Looking to get into kayak fishing

[Cooper Stewart]

I am looking into getting into kayak fishing and would be going around the middle harbour area mostly. I have been looking around and wondering if a pedal kayak is worth it or not and do you need a fish finder (which one should you go for). Are there any other tips that would be good for me like what areas to go?, what baits and lures to use?.

[Rebel]

Welcome aboard.

Contact @DerekD on the Forum. He is the Guru in your part of the world and he will help you.

Cheers.

[Brendan Monks]

2 hours ago, Cooper Stewart said:

I am looking into getting into kayak fishing and would be going around the middle harbour area mostly. I have been looking around and wondering if a pedal kayak is worth it or not and do you need a fish finder (which one should you go for). Are there any other tips that would be good for me like what areas to go?, what baits and lures to use?.

I can't comment about what areas to fish down that way sorry! 

I would definitely go for a pedal kayak if your budget allows, it makes it so much easier to rig, fight fish, hold in current etc. I bought my hobies 8+ years ago now before I had my boat so I'm not too sure what other pedal brands are out there now (I'm guessing some a lot cheaper then Hobie!) 😀

The need for a fish finder will really depend on the species you are chasing. If you plan on surface fishing, chasing bust-ups then obviously no need. I used to have a basic model Lowrance just to check depth, drop offs etc. instead of actually hoping to mark fish on the sounder...again, this was quite a while ago 👍

Hope this helps! Tight lines 🤙

Edited July 16, 2021 by Brendan Monks

[Cooper Stewart]

Thanks Brendan 

In regards to a hobie or pedal kayaks is their a place you would recommend to get them from like gumtree or facebook marketplace ect. and what model would you recommend for the harbour. 

Cheers

[DerekD]

Hi Cooper,

Welcome to Fishraider.

Have a read through:

We can then go through any questions you have afterwards. I know the Middle Harbour area very well and have fished it for a long time. I've messaged you my contact number.

Regards,

Derek

 

[Brendan Monks]

1 hour ago, Cooper Stewart said:

Thanks Brendan 

In regards to a hobie or pedal kayaks is their a place you would recommend to get them from like gumtree or facebook marketplace ect. and what model would you recommend for the harbour. 

Cheers

Cooper,

I'd definitely have a read of the post @DerekD had posted above - A lot of useful info in there! 👌

I bought my Hobie 'Outbacks' on Gumtree for approx $2000-$2500 each from memory, I was mainly estuary fishing back then and wanted the stability (Can stand in mine in flat water), but also used them off Terrigal. Personal preference, but there is also the 2 'Revolution' models which have a sharper nose (Better for covering distance).

[Remote River Man]

Hi Cooper - 

I do a fair bit of kayaking fishing up here in the Bundaberg region- I've got a standard shop-bought Dragon kayak and a Crusader Fisherman kayak made by Koastal kayaks up this way (skinnier and slightly less stable than the Dragon but much faster, and therefore easier to troll from).

I troll 4-inch metal slugs in deeper water for mackerel and tuna, and in the calmer mangrove creeks I mostly use soft plastics (Gulp worms for whiting, Z-man grubs for flathead, bream and grunter, hard-bodies for mangrove jack and change it up occasionally with some pilchard, mullet strips or squid bait fishing.

One thing I learned the hard way about kayak fishing is that your spinning reels cop a lot more salt spray (and if you're clumsy like me, even the occasional full salty dunking), which means they'll get corroded quicker than on a bigger boat, no matter how fastidiously you look after them. If you can afford more water resistant reels (I like the Penn Slammer 3s, 3500 and 6500 size), get them - you'll thank me later. Many of the serious Barrier Reef charter captains up this way use these (or other sealed reel brands) when they're cruising remote reefs for long stretches and need to rely on bulletproof reels.

The other thing to remember is that you're closer to sun reflection from the water around your kayak, so invest in some lower-face sun protection and a good hat with a chin strap.

Kayak fishing rocks, and it's a bit easier to quietly sneak up on unsuspecting fish when you're not churning a loud outboard through the neighbourhood.

Mind you, that hasn't stopped me from ordering a 4.5 Polycraft boat to use over this summer - it's quite hard work paddling through the swell out to those reefs that are 3-4 kms offshore :).

Good luck, stay safe and have fun.

Here's the very first fish I caught from my new kayak, in the Coonar River south of Elliot Heads - a hard-fighting mangrove jack just over the legal limit. Hit the lure 2 seconds after it bounced in the water. Tasted great, too...

 

Edited July 25, 2021 by Remote River Man

[Yellow Stealth]

Hi Cooper, 

I have a Stealth Fusion 480. It is a paddle kayak. The advantage of this type of fishing kayak is it's surf launch capability and speed/maneuverability. From my perspective, the downside of a paddle kayak is not being able to have your hands free. If fighting a big fish, I am unable to pull the fish away from structure without putting the rod down. The other kayakers I fish with have Hobie outbacks. After hooking up, they are able to pull the fish away from structure with their pedal drive system while holding onto the rod at the same time. 

Pedal kayaks also require less overall effort as your legs are much stronger than your upper body. However, I found that it didn't take long for my fitness to build up and I could comfortably paddle 10kms + without getting too tired. 

I mainly fish inshore but would do the rare offshore trip (weather/conditions permitting). I spent the previous season mainly targeting kingfish. I mainly caught them with micro jigs but have also caught them using live baits, fresh strip baits and soft plastics. 

In terms of the sounder, this is an essential piece of kit to have (in my opinion). It makes it so much easier to read the structure, find the bait, find the fish and not waste too much of your time. I have a garmin striker plus 5CV. You won't need anything too fancy. You can achieve quite a lot with just the basic features. 

Some things to be mindful of:

- Your reels will get exposed to a lot of salt water. It's worth having reels that are sealed. 
- If going offshore, or even being inshore, I would bring with you a VHF hand held radio and an EPIRB. You rather have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I did my VHF course through Marine Rescue NSW and found it to be very helpful. 
- I would practice how to flip and re-enter your kayak after getting knocked off. This will save you a lot of stress and anxiety for when/if it happens. 

Happy to answer any additional questions you have.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Yellow Stealth