mako1 Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 Today I went out for my first snapper session on the kayak. I launched from the beach at about 7am and spent the first two hours in close to the shore. There was plenty of bait around but I could only manage to catch bakers and pike. There was the odd fish hitting bait on the surface but I couldn’t temp them to take a plastic. This area was new to me so I decided to go and explore a bit and try and find some good ground. I was trolling a plastic while exploring and got a hit. After a good fight I land a nice sized snook. My first one. I have heard they are good eating so I kept it to try. After a bit more trolling around I finally find nice gravel bed. On my first pass I hook up to a nice snapper on a 5” jerkshad. After a good fight I land my first snapper on the kayak. It was a nice 48cm fish. The next couple of passes produced a few bakers and pike. I also missed a couple of smaller snapper. The wind had picked up quite a bit but I persisted and hooked up to another snapper that went 37cm. I paddled back up and started the drift again and on the first cast the rod buckled over and was nearly ripped out of the holder. I set the hook and the fish took off. I tightened the drag up but the fish kept taking the 10lb braid with ease. I locked up to prevent a bust-off and luckily the fish turned. I worked it up but it kept diving back down. I knew it was a really good snapper due to the headshakes. I finally had it at the mid water mark so I backed the drag off. I finally got colour and it was a big snapper. As soon as I got colour the fish dived down and the line went slack. I couldn’t believe it, after all of the fighting under a tight drag the hook just pulls out so close to the kayak under light drag. I was spewing but at least I got to see the fish and wasn’t left wondering. The snapper went quiet after that but the bakers and pike were still biting. I paddled back up to start another drift. Each time I pull in my shark shield so it doesn’t catch on the rudder. I had cast out and hooked up before I put the shark shield in the water. It was a big baker but as I was pulling it in I could see a large shape shadowing it. As it came closer I saw it was a shark about 2m long. I took this opportunity to test out the shark shield. I kept the backer about 4m down and the shark was coming in close to the baker but it wouldn’t take it. I put the shark shield in and waited for the shark to make its next pass. As it came in I turned it on and the shark instantly turned and took off at lightning speed. It’s good to know that it actually does work. I decide to pedal back up and do one more drift. I picked up another snapper similar in size to the second one I caught. I made my way back to the beach after a top first day out chasing snapper from the kayak. I’ll definitely be back out for that big one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamerz84 Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 awesome read mate good to see you getting the fruits of your labour, im heading out to the georges this morning to piut into practice what you taught me at the social a few weeks back. cheers hamerz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewdreamer Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 Fantastic stuff. Reading about that noah....... There would have been a long brown berley slick behind the yak if I'd been paddling! Better you than me bud. Great reddies, where were you fishing? Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breambucket Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 Fantastic work mate! I cant wait to get into the snapper on plastics but ill be in a boat i think. Were you out near botany heads? I bet it would of been scary seing that 2m shark! And a shame about loosing the big one! and your right its so much better if you see the fish that does you rather than not knowing at all Cheers Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robeebee Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 nice Reddie's Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinkymalinky Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 G'day Mako, Nice session with some beaut fish. Shame about the big Snapper... maybe you need to start carrying a banana with you like I do now Don't know if I fancy the idea of testing a shark shield by being bait. Isn't that something you want other people to be doing first Your Pike is a Snook and I think it's a raider record if you'd like to pop it in, mate. Cheers, Slinky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted July 10, 2010 Share Posted July 10, 2010 You are a thrillseeker Andrew Just read up about that shark shield device. Looks like a worthwhile purchase for a kayakker. Cheers mrsswordie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako1 Posted July 11, 2010 Author Share Posted July 11, 2010 Fantastic stuff. Reading about that noah....... There would have been a long brown berley slick behind the yak if I'd been paddling! Better you than me bud. Great reddies, where were you fishing? Cheers Chris I was fishing around the Austinmer/Coledale area. No brown slicks from the kayak when the shark appeared as it wasn't interested in the kayak, it just wanted the baker but in the end it got nothing, just a bit of a shock. Fantastic work mate! I cant wait to get into the snapper on plastics but ill be in a boat i think. Were you out near botany heads? I bet it would of been scary seing that 2m shark! And a shame about loosing the big one! and your right its so much better if you see the fish that does you rather than not knowing at all Cheers Pete It wasn't scary when I spotted the shark as it was more interested in the baker than the kayak. I was fishing the area around Austinmer/Coledale. It was good to see the fish as I confirmed it was a good snapper but I would have prefered to see it in the kayak G'day Mako, Nice session with some beaut fish. Shame about the big Snapper... maybe you need to start carrying a banana with you like I do now Don't know if I fancy the idea of testing a shark shield by being bait. Isn't that something you want other people to be doing first Your Pike is a Snook and I think it's a raider record if you'd like to pop it in, mate. Cheers, Slinky The shark was a lot more interested in the baker than the kayak but it showed no fear of the the kayak until I turned the shark shield on. It's good to know that it does actually work. I don't think I would be wanting to bring the shark in close for a test if it was any bigger. When I first saw the snook I thought it was a huge pike but as it came closer I saw that it was a snook and a first for me. There were heaps of them on the surface taking what looked to be small lobster larvae. You are a thrillseeker Andrew Just read up about that shark shield device. Looks like a worthwhile purchase for a kayakker. Cheers mrsswordie I try to take every precaution before I go on a trip and I think this shield is a good investment for offshore kayakers especially if there is fishing involved. It was good to actually see that it does work and another bonus is that it doesn't affect fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hatte Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Bloody ripper mate!!! What sort of yak do you fish out of and how did it handle the offshore conditions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako1 Posted July 11, 2010 Author Share Posted July 11, 2010 Bloody ripper mate!!! What sort of yak do you fish out of and how did it handle the offshore conditions? I've got a Hobie Pro Angler. It handled the offshore conditions really well. It's really stable and comfortable to fish from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brendong Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Nice one Mako, thats a cracker sesh!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Another great session, Andrew. There's not many places you won't tackle in your yak, is there? A superb feed of fish mate. Well done Cheers Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stippy Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Looks and sounds like a lot of fun... I've recently been looking into kayaks myself - how long had you been kayaking before you ventured offshore? I live in Thirroul so its nice to know the fish are out there, how far offshore did you go? Cheers, Adam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joco Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Great report, fantastic results..... Well done.... Ill be keeping my eye out next time..... Might bump into you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olitay Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 well done mate, shame about the big snapper, hey what is a shark shield and how does it work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrsswordfisherman Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 well done mate, shame about the big snapper, hey what is a shark shield and how does it work? The product supposedly emits an electrical field that induces spasms in the sharks snout that causes the shark to "run away". Do a google and read about it - quite an interesting concept. mrsswordfisherman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako1 Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 (edited) Another great session, Andrew. There's not many places you won't tackle in your yak, is there? A superb feed of fish mate. Well done Cheers Ian There are plenty more places to explore. Don't know where I'll end up next Looks and sounds like a lot of fun... I've recently been looking into kayaks myself - how long had you been kayaking before you ventured offshore? I live in Thirroul so its nice to know the fish are out there, how far offshore did you go? Cheers, Adam. It is heaps of fun especially when a big one comes along and starts to tow you around. I have been fishing from the kayak since last May. I have stuck to the estuaries and bays during this time so that I can get confident with the kayak and see how it handles all sorts of conditions. I have also improved my paddling as you can't pedal further than you can paddle just in case the pedals breakdown. The furthest I went offshore was about 1km but most of the area I was fishing was closer than that. well done mate, shame about the big snapper, hey what is a shark shield and how does it work? The device creates a field that is about 8m in diameter. It affects the shark's ampullae of lorenzini, which are the shark's sensors located in the shark's snout. It causes uncomfortable spasms in the shark's snout, which in turn causes the shark to flee the area. It's great to use while fishing because fish do not have ampullae of lorenzini so they are not affected by the device. Edited July 12, 2010 by Mako Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray R Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Great read Andrew, glad you got your first kayak reddies and that shark deflector works, don't envy you being way out there in a kayak with those big biters.. Congrats on the fish mate well done... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iMick Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Unreal Andrew, I pick up my Outback Friday and I'm very interested in the brand of your shark shield (considering you've personally tested it, and it works). We might bump into each other on the Georges one day. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 Well done Mako! Congratulations on your first decent snapper!! That bigger one is a beauty. Shame about the one that got off tho. Terrific feed there! I'm not to fussed going offshore - I tend to provide my own burley, so would be good to fish around tho! Haven't caught snapper myself yet (other than tiny estuary ones) but they don't count!! They are on my list of 'to catch' fish, along with jewies and a few others. re: I have also improved my paddling as you can't pedal further than you can paddle just in case the pedals breakdown....... always take some string with you - in case one of the flippers comes adrift - it saved me a trip to the dealer about 2 months ago & is still working well, so haven't bothered replacing it! Also, with going offshore on a regular basis like that, I'd be tempted to make sure you have some sort of automatic bilge set up in the yak, in case water gets in - as you can always use the paddle to get back, but if water gets in & you are on your own ....... you could be stuffed!! Well done on investing in the Shark Shield too - very smart, as you ARE in THEIR backyard! Cheerio Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACIMA Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Awesome read again Mako Is there anything you can't catch It was a shame about the snapper that got away but at least you got to fight it most of the way and you got to see it. As far as the shark goes you're a brave man and it's great to see the shark shield isn't just a gimmick and it actually works. You should send them an email and tell them your story as I'm sure they'd appreciate the feedback. At least you got a good feed that night to. What did you do with the Snook do you just cut the fillets off and what are they like to eat? Thanks again for the good read and the extra tips you gave us at the social day. Brad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjchen Posted July 15, 2010 Share Posted July 15, 2010 hey andrew ur a champ going off shore so soon i would love to join you soon, have to wait for school holidays as im teaching now would there be snapper out the heads? you drove pretty far, i had to google the place lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mako1 Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 Unreal Andrew, I pick up my Outback Friday and I'm very interested in the brand of your shark shield (considering you've personally tested it, and it works). We might bump into each other on the Georges one day. Mick Congrats on your new outback Mick. You'll love it. I'll PM you the shark shield details. Well done Mako! Congratulations on your first decent snapper!! That bigger one is a beauty. Shame about the one that got off tho. Terrific feed there! I'm not to fussed going offshore - I tend to provide my own burley, so would be good to fish around tho! Haven't caught snapper myself yet (other than tiny estuary ones) but they don't count!! They are on my list of 'to catch' fish, along with jewies and a few others. re: I have also improved my paddling as you can't pedal further than you can paddle just in case the pedals breakdown....... always take some string with you - in case one of the flippers comes adrift - it saved me a trip to the dealer about 2 months ago & is still working well, so haven't bothered replacing it! Also, with going offshore on a regular basis like that, I'd be tempted to make sure you have some sort of automatic bilge set up in the yak, in case water gets in - as you can always use the paddle to get back, but if water gets in & you are on your own ....... you could be stuffed!! Well done on investing in the Shark Shield too - very smart, as you ARE in THEIR backyard! Cheerio Roberta Thanks for the tips Roberta. I get sea sick too and I can't go offshore without taking a couple of seasick tablets. I've got a few bits and pieces I always carry with me just in case I break down. I even have a spare fin as I slightly damaged one when I ran over an oyster lease that I forgot was there. It was still OK but I ended up putting a new fin on and keeping the other one as a spare. I've also put in an automatic bilge pump just in case I flip over or I get a hole in the kayak while I'm offshore. The shark shield wasn't cheap but I think it's a good thing to have especially if going offshore. What did you do with the Snook do you just cut the fillets off and what are they like to eat? Brad I ended up cutting it into small cutlets and just dusted it with a bit of flour and fried it. It was beautiful. hey andrew ur a champ going off shore so soon i would love to join you soon, have to wait for school holidays as im teaching now would there be snapper out the heads? you drove pretty far, i had to google the place lol We'll have to go for a fish soon. There would be snapper around the heads but the better grounds are further south even around cronulla which isn't too far away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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