Chasin' Tuna on a yak

[duckbill]

Dillon,

Just got my yak last week so it wasn't me up at Borumba. I am still getting to grips with the yak, as yet only been fishing on it once, up at Baroon Pocket. Very stealthy, the bass were biting right next to the yak... At the moment I am still experimenting, as far as gear and methods go...

Good to hear that you were never bothered by sharks... The fact is, it depends a lot what the local food supply is... There aren't any seals that I am aware of in the area, so the profile of a 12' long yak should not be a familiar sight for the toothy bastards... Anyway, will get a bit more practice in before I head out offshore...

[Dillon]

It might be a bit early to ask but what are the hobies like?
right now I have a surf ski that I use but I am looking to get rid of it.

Cheers,
Dillon

[duckbill]

The hobies are fantastic. Very stable, quiet, and as you are almost motoring along they are alot more constant in their forward drive, and track very straight. I was going along at an easy pace and doing 3.5 knots, and flat out Kilkenny and I hit 6 knots. They are very manoeuvrable and comfortable as well... I am very happy with mine, and Kilkenny will vouch for his as well...

[jewies]

Sharks do get inside the shark nets. My cousin caught a 7ft whaler or kings beach, Caloundra which has shark nets

[Serge.]

Having caught tuna from kayak i would have to say i dont really think a kayak is a suitable for fighting on fly gear a fish of a longtail's power. If any sort of swell is running and you have a fish slugging it out beneath you you will find it very hard to control it, and stay onboard, without snapping your rod. Fighting one from a boat on fly requires nimble feet and manouvering in a kayak you are glued into one position. I wont say its impossible but its not really worth the risk to your gear. I suggest 8kg spin gear and get ready to be towed around a bit. As for sharks i do, or take faith, in the following-

[list][*]Dont sit still for lextended periods. Sharks are attracted to anything floating.
[list][*]Have faith in the fact whilst you fight a fish - and are still on the water - its struggling is a lot more attractive to a shark than a chunk of floating plastic
[list][*] When releasing your catch dont dawdle ! Either just cut the line or lift the fish in clear the hooks and revive it keeping your hands out of the water !
[list][*]And lastly find yourself a fishing partner... dont go out alone in water where you can be prey !

I certainly prefer fly fishing estuaries and protected waters where you dont have swell & serious gear damage/loss to contend with.

[duckbill]

Serge,

Thanks for all that info, that was exactly what I wanted to hear...

[Maxg]

You should also see a head doctor before you start, its not one of those things that normal humans do for fun. I'd put it at the same level as diving with whites, stalking tigers with chop sticks, or poking polar bears in the bum. Max

[jeffo]

my boss does plenty of yak fishin off coolum... hasnt had any shark encounters that i know of. he gets plenty of longtails (on spin gear). he hooked a sail out of it the summer before last in between schools of spotties

[mackmauler]

Jeff, guess what...you might be the boss sooner than you think

[jeffo]

suits me

[uncle_barry]

Hi Duckbill and Killkenny.
If your not playing games and joking, please do what Max suggests, go and see a Doctor or if you want to spill blood, give it to the Red Cross and the Blood Bank, they need it.

Or will I be addressing a Dead Duck and a Killed Kenny ?

Both of you people cannot have had much time spend fishing the Oceans or you would not have come up with such a dead duck type idea.
Totally unbelievable, even the idea !

BUT, if you must die, please lets not waste your life, as with a little notice we can arrange a suitable video and record your death, sell it to Funnist Video or The Most Dangerious Sports programs and both your families might make a dollar or two.

Now please say, it was only a silly joke?
Kind regards and the best of Kilkenny to you.
Barry.

[duckbill]

Barry

You seem a bit drastic in your comments... Anyway, to comfort you, we won't be going out there any time soon. But I am pretty sure that I will go and give it a try one of these days...

But if you look at the poll it is 50:50 on whether people would do it or not....

[uncle_barry]

Good morning Duckman.
50/50, Is your life worth the bet, mine isn't.

Then ask yourself, the yes 50%, have they had much time fishing the Oceans?
Then also think, yes, its ok, the Duck season was opened last weekend.
The best of Kilkenny to you both.
Regards,
Barry.

[thunnus]

Barry, I agree with Duckbill you seem a little over the top. life is one big adventure and even though i voted no to bribie i would happily do the same thing in other areas.

You suggest that maybe the 50% havent spent much time of the ocean.....you can spend decades on the ocean and not see a shark - sure they are there, you may well drive over hundreds each time you go for a spin - but unless you actively go looking for them they are not all that commenlly sighted. I would say you are more likely to see a whale broch or a billfish freejump then a shark on any given day. The other side of the coin is yes - where you find baitfish you find the big fish, that is why the tuna are there, and intern the sharks.

Duckbill - go for it, maybe not so around bribie or with fly, but somewhere you are more visable to more boat traffic. The only people running up the beach at bribie are more then likely chasing tuna (which means only a small percentage of total boats), but somewhere like mooloolaba or noosa, you have a wider range of folks looking out for you.

If you want some more info - go to www.############.com and make a post about it, I beleive Randell went on a trip last year to Mexico where they did a bit of big fish yak'in. Other then that i have a mag laying round here somewhere that has some good info for setting your rig up and techiques for fighting fish - it also includes some pics and story of some fellas in the states catching small blacks and sails out of there yaks. If you want it PM me your addy and i will post it off to you.


cheers, Justin

[Kilkenny]

Does all this mean people on surfboards are safer than Ducky n Kenny on yaks....We have been carving up on all sorts a fushn situations so far...
The earth is flat, dont go ner the edge....or let alone swim at Bribie [smiley=end.gif] Kilkenny