GoneFishin!

I'm pretty much in the same situation as you except I'm going in May.. I bought a Shimano 15-24kg T Curve travel rod which is probably a little excessive but I thought it's better to be safe than loose that huge GT again!!! I matched it with an Omoto overhead reel so hopefully that will go well with the rod.. Can't offer too much advice though as I'm yet to do the trip and last time I didn't take anything just did a charter and lost a huge GT at the boat which is why I'm keen to get one on board this next trip!

My Garmin Echo 300c came with a special mounting bracket just for attaching it to electric motors so I'd have a look into that if you're stuck for ideas... I have just mounted mine inside the hull though and that works fine..

That's different! Don't think I've seen an externally mounted battery in a yak before.. Good to think outside the box or in your case outside the yak lol.. I drilled a hole to run cables inside my yaks and keep the battery in a dry bag and out of the way but if that works then why not!? Nice work.. You'll get addicted to yak fishin like the rest of us! There's some dedicated forums if you haven't already found them.. They might have more advice for further projects...

Awesome report! Wish I had that kinda luck! I've never fished that exact area so no idea if you're allowed to fish or not but a quick Google search came up with something that's old but may make you not want to fish there anyway..! Obviously this is from years ago but the page has been updated in 2011 so you'd think there would still be some concern about this area... Anyway, food for thought! haha "Penrhyn Estuary: In 2006, a human health risk assessment completed on the Penrhyn Estuary area (at the eastern end of Foreshores Beach) found that the exposure risks from contamination within the estuary to swimming and/or consuming fish exceeded designated levels and were determined to be unsafe. Subsequently, the NSW Department of Primary Industries gazetted a fishing ban in the Penryhn Estuary. In conjunction with Orica, DECC installed new warning signage at Penrhyn Estuary, replacing older advisory signs placed by Council. This ban and associated signage are still in operation." http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/beach/ar0708/botanybay.htm Looks like it was great fun either way! I have one of those little Halcos but I've never given it a go.. might have to get it wet next time I'm out in the yak! Cheers Nick

Maybe you didn't say you were looking for serious buddies..? That's got to be the only explanation for more than usual replies.... :074:

Good to see so many girls getting into fishing lately! (Even if they do put me to shame catching more fish haha ) I would take you up on your offer as I'm usually out a lot on my own as I work shift work and often odd hours but I do a lot of fishing from a kayak as I am yet to find a nice quiet land based spot that is fairly consistent and close by (I can dream can't I? )

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 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

ahahaha Probably way too late but I just realised that the forum changed e Bay to "online shop" every time I wrote it! So for all of you people out there asking where I got it from it was e Bay!!

Hey Everyone, I thought it might be a good idea to share how my new kayak purchased off e Bay for $425 went on its maiden voyage! I know when I was looking at buying this yak I was trying to find as many reviews about them as possible so thought I'd put in my 2 cents now I've taken it out. We went out in Botany Bay late this morning, launching off the beach at Monterey. For $425 I got the yak, paddle, seat and rod holder (plus a couple of other goodies the seller threw in when I collected it!). I also managed to find a good brand new PFD on e Bay for $80 that worked a treat too. The yak performed really well, it floated for a start! It was also pretty stable even when the wind picked up and it became very choppy. The seat was really comfortable and the paddle was solid and didn't feel like something cheap. It's also light enough for me to lift it onto my car roof racks which is great. The only bad thing I have to say about it and I was totally expecting this, is this that it wasn't super fast through the water. Don't get me wrong it was fine paddling but that was the most noticeable thing about it as I was out with a mate who was in a proper yak that cut through the water a lot easier. As for actually being out on the bay in a yak, it was great. I can't wait to get back in and just drift along with a rod out (hopefully next time I'll catch something!). We made it about 3kms across the bay, fishing along the way, before we headed back. At this point, the wind had really picked up and made the paddle back extremely draining. I ended up heading for the nearest beach and then dragging the yak back across a few beaches to where the car was. So anyone looking at getting a yak from e Bay, it's probably not a bad idea although I can't vouch for everything out there (I'm sure there's probably a few dodgy ones!). I'm hoping this new part of my fishing kit will help me catch some decent fish now!

Yeah I think that's what tipped me over the edge when making the decision to buy a yak - summers coming!!! Well eventually haha I was looking at how people have been builipding livid tanks and I thought that might make the yak a little unstable by lifting the centre of gravity up if it's a decent sized tank.. But I guess people are doing it so it can't be too bad! Never caught a jewie before, still trying to refine my fishing so I can start catching decent fish - I'm hoping the yak helps!

Nice work with the modifications!

Yeah I fish off the rocks and around the bridge there and see a lot of people coming and going from there, so thought that might be the place to go and it is protected there so probably a good place to start. Hopefully it's not too hard paddling back in after a long day fishing if the tides strong going out!

Thanks Roberta, - that's the sort of info I was looking for! I will definintely take it out and find out it's limits so I don't take an unexpected swim! That's a great idea about the conduit rod holders, I don't want to loose anything over the side, especially the rods! Botany Bay looks pretty flat most of the time and takes quite a bit of wind to make it choppy but I suppose the effects will be magnified when I'm out in a little kayak. Thanks for your advice!

Hey nautica, I got it from online shop - there's lots of different cheap kayaks on there and this just looked like the best deal for what I was after.. I've seen a few others that look pretty much the same as the one I got but there's a lot to choose from, although as with everything on online shop, it's difficult to know if the sellers are reliable or not and if you really are getting a good deal. Mine was advertised as $1,299 RRP with $300 of extras but I highly doubt they ever get sold for anywhere near that amount although they were working out of a real warehouse with a show room and offered a 5 year warranty so hopefully it's not too bad.

Thanks! I'm hoping it goes well on it's maiden voyage and not leave me stranded! Hopefully I'll have good news to report back next week and not that I got out into the middle of the bay and started taking in water faster than I could paddle back!