yakfishing

lucky bastard I wanna join the kingy club! One of these days I keep telling myself..

Well done Roberta! How do you work those lures? I'm really keen to catch something on a lure but Ive only tried squidgies and havent really given them enough time.

I fish at Balls Head reserve in Waverton (next stop up from Nth Sydney) and usually get bream around 27 - 32cm and up to 37 cm if Im lucky. Also caught a 35cm snapper a few flatties, red scorpion fish and a few other species. Lost a few real thumpers, so theres some bigguns in there. I havent been taking the catch home tho cuz of the dioxins. You wont catch a bag of fish but you will get some decent sized ones. I use steak for bait as it holds up against the little reds that will monster any prawns or worms you throw in there. Just make sure you hide all of the hook with the point exposed and the bream will jump on it. Get the reddest, bloodiest and cheapest steak you can (no sense using a scotch fillet!) with as little fat on it as possible, they dont like the white bits. Balls head reserve you have to walk down a bush track for about 5 - 10 mins and climb onto some rocks, but its a nice place and a great view of the city. Good luck!

Gday Ben, Got out there today, (suprisingly after a big night) at about 10:30. Yeah could've used some company, but only just checked Raiders this arvo. Fished for bream on the runout, but only managed a couple 26 and 27cm. But got a gurnard too which is a first. I'm going on a deep sea charter tomorrow which should be good, been a while since ive been offshore, I hope I can find my sea legs. I havent tried going offshore with the yak yet. Where can you launch the yak without getting smashed? I'm not afraid of getting wet but just worried about my gear. I've only ever really estuary fished from the shore and thats all Ive done in the yak so far. I'm looking to start getting into some more serious fishing, but gotta do some learning and also upgrade the yak with some proper rod holders. Mines as wide a a humvee so its very stable, but looking at some the other guys ones I'm wondering how stable they are now too. If you want speed get a thinner one, but if you want stability get a wider one. I dont know any dealers, but someone might be able to help you out.

What are you using for these monster crocs I hear about? I visit Narra sometimes and drift with prawns in my yak for bream and flatties. Usually get a feed but only around 38cm flatties. I got a beauty once but lost him at the boat, so far haven't found him again. But I'm getting sick of that weed fouling my bait, so kinda getting over narrabeen. When is that at its worst? Sometimes its terrible and sometimes its ok. Also, the spot outside the caravan park, when is this best fished and what for? And the entrance to the lake - Im sure I've had a look at high tide and it has still been closed. Whats the deal, does it need to be a real high tide to spill over, or is a sporadic sandbar? I haven't tried up there much, I usually go around pipeclay point and drift down towards deep creek.

I've been fishing narrabeen lake ever since a hooked (then lost) a monster flattie there. I got him to the boat easily, he saw my ugly mug then took off behind me and snapped the line. Before I could finish yelling "holy shit thats a big flattie" it was all over, so Ive been back there a lot trying to get him again (and failing). Still getting a feed of some smaller lizards and a few bream tho. Last weekend, I tried botany bay and got some nice flatties, a bream and an occy, so I will be back there this weekend. Other than that Ive tried sussex inlet which was good. Got a 30cm flounder there that I was happy with. Really only targeting the bread and butter fish but would like to try my hand at some kingies and trevally and just about everything else with fins My botany catch. Would have caught more but my old man tipped over in my old dugout yak so had to call it short. Thanks for the replies guys good to see a lot of fellow yakkers out there

Could be something to think about in the future. I'll give the rapala a go next time I fish Botany Bay. Hi Roberta thanks for the warm welcome. Yes yakfishing is certainly the best I've had a lot of enjoyment so far and it only keeps getting better. I've fished for years and yak'd for years but its only recently I thought to combine the two. It seems so obvious now..

I love fishing from the yak and it gives you a whole heap of exercise without you even noticing it. The Hobies are great especially with the foot pedal flippers. It leaves your hands free for fishing and I can move faster with the pedals than with the paddles. What sort of lures are suitable? I dont have much experience with trolling been stuck on the shore my whole life.. I'd love a kingie of the yak, be interested to know how much a big fella would tow you along.

WOH! Good work mate. I'm yet to catch anything on a lure, not that I've tried much.. bit of a bait man, but I'd be stoked with a result like that. Is that a record for this site or what? Gotta be close

Gday raiders, Who of you out there fish from a kayak? I got a Hobie Outback Fisherman a couple of years ago, so far I've just been using it to drift for bream and flatties. I've had great success but I was wondering what else I can do from it. For example is it possible or worthwhile to troll? (I can get a consistent speed of around 5Kts) How do you guys use your yaks and what types and setups do you have? Cheers

Balls Head Waverton, the harbour bridge is just to the right of the photo out of frame

My 1st (legal) snapper caught out of Sydney Harbour while fishing for bream using steak for bait in November last year. He measured up 35cm a nice change from the 25cm (if that) ratbags. In the following weeks I got the letter from the fisheries saying you should only eat 150gms of fish out of the harbour but had already enjoyed a tasty meal. Oh well, I'll live..