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| Interview with Couta1 | | Print | |
| Wednesday, 13 August 2008 | ||||
Punisher of pelagicsSteven Smith is known to the Australian kayak fishing community as Couta1 and for the past couple of years has been developing a reputation for his uncanny ability to catch big fish. Often. His most recent catch was an awe-inspiring 26kg longtail tuna, earning him yet another #1 spot in the AKFF Hall of Fame. I asked him if he'd be good enough to answer some questions in the form of a Yakabout interview and he was happy to oblidge. So grab a cuppa, sit back and learn from one of the masters.  Couta1's Stonker longtail... all 26kg of it Q: Tell us a bit about yourself... where you live, what you do for a crust and what do you do in your spare time when not fishing from one of your beloved kayaks? A: I was born in England in 1974. My parents decided a couple of years into my life to make the move to a more sunny, open spaced country with blue skies and a good sea. South Africa was the choice and it was there that I spent a good part of 20 years of my life by the ocean. If it was not for them I would not have developed a love for the ocean, fishing and surfing. I work as an Electrician on the Gold coast, and also stay on the coast. In my spare time when not fishing I relax with my beautifull girlfriend, enjoy a bit of nature and getting out into clean open spaces. Q: What as it that attracted you to the endeavour of kayak fishing in the first place?  Q: You seem to do a lot of surf launches to reach your fishing grounds. Is there anything about your technique and kayak that you feel assists you in getting out there (and more importantly, getting back in through the breakers)? A: Being a keen surfer I believe helps as it has taught me how to read, understand how waves break and how the contours of different beaches affect the swell, type and direction of swell. Also taking time out to understand the local conditions at the beach you want to launch from. I like my kayak as it works for me for what I want to do. But a lot of other kayaks are capable of also fishing out there. Also a lot of luck helps me out as well in getting in and out through the surf... as i also enjoy a good beating, as if a wave is going to throw you over you are going over and you may as well enjoy it. Q: No doubt you've had a few 'oh shit' moments. Can you describe your most memorable? A: A few years back, me and a few mates did a kayak fishing trip up the east coast of Africa. We set up camp. One of the days we launched the surf was as flat as. There was a cyclone swell predicted from a cyclone a few thousand kilometres away, but only the following week. We all had hatches full of dolphin fish, and the only return access point back to the beach was through the small bay were we had set up tent. This bay was only about 300 metres wide and the rest of the coastline was surrounded by shear cliffs and rocks for hundreds of kilometres. Well you guessed it - the swell had somehow picked up to over 8ft in a matter of 30 minutes and was breaking right across this bay about 1km out to sea. We were probably about 3 days drive from the nearest help if anything happend... by some miracle we all made it in ok!!! The following hour the surf had jacked to well over 10ft... that was an 'oh shit we were lucky' moment. Q: Very recently you knocked off Spooled1 from the 1st place with his record for a 21kg longtail tuna by bagging a 26kg specimen. Tell us a bit about the tackle, rig and strategy you were using to catch the 26kg monster. A: I didnt expect to catch that fish as I was not specificlly going for it. I always make sure my live rig setup is well maintained and loaded with gear that will not dissapoint if something decent comes along. I am very happy with the range of shimano t-curve rods as it has really helped me raise some stuborn fish. I load my line with 30lb mono and from 40lb to 60lb leader depending on the season I believe kayak fisherman have a great advantage when fighting larger fish as that fish will pull you and your kayak and will tire quickly. Tuna can be stubborn because as they have no swim bladder they have to keep continuosly moving, but they are not a dirty fish so I knew it would not try and reef me. I had faith in my tackle and did not rush the fish in case I pulled the hook. I let it sound twice and then used my rod to wind and lift, and at the same time just waited for my kayak to get closer to it so i could get the gaff shot.  There's a great big smile behind that even bigger fish (Giant Trevally) Q: You've got various entries in the AKFF Hall of Fame, ranking either 1st, 2nd or 3rd on the following catches: 26kg longtail tuna, 22kg cobia, 12kg cobia, 9.1kg snapper, 7.52kg mactuna, 5kg mactuna, 8kg yellowfin tuna, 14.5 kingy (tell me if there's anything I missed). Of those catches, which was the most satisfying, and why? A: You missed the 22kg Giant Tevally(G.T). Also had a good day with some jewfish.But the most satisfying has to be a big cobia. They are just pure power house fish. You really get to appreciate the power and stamina of one even more from a kayak. A cobia is not beaten untill he is in the hatch. They also look so much like a shark so the angler can be unsure right untill the end.  Someone ate well that night... and probably for the next week Q: Which is the one species of fish you haven't yet boated, but are absolutely determined to?  Q: Are there any kayak fishing destinations that you absolutely, positively, must get to fish before your arms do drop off? A: I would like to try hawaii or the mackerel islands in WA Q: If money was no object, describe the rod, reel and line you'd be using for your off-shore pelagic hunting expeditions. A: I am happy with what I use now: Rod: Shimano T-curve overhead jig Reel: Penn 500l jigmaster
 Fun in the Gold Coast sun, kayak fishing, Couta1 style
   
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