Scott Lovig bags a nice 'lil table sized pinky - a common site at Mornington

I haven't written up a kayak fishing report for over a week now, which isn't to say I haven't been out for a fish in that time. On the contrary, I've had 3 trips since my last report - but aside from the last trip consisting of a test run on a Hobie Revolution and Miragedrive ST fins, I really haven't had a lot to report. Of these 3 trips, 2 of them were at Fishermen's Beach, where I bagged 5 Squid on Saturday afternoon and nothing on Tuesday morning. I also went for a fish at Rickett's Point on Sunday afternoon, where I also scored a goldern duck. This is all a fitting reminder of why here isn't a great place to be right now.

That brings me to the other reason I haven't taken the time to write reports on those trips, which is the simple fact that it's not long before my planned departure date of mid July and there's still a fair few loose ends to tie up. On top of this, I'll be spending a week helping out the Victorian Hobie dealership at the Melbourne Boat Show early July, so I'm running out of time. I stuck my hand up to volunteer for this, as I see it as a good chance with perfect timing to start promoting this website, as well as to make some good contacts just before I go.

Now that this site is starting to take shape and resemble what it will really look like when I embark on this trip, the time is also right for me to start seeking out a few sponsors. It's not imperative for me to have all of that in place before I go, but it would be nice. So the boat show should be a good chance to get the ball rolling on that front as well. Over the next few weeks I also have to sell my motorbikes and computers, have all my mail directed somewhere safe, say goodbye to a lot of people and most especially, spend as much time with my son before having to say goodbye to him as well.

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Paddles great, pedals equally well... yep, I'm getting one

Blue suede revo!

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Exactly what I was expecting - the perfect middle gear

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Perhaps I'm better off with a Revo?

If you've read my review of the Hobie 2007 Outback fishing kayak, you'd know why I decided to upgrade to that (from my original Hobie Sport) instead of the hybridised Revolution . Not only was I drawn to the added stability afforded by it's extra width, I was also taken with the improvements made in the 2007 version. Initially it was my intention to go for the Revolution but was taken by the Outback at the last minute. Since then there have been times when I ask myself if the Outback really is the most suitable boat to take around the coastline of Australia.

Certainly, my gut feel was right about the stability of the Outback, which is second to none. That's an advantage to kayak fishing any way you cut it. The compromise here, however, is that of speed and it's something I've had trouble weighing up ever since I decided to undertake this kayak fishing trip around Australia. Like that of stability, the ability to go faster is also a desirable trait for some forms of kayak fishing. Not only can extra speed make lighter work of longer distances, in my opinion, it can also improve your chances on hooking up certain pelagic species while trolling.

It's true that for many kayak fishing scenarios speed is barely a major factor and no doubt many species of fish (most perhaps) actually respond better to a slow troll anyway. So if I was only going to be fishing lakes, enclosed bays and calmly flowing rivers and estuaries, sure, I think I'd put stability first over speed.

But here's the thing... stability just doesn't seem to be a characteristic that is so essential to me anymore. I've been kayak fishing for about 5 years now and haven't taken a tumble in any yak for at least 3 years (and in none of the Hobies I've used). I think perhaps that sea-kayaking course I did (in Sandringham) a few years ago really helped. Whatever the case, while I certainly appreciate the amazing stability of the Outback I'm starting to think that this advantage is a little lost on me now. My balance seems to be pretty damned good these days anyway... and it's not like the Revo is a tippy boat anyway.

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Pros, cons and strategies for berleying from a kayak

Every fisherman worth his salt knows that using berley is a great to attract fish. I once read the perfect analogy as to how berley does (or should work), which went a bit like this: think of berley the same way cartoon artists would render a scene where 'Ma' is cooking up a storm in the kitchen. A visually apparent odour drifts from the food source and as a result, other characters follow their nose (usually a dog, floating through the air to the fuel of nostril power) to the kitchen as a result. Thats much like berley is supposed to work. Indeed, done properly, thats precisely how it works.

There is no debating that done right, laying down the berley can attract fish and often incite them into a feeding frenzy. The catch 22 for kayak fishermen, however, is that said berley might also attract sharks and they are the last thing you want nearby in a feeding frenzy... well, if they're big 'n toothy that is. Some yak fishoes just won't use berley because of this and well, you can't really blame anyone for that. Besides - there really are times when berley just isn't required anyway, not to mention that it's just one extra thing to take along.

Put into perspective, however, of the 400 species of shark swimming in our oceans today, only a handful of them are considered dangerous. You are 250 times more likely to be killed by lightning than you are by man-eating sharks, so why worry about them so much? Well, ok... it's because they're scary, I know - scary and real. But of those 400 species it is generally accepted that less than 10 of them pose any threat to humans. And they are generally no where near as aggressive as they are typically made out to be. So as kayak fishermen, should we be worried about such unwanted side effects of using berley? It's not something other boaters really have to worry about but there isn't a lot of freeboard between kayak fisherman and water surface, is there.   

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Lures at the ready when kayak fishing

Ever popular Ecogear sx40

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AKFF kayak ownership poll

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Easy access, loads of kayak fishing opportunities

Fishermen's Beach is one of several top kayak fishing destinations that lie within a stones throw of Mornington, making it easily accessible from Melbourne. Fishermen’s Beach offers easy access to the water with close proximity to deeper waters and productive reefs and as such, is quickly becoming one of the favourite destinations for Melbourne-based kayak fishermen. Not only do the nearby reefs hold healthy numbers of Snapper, Flathead can be found in abundance here, as can Squid. That's a pretty good mix for the hungry fisherman and although I'm yet to see it, no doubt Aussie Salmon, Barracouta and Snook traverse these parts as well.

Squid and Snapper holding reefs lie just ahead

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New version of Goodle Earth out now

A new version of Google Earth was released a couple of weeks ago, which is worth mentioning here given that most kayak fishermen tend to make use of it. Aside from updated imagery, here's what's new in version 4.17087:   

New in v4.1: New and simpler user interface (with more screen real estate for actual imagery), support for "textured" 3D buildings, smart loading techniques for KML files, enhanced visual terrain, Web Mapping Service(WMS) image/data overlays, new language editions (French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Japanese), support for Hi-definition (HDTV) movie output and improved GPS support (Google Earth Plus only), various bug fixes and minor enhancements for earlier releases - Last Updated: 05.30.07 (v4.1.7087) 

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The pedal-driven SUV of kayak fishing

Hobie Outback 2007

Although there was absolutely nothing wrong with my Hobie Sport Fish kayak and that I'd never tipped it or encountered any problems whatsoever, after several months of use I started to wonder if it was really suitable for an indefinitely long trip around the coastline of Australia. My primary concern was stability - I'd had a few close encounters in some rougher waters in Port Phillip Bay (right near the heads specifically). No doubt I'll find myself in similar conditions over and over as I venture into unfamiliar waters, so more stability could only be good.

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Better to have a set of turbo fins and not need them than to need a set of turbo fins and not have them

Hobie Mirage Turbo fins

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