of thi evenly onto your reel for longer accurate
s support me to quickly measure this beast
incredible fish casts time after time. Ideal for all lure
on a brag mate within the water and take
casting applications from light tackle
a few photos to capture this memorable
soft plastics through to rock fishing and
occasion. Elated to witness this incredible
deep sea jigging.
Barramundi swim away strongly and
8 Carrier construction is the best braid
to share this moment with two mates
structure for any fishing situation or
who also got to witness such a fish was a
species using either overhead or spin gear.
fantastic experience. Retying a new leader,
8 carrier braids are rounder and thinner
I sat there on my kayak as the sun rose
than regular 3 or 4 carrier braids and do
over the horizon still living the moment.
not flatten and take on water as 12 or 16
The water was now like a mirror and I
carriers do. With the actual unknotted
just stared at the calmness of its surface
breaking strain on the label anglers are able
for almost an hour, absolutely bewildered,
to make a more informed choice about,
yet reflecting and believing that dreams do
arguably the most important component
come true..
of their setup.
Bracey!
Platypus are proud of their 117 years of
experience that allows them to produce
the highest quality fishing line direct from
their Brisbane factory. Platypus is made
by Australian fishos for Australian fishos.

PLATYPUS P8
Diameter Test Actual
Test
0.06 6 lb 13 lb
0.12 8 lb 15 lb
0.14 10 lb 18 lb
0.18 15 lb 25 lb
0.22 20 lb 32 lb
0.27 30 lb 44 lb
0.32 50 lb 63 lb
Sunrise at Lake Available in 6, 8, 10, 15, 20, 30, 50 lb in 150 and 300 yard lengths in Hi-Vis orange at
Kinchant 0.38 80 lb 89 lb all great tackle stores.

8 9


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 Ten minutes due east I have mangrove
lined nurseries teeming with flathead,
bream, whiting, trevally and mud crabs to
name just a few; then another five minutes
away the Pacific Ocean welcomes me with
some of the worlds best fish on offer. All
these places are yak friendly in the right
conditions but the jewel of them all is
Baroon Pocket Dam, always able to be
fished regardless of the conditions.
Lake Baroon is situated on the Blackall
Range in the Sunshine Coast hinterland
about 40 minutes drive from Mooloolaba
or 10 minutes from Maleny. It covers
a surface area of 400 hectares and the
average depth is around 15 metres with the
deepest spots getting down to 45 metres.
It dams Obi Obi Creek, which below the
dam, flows down the range northwest
to eventually join the Mary River near
Kenilworth. The lake is relatively young
with the dam only being completed in
1989. It filled in its first year after a good
summer of rain.
There are two areas on opposite sides of
the lake where you can launch your yak.
The northern ramp is close to the dam wall
and is nearest to the popular tourist town
of Montville. The southern ramp is closest
to the township of Maleny. At both ramps
there are picnic areas including BBQs,
undercover eating areas with tables and
seats and great areas for the kids to play
while dad or mum slips out for a fish.
Schooled up near
the dam wall in
d
the deep - Sal an
I caught a do ze n
ur!
this size in an ho
12
Sal with a
nice high 40s
bass from the
northern end near
the wall
Records from stocking groups reveal that
over 85,000 bass, 45,000 golden perch and
6,500 Mary River cod fingerlings have
been released into the lake since 1989.
There are also spangled perch and eel tailed
catfish that breed naturally in the dam.
Since 1989 there have been numerous
overflows of the dam and a lot of fish have
gone over the dam wall to their freedom
down through the Obi Obi Valley and into
the Mary River.
Fishing Lake Baroon is patchy to good
in winter and fantastic in the warmer
months. Ive personally caught catches
of over a dozen legal bass in a session
when they were really hungry, with all my
colleagues with me at the time also scoring
similar quantities. During winter, some
of the best methods include targeting the
edges and points with jig heads, spinner
baits and chatter baits all working. Casting
close to the bank and slow winding with
the occasional twitch or two often gets
that finicky fish frustrated and they strike
your offering in anger. Hard bodies also do
the job but its a pain having to remove the
weed after every second cast, which cuts
into your fishing time. I guess you could
change your trebles to singles for a more
snag free lure but for me spinner baits
and plastics are the way to go. When the
temperature warms up, the bass tend to
school up in the deeper water during the
middle of the day. Deep divers like RMG
scorpions and Jackal TN type hard bodies
slow trolled will put you onto the fish if
you dont have a sounder. If you have your
yak wired up with a sounder then dropping
plastics, blades or ice jigs into the schools
will get the job done.
The 50+ cm bass I have caught at Baroon
have all been loners with just the one arch
showing on the sounder. On occasion they
have come from outside the sounders
beam and smashed my lure scaring the
crap out of me. The unexpected fish really
gets the adrenalin flowing and trying to get
a good photo after the fight is hard to do
when your hands are still shaking from the
rush. This is one of the main reasons why
I love fishing so much, especially from the
yak. These big girls must think like every
other animal on this planet including us;
once they get to certain age and size they
dont want to be hassled by the youngsters
anymore and off they go and do their own
thing!
The bass in Baroon dont hang around in
the one spot like other species, such as cod.
They travel all around the impoundment
looking for opportunistic feeds. I once
captured a 38cm tagged fish down near the
dam wall. When I got home and logged
into the Suntag site with the tag number,
I found it had been released a couple of
kilometres away right up the other end
of the lake and it had grown about one
Grant with a
Baroon Pocket
horse
centimetre in just over a year. Where you
find them one day doesnt mean they will
be there the next.
One fine day in February over 100 legal
size bass up to the 45cm mark were caught
and released by my mates and me in a three
hour session that I can only describe as
unbelievable. They were in a feeding frenzy
that I have only ever seen once before and
that was when an impoundment near
Brisbane was opened up to fishing after a
seven year closure. I was lucky enough to
be there on opening day, but thats another
story. Back to Baroon and on this day the
bass were smashing everything. I even tied
on some very dodgy looking lure that was
a freebie with a fishing magazine and I had
Mudmap showing
approximate depths
painted myself. It was instantly smashed
as well. Im not sure why the fish were
going troppo like it was their last day on
the planet or their last ever meal but we
all had a ball for a few hours with nonstop
action aplenty.
The feeder creeks to the lake are also
worth a look. At the southern end Obi
Obi creek winds its way through some
spectacular country. Steep rock walls on
one side topped with thick bushland and
gentle rolling hills on the other, that have
been cleared for pasture for the beef and
dairy industry, make the paddle up here
easy on the eyes as well as being home
to some nice fish. Along the rock walls
there are lots of snags from fallen timber
and having a lure retriever on hand is a
must when you target this area. Further
upstream in the shallows, casting plastics
right into the weed on the edges and
ripping them back out often gets you a hit.
On the western edge of the lake there is
another feeder creek named Bridge Creek.
Its entrance is guarded by a big stand of
drowned trees, now dead and grey. Some
of the trees would be 50-60ft tall out of
the water and when you add the 30ft
depth under you they are some big units. I
have never had any luck up this creek but
other people I know have just have to try
harder and keep casting I suppose. Mary
River cod would surely inhabit this area
with its hundreds of trees that you can see
above the water and the hundreds of trees
that are under the water creating a perfect
home. Maybe their presence has scared the
13
 The Bream
The 50+ Scheme so you need to have a licence to
models all fish them. In the near future when the
seem to be licencing funds are distributed it will give
loners our stocking group a welcome injection
of money to add to our own fundraising
efforts to purchase more fingerlings and
keep the fish stocks at a healthy level.

of
Derwent
Our dams are building a reputation as
some of the best freshwater sports fishing
destinations in Queensland, so we want to

the
keep this intact. Remember that bass dont
reproduce in impoundments and they are
only there because of stocking groups so
support your local fish stockers wherever
possible.
See you on the water.

bass away? Remember the Mary River cod By Nathan Meyers

are totally protected.
All fish us Ol Fartz catch in the fresh
The initial strike was characteristically brutal as the fish immediately headed towards the vast expanse of the riv-
are released to be caught again at a future
date. If they are a worthy specimen they er. The already tight drag did little to slow its progress as line peeled in a harmonious scream from the reel. The rod
are quickly measured and photographed tip buckled, submerged into the water, as I tried in vain to turn the fishs head. Then suddenly it was over, the line
and then bragged about. No photo proof
going slack, separated from the lure and fish by one of the numerous oyster strewn rocks that make up the riverbed.
and it didnt happen are our rules, and the
ones you lose at the side of the yak dont
count either.
Lake Baroon is a hidden gem and often
you can have the place to yourself if youre
there on a weekday. On most weekends
you are usually still only sharing with just The entrance
a few others. to Bridge
All of us old Fartz are proud members Creek
of the local stocking group which manages
this dam and also Ewen Maddock Dam.
Recently both dams have been added Alison with another
to the Stocked Impoundment Permit high 30's Derwent bream
caught trolling minnows
near Cadburys

Target the
edges in
winter

14 15
 Having lived close to Tasmanias capital
city Hobart for the past 25 years I am spoilt
by having a world-class fishery almost
literally on my doorstep. The Derwent
River has fuelled my passion for kayak
fishing with its ease of access and range
of species available. But it is primarily the
goliath bream that inhabit this water that
sees me returning time after time.
For years I have patrolled my own little
patches of the river both personally and as
a tour guide. I have done battle with and
even been victorious on several occasions
with some amazing fish. More so I have
enjoyed watching visitors to the State, of
which I am passionate, hook and land the
fish of a lifetime.
My early adventures in guiding provided
some interesting and often amusing
trips. Based on advice from experienced
local anglers I initially concentrated my
efforts on the rocky shorelines that led
from Lowestoft Bay, down river past the
Caravan Park and to MONA, the now
world renown Museum of Modern and
New Art.
One of my initial trips was leading a
group of mates along this by now well-
worn path. With six guys casting minnows
hard into the shore, it didnt take long until
the bream started hitting the yaks, but
nothing of size.
Good mate Jeremy and I were the first
to paddle into the sheltered Berriedale
bay that sits below the towering MONA
Editor Steve Evans
first cast fish from
the Derwent River was
a healthy mid-30s
16
Another fish
released to
fight another
day
building above. Casting hard into the
boulder strewn banks, we twitched our
lures back to the kayaks, ensuring we
allowed the lures to pause alongside the
boats, ever vigilant for following bream.
It was during one such pause that, like
the scene from Jaws, a large black shadow
emerged from the depths. Undaunted
by the presence of the bright blue craft a
large bream attacked the lure suspended
within arms reach of the yak, engulfed it
broadside, and disappeared with a splash
leaving Jeremy to hold on whilst the reels
drag sung the song of a big fish.
Jeremys first ever bream was a cracker and
put on the type of fight that has made these
fish infamous. The Hobie Quest 11 which
he was piloting was literally dragged out
into the bay and towed in almost complete
circles during the fight. Jeremy handled
himself with aplomb, using his skills as a
trout fishing veteran to pump and wind
the fish into submission and eventually the
net. During the obligatory photos taken
for posterity I considered fitting a dark
filter to the camera, not for the blazing sun
shining that day, but for the radiant smile
Jeremy sported after an angling experience
that will forever remain.
Long-time readers of this magazine
will remember that editor, Steve Evans,
has also joined me for a Derwent River
experience catching several good fish.
It was this session that changed how I
fished the river and played a crucial role
in finding the big fish that have come over
the past few years. Taking Steve and his
companions along the usual route we had
good success scoring numerous fish in the
30s from the usual places. On the return
journey the crew noted birds working
a school of baitfish in the distance and
off they followed. With the baitfish now
bailed up by the pursuing salmon Steve
paddled in behind them and began casting
out some lures hed been sent from Japan.
Remaining with the group, I noticed
Steve was now in an area I had discounted
due to its shallowness and rock strewn
bottom. Paddling over to suggest a change
of location I arrived to find him tying on a
new lure after being smoked by not one,
but several fish in succession. Hed enticed
several big fish to swipe his exclusive lures,
but was unable to stop their screaming runs.
Due to the bullocking fight downwards and
through the rocks, we knew they were bream
and not salmon. Although we didnt manage
to land a trophy fish that day, the experience
had intrigued me as to the yet unexplored
reaches of this mammoth waterway.
Over the following weeks I re-visited
Steves spot, catching good fish. Such
became the reliability of this spot that I
utilised it to take a prize in the nationwide
Pirtek Fishing Challenge just weeks later. to a more bream oriented retrieve. Several
Entering the tournament I found, such is
Murphys Law, the day clashed with family
commitments leaving me just an hour
to compete. Making a bee-line for this
reliable shoreline it took just a few casts
until fish on and it was a good one. After
taking the lure the fish flew straight by and
under my kayak as it headed for the safety
of the deeper water. After the initial strong
2-3 runs the fish came to the boat and
began to flex its considerable muscle with
big head shakes and arm straining lunges.
Coming to the surface and seemingly beat,
the fish are still unpredictable and even
when exhausted can put in a final run that
an unwary angler will be caught out on.
Luckily this fish behaved into the net and
was measured at just less than 42cm final
length. This 45 minute session resulted in
a second place fish, just a mere 1cm short
of winning.
Traditionally, the best season for catching
bream from the Derwent runs from late
September to May each year. The winter
months we spend focusing on the big
sea-run trout that make their way from
the ocean to spawn. Thinking of bream as
by catch is an unusual idea but they are
often a very much welcome capture as we
discovered one lazy weekend. Chasing
the sea-runners with my regular fishing
companion Cameron we were casting lures
with fast, irregular retrieves for a few hours
without result.
Unable to find the elusive trout, it was
Cameron who changed tactics, resorting
quick turns of the reel accompanied by
wobbling of the rod produced a speedy
and highly erratic jerking movement of
the lure through the water resulting in
a solid hook up from a very good fish.
Although the initial lunging runs had us
thinking trout, the deep surges and lack
of aerial antics had soon changed that to
a call of a horse bream, which ultimately
surfaced and was netted soon after. The
fish measured over 40cm and proved a
surprise catch from a fish expected to be
much further up river during its spawning
season. This fish, however, had friends and
during a session just days later I found my
own trophy fish lurking close by.
A late afternoon session with the light
almost gone, I had decided on a mandatory
last cast or ten. As I sent my lure out
adjacent to the rock ledge close to where
I was drifting, I was distracted by several
balloon letters in the air above. O, V and
E the balloons spelt, possibly a signature
of love from a nearby wedding. With my
attention diverted, my craft had drifted
into the shore resulting in the ledge I was
fishing now being barely centimetres below
the kayaks hull. My line floated barely
above it, as my lure remained suspended in
the deep water beyond. Bringing the line
tight to start a series of twitching retrieves,
the initial movement proved enough for
the fish that hovered what must have been
just millimetres away from the lure and it
was engulfed.
The fishs powerful run, by luck, towed my
kayak out and beyond the treacherous reef
below. Had I stayed there it would have
surely given the fish its freedom. The fight
was extensive and when finally brought to
the net this breams distinctive colouration
was revealed. This fish I nicknamed Top
Deck due to its almost black colouration
along its spine and top half of the body,
down to a golden sheen and almost white
underbelly. This remarkable fish has made
an appearance several times on subsequent
fishing trips.
17

Bream like this are
a regular catch in
the Derwent. The
remarkable colours a
certain give away
The honour of biggest Derwent bream
however, goes to the perhaps most
diminutive angler I have had the pleasure
of guiding. Queensland resident Sean is an
avid fan of Blade Kayak Fishing Journal
and had read all about the leviathans
inhabiting this often brooding piece of
water in articles I had previously written.
The opportunity presented itself for Sean
to join me on a trip when his mum decided
to visit family in Tasmania and he jumped
at the chance to get out amongst them.
Contacting me, I was initially hesitant to
take him on a trip, being a novice kayaker
and just 16 years of age. Talking with his
mum I was reassured that although young
in age, Sean had a wise head and a real
passion for angling.
Although it was early season for bream
we decided to try our luck and headed out
on a picturesque day with the water like
glass and the sun warming us enough to
brave shorts in spring. We did it tough for
most of that day and after four hours and
several kilometres of paddling were yet to
find the fish. With high tide now on the
drop, we returned to try our last chance
at the now go to reef that produced so
many good fish before. With the chances
of a donut high, I sent Sean in close to
scour for bream whilst I hung a hundred
or so metres back, throwing lures about
to hopefully find a school of salmon to at
least put us on the board.
I carefully watched Sean as he twitched
and slowly rolled his Cranka Sand
Whiting minnow, a lure that accounts for
most of the big fish; his skills as an angler
were clearly on display. Momentarily
distracted I missed the initial hook up.
Sean later relaying to me that like so many
fish, he too had watched this one come up
hard from the deep, swallowing the lure as
it suspended next to the boat.
Seeing Seans small lightweight 1-3 kg
rod and 1000 series reel under some severe
duress and in danger of running out of line,
I quickly paddled over to assess the scene.
On approach Sean called it as a big flathead
due to the thumping head shakes and deep
dirty fight, but I knew our flatties dont get
that big. This was a monster bream!
The runs were strong and the fight intense
as Sean was dragged around this shallow
bay at the fishs discretion. It was, however,
the anglers day and as I netted the fish for
him its size became immediately apparent
as I had trouble lifting it into the boat.
With such a monster on board we beached
our craft for a proper measure on shore and
I wasnt surprised to find a fish with a total
length of 47cm. This fish had to be well
over 15 years old and would have weighed
at least 1.6kgs, a bream fishers dream.
The fish was tenderly released to
hopefully turn up on my hooks another
day and Sean even went on to pull another
nice little specimen before we wrapped up
the day.
Despite the many years Ive fished these
waters and the fantastic people and fish it
has enabled me to meet I never tire of it.
Coming into summer, the fishing will once
again heat up and it will become my staple
water of choice for chasing these elusive
and often difficult fish. One thing I know
for sure is that the stories of the ones that
got away will continue to grow more than
the stories of the ones that didnt. Such is
the nature of the Derwent bream.
Nathan Meyers
(Ed: Check out Nathans you tube channel
Paddlefish Tasmania to see more of the great
bream, trout and other kayak fishing options
available in the Apple Isle.)
Redtide Trailers
Redtide Trailers have mastered kayak charging points, 12V lighting, basic or research. Simply attach the trailer to your
transportation with their new innovative advanced wash down system, rooftop tent car and youre off to your favourite yak
trailer designs. Offering the first purpose kit, rod locker, lockable esky holder. fishing spot. Once done, wash and easily
built kayak fishing trailers in Australia, Redtide trailers allow carriage of up to load your yak and fishing gear, store your
standard inclusions are: four kayaks and heaps of fishing gear and accessories in safe carpet lined lockable
hammer tone silver finish accessories. They also have a three year storage units, store your fish and wash
steel plate assembly system structural chassis warranty and 12 month your hands. Detach your trailer when you
galvanised chassis, frame, axle, accessory kit warranty. return home, and leave everything stored
springs, fixings, and upgrade kits Designed and assembled in Australia, on the trailer ready for the next trip.
dual side steps Redtide trailers have evolved over a Enjoy your Redtide experience.
dual safety chains with holders number of years via personal experience, (NOTE: Redtide trailers are only
elite fold up jockey wheel customer feedback and extensive market available on pre-order.)
spare wheel and bracket
LED lighting (ADR approved)
safety reflectors (ADR approved)
carpeted platform base
tie down points
enclosed wheel guards
mud flaps
Because the trailers have a modular
upgrade design you could start with the
entry level Redtide Single Base Trailer
and build up to any combination of trailer
in the whole Redtide range in the future.
Optional accessories that can be added to
Redtide trailers include extra storage, 12V

Jeremy showing
his pleasure after
catching this
fish which took
the lure as it
suspended directly
beside the boat

18
 Morning
Theres no way
Coffee
Anyone?
Id have landed my big cod
from any other yak. By Owen Gray
The ability to reverse
puts the Propel-powered
Native Watercraft
in a league of its own. If you spend a bit of time searching around, there are
Steve Starlo Starling
many surprising areas just offshore that hold quality
fish. Some of the most popular areas for offshore kayakers
to target along the east coast of Australia are coffee rock
reefs. These are fairly unimpressive looking, low-lying
structures, often sitting short distances from some of our
larger surf beaches.

ed)
e ( n o o dle-arm et
Th to g
Native Watercraft kayaks come in many t h o r trying he
au h off t o
shapes and sizes, but the models that 10:1 gear ratio the fis hot
o u n d for a p
g r
boast the unique Propel Pedal Drive are
Tough, marine-grade
without peer in fishing circles.
anodised aluminium
The direct drive allows you stop
and hold on the spot, to
pedal in reverse... and to
actually go backwards! Direct drive forward we
Frankly, thats the difference AND REVERSE! make
between winning and losing. fishing fun!
If you want the edge,
go Native. To find your perfect
Scan to watch yak, scan the code, visit
JSC4001

Starlos fight! nativewatercraft.com.au 21

or call 0412 046 451.
 This proximity to beaches, as well as their
tendency to hold a good variety and amount
of marine life, including big bait schools,
makes them outstanding destinations for
some offshore action. After reading all
about these reefs and seeing pictures of the
mackerel, tuna, snapper, sweetlip, kingfish
and all manner of other species being
pulled by other kayakers, I was very keen
to give one of these areas a shot. After a
bit more research, a few well-spent hours
examining google maps (many of these
can show up on satellite images as dark
patches in the water), and a few pointers
from those in the know, I managed to
convince dad to accompany me on a trip.
It was also a chance for dad to blood his
new kayak- an awesome new Stealth Surf
Fisha 470.
The car was loaded with yaks, rods, reels,
paddles, life jackets, tackle, baits and food
by 0900hrs and we commenced the solid
drive from Toowoomba with anticipation
running high. We ran up the beach on a
less than ideal tide and picked a nice shady
spot with whales frolicking only a few
hundred metres offshore. After spending
a few more hours setting up camp, having
a late lunch and watching the surf, we
t 15kg, and with two of my lines out of
usted bu
One exha e e n a g e r
y t
very happ
22
concluded it was a perfect time to launch
the kayaks. This would be a lazy afternoon
session looking around for a bit of reef to
target in earnest tomorrow.
With just a quick session in mind, I
only threw in a few lures and headed off.
To my delight, my sounder lit right up
after a short paddle with a big school of
bait dominating the 13m of water depth.
I pulled up and in only two casts with a
5 inch Zman had a mid-40s squire in the
hatch. Ripper! I was just getting ready to
drop again when dad called me over to
cut his line from his rudder. A new world
record minimum time for this rookie
error. After a few minutes to fix his rudder
dilemma, I then had to retrieve his paddle
which apparently he didnt tie to his leash
particularly well! More rookie errors!
It didnt take too long to find the bait
schools again, and with them, snapper
which were nailing jigs, slugs and plastics,
with reckless abandon. I was enjoying a
great session whereby as soon as I found a
show of fish on the sounder, I was almost
guaranteed a hit. The snapper were fired
up, but we also managed a few other
species of bycatch including an undersized
pearl perch, a first for me in such shallow
water. I also dropped a really nice snapper
of around 65cm, which spat the hook just
as I got colour. It was a session where it
was almost hard to not have a bend in
the rod. In about an hour, both of us had
bagged out on squire with the best being
a tad under 50cm. Salt and vinegar chip-
coated snapper for dinner and off to bed
ready for the morning session!
I woke up just before dawn and rolled out
of the swag to be met with an awesome
view of first light over the Pacific. First
things first, bacon and eggs for brekky.
After breakfast I rigged up a few baits to
troll in the hope of some pelagic action
and then launched through another easy
surf break. I paddled off in high hopes,
trying to not get too close to any whales.
The bait schools were a bit further south
on this day and once found, I quickly
hooked up. First fish was a good grinner
(50cm+) which savaged my carefully
rigged slimy mackerel. I then jigged up a
lone yakka to use as livebait out the back
of my yak. Over the next 1.5 hours or so I
got onto a couple of mid 40s snapper and a
nice dusky flathead on micro jigs.
With my previous dead bait gone, I
rigged up a garfish to troll on a mackerel
d sight
Not a ba
king up
to be wa g!
e mornin
to in th
rig and it didnt take long for it to be still untouched yakka to keep it down in so I bade him farewell. En route I stopped
snaffled by a 50cm snapper. With four the water column and slowly started to in on a couple of patches of coffee rock
fish in the hatch I decided it was time to paddle back towards the campsite. Dad that I could see with my sunnies for a few
head back in, so I put a sinker above the told me he was heading for the beach too, little maori cod and a moses perch. As I
was sitting there playing around, I saw a
big school of average sized tuna travelling
lity along in one of the swells. I tied on a
t on qua
Bagged ou ju st little stickbait to my soft plastic rod and
h in
eating fis attempted to send out a long cast. This was
our- ho
w
over an h oat a mistake, as the line had wrapped around
needs a b a runner and my stickbait was sent flying.
That sucked! The bad luck continued
with a very slow take on my yakka which
turned out to be another cracking grinner-
this one well over 60cm. As I unhooked
the grinner, I turned around and was
extremely surprised to see four big dark
shapes cruising towards me- cobia!
I estimated them to be around 10-
action I frantically turned around to look
for something to throw at them. As luck
would have it, I had a garfish rigged up on
my third outfit which I had been trolling
and had all but forgotten about. I figured
the 30lb mono and little TLD15 reel
would be adequate for the fish that I could
still see coming towards me. I surprised
myself by not birdnesting the cast and
landed the garfish about 10m in front of
the pack. Then, a bigger fish seemed to
come out of nowhere- I honestly hadnt
seen it swimming along- and charged
in for the bait. Due to the drift and the
23

hat
This is w
a max-
capacity
oks
hatch lo
ting
like. Get
back
the fish
not
out was
ier
much eas
ting
than get
it in!
waves, the bait was now directly behind
the stern of my kayak. It was an awesome
sight to see as the fish inhaled the bait.
Line then started peeling off at pace so I
slowly eased up the lever drag and the fish
didnt slow down. The nose of the yak spun
around and I settled in for a long fight on
the fairly light line. 15mins later and a few
solid runs and a bit of a sleigh ride had me
in deeper water northeast of where the fish
was hooked. I now started to slowly gain
back some line.
The fish then bolted straight at me, sat
under the yak for 5 secs, dove and headed
out to sea again. Another 10 mins saw this
trend repeat itself, but this time it came a
bit closer to the surface and just in range
for me to see a bit of colour. Once again it
didnt like the look of my yak so it bolted
away and down deep. The fish seemed to
24
be tiring as the next retrieve cycle took a
bit less time. This time I got a good look at
it and it was definitely bigger than my first
impression when it ate the bait. What got
my heart racing was that I also noticed the
hook had pinned it in the pectoral fin. As
it turns out, this proved to be a surprisingly
good hold despite the awkward angle for
putting pressure on the fish. I had the fish
close enough to grab the leader and I sort
of waved the gaff in its face in a mildly
threatening, but obviously futile manner.
I had ensured my reel was in freespool
in preparation for the imminent big dive,
which happened soon afterwards.
It took another 10 mins to get the fish
in range again, and this time I sort of
managed to poke it in the side with the
gaff which annoyed it immensely. It
promptly started barrel rolling before
for
l catch
The tota
taking off downwards again at speed. It ing... from
the morn
was around about now that I reflected on one kayak
just the
the numerous cut lines I experienced from
spanish mackerel at last years Adder Rock
comp on single strand wire. In response I
went way overboard when rigging for this
trip and changed all of my leaders to 125lb
49 strand wire. I knew this tackle wasnt
going to kink, break or abrade no matter
how much twisting, rolling and turning
this cobia performed. My over-reaction
proved right!
With the second attempt with the gaff
and the resultant big dive complete, the
fish settled into the following pattern: go
for a big, hard run out wide, come up near
the surface, come in next to the kayak,
how the f**k am I going to gaff this thing-
its too wide and its skin is too thick, big
deep fast dive after just getting the rod in
hand, and repeat. This happened probably
another five or six times over the course
really wishing that dad hadnt headed in but it jammed in with a little persuasion. Once ashore, I struggled to get the fish
of an hour and by now the GoPro battery
to shore. Time to try and land the fish With those of my rods that were two out of the yak. Even after gaffing it through
was finished.
- why the hell not? I braced myself and piece collapsed and with their reels off, the pectoral fin, I still had to enlist the help
Eventually the fish came up closer to the
tried to lift. Nope! No way! That thing was they only just managed to slide in on the of a passer-by to pull it out of the hatch.
yak than ever before, so I struck hard with
not coming aboard. I tried again. Still not top sides of the hatch. Trev, the bloke in the campsite next to us,
the gaff and managed to pierce its skin. I
happening. On my third go, I managed The paddle home was definitely a bit was extremely helpful and even took a few
very quickly found this was a big mistake
to get half of its weight into my lap and nose-heavy, and I capsized nicely in the snaps for the family album.
as the cobia wasnt done yet. Fortunately
a hand in its gill. From there I managed surf zone when trying to return to the At 1.65m on the measuring tape, this is
it twisted off the point before I either
to slide its broad shoulders and the rest of beach. I didnt feel too bad about it though, easily my largest fish from the kayak and
dropped the gaff or went for a swim. After
its body forward into the hatch- just. The because dad had done exactly the same after a bit of consultation with length-
that big burst of energy it only had two
tail of the fish still hung out quite proud thing only two hours earlier. weight charts, some blokes in the know
more runs left before it was laying beside
and comparison to a 25kg model caught
the yak properly tired out- with the big
and weighed the next day by Chris goatfish
single hook still sitting nicely in the bony
slayer Cooper, which was a fair bit shorter;
pectoral fin.
I now feel pretty comfortable in saying
Figuring out where I could actually gaff
that this fish weighed over 35kg. A PB
the thing still took me a while. I settled
Im not likely to beat in a very, very long
for the mouth and after a few goes with
time. Ill certainly take it for my first ever
shaky hands sank it in nicely. I was then
cobia! It took a fair effort to get the fillets
in the esky, but Im happy to say that the
chunks are all vacuum packed and frozen
in top condition, with the first lot proving
ed gaff to be a mouthwatering feast in the smoker.
This rush
not
shot did Cobia is definitely a top quality eating fish.
g t all
a
hold lon Whats more, Trev reckons the tail section
on the BBQ was beautiful.
After my first experience fishing one of
Queenslands many coffee rock reefs, right
next to a beautiful surf beach, I can attest
to how fun this style of fishing can be and
would highly recommend it to anyone
itions on with a bit of a taste for the bluewater and
The cond etty
ooked pr a kayak capable of handling it. If youd like
arrival l the to order one cobia to go, with a double shot
good from
it e !
camps of adrenalin, get your coffee fix offshore..
Tight lines, Omen.
25
 The FUSION News from
Waterproof Stereo
By Graham Foley
Barz Optics
Barz Optics the Australian Sunglass Company now have 7 floating models in their range including one kids style
(7 to 12y/o).

Barz Cabo model was nominated for a

DAME Award at METS Marine Indus-
try trade show and was awarded the Aus-
tralian Marine Industry Innovative Export
Award for 2015. The world first polarised
photochromic bi-focal sunglass was her-
alded around the globe and is currently
available in 34 countries.
The frame floats in fresh or salt water -
the lens is Cat 1 (light tint) in low light
and darkens to Cat3 (normal dark tint)
in full sun making them ideal for over-
cast days. The bi focal is available in +1.50,
Fusion recently released its new Stereo Active waterproof stereo system aimed at the rapidly expanding kayak +2.00 and +2.50 making tying tackle for
those who wear glasses to read.
and SUP markets. We published a press release on the product on the BLADE website in October and since then
I have been looking forward to putting the product through its paces on my own kayak. Now I know the idea of a
stereo on your yak will raise a few eyebrows, as it did mine initially, but read on because if even if you think this
is a stupid idea, your opinion will soon change.

Whilst you wont want Dark Side of the
Moon blaring out while your are drifting a
secluded bass creek, some tunes while you
are paddling long distances such as off-
shore or returning to the launch point at
the end of the day, will make the journey
more enjoyable.
Stereo Active is capable of stream-
ing audio via Bluetooth from any digital
storage device, or streaming direct from a
music service such as Pandora or Spotify.
It also has a built-in AM/FM tuner. A
waterproof cavity is incorporated to pro-
vide secure housing for a low profile USB
for MP3 playback. Engineered to distrib-
ute quality audio for a more personalised
listening experience, the 2.5 custom de-
signed directional speakers matched with
the passive radiator and Class D ampli-
fier has been designed to deliver audio
efficiently and powerfully through the 40 designed for storing your car keys, wallet,
Watt speaker system. smartphone, etc
With a long-life battery, Stereo Active A Puck locking mechanism securely fixes
will keep music playing for up to 20 hours. the unit in place, even in the event of cap-
A USB port also allows charging for your sizing. In the unlikely event that it does be-
phone or other devices. Stereo Active is come detached, both the Stereo Active and
controlled with easy to press, scalloped Active Safe float, giving you peace of mind The floating frame if dropped will be
buttons, which are adjustable with the Check out the Fusion product range at sitting on the surface next to your kayak
touch of a finger or the tap of a paddle. The www.fusionentertainment.com making them one less thing to worry
high-grade rubber about if things go wrong.
over-moulded The cabo is also available in 4 lens op-
keypad is en- tions:
gineered to y Fitted with standard pc lenses in
take a beating. grey, amber, or grey with silver mir- Their other major selling frame is the y PC polarised grey or amber bi-focal
Another great ror. floater model, which has 5 lens options: reader.
feature is the y The unique low profile grey lens to y Acetate polarised - grey, amber, blue y PC Polarised photochromic bi-focal
inclusion of an fitted flatter face shapes. mirror and green mirror. readers.
Active Safe. y PC polarised in grey or amber bi- y Acetate polarised photochromic - Both frame styles can be fitted with pre-
This is a water- focal +1.50, +2.00 and +2.50 powers. grey or amber. scription lenses with the Floater having
proof container y PC polarised photochromic amber. y PC polarised grey or amber. more options than the Cabo.

26 27
 Fortune
Favours the
Brave
by Daniel Reber,
Photography By Dave Copperthwaite
Sometimes casting aside preconceived ideas is the best thing
you can do for your fishing as I recently discovered!
Do what others wont, to have what oth-
ers cant. Kayak fishermen probably under-
stand the ethos behind that saying better
than anyone because on a yak its hard
work, not luck, that gets the results. Its a
mantra, a clich and spot on the money
to describe a recent yak trip to the upper
Clarence in search of some real, wild bass.
I dont think Ill ever call myself an ex-
perienced fisherman, because that implies
Ive experienced all there is to experience
call the morgue and turn off the pace-
maker when that happens. Id call myself
28
an adventurer first and a fisherman second,
which is what has always drawn me to bass
fishing. Theres no easy way to fish for bass
and the adventure involved in simply get-
ting to the buggers is enough to keep me
wide eyed most nights.
What did make bass fishing very hard for
me, and probably many others at the start,
was the rules. No surface work in the day
time. Fish off the barometer. Cant catch
fish in the rain and dont even think about
bass during or after a full moon youll
waste your time, grow horns and land in
break in
h o u r s b e
the
f
eal durin
A quick m rain, a few
ore camp
g a
was
e storm
hit by th
These bass broke all the
rules, which worked for
us because we weren't
following them
the seventh circle of hell. What happened
to getting out and having fun? Thats fish-
ing isnt it?
Recently I was chatting to my good mate
Dave Copperthwaite who runs Wild
River Tours in Northern NSW. We were
yarning about putting together a trip that
was really going to push me. I wanted a
sleep in your boots, drag the rapids, eat de-
hydrated meals and 3:00 am starts tough
trip. I wanted to really have to work my
arse off for a fish. If it came, sensational,
but if I didnt boat a single fish, then that
was A-OK with me also. It was about the us standing at our launch point right on
adventure and the challenge! After a swag the first hint of daylight. Wed had some
full of emails back and forth and several sketchy and unreliable weather reports
late night phone calls (I think I had the about the next few days but had decided
Mrs a little worried) we hatched a plan to that come hell or high water (excuse the
fish the uppermost reaches of the Clarence pun) we were going to pull some big bass
for a few days and nights. Lightweight out of some tough country.
camping gear, no luxuries, add-water Our first paddle on the glassy river lasted
meals sign me up! for less than a kilometre before we encoun-
In a matter of weeks, what had begun tered the first set of rapids. Nothing ma-
as a few texts and emails, had turned into jor, but just enough to give us a subtle hint
about what was in store. Water levels were
low and some seriously hard yakka was
going to be the order of the trip - perfect.
Another stonker
Fishing was slow through the morning and
from the Clarence
this meant having to fish smart to pull a
bass. Daves expertise came into play. Fears
of a tough bite were dismissed as the first
bass came aboard at around 10:00 am, a
nice 42 that smashed my shiny new Sug-
apen lure. From there, we carried on with
a bass an hour, by regularly switching lures
and retrieves until we cracked the patterns
in each hole. There were no standard prac-
tices here, the bass werent responding to
any two casts the same way they were
breaking all the rules and we were loving it!
Exhausted, with a dozen 40+ fish on the
board and eager for some rest, we pulled
off the water early, had a meal, recounted
some of the plays of the day and promptly
collapsed in our tents.
29
 quiet bite and at your 6th set of rapids for
ather
Not many fair we the morning, with bleeding shins and cut
sh it
fisherman will pu hands, you start questioning your resolve
fi sh!
this hard for a to push on.
We settled in for a drizzling night of rain,
and after a quick meal decided to head out
again on last light to flick some Jitterbugs.
A surface session saw another three big
bruisers in the kayaks, plus fatigue leading
to a possible 50cm being dropped yak-side.
(I dont want to talk about it!) Wet, sore
and with not much left to give we paddled
back to camp and bunkered down for what
would be a night of absolutely relentless
rain and smashing wind.
a
The next morning, we woke to clearing The author with
io ne d
skies and a cool wind blowing through perfectly condit
the valley. After a quick cuppa and a few 43 taken on th e
in
cold snags we hit the water and pushed surface in the ra
towards the end of the trip. The fishing
on day three was very tough, however, bank. I wanted tough boy did I get it. edge of the entire system, I wouldve spent
neither of us could complain after the fish By the time the smoke cleared on our ad- my whole trip following the conventional
frenzy wed experienced the day before. venture, wed boated exactly 60 bass in two wisdom, and probably not catching a quar-
We joked about the bass probably being and a half days on the water and probably ter of the fish I did.
in a food coma from yesterdays insane dropped 10-15 in conditions that never I took away a few really simple lessons
bite. By switching to some very aggressive should have worked. from this trip: forget the rules, fish for fun,
lures and working dead-slow retrieves, we I can say without reservation, that this and push harder, because honestly, fortune
managed another 11 fish for the morning trip broke all the rules. We caught fish favours the brave.
before it was time to quicken the pace and where we shouldnt have, in structure that Dan fished with tour operator Dave Cop-
tackle a long string of technical rapids to shouldnt hold fish with lures that shouldnt perthwaite. If you are interested in a similar
reach our pick-up point. catch fish. A whole lot of it wont work led hard core trip or something a bit more ci-
The next morning started well, with the over. There goes the fishing for the day face of conventional bass fishing wisdom,
As we slid onto dry land, we struggled to a trip that was as close to perfect as you vilised then check out his webpage:
first fish, a solid 45cm hitting my net early when this thing hits. Dave didnt say any- we came face to face with one of the hot-
to find the strength to get the yaks up the can get. Without Daves intricate knowl- www.wildrivertours.com.au
in the day. Something felt different today, a thing, but shot me a grin and kept fishing. test bass bites either of us had ever expe-
little ominous in fact and at around 10:00 Not personally deterred by the spit- rienced. Bass were hitting surface lures a
am a massive low pressure system began to ting rain, we dragged and paddled kayaks metre out from the snags, smashing divers
move in ahead of a monster storm front. through dozens of rocky rapids, and then, almost yak-side and taking three or four
Great, Dave, I said as the clouds rolled it happened as if to throw dirt in the hits at a lure on the surface before finally
engulfing it. Every bit of hard work in
orning of the rapids was a distant memory and all
All smiles the m that mattered right now was finding the
thor had
the trip - the au
in store strength in my arms to pull another 45 out
no idea what was
from a snag.
As we paddled towards a clearing on the
bank near last light, wed boated a total of
46 stunning bass with only 4 falling under
40cm. This was adventure, this was bass
fishing, and this was breaking all the rules.
Throughout the trip we encountered rap-
ids between the holes some easy wading,
others, not so much. As I slipped, smashed
and bashed my way through the tougher,
chest deep rapids, I was reminded why
this placed fished so well and why I was
here. A lot of fisherman simply wont make
the effort to get into these pristine waters.
Its tough! Not just physically, but men- ence is
tally. When youre three hours into a dead The stunning Clar
he av en , if you
bass fishing
put in th e wo rk

30 31
 Live Watersports Stand CAPACITY
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FEATURES: INTEGRATED YAK ATTACK TRACKS,
DOUBLE LAYER DECK PAD

Pricing L2 Fish $3200, L4 Expedition $3690

32 33
 In Search
is
Rob with h
M u rray
first ever
cod
Of The
Green
By Steven Riding Fast forward close to thirty years and
that ambition had still not been filled, but
the hunger to finally tangle with one had
not abated. Work, family and just the pres-
sure of a busy lifestyle seemed to always
stop trips that were planned. Finally this
t year after many years of talking about go-
Not a cod, bu ing, my mate Rob and I got our hands on
w el co m e
still a
n ri ve r a three day pass from our families and we
wester
native decided to hit the Queensland and New
South Wales border region with the sole
purpose of finally fulfilling my ambition.
The Dream Fulfilled
Years of reading magazines and reading
blogs on the internet gave some indication
of locations where the probability of tan-
gling with a cod was high. A few mates
who regularly chase cod were generous
enough to point us in a general direction
and let us know about a camping spot on
the river.
The three and a half hour drive passed
pretty quickly as we told tales and built
up expectations of what we were going to
catch over the weekend. When we finally
got to the location we decided we should
set up camp before we loaded the kayaks
up and hit the water. Halfway through the
camp set up the anticipation finally got too
much for me and I said to Rob; Just going
to have a quick cast and see how clear the
water is for filming. Grabbing my bait-
Ever since I started buying and reading fishing magazines, which was a long time ago, I looked at the photos of caster I headed to the waters edge. It had a
Spro swimbait rigged up which I had been
Murray cod in them and thought it was a truly magnificent looking fish. Those green, camouflage patterned scales
swimming in the pool at home.
and that dopey looking head had a real effect on me and gave me the ambition to one day catch one. The cod took on I flicked the lure into the river right in
some type of mythical status in my mind- an enigma I needed to see up close. front of our tent and retrieved it close to
34
the surface so I could see the action of the
lure. About halfway back there was a huge
splash and my rod buckled over. After a
lot of expletives and calling out to Rob, I
landed my first ever Murray cod on the
first cast I had ever made chasing them.
I was seriously shaking and was a bit flus-
tered and unprepared so we only took a
couple of quick photos, before releasing it
back to its home. A lot of yahooing, back
slapping and congratulations followed. We
stopped setting up camp and cracked open
a brew to celebrate. It was seriously an
awesome experience to share with a good
mate.
Some people call cod the fish of a thou-
sand casts, where people can go for days
without hooking one. To say I was
Rob with a
y
beautifull
marked c o d
ecstatic the fish gods blessed me that day
is an understatement. However, it was sort
of an anticlimax as it came from an area I
thought had no chance of holding a fish. I
had simply chucked out into the middle of
the river and did not have the quickening
of the pulse or holding of my breath that
accompanies a lure presented tight beside
a snag before being smashed by my dream
fish. Still, the goal was achieved and this
had made the trip a success before it had
really begun.
The Plan
As you know, Im no cod expert. Until
that day the closest I had ever gotten to
one was in magazines and on the internet.
The cod in the river where we were fish-
ing do not grow to the large keg size you
see in some other waters, so our research
had us convinced we would have no prob-
lems fishing for them with our moderate
bass combos. Both my spin and baitcaster
combos ran 12lb braid as a main line and a
20lb leader to help resist the rough mouth
of the cod. Both combos have landed some
cracking bass from really mean territory so
I felt confident they would be up to the
task of helping me catch a cod.
As for lures, I had gathered together my
larger spinnerbaits, hard bodies and sur-
face lures from out of my collection.
Hitting the Water
After finishing the celebratory brew and
setting up camp it was time to load
35
 the kayaks and hit the water so the search
for cod could begin in earnest. From what
I had read and heard the cod is a structure
orientated fish, so my plan was to target
the same areas that I would target when
fishing for Australian bass.
Rob attached a spinnerbait to his rod and
headed to a great looking tree laying in the
river close to the bank, while I decided to
target some large sunken logs on the oppo-
site bank. The next thing I heard was Rob
yelling out he was on, and it was his first
cast as well. I quickly paddled over to give
him a hand and take a few photos of his
fish. Unluckily for Rob, his first fish was a
yellowbelly. Even though this was a bit of a
disappointment it was still a great capture
as it came from a river where yellowbelly
are naturally found, unlike the stocked fish
we find around Brisbane.
My next cod came on the Spro, using
the theory of why change something that
worked. I targeted the up current side of a
large tree and cast into the point where it
was still attached to the bank. The strike
came within a metre of where the lure
touched down. The up current side of a
sunken tree is a favourite location I like to
target when chasing bass. As creatures are
washed down stream by the current, they
hit the branches or trunk causing them to
stop or slow making them an easy feed for
any fish waiting under the structure.
Mr Goodoo
about to
be released
Heading back to camp we were full of
expectation of what the full day of fish-
ing and exploring had in store for us to-
morrow. There is something special about
camping and having a good chat around a
campfire with a few social drinks. We dis-
cussed what we had learnt from our quick
od
A small c
c as t ing
taken
t h e ba nk
from
afternoon session and decided to continue
targeting the same types of structure that
we would when fishing for bass.
Occasionally we could hear a splash com-
ing from the river so we grabbed our rods
and tied on a surface paddler and headed
to the rivers edge. It was pitch black so we
could not see what was happening, but af-
ter only a few casts Rob had a huge splash
right at his feet while retrieving his lure. I
thought he was tricking me by throwing
a rock in the water but he assured me it
was a hit. Then a couple of casts later he
hooked up right at his feet again.
This called for more celebrations. We had
both caught a cod on our first trip chas-
ing them. Seriously, could the trip get any
better?
Day Two
The plan for the day was to explore the
river upstream and downstream from
our camp. Early morning had us heading
downstream. We continued to target vis-
ible snags as we would for bass with a vari-
ety of techniques. After several hours with
no sign of a cod we decided to head back
to camp to have a break and discuss differ-
ent plans for the upstream mission. After
our initial success on day one we were at
a loss as to why the techniques from the
previous day did not yield results.
Heading upstream allowed us to try an-
other technique, which has been successful
on bass; targeting the fast flowing water
from a rapid as it enters the pool below.
This fast flowing water brings fish and
other creatures that cannot swim against
the current downstream. If there are rocks
or fallen timber blocking the current it is a
perfect spot for a predatory fish to sit and
wait for the food. This is sort of like an
aquatic sushi train where the food comes
along regularly and the fish grab what they
want.

with
The author
f ish
an average
ri p
for his t

belly
The yellow
p resence
made their
w ell
known as

36 37

lers
Night padd
f ec tive
proved ef
This technique worked and we started to
pick up cod pretty regularly. Other than
the theory of a giant sushi train, we also
theorised the water was more oxygenated
after travelling through rapids, making the
cod more active. We did not pick up cod
from any snags in the middle of pools, so
something was definitely going on at the
bottom of rapids.
It is easier to target these locations while
travelling upstream as you dont disturb
the fish with your kayak before casting
at them. Also the lure is retrieved down-
stream so it looks like a creature being
washed along by the current.
Heading back to camp we figured we had
explored enough of this section of river and
decided to pack up camp and relocate to
another camping area. The new section of
river was different as it had a big rock shelf
with lots of submerged boulders. There
was a very long hole downstream from the
launch spot with some great looking snags
as well as overhanging vegetation.
We decided to target the water where
the rapid emptied into the boulder field at
the launch spot, but unlike our experience
fishing upstream earlier in the day, this
area produced no results for us. Heading
downstream to the big pool we picked up
a couple of fish targeting traditional look-
ing snags.
Paddling back upstream I trolled a div-
ing lure and picked up a couple of yel-
lowbelly. Trolling a lure between spots is
a great technique often resulting in more
fish caught. The more time you have some-
thing in the water the greater the chance
of actually catching something.
38
Night Session
After a good camp meal and a few brews
we decided to have another go targeting
cod from the bank near camp. The area we
targeted was the rock shelf and boulder
area. We both elected to tie on paddlers as
there was no moonlight and the paddler
gives one of the loudest sounds while being
retrieved. It was quite eerie listening to the
paddling noise of the lure being retrieved
across the surface in the pitch darkness.
It was not long before I heard a huge
splash come from the river during one of
my retrieves and I hooked up to another
cod. This was the start of a hectic hour or
so where we landed about 15 cod between
us and missed about the same number of
strikes.
The rock shelf we were fishing from
was about 20 metres long and we moved
up and down it fanning casts to cover as
Introducing the
much water as possible. It surprised us that
so many fish came from a relatively small
piece of the river.
It was over way too
soon
The following day we hit the water early
Lockrack Range of
for a quick fish before packing up camp
and doing the long drive home. Rob final-
ly got his fly rod out and missed one cod
Lifestyle Accessories
on the surface, while I managed to score
one lone cod. Its a strange thing to say but
after the experience of the night before I
was actually OK that the morning session
was slow. I was still buzzing from the great
night session.
The drive home was full of discussion of
what we learnt over the weekend. Most of
this chat focused on finally biting the bullet
and chasing a new species. What we found
most enlightening was that the skills and
knowledge we had gained chasing Austra-
lian bass appeared to work equally well on
cod. Using the same theories as to where a
fish would be holding to find food and for
protection provided results.
The thing I have taken from this trip was
Lockrack units make getting out on the purchased online and shipped anywhere in
that I should have fished for cod years ago.
water easier than ever before. The unit, Australia. They are also available in select
It is the entire concept of giving some- which fits onto most types of roof racks outlet stores.
thing a go and having confidence that you and bars, features a locking mechanism The range includes units that carry
can put together enough of a plan to have allowing for a quick and safe means to lock kayaks, surf skis, SUPs, surfboards and
a result. Now that the cod trip went well your kayak onto your vehicle. No need for ladders.
and returned a plentiful outcome it really straps and tie downs!
is time to start ticking off some fish from The unit consists of a set of bases, RRP: $ 250
my piscatorial bucket list, so watch out arms and mounting brackets and can be www.lockrack.com.au
barramundi, sooty grunter, jungle perch,
King George whiting, queenfish
The Stealth Live Bait
The start
of a hectic
Tube, Bucket and
bite
afternoon
Live Bait Mate
Stealth Kayaks are renowned for their stored when not in use, and when needed,
offshore capabilities and having a few simply connects to your kayak and you are
live bait options has proven essential for ready to go. This product can be used on
a myriad of kayak fisherman. The Live nearly any kayak available and is best used
Bait Tube has been around for a while in conjunction with a Bait Bucket.
and works a treat. The unit can fold and be
39
 BLADE Kayak Fishing &
As this is the first ever
ught it appropriate we go
The new Bait Mate system is a Stealth Adventure Annual, we tho
some nostalgia. Heres
specific product allowing the user to back to basics and also add
tion #1 of BLADE Kayak
connect the system to the existing hatch of an article published in Edi
ember 2010.
Fishing Journal back in Nov

their kayak. The Bait Mate can be supplied
with or without an aerator and has proven
to be a huge hit in South Africa where it
was developed.
Setting Up For
Kayak Fishing
By Justin Willmer
Stock will be arriving in Australia in Pimp my yak, Toni Potters fishing machine
December and, as with the Live Bait Tube,
can be purchased from Australian Kayak
Specialists www.shopaks.com.au

Pulsator Mackerel Rigs,

Dusters, Lures and Vinyls Whilst kayaks and equipment
have come a long way since
then, the basics of getting set
up are still the same.
t! (Cheers Steve)
Enjoy this blast from the pas
The Pulsator range of lures has been
successful in Australia over the last couple
of years. Australian Kayak Specialists have
As this is the first issue of BLADE we thought wed have a look at some of the gear you might
now put these lures exclusively online
resulting in prices becoming even more kit your yak out with and a few things to remember when selecting your gear. The great
competitive.
The Coutamatic Mackerel Rig is a proven thing about kayak fishing is that you can keep it as simple as a yak, seat, paddle, safety gear
rig that has worked well for offshore kayak
fishermen for years. The system is easy to
and a rod and reel, or you can pimp your yak and create a fully kitted out technical fishing rig.
use and is best for pilchards and slimies
trolled slowly. Why Kayak Fish Trolley Transport
The Chin Weight Rig is another well- There is less initial setup cost and There are a range of trolleys available, so There are a wide range of soft racks,
known and successful rig that can be less ongoing cost from maintenance, what makes a good kayak trolley. hard hacks, loading systems and tie down
trolled at speeds of up to 10 kph. Ideal for registration and fuel. Kayaks are easily Look for a trolley that is sturdy, with straps available so do some research online
garfish, pilchards and slimies these rigs are transported, handled and there is no need good size wheels and constructed from to work out the best option for you, your
supplied naked but can be used with a skirt for a trailer. You can launch them pretty quality materials that will stand up to yak and your vehicle. Remember dont
or duster. much anywhere without a ramp and access salt water. A trolley is great if you are in over-tighten your tie down straps or you
areas that cannot be accessed by boat. It is a campsite near the water, for putting a may damage your yak.
an easy way to grab an hour or two here loaded kayak in at the ramp and for fishing Anchoring
and there and be on the water fishing, just in areas where you may have to transport An anchor running rig is one of the
grab a rod, a few lures or some bait and your kayak across land at some point. A most useful accessories that can be fitted
youre fishing areas you cant access from trolley that breaks down to store in your to a yak. An anchor running rig allows
Pulsator Dusters attract fish; its as simple the bank. A kayak is not only a green kayak, or has the ability to be attached to you to shift the anchor from one end of
as that! Dusters can be used in place of a activity that has minimal environmental your kayak is also an advantage. the kayak to the other, or part way along
vinyl skirt and it is easy to see how they impact it is also great exercise and theres the kayak to adjust the angle you are
have become the preferred system for nothing more exciting than being towed holding at in wind and tide.
offshore kayak fishermen. around by a good fish in a kayak. A sea anchor slows your drift and allows
All of these units and more can be you to control the angle of your kayak
purchased online at during the drift to ensure that you are
www.pulsatorlures.com.au casting to where the fish are.

40 41
 Spending more money on a sounder will
give you more power which is ideal when
fishing offshore as it gives you more chance
of an accurate return in deep water.

A folding anchor or Cooper poly anchor
allows you to hold in the one spot to fish a
particular area or piece of structure, create
a berley trail or control the angle of the
kayak to ensure you are fishing the most
productive area.
Storing your kayak
It is recommended that poly kayaks are
stored on their side, tip or tail as these are
the stronger points. Sitting the kayak on
its belly can cause warping of the material.
If your kayak has a bung or hatches, undo
them when storing as it allows the air to
flow in and out with temperature changes
and also helps to dry out any moisture.
Fishing Tools
There are a myriad of fishing tools
available to make your experience safer,
easier and more enjoyable. Key fishing
tools you might carry include; braid
scissors for rigging, split ring pliers for
rigging, changing trebles on lures and
removing hooks from hooked fish and a
hook remover may be handy for removing
hooks from fish, especially active fish or
toothy critters.
Lip grips for landing and releasing fish
are a good idea and preferred by some
anglers as a landing net can be difficult
to store and can catch the breeze making
paddling harder work. If using a net go
for the small Environet, or similar scale
safe style net, especially if releasing fish
as it is less likely to damage the fins and
42
protective slime coat of the fish. A fish
donger / priest is another option if you
are going to take any fish home, especially
when fishing in offshore conditions. Using
a knife to kill a fish is risky with the water
movement, especially with active fish.
Sounder
A sounder is your eyes under the
water. It allows you to find fish, as well
as structure that holds fish such as weed
beds, drop offs, rock bars, gravel patches
and submerged timber. A sounder assists
you to fish in the right areas, making you
more likely to catch more fish.
Spending more money on a sounder
will give you more power which is ideal
when fishing offshore as it gives you more
chance of an accurate return in deep water.
A few more dollars spent will also give
you more pixels which gives you more
Kayaking as a group increases the level of safety and
allows you to share your fishing experiences
information and a better understanding
of what is beneath your yak by giving you
more pixels per metre of water.
After using a colour sounder its hard to
go back to monochrome. Colour is easier
to see at a distance and from an angle
and provides more information by better
differentiating between bottom types,
structure and fish. It is also much better
for locating fish in thermoclines when
fishing in freshwater. On a monochrome
sounder the thermocline can appear as
almost black making it difficult to identify
fish, while on a colour sounder fish will
clearly appear as red to maroon, in a green
thermocline, depending upon size.
Transducers can be mounted inside the
yak, check out Fitzys story in this issue,
and will shoot through the bottom. The
main disadvantage of this is that you dont
get a temperature reading. Some Kayaks
have a transducer scupper allowing you to
mount a transducer in the base of the hull
providing the best possible reading as well
as water temperature.
GPS
GPS allows us to locate our latitude and
longitude and thus our position on the
globe. GPS is handy in a kayak because
you can mark fishing spots and return to
them easily. There are many other benefits
of GPS though including the ability to
back track, track courses in the dark, read
wind drifts to position yourself best, the
ability to fish areas you havent been to
before, plot courses at home for upcoming
trips and the ability to swap spots with
other yak fishos.
Handheld is a good option if you plan on
getting in and out of your yak to trek and
fish, otherwise I prefer the sounder GPS
combo option, that combines sounder
and GPS in the one unit as it makes the
most of the yaks available space.
Battery
Small sealed AGM batteries are the
choice of most yak fishers. They are
sealed so there is no risk of acid spill
and they are compact. These batteries are
also available in a range of sizes and are
basically maintenance free. A 7amp hour
battery easily runs my sounder for the day,
but for longer range trips or for running
lights, live bait pumps etc, you will need
to match your batteries to your power
consumption. A battery tray is handy as
it allows you to strap your battery to the
yak so it doesnt shift during your mission.
Dry Bags & Storage
Dry bags come in a range of sizes and are
ideal for storing clothes, first aid kit, safety
gear, food, cooking gear and other items
you need to keep away from moisture.
Other popular storage containers include
plastic water drums, especially for long
range missions carrying sleeping bags,
tent etc, and small iceboxes that are ideal
for carrying food and drinks, or as an
alternative storage area.
Safety Gear
Safety must be your first thought when
out on the water. A basic safety kit for
a kayak includes; PFD, first aid kit, a
signalling device such as signal mirror,
flares, whistle or air horn, a torch or
headlamp, large chemical light to attach
to your yak if other lighting fails, food and
water, sunscreen and mobile phone.
When offshore I also like to carry flares
and a handheld VHF radio. Other things
you might like to include in a dry bag are
matches or lighter, small stove, multi-
tool, survival blanket and an emergency
poncho.
Although kayaking can being a fairly
solitary experience it is safer to paddle as
a group and if going alone let someone
know where you are going and when you
are due home. Forums such as KFDU
and AKFF are ideal places to meet other
kayakers and find out about upcoming
trips. These are also a great place to learn
about new products, tips and techniques.
43
 Sun Protection
A lot of times the best fishing is in the
morning and afternoon which allows
you to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
When fishing the hotter parts of the day
it is extremely important to stay hydrated
and cover up. There are a range of hats
available including wide brim hats and
adapt-a-cap style caps that keep the sun
off as well as hats designed specifically for
kayaking that are hi-vis colours and have
reflective tape.
I like to wear gloves that are designed
to keep the sun off when I fish. They also
assist with the handling of fish, allowing
me to stick my thumb in the mouth of
species like flathead without losing skin
and they are also comfortable to paddle in.
Long sleeve shirts are ideal, including
the traditional fishing styles as well as the
many new age materials that are light,
quick drying, breathable and designed
to wick moisture away from your body.
Long pants are also a good option, with
a range of zip off pants available that are
ideal as they allow you the flexibility of
shorts with the ability to zip on the legs
if you are cool, or when the sun gets high
in the sky.
Quality sunscreen is important and
make sure you reapply regularly. There
are also sunscreens available with insect
repellent included otherwise throw on
a couple of mosquito wrist bands if you
think the bugs might be around.
Quality polarised sunglasses are
essential. They protect your eyes from
objects as well as the sun and glare but
also by cutting the glare they allow you
to see through the waters surface to spot
structure and even cruising fish. Polarised
sunglasses will help you catch more fish
by allowing you to place that bait or lure
in more productive areas.
Clothing
Layering is important when you are
kayaking and a few thin layers can often
insulate better than one thick layer
because air is trapped between each layer.
In warmer conditions even on an early
morning start I will have just a fleece
jumper and my fishing shirt. But in colder
climates you may be looking for a base
layer such as dry tee and a waterproof
44
outer layer designed to cut the wind and
keep you warm. The other advantage of
multiple thin layers of clothing is that if
they become wet they can be dried much
more quickly.
Leashes & Tie Downs
Leashes and tie downs provide piece
of mind. There are a range of leashes
available that include; different lengths,
elastic material, coiled material, and
retractable leashes. Leashes and tie downs
are designed to keep items securely
attached to your kayak, but also easily
within reach when you need them. Things
that may be leashed to your kayak include
your rod and reel, paddle and fishing tools
such as scissors, pliers, lip grips and your
fish donger.
Seats
A basic seat is a minimum requirement
if you are going to spend any time on the
water and if you love your fishing, or are
planning on paddling long distances it
may be worth investing in a better quality
seat. A good seat will be constructed from
quality materials, have strong attachment
clips, plenty of firm padding and plenty of
adjustment points. A top quality seat can
cost around $250, but they are extremely
popular among hardcore fishos because
you are comfortable on the water, can
spend longer out there and are keen to get
back in the seat even after a long day.
Visibility
The low profile of a kayak that makes it
such an effective stealth fishing tool also
has a downside and that is that yak fishers
arent as visible on the water. As kayakers
and kayak anglers it is up to us to ensure
that we are visible to others on the water.
As well as having the option of Hi-vis
hats and clothing there are other things
we can do to increase our visibility. Hi-
vis PFDs with reflective tape are an easy
way of increasing visibility. Flags are also
a great option for increasing visibility and
some include a light for night visibility.
Kayak Selection
You need to select a kayak based on your
needs. If you are predominantly fishing in
small sheltered waters you may opt for a
smaller kayak. If you plan on heading into
more open water a larger kayak would
be best. Longer kayaks will generally
paddle faster also making them ideal
for long range missions. Wider kayaks
are generally more stable but heavier to
paddle. You also need to take into account
your size, strength and fitness level when
selecting a kayak.
Skill Level
It is important to choose your mission
based on your skill level and also your
fitness level. Dont go out buy a kayak strap
everything on it and head out through the
surf without any experience or you may
come unstuck. It is important to start
with some short missions, with your basic
gear and work up to more involved trips
with more gear strapped on. Learn to
understand your environment and work
with it. This includes using the wind at
your back on your return trip, or fishing
with the tide and then using the tide to
assist you back home.
Rudder
Rudders are available to suit many
kayaks on the market. A rudder allows
you to keep a consistent steady stroke rate
up without having to adjust your stroke to
steer. This is ideal when paddling where
there is wave action or wind as you are not
wasting energy adjusting your stroke and
can easily adjust direction with a simple
adjustment of the rudder.
I hope this short overview has given you
a couple of new ideas or if you are new
to the sport it helps you to get set up for
kayak fishing. See you out there.
 Bream
on the fly
By Carl Glaister
A solid bream
that scoffed an
unweighted shrim
fly as th e li
was fading
gh t
p

First cast
fly down a few metres beyond the floating
flathead, a great
start to a days bottle. As I stripped the fly line to give the
fly fishing fly a hopping action, a savage jolt signalled
that something was on the chew. Lifting
the rod, I felt the weight of a lunging
adversary and in the clear water soon
enjoyed the sight of a dusky flathead doing
its best to escape the pressure the 6 weight
was exerting. This one was coming home
for dinner and was soon stowed inside the
hatch to keep it cool till the end of the
session.
Catching a fish on the first cast of the day
always feels awesome but it can also herald
a session where the next fish is a long time
coming and this occasion was no different.
As I headed upstream the water became
very shallow but after about a kilometre of
pedalling the water started to deepen and
take on the green tinge that looked like it
could conceal crocodiles. With the way the
climate is warming maybe one day it will!
What wasnt concealed was a dead cow
that lay in the shallows near the bank and
thinking there might be bream feeding on
maggots dropping out of the carcass I put
in a few casts up against it but without a
result.
After a couple of hours of pedalling,
casting and changing flies, primarily
to unweighted models, as those with
dumb bell eyes were getting hooked up
on submerged timber a little too often, I
started to doubt whether there were any
bream in the system. Unlike that other
great fly target, the Australian bass, which

A handful of
bream flies tied
rs
from pipe cleane
In the cold, and often windy and wet, depths of an Illawarra winter its fair to say the majority of the yak fishing with m ar ab ou an d
sparkl e th re ad
community opt to stable their kayaks until the warmer weather arrives. Ive been one of these people, but have
tails
recently discovered the buzz obtained from putting on an extra layer of clothing, sticking a beanie on my noggin
and heading up the creeks to target yellowfin and black bream with the long wand.

My first expedition involved wheeling
my Hobie Sport about 500 metres along a
footpath that followed the lakes foreshore
and brought me to a tree lined sandy creek
mouth that flowed into Lake Illawarra.
This was deduced after spending half an
hour one evening on google earth; much
better than watching the box. Approaching
the water I could just make out a frenzy
of pelicans and cormorants a couple of
hundred metres out in the lake, obviously
feeding on baitfish. I was tempted to head
out to see if there were bigger predators
such as tailor or salmon involved in the
feast but decided to stay focused on the
creek mission this time.
The scene at the creek mouth was idyllic
with casuarinas skirting the edge of the
clear, sparkling water and just me and a
couple of wading birds to enjoy the view.
I decided to wade out into the shallows
myself to try to get a photo of a nice
spoonbill and then did a double take as I
spotted what appeared to be a small albino
hippopotamus standing in the shallow
water a hundred metres to the east of
where I stood. Im not sure how it got there
but look out for it if youre in the area.
Getting back to the business of flexing
the long wand, as I pedalled out from my
launch site I spotted a plastic bottle that
was tethered to a hidden submerged snag
out in the middle of the creek mouth.
With no real expectation of getting a
response on my first cast I made a couple
of false casts and then set the little clouser

46 47

3 flies tied
by the author
that have proven
m
effective on brea
are easy to tempt in the summer months,
bream in brackish water creeks can be
notoriously hard to locate. Even when the
snags almost seem to smell of fish!
As the sun started to dip low on Mount
Keira creating a stunning backdrop to the
west I came across a snag comprised of a
tangle of branches and the log of an old
Casuarina that had toppled well out into
the water. It just had to hold fish! After
48
positioning the yak at the right angle to
the snag for effective fly placement, I cast a
medium size unweighted shrimp imitation
towards the bank and then started a double
twitch retrieve through the structure of
the snag, adding a pause here and there
to trigger an attack response. As the fly
cleared the outer edge of the timber I was
already thinking ahead to where I would
put my next cast when I was slammed back
to the present by a solid hit from a fish. It
must have followed the progress of the fly
from the moment it landed in its territory
and wasnt going to let the prey escape.
Things were a bit chaotic for the next few
seconds as I struggled to get the bow of my
kayak pointed out into the open water away
from the snag to which the fish was intent
on returning. Everything went to plan and
after a couple of powerful runs I was able
are
Bream like this
le ng e on
a great chal
the fly gear an d we ll
worth the ef fo rt it
takes to locate
them
to lead a solid black bream to the surface
and then use the comfort lift to bring it
aboard for a quick photo session. If you fly
fish or have been chasing a particular fish
species for a while and finally have success
you know the feeling of satisfaction that
moment brings.
As I released that hard won bream back
into its domain and started the long pedal
back to the creek mouth I reckon I could
feel an inner glow as intense as that from
the rising moon that was lighting up my
return journey.
Fly fishing for bream from your yak: give
it a go, its definitely worth the effort. Even
in a beanie.
Cheers
Carl
Gear and technique
Fly Rod - Im using a sage 6 weight but
any rod from 4 to 7 weight could be used.
Fly Line - A floating line of the
appropriate weight for the rod being used
seems to be best for this style of fishing.
In water deeper than 4 metres a sinking
intermediate fly line would probably be
worthwhile.
Leader - Im currently making up my own
tapered leaders starting with a butt section
of 17lb fluorocarbon which is attached to
a section of 12 then 8 and finishing off
with a section of 6lb which is attached to
the fly. Total leader length is about that of
the rod. The reason for the tapered leader
is to help the fly cast more smoothly and
also by having a light tippet section when a
fly breaks off you dont have to replace the
whole leader just the end section. I use uni
knots to join each section of line.
Releasing a blue
nose bream to
fight another day
Flies - Ive been experimenting with
tying small weighted clousers that have
proven to be effective on estuary perch in
the past and also small to medium shrimp
imitations that are unweighted except for
large mono crustacean eyes. These eyes
allow the fly to sink fairly slowly and
hopefully not get caught in the timber too
often. Colours Im having success with are
chartreus and lime green, with a touch of
orange to resemble crustacean egg sacs or
mangrove crab nippers.
Materials for flies are marabou, chenille,
sparkle thread obtained from fabric shops,
e
The things you se
while yak fish in g!
lead dumb bell eyes in extra small size and
monofilament crustacean eyes.
Hooks - Im using a Mustad Fine Worm
Hook ref 32813NPBLM for my flies in
sizes 4 and 2. These are a light hook but
seem to hold well and will last fairly well as
long as you wash flies in fresh water after
fishing in the salt. On that note it pays to
give your rod, reel and line a good rinse
in fresh water after every session to avoid
corrosion.
Bream haunts - Look for the timber. The
best snags seem to be old trees that have
fallen out into the deeper water and give
the bream plenty of cover and places to
ambush the small fish and shrimps that
also like to congregate in amongst the
branches and logs.
The retrieve - As with lure fishing for
bream, on any given day they may respond
to a variety of different retrieve styles but
slow and with plenty of pauses seems to
be a general recipe for success. Give them
time to have a look at your fly before
starting the retrieve and then try short
double twitches with a pause in between.
Sometimes they hit with aggression and at
other times you will feel a slight tap or pull
on the line, which may indicate that they
have grabbed the tail of the fly but are not
keen to commit.
49
 The Watersnake Universal Electric
Motor Mount for Kayaks Dove Lake,
Cradle
The all new Watersnake Universal Electric Motor Mount is a revolutionary bracket set to change the way electric
motors are mounted on kayaks and canoes. Electric motors have become essential tools for fishing and exploring

Mountain
in light watercraft, but finding a suitable mounting system has always been a challenge. The patented new design
from Watersnake was developed to solve this issue and make it easy to attach Watersnake Electric Motors to kayaks
and many canoes.

The Watersnake mounting bracket is

simple to install and provides a secure
fixture to maintain stability and ease of
operation in the water. The bracket also
features a three axle design that maximises
the range of movement so that the mo- By Nathan Meyers
tor can be adjusted to optimum position
for powering up rivers, exploring lakes or
crossing bays.
The Watersnake Universal Electric Mo-
tor Mount is the first of its kind and is
available in a bundle with the Watersnake
ASP-T18 and ASP-T24 Electric Motors,
rying
or sold separately for those who already The author t
e of
own an electric motor. The Watersnake his luck in on
re ams
Universal Electric Motor Mount can be the feeder st
used with any tiller steer electric motor
that has a 25mm diameter shaft and it is
recommended for motors with up to 24lb
of thrust.
For anglers who love exploring wild riv-
ers for Australian bass, impoundments for
barramundi, estuaries for bream or inshore
snapper grounds, the Watersnake Univer-
sal Electric Motor Mount will be a wel-

come mounting solution to fast track them

to the fish. The rippled surface of this glacial lake holds a bounty of fish as dark in colour as the tannin stained water they
Visit watersnake.com.au for more inhabit. As I paddled along my tension grew as the task of enticing one of the residents to take my lure became
information or refer to our instructional
ever more daunting. When my rod buckled over, my heart leapt and the adrenalin pulsed as I knew Dove Lake
video on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/ was about to give up one of its rarely-caught fish. This was something I had been dreaming about since visiting
watch?v=QZcLLKIBYmI this iconic lake at Cradle Mountain with my family over a year beforehand.

50 51
 Jayne
Photographer
s with
Dillon pose
C ra dle
a friendly
Hiking with my family on the immensely om bat edges, fallen trees and rocks provide perfect brown contrasted by more prominent
Mountain w
popular and world-renowned Dove ly structure for trout to shelter. red dots revealed an almost perfect
Lake circuit walk, they quickly became The first dark The circumference of the lake is around specimen of Salmo Trutta, the resident
br ow n
coloured
frustrated with my continual pauses. Like en t ro ll ing 6.5 kilometres, giving me some good Tasmanian brown trout. With the fish
trout tak
every avid fisherman I could not resist bank distance to cover. With two rods situated photographed and released to fight
close to the
the temptation to polaroid the infrequent in RAM tubes jutting out just behind my another day I continued on with a sense of
shallow edges that appear around this deep seat, I kept a keen eye on their twitching accomplishment and relief as my long held
and foreboding body of water. On this tips as the Cranka Golden and Fire Trout plan had come to fruition.
particular day in late winter the snow had lures fluttered and danced a reasonable Continuing along the western shore the
already begun to lift, with the odd pocket distance behind my kayak. open plains give way to large boulders
remaining around close to the lakeshore It didnt take long until the outboard rod and rock edges as the mountain slopes
at an elevation of just under a thousand briefly buckled then resumed its upright dominate the edge of the lake. The last
metres above sea level. Being a clear position. The fish were active and I had few patches of snow were visible high on
day, hikers were visible summiting the their attention. It was a nervous next 15 the mountain caps as I made my way to
surrounding snow covered peaks with the minutes as I covered the first stretch of the southernmost point of the lake. The
highest, Cradle Mountain itself, rising to water and I began to wonder if all this periodical patches of sun peaking through
1545 metres and being the fourth highest effort would come to nothing. I didnt the otherwise heavy cloud had raised the
mountain in Tasmania. have to wait too much longer until the temperature enough so that the carpets of
Proceeding from the boat shed along the
Near the completion of the walk we inboard rod bent and held in a bow as a snow had begun to deposit their contents
western shore, the shallow water drops
traversed one of the wooden walkways fish greedily engulfed the lure. into the lake, the resultant rivulets and
away into the deep dark vastness that is the
making up the track; I paused (yet again) Reefing the rod from the holder in fear waterfalls cascading down the sheer cliffs.
thats when the memories of Dove Lake A planned early start the next morning lake proper. The lakes edge abruptly meets
as the track jutted out over the water itself. of missing the strike, I was greeted by the The eastern shore of Dove Lake provides
flooded back. A plan was soon set into was delayed by a too comfortable bed and the button grass and low shrubs extending
There in the shallows swam a healthy familiar headshakes and strong pull of yet another stunning backdrop with the
action. we didnt arrive at the lake until around for a distance beyond the water, until they
brown trout, lazily going about his business a trout. This prompted the fish to decide open plains and sheer cliffs now giving way
Arriving late on a Friday evening we 8:30am. A convenient launching ramp is too dramatically reach the vast mountain
of picking errant bugs from the surface. It the bottom of the lake was the place to to dense bushland. The track upon which
disembarked our car to find a welcoming located a short stroll from the car park. range that encloses the area.
was at this exact moment I began plotting be and set off in a determined dive. With many people now venture is cut directly
committee of several small pademelons Once on the water I paddled over for a My plan was simple and had proven
my return with a kayak to see if I could the fish directly behind my kayak the fight along the lakes edge. Walkers passed close
grazing outside the door of our hotel. This closer view of the famous boat shed, just a effective in similar waterways. Troll lures
tempt these fish that would have rarely, if was awkward. Being in close proximity to by often doing a double-take as I slowly
popular location sees over two hundred short distance away. This historic building as close as possible to the lakes edge in an
ever, encountered a lure. the bank I couldnt turn my craft around paddled past them. I continued to troll
thousand visitors each year with the wildlife was built back in 1940 by the first park attempt to rouse these often difficult fish
Moving to the present and life had so I resorted to ungainly dragging the fish close to the shoreline, pushing against a
becoming accustomed to interacting with ranger utilising the local King Billy pine. from where they take refuge. The undercut
caught up with me. The commencement towards the kayak with the rod held high headwind that, although light, revealed the
people. The outside temperature in the It underwent a minor restoration in the
of the trout season in the first week of overhead. chill of the mountain air. Well prepared
single digits was quickly forgotten as we 1980s and still stands strong today.
August had long passed me by without a l spot the The fish tired quickly, unused to its prey with heavy waders, a thick jumper and
warmed up in front of a roaring log fire. Keen eyes wil
lure hitting the water. Having missed the milling fighting back. Safely in the net I noted beanie, my hands still bore the brunt of
resident trout
opening I wasnt content to hit the local multitude its dark colourations blending perfectly the cold. Pushing onwards and with the
in one of the rs
waterways. Instead I needed to look for an of small rive with the stained water. Mottled spots of boat ramp now in sight but still a distance
out of the way, seldom-fished location and away I spied one of the sandy beaches that
peculiarly appear at haphazard intervals

Dove Lake in
all its glory

52 53

around the lake. I decided to pull ashore
and stretch my legs at the next beach,
hands tucked into sleeves to warm them
as I continued the now somewhat arduous
paddle.
As I steered my kayak at a distance from
shore that would prevent my lure from
snagging the bottom, the inboard rod
began to bounce rhythmically. Assuming
my lure was dragging the bottom, I
was annoyed that I had strayed on too
shallow a path. Grabbing the rod from the
holder I was surprised to feel the familiar
thumping of headshakes and resistance of
a fish fighting against the lure.
western
Trolling the
the
shore beyond
houe -
historic boat
ne Dillon
Photo by Jay
The initial fight was a repeat of the
first as the fish initially refused to budge,
tucking in behind my kayak. However this
was a smaller fish and quickly relented to
the pressure applied by my 1-3kg Crucis
combo, the perfect piece of equipment for
this type of fishing. Like most small trout,
this guy knew he was being out-muscled
so took to the air to evade his attacker.
Launching several aerobatic assaults the
fish put on a fun but short-lived display
before settling down as I gently guided it
to the net.
Getting my first good look at this fish
I may have audibly gasped in surprise,
initially thinking I may have somehow
hooked a native blackfish. The only
indicators that this was in fact a brown
trout were the bright red dots, like
strobes, contrasting the otherwise stark
colouration. The fish was almost jet black
from head to tail, dorsal fin to belly, with
those bright spots a strong indication this
fish may have once inhabited one of the
streams that feed into the lake.
Pre-historic in appearance, this was a
fish unlike any I had ever caught before.
Despite several attempts I could not obtain
a photograph that adequately reflected just
how unique it appeared. Taking the utmost
care to return it unharmed, the fish darted
off rapidly to whence it had come almost
as soon as it was immersed back into its
aquatic home.
Ecstatic with my capture of not just one
but two of Dove Lakes finest offerings
I continued to troll the remaining few
hundred metres. Passing Glacier Rock,
one of the lakes many landmarks, I
observed several walkers stopping to take
advantage of the amazing viewpoint over
the lake. Those pausing to take a closer
look can examine the hard quartzite rock
and see signs of the glacial movements
that formed this amazing area.
Arriving back at the boat ramp just
under three hours after I launched, I was
met by several curious interstate travellers,
amazed at the sight of a fisherman landing
at a venue only thought of as an attraction
to be explored by foot. The usual question
of are there fish in this lake? met with
almost stunned disbelief as photographic
proof was revealed by my camera.
My partner Jayne arrived with perfect
timing to drive me back, but was dismayed
to find me jump in the car with waders
still on. Earlier in the day I had hatched
a devious plan. Dove Lake was not my
only fishing destination of the day. The
drive back saw a stop at Dove River, which
unsurprisingly flows down from the lake.
Id spotted this enticing piece of water
earlier in the day and couldnt resist the
temptation to wade this shallow stream,
casting Strike Tiger micro spoons, the
perfect lure for such conditions. The
session, however, came to a premature end
after just a few casts as my braid looped
around my leader causing a monumental
birds nest of tangled line.
Every cloud has a silver lining and
instead of fishing we were able to sample
a very small section of the iconic overland
track that runs adjacent to the creek. A
quick change into warmer clothes and it
took literally just a few steps before we
ran into one of the multitude of wombats
sland
The flat gras
n shore
of the Wester
rcut
with its unde
d st ee p drop
banks an
inhabiting the area. Lazily grazing he
was courteous enough to allow us to
pet his coarse fur as we each posed for
photographs. Within just a few hundred
metres we spotted no less than a dozen
other wombats, including a playful
adolescent who took great joy running
around the open plains and barrelling into
the other mature members of its family.
Although the area offers a multitude
of other activities from canyoning to
getting up close with the local devil rescue
population, we opted for a more relaxed
afternoon of exploring. The Enchanted
Forest walk was our destination and of
course it ran alongside one of the many
creeks in the area. After mingling with
Bennetts wallabies and pademelons, I used
the opportunity as a basic guiding session,
showing my partner the trout that tailed in
the rapid, bubbling watercourse. Of course
I also locked away their location for my
own future exploration.
The next morning we were disappointed
to commence the three-plus hour drive
back to Hobart, leaving so much of
this stunning area unexplored. The trip,
however, had one final surprise in the form
of a spikey creature trundling along the
roadside as we drove. Like eager tourists
we turned around and obstructed the
road to photograph the echidna and thus
completed a trip with plenty of lifetime
memories.

sh was
The second fi
t bl ack in
almost je
appear an ce

es of snow
Small patch
t points
on the highes
rn end of
of the southe
the lake

54 55
 Strike Tiger Lures
By Nathan Meyers
In what seems just a few years ago, soft plastics were a little understood and rarely used item for anglers. Now the market
is saturated with a mammoth variety of shapes, colours, scents and creature imitation. As a patriotic Taswegian, I shop
and buy locally whenever I can and the Strike Tiger range of soft plastics have impressed from day one.
Walking into a local tackle store, I was
immediately drawn to the professional
looking packaging and eye catching Tassie
Tiger logo. I must admit my decision to
buy the bright pink coloured Princess
lures (guaranteed flathead busters), was
influenced by my young daughter who was
with me that afternoon.
As promised, the brightly coloured lure
did bust the flathead that day. Drifting
with the current, the soft plastic twin-tails
danced through the water. My daughter
and I were captivated as the perfectly clear
conditions of Georges Bay allowed us to
watch fish after fish consume the lure.
This experience had me sold and through
the generosity of owner Michal Rybka, I
began using Strike Tiger soft plastic lures
exclusively on my kayak fishing tours.
Michal himself is a keen kayak angler,
having fished the local lakes and waterways
for many years.
As a keen recreational fisherman, he
saw the need for lures that better met the
requirements of his local fishery. Utilising
his experience and knowledge as a graphic
designer and architect, he designed and
produced a range of soft plastics that were
easy to use and would catch fish. The initial
range included the curl tail grubs and
56
the twin and t-tail versions, in a variety
of sizes from 2-4 inch. Even the most
inexperienced anglers can fish these lures
successfully, with the slightest movement
causing the tails to flutter. As an angler
and business owner Michal only produces
lures that he himself would and does use.
His focus, in particular, being the colours
that catch the species of fish he loves. An
avid trout angler he also has a passion for
redfin perch, but the list of species his
lures will catch is much more extensive
including flathead, bream, Australian
salmon, trevally and many more.
With the company established nearly
six years ago, Michal still has a very
local approach despite exporting large
quantities of his lures interstate. The Strike
Tiger website is a wealth of information
with tips and techniques on rigging,
weights and retrieves, all available with
pictorial guides. The Facebook page is also
a fantastic way to correspond directly with
the owner who responds in person to social
Owner Michal
Rybka personally
tests all his
products
Welcome to the
Jungle
By Steven Riding
media users. To keep you inspired, the site
also includes pictures of just a few of the
enormous numbers of fish caught on his
products. In recent years he has expanded
the range to include worms, frogs and
froglets, nymphs and hawgs. Strike Tiger
also now produce jig heads to match their
soft plastics. From 1/32 weight with a size
4 hook, perfect for nymphs and hawgs,
through to 1/8, perfect for fishing the
bigger soft plastics down deep or in windy
conditions. Customisation is also available
with stick on 3D lure eyes available to
further upgrade and pimp your chosen
jighead.
My personal favourite, however, is Strike
Tigers foray into hard body lures with
their selection of micro spoons. Currently
available in three colours these small lures,
measuring 22mm and weighing only
2gms, pack a big punch. Locally these
are a fantastic option, particularly in fast
or skinny water where the flow produces
tantalising movement with little user
input. Simply retrieve the line at a pace
to keep tension and wait for the hook up, A nice flathead
often signalled by an eruption as the trout comes to the
or redfin explode from the water. yak....
Ever vigilant to stay on top of the
game the Strike Tiger range has recently
undergone an upgrade, introducing a
range of Pro-Series lures. Improvements
including laminate colours, improved
swim action and compounds, resulting in
an even more alluring product fish will I dream of far away places with clear water, bright skies and, of course, brimming to the top with fish. I dream
struggle to resist. of these places while travelling to work. Wouldnt it be great to see these waters at home? Driving my ute around
With retailers across Tasmania, Victoria
the urban streets of home I occasionally cross creeks, their banks scarred by man, full of rubbish and with waters
and New South Wales, Strike Tiger lures
are available at most good tackle stores. barely flowing, showing the impact we are having on the environment. Looking into the murky waters while
For anglers outside those states ordering stopped at traffic lights, I can see how we have been using these waterways to drain away the waste of a big city.
is also available online at www.striketiger.
com.au
57
 After plenty of traffic light stops look-
ing into the murky waters below, I started
wondering if anything could live in these
waterways. Do they contain hidden gems
that can make me appreciate nature the
same way as travelling to far off destina-
tions that are less impacted by man? Can
there be fish in these locations? Are there
fish that have adapted to the new struc-
tures that have been placed in their envi-
ronment? Does a sunken car tyre offer an
environment similar to a rock or a sunken
log? These questions have run through my
head for many years and instead of inves-
tigating these urban drains I have driven
over them time and time again in search of
more pristine areas to kayak and fish.
This year during the Australian bass
closed season, the need to fish and a small
window of opportunity meant the only op-
tion available was to head down to one of
the local drains and at least have a paddle
and flick a lure. That first trip did not hold
any expectations of successfully catching a
fish. The creek looked really ordinary with
concrete banks, old industrial waste like
tyres and metal in the water, and lots of
rubbish floating on the surface. Still it was
great to just be on the water and go for a
paddle, even though the environment did
not provide the best view.
The quick session actually turned into a
pretty productive few hours, with numer-
ous bream and a couple of flathead being
successfully caught and released. It really
got my interest piqued about how the fish
have adapted to the area and how to use
this to my advantage for quick sessions
close to home.
to the
Getting in tight
an made or
cover, whether m
se nt ial
natural, is es
58
Even though we have totally changed
the look of rivers with our improvements
to the environment, these improvements
do make suitable structures for fish to in-
habit.
Pipes and Drains
Concrete pipes and drains entering a wa-
terway are great places to fish. The drain is
just like a smaller creek in a natural envi-
ronment. As water flows out of the drain it
brings food and bait with it into a concen-
trated area. Fish wait at the point where
the drain enters into the main stream for
the food to come to them and an easy feed.
Many drains fill with water during the tide
cycle so twice a day they empty, forcing
anything that went up the drain on the in-
coming tide to leave. The best time to fish
these drains is from the peak through the
falling tide.
and....is eventually
netted
Lots of drains in the creeks I have been
fishing have a pile of rocks at the entrance
of the pipe. Bream seem to be really at-
tracted to this sort of structure. Flicking a
small surface lure into the pipe and retriev-
ing it out so it looks like a fleeing prawn
usually gets any resident bream to charge
the lure until they hook up. When I start
to target a pipe I start by casting close to
the entrance and then eventually casting
my lure as far up the pipe as possible. It
is actually possible to hear the fish feed-
ing and chasing bait inside the pipe while
casting.
By targeting the area around the pipe
with a soft plastic or diving lure it is pos-
sible to catch any flathead that are waiting
in ambush in this location. Like the bream,
they are there for an easy feed. Bream will
also take the subsurface lures, but I am so
addicted to the surface strike, I usually
only fish surface around drains. To make
my fishing a little bit more productive, I do
carry two rods, one rigged for the surface
and one subsurface so I can quickly change
presentations. My experience has been if I
get a few on the surface and the area shuts
down, the subsurface presentation is also
ignored. However, if nothing happens on
the surface then a few subsurface presen-
tations can prove productive in enticing a
fish to strike.
Bridges
Bridges are really good fish holding
structure as a few things happen around
them, which attract the fish.
The structure above casts shade on the
water and also acts as protection from at-
tack from above by birds. I find that the
shade line on the water is a great place
to have your lure travel in and out of. My
theory is that a fish that travels through
the demarcation line takes some time for
its eyesight to adjust to the changes in the
amount of light in the water. This leaves it
vulnerable to a predator waiting in either
area. This is always an area I concentrate a
greater amount of fishing time than other
locations.
The pylons of the bridge act as a big reef
as they attract marine growth, which in
turn attracts bait. The pylons also break
the current flow so there are locations with
less current and back eddies. Fish wait in
these locations as they use less energy in
the slower moving water. They also am-
bush from these areas, bursting into the
faster moving water when the current
pushes past some unsuspecting prey. The
current also churns out areas at the base
of the pylon, making deeper holes and val-
leys. These areas are great places to target
flathead as they lay in the deeper and slow
moving water at the base of the pylon and
ambush prey.
Pylons also attract logs and other rubbish
as they are washed down the river. These
additional pieces of structure can make a
pylon even more productive as there are
additional places for baitfish and other
marine critters to feed and hide.
It is a lot easier to target bridge pylons
with a soft plastic on a jig head or a blade
as you can allow the lure to sink very close
to the pylon before retrieving it. If there
are a lot of pylons in a row, then a diving
lure can be effective if several pylons can be
covered in a single cast.
One of the bridges in the system I have
been exploring has platforms joining sev-
Its not just
the fish that
have adapted to
the urban jungle
eral of the bridge pylons together. At low
tide these platforms sit above the water
level but as the tide rises the platforms
start to become submerged. There are sev-
job of positioning the kayak close to the
eral of these platforms with gaps between
them. As the current flows it pushes water
along the platform and when it gets to the
gap the water pushes between the gaps. On
numerous occasions I have seen bait be-
ing chased around these gaps. I think the
predators wait in the slower moving water
in the gaps for bait that is being washed
quickly along the side of the platform and
into their ambush zone. Casting diving
minnows or surface lures through the gap
and retrieving them in the same direction
lot further from home. Fishing pressure
as the current has resulted in some nice
fish being caught.
Concrete and Rock
Banks
Concrete banks are pretty featureless
looking things, however, at the base of the
wall where they meet the creek is a place
where predators often hide. There is usu-
ally an undercut bank and rocks and rub-
bish in this area, making an easy location
for predatory fish to wait and ambush bait
that is travelling along the wall. When
fishing these banks I cast along the wall
and retrieve the lure with the current so it
mimics bait that is travelling quickly along
this area.
Rock walls are a lot more productive area
to fish as they provide numerous ambush
points for larger fish. I like to target rock
walls from both the side and front on.
When casting at the rock wall front on,
try to get the lure as close to the bank as
possible so that as the lure dives it travels
down the face of the rock wall. When tar-
geting the wall from side on, it is a simple
bank and retrieving the lure so it swims
parallel to the wall.
Find Your Own Jungle
My jungle has been good to me as I have
been working out what makes it tick. It
is very much influenced by the tides and
there are sections that only hold fish for
very short periods of time. I have had some
sessions in my urban jungle that have been
as productive as more pristine locations a
must be low as there must be lots of people
who were like me and kept driving over
the top of the ugly, polluted creek on their
way to another location. If time is short,
and you need a fish, then it may be worth
exploring your own urban jungle. You may
be pleasantly surprised!
Another
resident of
the urban
jungle
59
 Camping
a short trip of a day or two can become
quite an event with regards to organisation
and planning. Down river kayak camping
is 99 percent of the time done with two or

with Kayaks
more people for plenty of reasons. Apart
from the fact it is always nice to enjoy a
trip with a good mate, the positives go on
from there. Two is far better from a safety
point of view and being able to spread the

and Western
load of gear possibly allows for a couple of
extras or luxury items. Please dont get me
Wet weather
wrong. Ive done my share of down river
gear and tent in
runs in both canoes and kayaks over the
the front hatch

Still Waters
last thirty years and they are always an
adventure and well worth all the prepara-
tion and prior leg work. The opportunity other boats and anglers on your travels, as For me kayak camping has been a way
to fish those less fished waters is perhaps kayak anglers we know that most of the of putting a fresh new perspective on the
the biggest drawcard to this style of kayak time they are driving past good water on many waterways that I had become famil-
camping. This article is about still water their way to another far flung spot. Fishing iar with, to the point of bored, whilst fish-
camping though and it has an appeal all from a kayak dictates a far more methodi- ing from a boat. Racing from one known
By Alex Hickson
of its own. cal approach, which generally works in our good spot to another so-called good spot
Still water camping is something that favour. What I like about kayak camping became monotonous and predictable.
can be approached from a far less intensive on these large western still waters is that Speeding past kilometres of water seemed
and perhaps less detailed way in many re- you can keep fishing until dark and beyond ridiculous most of the time! The old ad-
the spects. Its a far more relaxed process from and then pull up bank side and using a foot age of fish are where you find them never
Getting away from
gs it s ow n start to finish and can be conducted with print of only a few square metres set up seemed more true and it was time I started
herd brin
d wh en yo u relative safety by just one person. an overnight camp. The small footprint to fish these huge bodies of water in detail.
rewards an
at e yo ur da y Being based on the Central Tablelands means you are prepped and ready for a What better way to do that than from a
can punctu
ke th is , li fe
with fish li of NSW gives me untold amounts of still quick getaway the following morning. No pedal powered kayak?
t an y be tt er
doesnt ge water to explore. Our western dams are one would even know you were there ex- When choosing a kayak camping kit it
generally perfect safe havens for this style cept for the charred remains from a small will largely depend on the size of your ves-
of camping. While you can expect to see fire maybe. sel as to what you are able to carry safely.
The last little tinnie raced past me heading in the opposite direction on its way back to the ramp, its distant hum
disappearing with the failing light of the day gone by. I had already picked out a small piece of bank to pitch my
tent so I continued on fishing, making the best of that change of light period that always seems to produce fish for
those who can remain on the water. As the saying goes the silence was deafening. I stopped winding and just sat
there for a moment and took it all in as best I could.

Small dimples in the water surface bor-
dering a thick edge of weed indicated plen-
ty of activity as both aquatic and terrestrial
insects buzzed into their nocturnal lives. A
pack of swifts dodged and weaved as they
skimmed the surface taking a feed on the
wing. It was all happening. I flicked the
diminutive blade to the edge of the weed
bed and gave it a second or two to flutter
down the bottom. Lift, hop, wind, lift, Im
on! Another typical Windamere golden
perch lugged mid-water, its all too familiar
head shakes absorbed by the spindly tip on
the light 3kg spin rod. These fish arent to
be hurried on light gear and small hooks.
Steady pressure brings the 4kg fish yak
Theres nothing better than landing a de-
cent fish right on stumps after a big day
on the water.
I slowly pedalled back to my chosen spot
for the night, a small gully that had a small
flat spot on its foreshore. Plenty of good
dry wood was scattered further up from
previously higher dam levels and with no
rain or storm activity predicted I felt confi-
dent it would be a great spot to set a camp
for the night, in anticipation for the early
morning bite.
If there has been a new revelation in my
kayak fishing in the last couple of seasons
it has been kayak camping in some of our
big western still waters. That is, using your
wouldnt say I do a lot of it but it punc-
tuates my year on the water enough to
keep me sane. If you want a way to rap-
idly charge your batteries, so to speak,
then camping from your kayak is one sure
method of plugging into the mains socket
of your chosen fishing environment.
Its quite feasible to break kayak camping
into two categories: still water and moving
water.
Moving water kayak camping is generally
far more complex and requires far more
preparation and planning with regards to
gear and logistics. Everything from food to
The
safety gear to fishing tackle is stripped to Rigged and ready!
basic trustworthy requirements. Drop off authors Slaye 13
r

side and the pliers do their job and the fish kayak to carry provisions and shelter and and pick up points need to be organised with camping and
ard
is gone in a shower of water and bubbles. to further explore chosen waterways. I and this usually involves other people. Even fishing gear on bo

60 61

be considered
An ice box could
this size they
a luxury but at
le and most
are quite acceptab
ve space them.
pedal yaks will ha
and fresh
Having cold drinks
eat at days end
food is a real tr
Pedal powered kayaks are certainly at an
advantage but for those who are keen and
quite fit, a paddle kayak will suffice. Keep-
ing things light and to a minimum still
very much applies with this style of camp-
ing and for me is part of the essence of the
experience. If youve done some back coun-
try hiking you are already well equipped
for this style of camping. Minimalist style
cooking utensils, freeze dried food and on
occasions water rationing are all part of the
deal, along with bivvy tents, ground mats
and quality sleeping bags. These are the es-
sentials and must have spot on board your
yak. Adding to this list will be inclusions
such as a head torch and back up head
torch, a flint, lighter or matches, a small
tool kit and sunscreen. You should already
have a basic first aid kit and wet weather
pants and jacket stowed in your kayak. A
back up paddle for those with pedals is a
good idea and a change of clothes is also
a must. Additions to this short list could
be considered extras or luxuries but if you
have the room why not put them in?
If there is two or more of you going then
some equipment can be shared and having
a forty litre icebox in the back of a PA14 or
Slayer 13 is quite possible if another ves-
sel is carrying your tent, sleeping bag etc.
Such efforts will give everyone a couple of
cold drinks around the fire and perhaps of-
fer eggs, bacon, sausages and a steak for a
day or two before having to tear the top
off a freeze dried packet. That said, I do
look forward to my favourite freeze dried
meals, having tried a few to find out what
was best. A good seat always makes a dif-
ference and as kayakers we are well versed
in this requirement. For my camp chair I
just use my gel cushion on my poly cargo
box. Having a backrest would be nice but
62
when travelling solo I dont have the luxury
of sharing cargo and taking a light camp
chair would preclude other items.
Other equipment that can make a dif-
ference includes a small foldable shovel;
these are great for levelling a tent site, pok-
ing around the fire, and digging the inevi-
table hole. A pair of leather riggers gloves
are invaluable when scrounging around
for firewood at night or clearing debris
for a camp site. One thing that makes a
camping trip successful is a good nights
sleep. A restless night sets you up for a tir-
ing day ahead. Some people can sleep on
a rock ledge under the stars, others need
their special pillow on their inflatable mat-
tress. Everything is possible, its just a mat-
ter of working out your priorities within
your available space. The other objective
of my setup is to be able to comfortably
fish whilst all my gear is stowed on board
Even if you fish
by yourself a few
a
pictures taken by
up fo r li ft
camera set
ot s ca n be
and grin sh
home
shared once back
and Im on the move. I need to be able to
make unhindered casts, fight and land fish
and maybe bring them onboard for a selfie.
Gear storage is therefore important from
both a practical and safety point of view.
Storage of drinking water will be a key
element when heading off for two or more
days. It will pay to break down your usable
volume to at least daily quantities and di-
vide it up further still for cooking, hot bev-
erages, and drinking. You can buy proper
soft water bladders for stowing below deck.
These allow for far easier and more versa-
tile storage. I use a relatively cheap thick
plastic camping shower bladder. Having a
tube and tap attached permits easy access
to the water when I need it. This bladder
is simply stowed under the Slayers rigid
tube frame seat. Small bottles of water
are also easily stowed and Ill throw what
I can onboard as back up on any general
trip. Spending a day in the sun in a highly
reflective UV environment is harsh on the
body even if there is a cooling breeze. It is
very important to stay hydrated.
With regards to safety you will need to
let someone know where you are going
and your expected return date. Many of
our western dams have very limited mo-
bile coverage, often none at all, so dont
ever rely on your mobile as an emergency
communication device! PLBs (personal
location beacons) are becoming quite af-
fordable and many of my fellow yakkers
carry one. PLBs are used in extreme or
life-threatening circumstances and when
activated they alert search, rescue and
medical help to your location using sat-
ellite technology. Obviously if youve got
one you keep it on your person on any trip
but I really like to think that this style of
camping doesnt require one. You will typi-
cally be in a location where you can expect
to see other boats quite regularly. Unless
you do something really stupid like over-
load your kayak, sleep under a big old
gumtree, or try and climb a cliff to get a
better photo or something you should be
alright. If you think about what youre do-
ing and where you are then you should be
quite ok. Just dont take risks!
When packing your yak, everything
should be stored in either waterproof
boxes or roll top dry bags. That way even
in a heavy rain storm everything of value
stays dry. Very important! The use of mul-
tiple smaller dry bags will allow for better
fitment inside the hull rather than putting
multiple items in one bigger bag. What
I did notice when embarking on my first
still water camping trip was that the gear
check list was actually quite small. This is
mainly due to the fact that much of the
gear was already part of my kayak inven-
tory for any given day trip. Spare paddle,
A small fire near the waters edge sets a nice scene for
a relaxing evening of doing little more than setting a
bait rod and perhaps listening to some ABC radio to
catch the weather forecast
head torches, tool kit and even my cooking
gear and freeze dried food (plus nibblies
like packets of mixed nuts) already had
known locations on board. The additional
requirements distilled down to extra water,
a change of clothes, hiking tent, sleeping
bag and ground mat. It is certainly a case
of less is more with this style of camping.
With regards to fishing gear, take what
you need. I have a bad habit if taking too
many tackle boxes and I generally carry
three rods. Most of our western waterways
are quite diverse in what fish species they
host so a light, medium and heavy outfit
will cover the bases required. If there are
Murray cod in the dam make your heavy
rod a 10kg stick while the other outfits
will need to cope with casting heavy lip-
less crank baits to finessing plastics and
hopping blades. Notionally a 1-3kg and a
3-6kg outfit would fit the bill nicely. I do
quite a bit of trolling to break up the cast-
ing. If Im travelling to another chosen spot
Ill often troll a lure out the back, it just
makes sense. If carrying three rods check
your state recreational fishing laws as Im
quite sure it is illegal to have more than
two rods rigged in freshwater in NSW.
Camping on many of our expansive
western impoundments could mean that
you are pitching a tent on State Park, Na-
tional Park, travelling stock routes or pri-
vate property. Wherever you pitch for the
night, respect the area as if it were your own
property. If you leave nothing for people to
complain about they wont! Most of our
western dams are quite accessible to both
two and four wheel drive vehicles and have
both cabin and camping options. I gener-
ally just pay for the camping option and
leave my vehicle as close to my leave point
as possible. That could mean trolleying my
yak from a car park or leaving my vehicle
beside the water, making sure it is secure. If
there is a camp nearby just let them know
that you may not be back that night and
could they please watch the vehicle. People
tend to worry if they see you heading off
in a kayak and you dont return after dark.
So if you want to put a new tilt on those
big western still waters, rather than twist-
ing your rudder to homeward during that
prime evening bite period, why dont you
pack for an over-nighter and further ex-
plore the waterway? Its a great experience
in so many ways.
63
 Squid
I only had a small window of opportunity.
Luckily I live close to a number of bays
and headlands that hold squid, so I quickly
strapped the yak on the roof and headed
to the local. It took a while to work out
motor. This means you can cover ground
quietly and not disturb your quarry, and
hopefully increase your catch rate on the
day.

Fishing
where the squid were hanging out on this
afternoon, but I finally found a couple
where the sand meets the reef, close to
where I initially launched. With darkness
fast approaching, I pulled the yak up the
beach and cleaned my calamari, ready for
tomorrows family evening meal. I bagged
the heads and wings - these would be
Techniques and Squid
Facts
Mix up your retrieve styles, there is no
right or wrong way. You may try a steady
slow roll and pause technique or an
aggressive double or triple rip of the rod.
In between, let the squid jig sink close to

From Your Kayak

the bottom before repeating your slow roll
used later for snapper bait in the boat, or or rip retrieve. Squid will often take the jig
perhaps a beach jewfish session when time Pack a variety
on the pause. Take note of where you cast of jig sizes
allowed. There is no waste when fishing for and what style retrieve you are getting your and colours
squid in our household. hook ups on so you can repeat. Squid like
to hang out in packs so when you hook one
Words & Pics Nick Brown Yak Conditions, Times there are usually more close proximity. Jimmys Beach. Calamari or green eyes as
and Tides Southern calamari and arrow squid are they are also known can be caught in the
Squid can be targeted year round. Where I the two most common species of squid in same locations, but are the most common
If you havent tried squid fishing from your yak, now is the time. Available all year, southern calamari and arrow fish around Port Stephens on the mid north my home waters at Port Stephens. Most of species in the offshore bays, coves and
squid are fun to catch, great to eat, and provide bait for future fishing endeavours. coast of NSW, winter and spring sees larger the arrows I have caught locally have been headlands. Places to try locally include
southern calamari inhabit the ocean bays inside Port Stephens around Nelson Bay, Boat Harbour, Fishermans Bay and Fingal
and headlands looking to breed and feed. Shoal Bay and around seagrass beds on Bay, all good spots to launch your yak and
These guys like hanging out over patchy the northern side near Barnes Rock and try for our tentacled friends.
reef, kelp and sand areas in the ocean. In the
harbours and estuaries you will find them in
Dinner! The late the same kind of habitat, as well as around
afternoon squid boat moorings and seagrass beds.
mission pays off There are no hard and fast rules with squid
and only time on the water will nut out the
best conditions for them in your local area.
Water clarity is definitely a key factor, with
clear, calm conditions being ideal. Little or
no wind is also important, as a strong breeze
rippling the surface seems to put squid off
the bite. You want a nice, slow drift to cover
plenty of ground, not skating over the water
at a fast rate of knots.
As a general rule late afternoon and early
mornings are prime times. I prefer the
high tide and try to aim my session around
a tide change, as the slack water period
often results in some action.
Being close to water level in a kayak,
there is a serious chance of getting inked.
This really isnt as much fun as it sounds,
with black gooey ink making a real mess in
a small confined space! You want the squid
to expel most of its ink sack, so once it is
close, try to keep it low in the water and let rge
Whilst these 2 la
it pulse and surge away a few times before Ca la m ar i were
Southern
, they are
trying to land it in the yak. caught in the boat
ze that can
As we all know, kayak fishing has the typical of the si
shing in
major advantage of being much stealthier be encountered fi
harbours,
than any four stroke outboard or electric your kayak around
adlands
ocean bays and he

64 65

The main way to tell the difference
between the two species is that the wings
on the calamari extend down the mantle
to the head, whilst the arrows have short,
sharp wings at the top section only. Squid
are fast growing and die young - southern
calamari have been reported growing as
much as 3.6kg in just one year of life.
Jigs
Save your dollars and get the better
jigs as you will catch more squid in the
long run. The term egi is commonly
used around squid fishing nowadays and
actually refers to the Japanese meaning for
jig. Sure there are some days when squid
will eat any jig, however when conditions
are tough, the expensive Japanese designed
jigs shine through. These can set you back
anywhere from $15 to $40. Brands such as
Yozuri, Yamashita, Harimitsu, Hayabusa,
Megabass, Daiwa, and Shimano all make
quality jigs.
For the ocean bays that I fish, I generally
use a 3.0 size. I actually like natural brown,
grey and blue colours, while other anglers
may swear by orange and fluoro pink.
Mix it up on the day until you get a bite.
To increase your chances, you may want
to have one outfit in a rod holder at the
back of your yak with a jig out the back
as your drift over ground. You will need
to remember to check it occasionally to
ensure it doesnt snag, or is loaded up with
a squid. Cast ahead of the drift with the
other outfit, and mix up your retrieve styles
as mentioned previously.
66
late
Early morning and
n ar e pr im e
afternoo
ra p th e ka yak
times to st
an d hi t yo ur
on the roof
ad la nd or ba y
local he
Egi Tackle in the longer size range, being 76, 8 3 and
86 and are slow tapered with tangle free
If fishing over patchy seagrass areas
guides. I like to use one of these style of
or around moorings in estuaries you can
rods in the kayak, the advantage being
fish lighter fluoro leaders of 6lb-10lb and
that they cast long distances, and have the
smaller slower sinking jigs around 2.0-2.5
necessary action to really work your jigs.
size.
The disadvantage is that being a longer
In the ocean bays and headlands the squid
rod they are awkward in the yak, especially
are generally a good size, so use jigs in the
when the squid is close and you are trying
3.0-3.5 size. You can cast these a long
to land it. You can get away with shorter
distance to cover different areas, and I like
spin styles of rods in the 2-4kg or 3-6kg
to fish 12-16lb leader, which assists with
range, with lengths between 6-7ft.
retrieving your snagged expensive jig from
There are also a couple of reels labelled
the kelp and reef. Despite squid having large
as egi models. These are multi ball
eyes for hunting, I dont believe the heavier
bearing, shallow spooled and extremely
leader deters them. Being aggressive, if the
light threadlines in the 1000-2500 size,
jig is in the right spot and the action is
however any reel in this size will suffice
tempting, squid will eat it.
for the budget conscious angler. Load it up
Many rod companies including Lox,
with quality braid in the 6-10lb range and
Nitro, Shimano and Daiwa make specially
tie a rod length of leader using an albright
designed egi rods. These rods are usually
or double uni knot. Attach your jig with a
loop knot (such as a Leftys Loop) to give
it more action and you are ready to fish.
Get Out There
There are a few other essentials to pack
when fishing for squid in your kayak.
Polarised sunglasses help spot sand,
seagrass and reef patches. A PFD is
essential if you plan on fishing offshore
any distance, even if you are in inshore
waters. Spare jigs, leader material and a
pair of scissors should be in easy reach via
a close hatch to allow for quick jig changes
and re-rigging if necessary. A small net is
Squid are the useful, especially for holding your squid
masters of while they are shooting ink at you! Other
apt
cam flage and ad
ou than that, pack your rod and reel and you
ing
to their surround are good to go. Squid fishing in your kayak
environment is nice easy fishing requiring minimal gear.
Get out there and enjoy.
 Depot
Saturday morning saw us rising with the
birds. No alarms needed at Depot Beach as
the dawn chorus would wake the soundest
sleeper. We had rigged up our yaks before
turning in the night before so all we had to

Beach
do was have breakfast and then wheel our
yaks along the scenic forest road leading
to the beach. With my lightweight Hobie
Sport its possible I enjoyed the morning
walk a little more than Pete with his much

Snapper
heavier Pro Angler! The launching point
is a rock channel at the north end of the
beach that is ideal for yaks as it has deep
water that usually prevents waves breaking
even when there is a reasonable swell.
Once we both cleared the channel and
entered the bay we headed for an offshore
bommie that looked spectacular with a
perfect 4-metre wave curling off its edge.
The plan was to fish with two rods, one
being actively worked by hand and the
By Carl Glaister other set in a rod holder so the lure would
be moved up and down by the action of the
kayak bobbing on the swell. I opted to fish
with a ZMan 5-inch Pearl Jerkshadz and a
Gulp 7 inch BBQ Chicken jerk shad. Pete
snapper was fishing with similar soft plastics but
Heading in after a
op per
session. Grassh from the Squidgy range and using darker
ck gr ound
Island in the ba colours. The water was quite clear but had
nd it ions
and idyllic sea co a distinct green tinge with plankton visible
just beneath the surface.
The fishing started off fairly quietly with
just the odd sergeant baker latching on to
our plastics and schools of sweep following
the lures as they came to the surface.
One of my goals for this year was to have
an encounter with whales while out on my
yak. When a young humpback surfaced
nearby I was mighty pleased and forgot
about fishing for a few minutes to fully
appreciate the experience. Ive been on
whale watching boats before but it was
something else to be right on water level
with these majestic giants. After the whale
continued on its southerly migration I
also headed south to fish the reef off the
eastern tip of Grasshopper Island. The
sound of Pete yahooing had me doing a
U turn and heading back in his direction
to witness him landing a classic hump
headed snapper, his first from his Hobie.
The next hour was uneventful so we
headed back to shore for lunch and a bit of
rest in the shade of the tall spotted gums
that thrive along this coastline. After lunch
I left Pete to the serenity of our bush camp
and headed back out on my own to see if I
could catch my own snapper. Rather than
head back out to the bommie, this time
I pedalled south for about a kilometre
and
Setting up camp
e yak s
unloading th
until I reached a dramatic sandstone
cliff. Conditions looked promising as the
towering cliffs cast a wide shadow on
the foam-covered water. It just had to be
sheltering predatory fish.
I soon registered some interest on the
handheld rod. A cast into the white water
coming off the cliff resulted in a solid hit
that missed the hook. Moving out from
the cliff base, my sounder was reading
15 metres and showing some promising
signs of bait. As I worked my way along
the shadows of the cliff I kept glancing
at the gently twitching rod that sat in the
holder willing it to register the strike of a
hungry snapper. As is usually the case with
fishing, the moment you take your eye off
the rod all hell breaks loose and this was
no exception. A powerful hit pulled my
ram mount rod holder from near vertical
to horizontal and a fairly tight drag setting
on my reel resulted in the rod loading up

t
Pete with his firs
hi s Ho bie.
snapper from
ly hu m p
This distinct
nt 57 cm
headed fish we

As the first few weeks of spring get your heart pumping that little bit harder and the days start to get noticeably
longer, its a perfect time to set out on a yak fishing adventure. Thats exactly what I was thinking as myself and
Pete Morris drove down the coast after work on a Friday evening with our sights set on a weekend of camping
and chasing snapper at the south coast gem known as Depot Beach. Heres my account of how things played out.

68 69

into a tight curve as the fish made its first
surging run.
Unclipping the rod from its lanyard,
I engaged the fish in a torrid battle as it
did its best to gain the sanctuary of the
kelp. Gaining the upper hand, I worked
the now tiring fish to the surface and was
soon enjoying the sight of that magic pink
fish with its luminescent blue dots. After
netting it and stowing it safely inside my
hull I headed for shore as the last rays of
the sunset lit up the forested hills behind
the beach.
As if I hadnt had enough excitement for
one day, I made the foolhardy decision to
come in through the surf rather than use
the rock channel, thinking I would save
a bit of walking with the yak. Pete had
seen me heading back across the bay and
arrived at the beach just in time to see me
have a wipe out in the shore dump. All
was well apart from everything getting
soaked, including me, and sand covering
d
Wild coastline an
awesom e fi sh !
70
every surface of the Hobie. Note to self:
Always use the rock channel to launch
and land even if it does mean walking a
bit further with my yak! Back at camp,
I had a welcome hot shower and then
enjoyed a few celebratory beers with Pete
and compared notes on the days fishing.
Interestingly, both snapper we had caught
had taken the soft plastic attached to the
rod sitting in the holder.
Sunday morning saw us making another
early start and with no wind and an
overcast sky, conditions looked ideal for
our last fish of the weekend. Pete opted
for the area where he had scored his fish
while I headed for the cliff where I had my
success. As I approached the cliff I noticed
a commotion on the ocean surface and
pedalled closer to see what was causing
it. A seal was throwing a large cuttlefish
up into the air and then shaking it before
throwing it again much the way a cat
plays with a mouse. As I approached close
The wildlife at
the campground
was very friendly
on the kayak deck. I quickly reached for
was pulled out of the holder and into the
reel actually got fully submerged. This felt
in time to see my other rod being pulled
nt
Old Blotchy a gia
m ta ll
Spotted Gum, 50
and 500 years ol d
enough to get a photo the seal submerged
and I didnt see it again.
Getting back to the fishing I soon had
two soft plastics in the water and within
minutes had some action on my handheld
rod as a yellowfin pike ambushed my lure.
Next cast resulted in another pike, this time
hooked in the tail. As the minutes ticked
by I switched into autopilot as I watched
a sea eagle perched on the cliff edge. The
sound of line ripping off my outfit in the
rod holder snapped me back to attention
and I dropped the rod I was holding down
my severely loaded rod but not before it
water. Fortunately, the lanyard prevented it
being lost and I grabbed it before it the
like a heavier fish than yesterday and I
didnt bother wasting time unhooking the
lanyard, getting straight into the fight.
As the fish ran doggedly along the reef
edge I suddenly heard or sensed a splash
and looked over the side of the yak just
into the water by a snagged soft plastic
or possibly a fish. Luckily my reflexes
were quick enough and I grabbed the rod
before it sank out of reach. This time I
made sure I tucked it securely under my
leg for safe keeping. After this initial chaos
it was a straightforward fight and I soon
had 60cm of prime south coast snapper
floating beside my yak. The only difficulty
I now had was getting it into a net which
is better suited to smaller estuary species
than decent sized snapper and I was
per,
South coast snap
got to lo ve it
es
when a plan com
toge th er !
ken
This photo was ta
e m other
seconds before th
r ca lf
humpback and he
e yak .....
dived beneath th
exhilarating !
relieved when after a few missed attempts
I lifted my prize on deck.
No sooner had I stowed this fish and
reeled in my other line when my mobile
phone rang. It was Pete asking if I had
seen the whales that were putting on an
amazing aerial display a couple of hundred
metres to my east! I quickly got my sports
cam ready to get some shots and kicked
myself for not having it on the video
setting as the huge mammals rapidly
approached me.
Within seconds of Petes call the
humpbacks were power diving under
my kayak. Seeing the mother and her
u own a
When youre glad yo
not a Pro
Hobie Sport and
ing in the
Angler! Pete putt
g his PA
hard yards gettin
te
to the launch si
calf at such close quarters was the most
exhilarating experience I have had while
on my kayak.
The next hour or so passed with no further
action so we pedalled for shore and then
headed back to camp to pack up. A light
rain started falling as Pete zipped up the
cover on his camper trailer and I was glad
we came into shore when we did. After a
lunch stop at the East Lynne general store,
we stopped in to check out Old Blotchy,
a 50-metre-tall spotted gum. This massive
old growth tree is reputed to be 500 years
old and definitely worth a visit if youre
down that way.
Reflecting back on lessons learnt from
this fishing experience I would say the
most important one is just how effective
the rod left in the holder can be. On this
trip all the snapper fell to the soft plastics
fished this way. The other lesson learnt
is dont take short cuts when it comes to
entering and leaving the water.
I hope this story inspires you to have
your own south coast adventure and dont
forget to pay Old Blotchy a visit.
See you out there.
Cheers
Carl
71
 A typical Up Location
per
Noosa River ba Located approximately 2 1/2 hours north
ss
of Brisbane, the upper Noosa River is part
of the Great Sandy National Park. On our
trips to the region we have accessed the
river from Harrys Hut. The road into Har-
rys Hut is unsealed and can be very rough.
The National Park Service recommends
access with a 4WD. There are numerous
places where you can see water crosses
the road during heavy rains. The National
Park Services puts out a fortnightly access
and condition report for the area, which is
available at: http://www.nprsr.qld.gov.au/
parks/cooloola/pdf/cooloola-conditions-
The
report.pdf
If your vehicle is not suitable to get
into Harrys Hut it is possible to launch
at Boreen Point or Elanda Point. Unfor-
Noosa
tunately, this puts a considerable distance
onto your paddle. It is 15km from Boreen
Point to Harrys Hut and 11.5km if you
leave from Elanda Point. Once you get to
Harrys Hut there is an area to leave your
vehicle near the day use launch area. The
River
launch area is about 30m or so from the car
park and then there is a set of stairs down
into the water. We find it easiest to carry
By Steven Riding
The Noosa River is one of my favourite locations for an extended kayak camping adventure. It is a bit of hard
work to get to the camping spots, but all that effort is quickly forgotten when you wake the following morning to
a mist rising from the water and some of the most amazing reflections you will ever see. The chance of catching
Australian bass is the icing on the cake.
72
all the gear to the launch area and then
load the kayaks while they are in the water.
There is camping available at Harrys
Hut with a toilet. If you only want to fish
this immediate vicinity or if you are not
into rough camping then this is a good lo-
cation. Because you will be camped near
your vehicle, you will be able to access
more gear and creature comforts.
Camping
There are nine campsites upstream from
Harrys Hut. Campsites 1, 2 and 3 are
larger campsites, able to be booked by
multiple groups. All three campsites have a
toilet and untreated water. Access to these
campsites is from a timber jetty so if you
are staying here you need to work out how
you are going to unload your kayak while it
is in the water and then lift it up onto the
jetty for anything in the hull. The water is
deep at each jetty so standing in the water
is not an option.
Campsites 1-3 are accessible by pet-
rol powered craft, but once you get past
campsite 3 the river can only be accessed
by paddle craft or electric motor. This
makes the upper reaches of the river a lot
less accessible and subject to a lot less fish-
ing pressure.
Campsites 4-15 have sandy beach access
at the front of the sites. There are a few
campsites that have been closed so they are
missing from the numbering system. These
campsites have no amenities at all, no toi-
lets and no water. The campsites them-
selves are nice and flat and have plenty of
room to pitch a couple of tents. When you
make a booking the website tells you how
many people can stay at each campsite.
The booking website has a calendar which
shows availability.
There are some serious distances to be
paddled to get to the numerous campsites.
It is just over 20km from Harrys Hut to
campsite 15. If you factor in fishing then a
bit of time is needed to get to some of the
upper campsites. Below are the estimated
distances between each campsite:
Harrys Hut- Campsite 1 - 3.5 km
Campsite 1- Campsite 2 - 1.7 km
Campsite 2- Campsite 3 - 2.5 km
Campsite 3- Campsite 4 - 1 km
Campsite 4- Campsite 5 - 1 km
Campsite 5- Campsite 8 - 5 km
Campsite 8- Campsite 9 - 1 km
A beautiful an
d pristine
location whe
re the fish
are a bonus
73
 Campsite 9- Campsite 13 - 2 km
Camping ligh
Campsite 13-Campsite 15 - 3 km
After the drive from Brisbane we usually
arrive late morning and, by the time we
load our kayaks, we are hitting the water
around lunchtime. With a bit of fishing
and an easy paddle we are typically setting
up camp at campsite 8 or 9 as it is getting
dark. Obviously an earlier start or less fish-
ing would get you to the destination earlier
in the day, but we like to take our time and
enjoy the day.
Food and Gear
Campfires are not allowed in any part of
the national park so you need to pack some
type of gas stove or a Trangia to cook on.
ased
All fish were rele
74
ting up camp to find your tent, sleeping There is a potential for bull sharks to be We have found on our trips that if the sur-
t doesnt bag or clothes are wet. A tarp and some in the freshwater reaches of the river so face is getting ruffled by the wind, then
mean you have
to be ropes are a good idea, as they can be used bear this in mind if going for a swim. The the best surface lure is a popper. I have a
uncomfortable
to make a shelter to sit under and to keep river is deep and there are very few places theory that the extra splash from a popper
gear dry that will not fit in the tent. to actually land your kayak while paddling. is more visible to the bass than a walking
As there are no toilets in the upper camp- The campsites are really the only easy place lure sliding along the top.
sites, a hole needs to be dug so make sure to easily beach you kayak and get out for If the bass cannot be enticed by surface
you pack a shovel. There are a lot of critters a stretch. lures then small crank baits will do the job.
and bush turkeys in the area so make sure The river runs mainly north to south and On our last trip, a small crank bait from No-
the hole is deep and not near the campsite is very exposed to northerly or southerly eby was the stand out lure. The NBL9073
so that the campsite is not ruined for fu- winds. Depending on which way you are is a 45mm crank bait which dives to about
ture visitors. travelling the wind can be a great assis- 0.8m. The technique involved casting it
It is also a good idea to make sure your tance or a hindrance. If the wind is blow- as close to the bank as possible, waiting a
food is kept in a vermin proof container. I ing against you then the paddling is very couple of seconds after it landed, retrieving
still remember a trip when a bush rat stole hard and can add considerable time and about a metre, then a quick pause, followed
our mince and dragged it through the effort to the trip. by a slow roll back to the kayak. The lo-
camp. I think the rat family had a damn cation of the cast was the most important.
good time that night. Fishing The bass seemed to be more consistent if
Australian bass are the reason for head- the bank had some reeds next to a tea tree.
We usually take a couple of stoves so we
can have multiple things cooking at once
Safety ing to this location. The tannin stained wa- The obvious sunken snags did not produce
This is a very remote location and you ters of the river cause these bass to be some as expected. I wonder if this is because they
and also as a back up in case something
will encounter very few people. We have of the darkest and prettiest fish I have ever are an obvious bass holding structure so
goes wrong with one of the stoves.
paddled all the way to 15 and back on sev- seen. Most fish are between 25-35cm so are targeted more often by visiting anglers,
For a two day trip we take 48 x 600ml
eral occasions and have not seen another they are not huge fish and you are pretty making any resident bass wary.
bottles of water. Prior to the trip we freeze
24 x 600ml bottles of water to fill the esky. person until around campsite 1. There is lucky to get one over 40cm. What they
very patchy to non-existent mobile phone lack in size they make up for in aggression. Tackle
These double as cooling for the esky and
coverage and you are at least several hours The bass will hit surface lures all day There is no real need for specialist gear
also for drinking later in the trip when they
from help so a Personal Location Beacon if you can get your lure into the shaded to fish the Noosa River. A rod from which
thaw. The other 24 bottles we load into any
(PLB) is highly recommended. pockets under trees and close to the bank. you can comfortably cast 40-60mm lures is
spaces on the kayak. This might seem like
a lot of water, but the stuff in the esky is
really only for keeping stuff cool and as a
backup in case something goes wrong. It
is possible to boil the water from the river
for drinking but personally I do not like to
take any risk with getting sick when I am a
considerable distance from help.
For a two day trip we usually cook fresh
food. Freezing any meat makes sure it is
fresh when it is time for cooking. On top
of the fresh meals we cook, there is always
an additional days worth of food in tins in
case something goes wrong and we need
to stay an extra night. On longer trips we
start using tinned or dehydrated food after
day two.
Everything you are going to take needs
to be packed in your kayak, so it is a good
idea to limit the quantity of gear. We use a
lot of lightweight hiking gear as this type
of gear is really suited to kayak camping.
The smaller things are the easier they are
to get into the hull of your kayak.
s
A lot of dry bags are a good idea. We bag A kayak angler
everything that goes into the hull and onto para di se
the outside of the kayak. There is nothing
worse than getting to a location and set-
75

about all you need. The fish are not big so
heavy gear is not required. I like to use 8lb
mainline with a 12lb mono or fluro leader
of around a rod length.
This Australian bass season the guys
from BLADE are trialing a range of rods,
reels and tackle from Noeby. This Japanese
tackle company has a large range of rods,
reels, lines and lures extremely suited to
Australian species and kayak fishing. They
are available online and also in some tackle
stores.
76
During the Noosa River trip, I used an In-
finity Spin Bass Rod - 66 - NBB662 and
Rob used an Infinity Spin Bass Rod with a
fast taper - 7- NBBF702. Both rods were
matched Tsuri Spitze 2000FD reels. We
also had a baitcaster combo made up of an
Infinity Bass - NBBCF662ML matched
to a Noeby Nonsuch reel. The initial use
of the rods and reels was pretty impressive
and we are really looking forward to giving
them a good run over the summer. The full
review of the gear will be coming up on
the BLADE website soon, so keep an eye
open. If you cant wait for the review and
want to check out their gear, then check
out the Noeby website.
The usual Australian bass lures all work
well, however I think smaller lures are
more productive in the Upper Noosa River.
This is a Bucket List
location
The Noosa River was on my bucket list
for way too long. It took a long while for
my first trip and now it is a location I visit
once or twice a year. The pristine environ-
ment is just part of the attraction. What
I really love about this location is the re-
flections on the river surface when there is
no wind. The water reflecting the trees and
sky is as good as a mirror. The Australian
bass that inhabit the river are the prettiest
I have ever seen. If you can make your way
up there for a few days I can guarantee you
will not be disappointed and will want to
make it a regular location for your kayak-
ing adventures.
Links
Booking Campsites - Queensland Na-
tional Parks https://qpws.usedirect.com/
QPWS/
Noeby - http://noebyfishing.com.au
I often joke to people that I am allergic to sunlight. Having a history of skin cancer in my family and having
had a few suspicious looking spots burnt off and cut out over the years, I dont muck around when it comes to sun
protection.
In addition to full length, quick dry
pants and an arab style hat, I always use
long sleeved UV shirts from a reputable
company. Therefore, when I came across
the Ice Rays Cooling UV Arm Sleeves
at the 2016 AFTA show, I was a little
dismissive as I didnt think it was a product
I would ever use. Fast forward and the UV
Arm Sleeves now permanently live in my
tackle bag and I frequently use them.
When Graham Foley and I first took
the Ice Rays Sleeves out for a test run
to take the accompanying photos, the
Ice Rays
Cooling UV
Arm Sleeves
ribbings I received about looking like a
video extra from Flashdance (google it
kids) were coming thick and fast. Water
off a ducks back, however, as the Sleeves
were incredibly comfortable and were
much cooler than any of the long sleeved
shirts I normally wear. In addition to my
by Steve Evans
arms being cooler, the fact I was wearing
a simple collared T-shirt also meant my
torso and thus core body temperature was
cooler. Ive become accustomed to wearing
a long sleeved shirt every time I paddle,
with the Ice Rays Sleeves I was suddenly
feeling much cooler and was able to move
much more freely.
The Ice Rays are very generous in
length so there are no little gaps between
the sleeves of your T-shirt and the UV
Arm Sleeves. Similarly, if you wore sun
protection gloves then there would be no
gaps around the wrist area. They come in
a small, convenient zip lock bag, which
could live permanently in your tackle
bag or kayak hatch so you will never
forget sun protection for your arms. In
addition to being much cooler than a long
sleeved shirt, the Ice Rays also offer light
compression, boosting circulation and
energising your arms for those long range
fishing trips.
Available in a range of colours, check
them out at www.icerays.com.au
77
 COOLING 50+ UV
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the Local
. Protect your arms from the sun
without the hassle of sunscreen

. or hot long sleeves.

Made from special fabric

. that cools the skin.

Fully tested and certified

. to be 50+ UV protective.
One size fits all.
by Steve Bolin

JUST $29.95 You can

still f
w
ind
hen
INCLUDING P&P winter
them in t o
w where
you kno
look

Go to www.icerays.com.au to order and have yours to wear in a few days.

1300 025 939 or email enquiries@icerays.com.au to order yours now.

Winter hardly showed this year on the Sunshine Coast. I only

wore a jumper twice on the water when the temperature plum-
meted to single figures at daybreak. The rest of the time it was
shorts, thongs and t-shirts. The bonus of the warm days was the
local lizards didnt shut down one bit, they just keep on scoffing
throughout the winter.

@FusionStereoActive
In previous years when we had a few
weeks or months of cold nights and morn-
ings the lizards did shut down and you had
to really work hard for your fish. Paddling
around the usual spots where you know
they hang out and not getting a touch did
have me wondering what was going on. The
lures and plastics I used were the same liz-
ard lollies that get smashed in the warmer
months but in the winter it was like trying
to get your kids to eat their brussel sprouts
at dinner!
I like to get out on the water early, just as
the sky turns to that dull grey before dawn
breaks. This gets me out on the water be-
fore the boats and the jet skis and I usually
have the whole river to myself in silence,
except for the slight woosh my paddle
blade makes as it breaks the surface of the
water. During winter, this time of the day
proved unproductive for flathead as I was
constantly catching little bream with the
occasional legal size one hitting my lure.
The lizards just couldnt be coaxed out of
their hideouts; they all buried themselves
in the usual way with their eyes sticking
out of the sand being the only giveaway.
Their switch was definitely in the off posi-
tion and they couldnt be turned on until
they warmed up.
After a few trips without catching a flat-
head, I did a bit of study back at home.
I came across an article by a fella from
down south who loves his flathead fishing
like myself. The article indicated the cold
weather definitely slowed them down and
it wasnt worth chasing flathead until mid-
day in the colder months. Target the shal-
lows and the weed beds where the water
warms up the quickest, stay out of the fast-
er flowing colder water and you will hook
a few. Taking this advice on board, my next

79
 sized specimens almost every time I went
eed
out. Its now October and we have already up for a f
Birds lined t id e.
nout
had some 30 degree days with the water on the ru he
temperature warming up as well. The lo- s w h at s hiding in t
G u es
nd them?
cal lizards are now firing with the bigger water arou
girls showing up again and getting a feed
when you want is nearly a gimme. Im also
back to yak fishing in my favourite part
of the day when the river is tranquil and
the stink boat owners are still in bed. The
great thing with yak fishing is that you
have time to smell the roses, look around
and spot the drains, snags and sandbars,
see where the current slows in the shal-
lows and swirls and gains speed in the
deep, watch where the birds congregate at on crabs, prawns and baitfish being washed forward at warp speed, the tasty morsels
ith the mouth of small creeks that drain into
lems w along by the flow. I also know that a few
No prob e that the birds miss stand no chance. These
few hom the river when the tide recedes, and use all
taking a er
feet behind the birds, lying in the shal- areas are exactly where you cast a plastic
for dinn these observations to your flathead fishing lows, are the rivers most successful snipers and twitch it back away from the drain to
advantage. Whenever I see birds gathered ready to explode out of their camouflaged imitate a fleeing baitfish or prawn.
at a runoff drain, I know they are feasting hidey-holes. With their mouths wide open I have found motor oil-coloured plastics
lizard session commenced at lunchtime. and their powerful tails propelling them get the most hits in these runoff drains, but
How good was being able to sleep in and when the water is dirty then I have also
avoid the early morning cold? My spirits used bright pink and green and other co-
were dampened however when I got to
the ramp amongst a dozen boats waiting
in line to launch and turn the previously
tranquil river into a washing machine.
After launching I remembered the ad-
vantage kayaks have over boats and headed
across the river to the shallows where the
boaties would bottom out. Whilst crossing Sal with a
keeper.
the river I tried to make myself bigger and Perfect eat
ing size
more visible to the power boats whizzing
past. As soon as I hit the shallower water,
a couple of lures were cast out and after a
few minutes of slow trolling I had a hook
up. Nothing big, just legal, but I was stoked
when I had my first winter lizard in the
net. Trolling close to the bank in about two
feet of water and I caught a few more troll-
ing down river with the tide. The imagi-
nary light bulb above my head was turned
on and I had cracked the code with a little
help from ol mate down south. You just
have to try everything and learn all you can
and it will eventually come together for
you. All winter and into spring I couldnt
catch anything over 45cm and I still dont
know where all the big girls go to sleep in
the cooler months. Maybe they go out to
sea to rest and revive and get ready for the
forthcoming breeding season.
So, that is how I target the winter lizards
and it works quite well for me. As afore-
mentioned, winter didnt really happen
this year in SE Qld and I caught good-

80 81

lours with success. Some days the hungry
lizards will pounce on anything that moves
in any colour you throw at them. A lot of
the time a fish will just lay on top of your
plastic, trapping it after you have cast it
out and it sinks to the bottom. It feels just
like you hooked a stick or you are stuck in
the weeds. When this happens just give a
small twitch of the rod tip and if its a fish
it will scoff it down and then you are on.
When travelling to and from likely flat-
head hideouts I always troll a lure or two
and trolling with the tide is the way to go.
The fish point up current so anything that
drifts past is in the strike zone. Atomic
Hardz Crank deep diver 38mm are my
absolute favourite in Ghost Gill or Ghost
Brown colours. They never seem to let me
down and I have caught hundreds of fish
using these. The big girls love them as well
with fish up to 70cm eagerly attacking
them. You dont need big lures to catch big
fish! Lively Lures Micro Mullets in pink
are another lure I use when the water is
murky. Even towing a vibration blade or
tail spinner has worked for me at different
times.
Target the drop-offs from the sandbars
that are at the ends of islands. Check them
out at low tide and see where the best spots
are. Hammer these areas and cast in a fan
pattern when the tide is going out and you
should hook up. Find one fish and there
is usually a few more hanging around the
er
rs at eith
The sandba ar e a
r islands
end of rive
for lizar s
d With years of angling experience on the
prime spot
82
same area. If you still dont hook up, try
trolling along the drop off. Often fish that
wont take a plastic will readily take a lure
that dances past their nose.
You dont need high end flash gear or
sounders for targeting lizards. I dont take
my sounder anymore as it just distracts me
from looking around and observing my
surroundings. After time you will know
where the fish are most likely to be at your
local.
It is nice to have some flash outfits but
you can get away with almost any rod and
reel combo as long as it has a smooth drag.
When you entice a big girl to inhale your
offering they dont like being caught and
with their powerful tail and muscular body
will test the drag of your reel to its lim-
its. If its not up to scratch you will soon
find out. Often they will just take the lure
and slowly swim off. Its only when you try
and turn them, and they realise they are
hooked, that they engage the turbo and
the real fight begins. Expect them to make
several runs shaking their heads and trying
to spit the lure. You still have to be care-
ful after you land them. Get the lip grips
locked in as quick as you can or lift them
into your yak and cover them with a wet
cloth to settle them down.
I love a feed of flathead but only take
what I need for that day. All the bigger
girls from 55cm and above are always re-
leased. Flathead are classed as a sustainable
Cranka Lures
for eating.
Prime size e
and they ar
Any bigger d in g
r bree
released fo
By Nathan Meyers
sive claw
The defen their
is key to
position a m -
n big Bre
fishery and studies have shown catch rates success o nt Manusu
a
for the last 15 years being stable year after photo Gr
year with no decline recorded. The estuar-
ies and rivers along our coast are teeming
with these fish. Once you work out how Several years ago I began my foray into sports and tournament fishing for bream and trout around Tasmania.
to catch them in your local you should be
After struggling to catch fish I put in long hours researching lures and techniques to find a common theme, particu-
in for consistent fishing action through the
winter and summer months. larly among competition anglers. If you want to catch big fish, the product of choice is Cranka Lures.
Established in 2009, this small My initial choices were the BBQ Prawn they remain my two favourite colours as
Tasmanian company is run primarily by and Bluebait Minnows and both proved they continue to catch fish after fish. The
owner Steve Steer who started as a 10 successful when put to use later that day. key to their success is their colouration,
year old making lures in his dads shed. For both sentimental and practical reasons, which Steve has designed to mimic the
The years that followed saw Steve build a
resume that included tackle shop owner
m couldn
t
This brea
and pro-staffer for several big lure makers. e Cr a n k a
resist th
- photo
Crank B a it
tournament scene, Steve has developed nusu
Grant Ma
an unrivalled insight into not only the
industry, but the needs of recreational and
competition anglers alike.
My initial trip to purchase Cranka Lures
at the local tackle store proved a daunting
affair. With over 20 different colours
available, plus the choice of shallow and
deep options available in the Minnows
alone, I was somewhat bamboozled by
choice. Throw in the options of Crank
Baits, Shads and Vibes and I could have
easily filled several tackle boxes on that
trip alone.
83
 Trash or Treasure?
local baitfish the bream keenly feed upon.
er
Quality is also top-notch with tournament ro-Staff
hooks fitted to ensure the fish stay Cranka P l o v es
nusu
connected throughout the often rigorous
Grant Ma B r e a m
big
catching s
fights. Finally, the suspending design on crab
keeps the lure sitting in the strike zone for by Steve Evans
longer, crucial for bream who more often
than not will strike a lure as it rests.
Its not just bream anglers who favour
these lures, with plenty of trout anglers
also giving them preference. For me, there
is no better lure than the Golden Trout
that has accounted for a large number of
my trophy trout. Either trolled or cast it The lure had obviously
is highly effective and even when fishing spent a lot of time
multiple lures or with other anglers, fish stuck under the water
will often ignore the other offerings to
strike this lure.
Cranka Lures have proven a highly Good mate, Shaun Parkinson, and I had gone to a secret creek to target mangrove jacks. Having risen an hour
versatile lure, going well beyond the trout
before sun up and launched our yaks in the grey of the pre-dawn our expectations were high.
and bream they were initially designed
to catch. Ive used Cranka hard bodies in
numerous waters, luring a variety of species
A few half hearted swipes at our surface eye. It was a blob of weed and barnacles The wire of the attachment points was
including flathead, Australian salmon,
lures as they cut their V-shaped wake across suspended about 30cm beneath the stainless and still seemed strong, albeit
tailor and barracuda. Theyve even proven
the surface, had our pulse rates up and surface. About the size of a tennis ball, it the bronze trebles were almost completely
a handy lure when catching squid, with the
nerves on edge. As the light illuminated seemed totally out of place because it was rusted away. After giving it a good clean
suspending action replicating a wounded
released it properly onto the market. Once crabs look in the water. The floating claws more and more of our surrounds, however, not moving in the current but it wasnt alive and fitting new split rings and trebles it
baitfish so accurately even the keen sighted
available, the Cranka Crabs became hot not only provide a lifelike fighting stance, we realised we were unlikely to score a or swimming. Further scrutiny revealed was time to give it a swim. It looked like
Calamari has been fooled.
property with stores selling out often on but also allow the lure to move more fish this day. The water was crystal clear almost invisible fishing line attaching it to it would be a good flathead lure so I made
Not content with their outstanding range
the day shipments arrived. fluidly over and around the treacherous with astonishing visibility. The unseen a snag at the bottom of the creek. Time sure the Sus Minnow was attached to my
of hard body lures, Cranka continues to
Designed for catching bream, the snags where the bream hang out. fish, which had been earlier swiping at our to do my good deed for the day. After leader for my next estuary trip. Whilst
innovate and lead the industry, in particular
crabs can be thrown into all manner In addition to the floating claws, the lures, revealed themselves as small bream recovering the blob and as much of the it didnt catch a flathead, it did land an
with its range of Crabs. Released in a
of hazardous waters. From oyster lined innovation continues with removable and in the 15-20cm range. Any larger fish in line as I could, I scraped away the weed, estuary cod and held together. Im sure it
prototype version at the 2012 AFTA
banks to rocky shores, boulder lined sea replaceable parts. This not only allows this system would see our kayaks from algae and barnacles and found a hard body will land plenty more fish in the future.
trade show it set the tackle industry alight,
and river floors, jetties and sunken timber for the easy replacement of damaged long range and be spooked. We persevered lure underneath. Keep your eyes peeled when you are out in
taking out the best hard body lure award.
the floating nippers and hooks mean they components, but also the ability to mix and in the low light, heavy shadows of the When I got home I had a better look at your kayak, you never know what treasure
Testament to the quality and attention
seldom become snagged. Cranka pro- match parts to achieve a custom design. early morning, projecting our casts as far the lure and decided it was recoverable. you will find.
to detail Steve puts into his products, it
staffer Grant Manusus photograph is the With six colours of claws and legs and as possible and as deep in to cover as we
was several years after the launch before
perfect representation of how life like the 11 coloured bodies the choices are almost could, but the only fish we encountered First fish on the
he was satisfied with the final product and
endless and allow the angler to achieve a were the rat bream. revitalised lure...
life-like match for their local conditions. The beauty with kayak fishing is that hopefully many more
even a donut day is still enjoyable. Whilst to come
The crabs also come in two weights, with
the lighter model weighing 3.9gms and we certainly would have preferred to land
sinking at one metre per 4.5 seconds being a few nice jacks, the crystal clear water
suited to shallower bream hotspots, while of the glassy creek and splendour of the
the heavier lure weighing in at 5.9 grams surrounding bush kept us entertained for
and sinking at one metre per 2.4 seconds a couple more hours. We drifted along
provides a fantastic option for offshore observing the marine life beneath us and
anglers hunting reef species. the birds, lizards and other creatures of
In addition to the staple Tasmanian fish, the forest, while solving the problems of
Cranka Crabs are proving their worth on the world. The water clarity was insane.
a number of internationally renowned I recall drifting over a log lying on the
species including bonefish, permit, bottom in 9m of water and watching the
s
anka Crab small prawns and crabs feeding on the
A few Cr ut -
roosterfish and trevally. For those anglers
hanging o not already converted I cant recommend timber.
a n t Manusu While drifting along looking into the
photo Gr Cranka Lures highly enough.
water, something unusual caught my

84 85
 New from Tackle Tactics and ZMan
Moncross Megabox Multi Minnow Box
The Moncross tackle box range includes
compact, application specific trays that are
constructed from materials that do not re-
act with ZMan 10X Tough plastics, along
with Walker Boxes, Deeper Boxes, All-
round Boxes and a range of double-sided
boxes, offering anglers greater flexibility in
tackle management.
The range of Megabox Multi Minnow
Boxes from Moncross are double-sided
and allow you to secure your hard bodied
lures without the worry of them tangling,
while also making it quick and easy to lo-
cate the lure that youre looking for thanks
to the clear lids. These double-sided boxes
are also ideal for storing squid jigs.
Constructed from heavy duty PC and PP
material for higher and lower temperature
86
endurance, along with high impact resis-
tance, they come in Smoke Black colour
with clear lids. Deep compartments are
ideal for lures with heavy duty or upgraded
trebles and the V shape of these compart-
ments keeps the lures secure during trans-
port.
They are available in three sizes to suit a
variety of lures.
MEG-130-B Holds 13 lures up to
130mm in length (220 x 137 x 53.5mm)
MEG-145-B Holds 13 lures up to
145mm in length (220 x 152 x 53.5mm)
MEG-165-B Holds 17 lures up to
165mm in length (271 x 171 x 53.5mm)
If youre looking for a storage solution
to keep your hard bodied lures and squid
jigs secure, tangle free and sorted for easy
enhancement, with real ground bait, in a
selection when the bite is on, check out the
range of Moncross Megabox Multi Min-
now Boxes available now.
attractor in both the
Pro-Cure Super Gel New Flavours
Angler requests have led to the addition Pilchard (0516) A favourite baitfish for scent for everything from the fresh and
of 3 flavours in the Pro-Cure Super Gel many species, ground pilchards / sardines estuary to the surf.
Scent range. Pro-Cure combines the best make this gel irresistible. Mask foreign scents like fuel and sun-
of laboratory science, including power- Blood Worm (0517) Worms are a pop- screen, attract fish and trigger strikes,
ful amino acids, bite stimulants and UV ular food source for many species in both make fish hold on longer and maximize
the fresh and salt. Combine real ground your chances of catching big fish with Pro-
super-sticky formula that stays on lures bloodworms with laboratory science and Cure Super Gel Scent.
and baits longer. you have a dynamite
Aniseed (0515) Made with a
combination of 5 bait
fish and a shot of
anise, a proven fish
fresh and salt, that
holds legendary sta-
tus among fresh-
water anglers.
ZMan 3.5 EZ ShrimpZ Unrigged
Everything eats a prawn and the new its realistic profile, thin legs and antennae tion and a natural prawn kick, while the
ZMan EZ ShrimpZ is sure to appeal to a designed for added realism and vibration. fanned tail creates a natural glide on the
myriad of fresh and saltwater species with The segmented body creates maximum ac- sink.
87
 t
Also available in a pre-rigged version, the
unrigged EZ ShrimpZ comes in 8 colours,
with 4 lures per pack and can be used as a New Produc

The YakBitz Yakker

replacement body for the pre-rigged ver-
sion, or rigged standalone on a TT Lures
HeadlockZ or DemonZ jighead for fish-
ing open water and weedless rigged on the
TT ChinlockZ or SnakelockZ jigheads
for fishing deep in structure.
Testing of the 10X Tough, super-soft
Thanks to the hard work of local stocking groups, our impoundments and inland waterways are becoming not just
and flexible, ElaZtech EZ ShrimpZ saw it
boat everything from bass, flathead, mullo- an alternative to estuary fishing, but in many cases, more productive places to wet a line.
way and snapper, to barra, jacks and trev-
ally. How many different species will eat A lot of sounders these days have inte-
your EZ ShrimpZ? grated chart plotters. Some of the more
upmarket units also have web based shar-
ing software enabling you to share your
ZMan 3.5 Trick SwimZ recent scans of the contours and features
on the bottom with other users. Over time
a comprehensive picture of the bottom
Realistic baitfish profile, 10X Tough con-
contours, snags, structure and other fea-
struction and a trick action.
tures (eg car bodies and shopping trolleys)
The 10X Tough ElZtech construction
are accumulated in the cloud and anyone
has allowed ZMan to create a paddle tail
can download this information to their
plastic with a long thin tail shaft and un-
sounder before a trip. If you look at a ma-
dercut tail that creates an action that needs
rine chart of a freshwater dam you will not
to be seen to be believed. The design, com-
see any underwater contour lines. Imagine
bined with the super-soft and flexible,
having the bottom contours of a dam, in-
buoyant material means that as soon as the
cluding submerged creek beds, snags and shine Coast in Queensland. The Yakker around. Now you can see exactly where
plastic begins to move the tail springs to
rock bars, electronically loaded before you is a matchbox sized device that connects that elusive river bed is and identify other
life, whether it is being jigged vertically,
left home. Previously, this mapping soft- to your Fishfinder and sends position and likely fish holding locations.
hopped or retrieved at dead slow retrieve
ware has been constrained to the bigger, depth info to your smartphone or tablet via The App has an option to share your
speeds. This makes the 3.5 Trick SwimZ
more expensive sounders and chart plot- WiFi. Couple this with a really cool chart- readings with other users and if thats
an extremely versatile lure option.
ters, which are not really the domain of the ing App Navionics Mobile for Android enabled, it will upload your readings to
Other features include a realistic baitfish
kayak fisher. That is until now! and Apple devices and you have a chart Navionics servers when your smartphone
profile, ribbed body for additional wa-
The Yakker from YakBitz, a small Aus- that updates itself in real time, generat- or tablet reconnects to the internet. Once
ter movement, holding scent and an easy
sie start-up company based on the Sun- ing accurate depth contours as you move their system validates your data it gets
guide for trimming the plastic for a small-
added to their chart updates so other users
er presentation. Trick SwimZ are initially
can benefit too.
available in 10 colours, including ZMan
If you arent familiar with how these sys-
favourites Opening Night, Bad Shad and
tems work then check out the Navionics
Sexy Mullet, along with new release co-
Youtube clip: http://tinyurl.com/j4nud6c
lours Fried Chicken, Shrimp Po Boy and
At $69, the Yakker is an inexpensive and
Festivus, with 5 per pack and an SRP of
easy way to turn a blank canvas into a rich
$9.95.
tapestry of promising fishing spots. For
Species caught during the testing pro-
more information visit the Website www.
cess included flathead, bass, golden perch,
yakbitz.com or email info@yakbitz.com
mulloway, barramundi, mangrove jack,
snapper and were sure the list will be
growing as you read this. Fish on!
SPECIAL OFFER
The first person to order a Yakbitz
Yakker and mention this article will
receive a second Yakker for free.
Great Xmas present for a fishing mate!

88 89
 Insect Repellent Clothing from
Wisemans Choice
by Graham Foley

We are all aware of the importance of covering up and protecting ourselves from the harmful effects of the sun,
especially when seated in a kayak. Its great to see how seriously many kayak fishers take UV protection by covering
themselves head to toe with sun clothing.

Another consideration is the effect of fly- water will not remove it. The treated gar- of the neck. The clothing range is avail-
ing insects and their ability to spoil a days ments may also be starched and pressed, able through the Wisemans Choice online
fishing. Mosquitos and sandflies are major however dry cleaning should be avoided as shop.
culprits not to mention horseflies attempt- the process will remove the Pythrin from www.wisemanschoice.me
ing to get a feed from the smallest piece the garment rendering it ineffective.
of exposed skin, especially the ankles. A The Wisemans Choice shirts and trou-
can of personal insect repellent alleviates sers have large pockets and incorporate
the problem but the resulting odour can zip on and off sleeves and trouser legs, al-
be unpleasant not to mention the effects it though removal would lessen the effective-
may have by also repelling fish. ness to repel insects its a useful option. A
Wisemans Choice have introduced a particularly useful inclusion on the shirts
range of fishing shirts and trousers to their is an extended collar that can be turned up
product range that are impregnated with to give additional protection to the back
odourless Pythrin. As most of you would
know, Pythrin is both an insect repellent
and an insecticide. When applied to cloth-
ing, it offers reliable protection against a
wide range of insects. Although highly
toxic to insects, it is one of the least toxic
insecticides to humans. Pythrin is the only
approved, long-lasting pesticide repellent
for use on military uniforms.
Pythrin impregnated garments are safe
to wear and protect against more than
60 diseases spread by insects. It binds so
strongly to most fabrics that detergent and

90
 That Moment
By Rod Vardy
Before I became addicted to yak fishing, I used to be a keen golfer. Strangely enough I find that there are a number
of similarities between the two pursuits. Much like golf, yak fishing gets you out in the great outdoors and takes
you to some special places of natural beauty. Both are a test of patience and skill that take years to perfect and can
test you to the limit.
A game of golf for most keen hackers is
a mixed bag of shocking shots, poor deci-
sions and swearing with a small spattering
of good shots thrown in for variety. If you
are lucky, once in a while your round of golf
can be highlighted with a moment of bril-
liance. That one drive that you smoke down
the middle, the iron that finishes close to
the pin or the putt that snakes into the cup
from 30 feet. This is the moment you play
for and rewards all your effort. This is the
moment that keeps you coming back.
A day on the water fishing from your
kayak can be very much the same. You will
92
make many hundreds of casts, and cover
miles of water. Most of those casts will
go unrewarded. Some will end up in trees,
some will find unseen snags that rob you of
patience and lure alike. All will be endured
for that moment.
It may be that perfect cast that lands
right in the pocket under the overhanging
branches, or maybe getting your drift just
right to keep your lure in the strike zone.
With luck and skill it will end in triumph
with your lure smashed and your rod bent.
You come away with a smiling picture of
you with your catch and a memory to trea-
12
Barra Moment 20
sure. That is your reward; that is the mo-
ment that keeps you buying tackle and get-
ting you out of bed at stupid oclock. That
is the moment that you daydream of when
you are at work or trying to get to sleep at
night. The moment that keeps you coming
back time after time.
For me, one of my most treasured fish-
ing moments occurred quite recently, and it
came from a day on the water just like any
other. Here is how it unfolded.
During the warmer months of the year
my passion is chasing bass. Australian bass
are a wonderful sport fish and Ive been
Cod Moment 2011
lucky enough to catch some really great
fish over the years. Catching these sweet
water bruisers is a great challenge, and
surface fishing for bass is completely ad-
dictive. When winter comes to south east
Queensland I like to leave the bass alone
to complete their epic journey to and from
their breeding grounds, so I concentrate on
other fishing challenges.
Brad is one of my mates who shares my
love of bass fishing and kayak fishing in
general. He texted me recently and asked if
I was keen to chase some salt water species.
So we agreed on a meeting spot, loaded up
our kayaks and hit one of my local estuar-
ies. We both have small bass yaks for the
differed. The first thing I noticed was that
Did this flathead
s
think my ZMan wa
l fl at ty ?
another smal
have plenty of runs on the board over the
skinny fresh water, but for this session I
was in my Hobie Revo 11 and Brad was in
his Viking Tempo. Flathead are one of my
favourite winter targets, and heading to a
local estuary to flick plastics at these bot-
tom dwellers is a great way to relax and en-
joy some time on the water. It was no sur-
prise that we were both hoping for that
moment whereby we would come up tight
to a flathead of crocodile proportions.
We were enjoying a lovely mild winter
afternoon that followed what Brisban-
ites would consider to be a freezing cold
morning of only 6 or 7 degrees. I was hop-
ing that come late afternoon the water
would be nice and warm, and this would
trigger the fish to feed actively and chase
lures! Brad was fishing this spot for the
first time, but seeing how quickly he was
catching fish you would never have known.
Though we have spent many hours fishing
together over the years, I had not been out
with Brad in the salt, and it was interesting
to see how our techniques and approach
Brad fishes light with only a small jig-
head and a 3 plastic. He was targeting his
casts to visible snags on the fringes, using
a finesse approach with small, subtle rod
movements.
I on the other hand prefer to fish for
flathead with heavier jig heads and larger
lures. My method involves long casts and
large, sharp rod movements that impart
double or triple hops of the lure. Both of us
93
 years with impressive flathead PBs. This
highlighted to me that in fishing there is
very rarely a right and wrong way to do
things, just different ways of getting the
same results.
In quick time Brad showed that his
method was working very well indeed, as
he amassed a healthy tally of flathead and
bream. Brad even landed a surprise cap-
ture when a bass grabbed his soft plastic
tight to a snag. That bass were in the area
was not a huge surprise, what was interest-
ing was that this fish wasnt in deep water
schooled up for breeding. It was sitting in
relatively shallow water on a snag chasing
a feed. As it was closed season for bass,
Brad quickly released his fish and moved
on to a new location so as not to interrupt
the little tackers and their breeding plans
for that night.
It was a different story for me. From
1.00pm - 5.00pm I worked hard to scrape
together a total of three flathead with the
biggest in the low 50s. While not a ter-
rible result for an arvo on the water, it was
pretty slow going. Luckily for me we stuck
at it, because just as the day was cooling
off, the fishing started to heat up! Perhaps
that moment was about to occur?
In a rush of action I landed another
seven flathead in just over half an hour.
Most were in the 40-50cm range with the
biggest going 53cm. It was almost a fish a
cast as the light got lower and night closed
in, so we were understandably reluctant to
leave. When I fired another cast into the
area that had been thick with flatties I was
94
not surprised to get a hit. Expecting the
dead weight, head shakes and dour fight
of a flatty, I was surprised when the fish on
the other end of the line headed for open
water and the distant horizon with a blis-
tering run.
Being hooked up to a big fish triggers
multiple emotions simultaneously. Exhila-
ration mingles with anxiety. This is that
moment and it is all on the line. The re-
ward for all your efforts, your hopes and ex-
pectations hinge on you making the right
decisions and doing the right things. The
anticipation and suspense of not knowing
what has taken your lure is palpable and
the chance that it might all come apart at
Threadfin
Moment 2014
continued to rip line off my reel while
13
dragging my kayak in its wake. In short On any other
Bass Moment 20 time I was over 50m away from the hook night this would
up site and still losing line on a regular ba- have been the
sis. The longer the fight went on the more highlight
certain I was that I was not hooked up to
a flatty. My mind was racing through the
possibilities, what was I hooked up to?
What moment was I about to experience
and add to my collection?
In addition to flathead, the list of species
that frequent this area include threadfin
salmon, mulloway, tailor, bull sharks, sting-
rays and catfish. I had caught big catfish
here before, but the headshakes I was feel-
ing through the rod suggested I hadnt
hooked a monster catty or a foul hooked
stingray. Could it be a threadfin? I was
lucky enough to catch a small thready a
couple of years ago just a few hundred me-
tres from where I hooked this fish. likely candidate. Could this be my mullo- was probably only a few minutes, I finally
any moment adds a jolt of adrenaline to an Threadfin undoubtedly have the power to way moment? caught a glimpse of a silver silhouette that
already charged situation. My mind trav- provide the kind of fight I was experienc- As the fish gradually slowed up it made confirmed my guess that indeed I was onto
els back and I quickly relive the sensations ing, but something told me that it wasnt a less frequent and shorter runs, but it was my first decent jewie. My biggest jewfish
and emotions of some moments from my thready this time. Surely if it was a shark I still very powerful and used the current to to date was only a baby at 40cm, and judg-
fishing history. would have been bitten off by now. In my keep just out of sight in the ever increas- ing by the weight and power of this fish I
The line peeling off my reel takes me back mind, a mulloway (jewfish) was the most ing darkness. After what felt like hours but was hopeful of a large upgrade to my PB.
to the day when a Gold Coast barra did
much the same. Seeing that slab of chrome
surface beside the yak after a long battle
on bream gear was a moment that I could
never had anticipated! The obvious power
of my adversary brings back memories of
some fresh water tussles too. I recall being
towed around a small creek by a cracking
Mary River cod against heavy drag just
hoping to get a glimpse of this apex preda-
tor as it glides out from the murky green
water. Sometimes that moment sneaks
up on you and exceeds your expectations.
Just like the day I pulled my PB bass from
some gnarly Brisbane River snags. The
same snag had previously yielded a num-
ber of 40cm+ fish so it was no surprise
when I connected to a fish that hit and
fought hard. I expected another 40cm+
bass, but as it came closer to the net I was
stoked to see it was biggermuch bigger!
On the measure it went 56.5cm to the tip
of the tail and to this day remains one of
my favourite fishing moments. As the rod
buckles Im jolted back to the present and I
Flathead
wonder.could I be hooked up to another
Moment 2015
landmark fish?
Whatever had snaffled my Z-Man
DieZel was fighting unlike any flathead I
had ever hooked. This fish was heavy and
95
 Luckily I had switched to my heavier out-
fit only minutes before I hooked up, so I
was now using a 3-6kg yak raider rod, 15lb
braid and leader on a Daiwa Ballistic 2000
reel. My other outfit was a 2-4kg rod with
only 8lb braid and leader, so I felt thankful
that I had the relative security of 15lb fluo-
rocarbon and a stronger rod. Despite this,
the longer the fight went, the more ner-
vous I became that the leader would wear
through on the fishs teeth or gill plates.
When hooked up to a decent fish, it can
be easy to get over anxious and do some-
thing silly that ends in tears and four letter
words. Conscious of this, I had to remind
myself to relax and enjoy the moment,
trusting in my gear and my experience.
The fish was gradually getting closer and
I could see enough to realise that netting
this fish from the yak solo in the dark was
going to be a difficult task. Brad had been
keeping clear of the area while the fish was
green, but I accepted his offer to come in
and help to net the fish as it got close to
the kayak.
As the fish came to the surface for the
first time and then powered away I was
important body pa
96
amazed by the amount of water that this
fish moved with its large paddle tail. At
one stage the fish bolted off under Brads
yak and I had to bury the rod deep into
the water to prevent the line from touch-
ing his hull. After a few tense minutes dur-
ing which time we also managed to get our
her
Keep legs (and ot
rts) well
ikes
clear of those sp
Mulloway
Moment 2016
rods tangled in tree branches and lose a rod
over the side, we finally had our prize. I say
we, because although I hooked and fought
the fish, landing it was a team effort.
My Z-Man 4 DieZel had been inhaled
and looking at the jewfishs impressive
teeth close-up, I counted myself fortunate
to not have lost the fish during the fight.
Brad passed me my prize and I gave it a
swim as we prepared the camera. I had a
glove in the yak today in case we got a de-
cent flatty, and Im glad I did because it
sure came in handy for this surprise but
very welcome capture. It was hard to get an
accurate measurement in the yak, but the
fish was between 76-77cm and I was rapt!
Carefully I managed to extract the lure
without damage to the fish and noted with
interest that the leader was indeed quite
scuffed where it had been rubbing on the
fishs teeth during the fight.
After some quick photos I swam my fish
beside the yak as I pedalled back into the
current, allowing it time to recover with
lots of water flushing through its gills. As
aforementioned, bull sharks are known to
frequent these waters, so it was with some
relief that the fish recovered and swam
away in good health without becoming a
shark snackand I was happy to get my
hand out of the water too.
Brad was straight back into the action
and onto a flattie, but I was content to bask
in the afterglow of the experience, one that
I will remember for many years to come.
That was my moment, the one that will
keep me coming back.