Just bought a new kayak:)

[brighton le sands]

Hey guys,

well a few days ago i bought the cheapest sit-inside kayak from A N A C O N D A at half price for 250 dollars (What a bargain!), i just want a few tips on what i should add to my kayak to keep my stuff secure, and if the stuff i strap on the back is easily accesible while kayaking. I would also appreciate any good ideas on were to place my rod holders, and how i should manouvre the kayak around the bay, like how deep i should go.. for now however i am just thinking about croosing the shallows or maybe trolling a lure. I would also like some information on the possibility of sharks in the area and how i can prevent them or what to do if i encounter one(Although i doubt i ever i will). Can't wait to try my customised fishing yak soon!!!

Cheers guys,

BIlly

Edited April 25, 2012 by brighton le sands

[brighton le sands]

Wtf common guys??? plz just one reply especially on the help of sharks and how to deal with them in botany bay

[cjchen]

in all my years of fishing the bay in a kayak never saw a shark.

for kayaking ideas, try kfdu and akff, tons of information!

[brighton le sands]

Thanks m8, now i think im ready to go kayaking in the bay!!!!

[Iwbcnet]

Hi Bill, i have a kayak aslo and spend many hours in the bay, you will love it

[sharknett]

Also spend lots of time yakking the bay. Find La Perouse, Brighton and the oil warf are the best launch spots. Not seen a shark yet and have done trips from La Perouse to Maroubra and back. If you do see one, just ignore it or, if it mae you nervous, calmly paddle to shallower water.

[brighton le sands]

Thanks for the help guys its well appreciated. Hopefully, i can catch you guys on the bay one day, i'll be in a green kayak...

Regards,

Billy

[A.dawg]

Also spend lots of time yakking the bay. Find La Perouse, Brighton and the oil warf are the best launch spots. Not seen a shark yet and have done trips from La Perouse to Maroubra and back. If you do see one, just ignore it or, if it mae you nervous, calmly paddle to shallower water.

From what I see on man vs wild it's the opposite lol

First of all just keep calm and don't panic but bear grylls said yell and scream and it it comes that close to the yak try smack it's nose with your paddle as it is the most sensitive part of a shark.

Sit in kayak are less stable than sit ons so it might be a good idea to try in the George's first oatly bay is a good start. Start of with out Gear and see how it handles u purposely wobbling the yak

[Scottakasid]

My advise is if you see a shark dont try and patt it Just go do it i love fishing from my yak its the best Take it out a few times and get a feel before you start putting rod holders and stuff on it. Then you can feel whare things will sit comfy and within reach. Just have fun and stay out of the water

[GoneFishin!]

Wow.... After writing all of this I realised that these posts were from April ahahaha oh well I guess I should be asking for your advice! Guess I'll leave this up anyway in case someone else finds it helpful.

Hey guys,

well a few days ago i bought the cheapest sit-inside kayak from A N A C O N D A at half price for 250 dollars (What a bargain!), i just want a few tips on what i should add to my kayak to keep my stuff secure, and if the stuff i strap on the back is easily accesible while kayaking. I would also appreciate any good ideas on were to place my rod holders, and how i should manouvre the kayak around the bay, like how deep i should go.. for now however i am just thinking about croosing the shallows or maybe trolling a lure. I would also like some information on the possibility of sharks in the area and how i can prevent them or what to do if i encounter one(Although i doubt i ever i will). Can't wait to try my customised fishing yak soon!!!

Cheers guys,

BIlly

Hey Billy, congrats on starting what will be a very addictive way of fishing! I too just bought a kayak (also a cheapie at $425 from e bay) did yours come with anything like a seat, paddle, PFD etc? I also asked the forums for help when I started (only a month ago!) and they were very helpful so hopefully I can pass on what I've learnt so far. As mentioned there are also kayak fishing specific forums you can check out for a wealth of info but this forum is also really helpful.

First of all, something I learnt aft a bought the kayak was you have to wear a Personal Flotation Device or PFD when you're on the water or you can be fined, but most importantly it can save your life so either way I would strongly suggest getting one and using it. I also found out from my first experience out that you should either buy a good dry bag to put your phone, keys and anything else you want to keep dry in, and not try wrapping it up in a make shift one from the plastic that the paddle came out of because the one you ordered hasn't arrived in the post yet! (R.I.P iPhone 4)...

As you have also mentioned, make sure everything you don't want to loose over the side is attached to the yak! I bought some cheap lanyards from e bay that I use on my rods, net and the paddle and they have already saved one of my rods three times so that $6 lanyard was well worth the money and an essential piece of kit!

I'm currently looking into attaching an anchor trolley to mine as this mill allow me to obviously anchor in the bay but also to position the yak howev I need to for the most comfortable fishing. This is important as in the yak you only have a limited range in which you can comfortably fish so if the wind or current pushes you in the wrong direction, without an anchor trolley, there's not a lot you can do without paddling.

Now, sharks.... I had a similar concern in the back of my mind at first but your fears will disappear once you've been out on the bay a couple of times, I have been going out on my own the last few weeks and it's not even something I think about, I certainly haven't seen any in Botany Bay. If you are really worried about it the are things on the market that are meant to keep sharks away but the name escapes me! I'm sure someone will help me out there, but it's not something I'd worry too much about.

So, when you're ready to head out, I would suggest launching from a very sheltered area where the wind and current will not be strong. If you're not confident then just go for a paddle without any gear on board and get a feel for it. If you're confident then load up with your main gear that you would be taking out and again just go for a paddle and while you're still in calm waters try rocking the yak and moving around in it like you would if you were trying to reach something behind you or if you were fighting a big fish, find out how far you can go before water starts coming over the sides or it tips over. It was also suggested to me that you jump off the yak and practice getting back on it in the water just so you know how to do it. I've also watched a few you tube videos about techniques on how to turn a flipped yak back over (can be very tricky when they're strapped with gear and you're in deep water!).

When your ready to head out into the bay for some fishing, make sure you know what the weather is supposed to be like for the next few hours, if it's going to get windy in the afternoon, try to head back before the wind hits and you're 3kms across the bay and have to paddle back into the wind and chop to get home before the storm hits (this happened on my first outing!). Wind is by important and you'll get to know how much you can take before it starts being no fun or even dangerous. I'd say around 12 to 15 knots is where I think about giving it a miss at the moment but some people are more game to tackle it and of course some yaks like the longer ones are better in rough conditions.

If you go out on your own, just be smart and make sure someone knows where you're going and when to expect you back. I heard someone who had a good saying that "if in doubt, don't go out!".

I've only been doing it for a very short time and like you I'm going out on Botany Bay but you'll pick it up quickly and soon work out what's working and not working for you. These forums are the best source of information, especially the kayak fishing specific ones, K F D U and A K F F which have some good posts about home made mods and safety ideas (including keeping sharks away).

Anyway hopefully some of that will be useful to you. I look forward to reading lots of reports once you find your "feet" in the yak! I'm sure I'll see you out in the bay at some stage!

Cheers

Nick

Edited September 7, 2012 by GoneFishin!