# First trip, first fish, big smiles!!!!



## WayneD (Jul 11, 2006)

Well, after counting down the days to the weekend, the time to hit the water in my brand spanking new Espri had come. I had prepared everything the night before because I had a full morning of work to do before being released by SWMBO.

I tied it on to the roof of my car three times. First time it was off centre and the back of the seat well was hitting the roof of my car. The second time it was positioned right but still felt a bit loose. So I undid it all again, put the straps through the grab rails and tightened the ratchets. Now I was ready to go. Put everything into the car, rod check, water check, SP's check, life jacket check, spare change of clothes check, towel check, wife came out and interrupted me with child. I then went and got changed ready to go. One last final check before my mate arrives to make sure I've got everything and there it is my paddle sitting on top of the trailer, lucky!

Kristian arrives and I can't wait to get there. So we are off, from my place we get straight onto the motorway so there isn't much time for a slow speed build up to make sure that kayak will stay on at 100 km/h. Everything holds tight and we arrive at our destination safely.

It was very windy today so we chose to go to our usual spot in the Logan where we take my tinny. Plenty of sheltered spaces to get out of the wind. Launched at about 12:30 PM. My mate says that he has checked the tide guide and it is high tide at 12:30. The logan is about 90 minutes behind so I am thinking that high tide will be here shortly. As we get on the kayaks for my maiden voyage I am looking around thinking, geez it must be a very low high tide. So from the boat ramp we head straight across the creek to get to the deeper channel but we hit a sandbar running across the creek blocking our path. Not wanting to get off my kayak (only just got on it) we decide to back track and go what is no right at the ramp. Paddle, cast, paddle, cast, woohoo had a little flattie follow my SP right back to the kayak but no hook up. Paddle, cast, paddle, cast. Get to the end of this section of the river another dirty great big sandbank, totally exposed, can't get through to the deeper channel. Turn around and head back.

Paddled all the way back past the ramp and around to our normal spot when we are in my tinny. In the wind a bit here getting blown around a bit. Stop on sandbank to remove beer that I spilt from under my seat. Change of lure also, on goes a 3" minnow powerbait in pumpkinseed. Too windy here so go over to little island in middle of creek. First cast with new SP nothing, second cast, I'm on. I yelled out to Kristian to come over and take some photos. Took me so long to get the glove on and finger in its mouth, I was sure he was going to bite through the 8lb mono I was using. But it all worked out. He was just legal at 41 cms but released him as we were not fishing for a feed today. By the time we had released him we were blown about 50 metres from where I caught him.

Paddled back to the spot and said to Kristian. I think it is dead on low tide not high tide. He says yeah I was thinking the same thing. Then he says todays the 15th isn't it. No it's the 22nd was my reply. That'd explain it then. He read last weekends tide's instead of this weekends. Not that it mattered to us.

Five minutes later Kristian had a similar sized flattie at the side of his kayak but as I paddled over to him he managed to spit the hook and gain his freedom, which we would have given him anyway. Paddled around a bit more and then headed back for the ramp. Headed home at 4PM.

A nice enjoyable first paddle and managed to christen my Espri with a (just) legal flattie, stoked!

Sorry for the long post.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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## Blaen (Jul 4, 2006)

Congratulations WayneD, nice fish and nice write up too well done. I enjoyed reading it.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Hi Ho Silver

Wayne good to see the silver espri was blooded on her first trip..hope it's a good omen for the future :wink:


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## BJT (Feb 24, 2006)

Congrats on your first trip


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Good stuff mate a top report. Its nice to see that you bloody Queenslanders are rugged up to beat the winter temps. Fancy having to wear a T-shirt, was it too cold to go topless?

Catch ya Scott


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## Jake (Sep 23, 2005)

Great report Wayne, well done mate. Who needs water under you to catch fish????

Cheers,
Jake


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## Jebster (Dec 18, 2005)

Good stuff mate,
Sounds like another converted Yak fisherman  , might catch you out on the water somewhere, later.
Jebster.


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## milansek (Apr 20, 2006)

HI WAYNE
GOOD TO SEE YOU LIKE THE YAK AND YOUR FIRST FISH OFF IT GREAT. BUT WHERE IS THE SOUNDER . GOOD LUCK .
SEE YA MILAN


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## Yakabe (Dec 16, 2005)

Great work. Nothin like the first fish from the new yak.


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Top report Wayne. Never apologise for a long one, that's how we like 'em.

Congrats on your first paddle and first yak fish. There'll be plenty more.


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## kingfisher111 (Jun 13, 2006)

Perils right Wayne, thats not a long post, thats a top post! Congrats. Steve.


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## Squidgie (Apr 11, 2006)

Hey mate,
Was a good first paddle for you. Certainly less eventful than poor old Russ'!!!
In regards to the fish I caught, think you'll find it was bigger than yours, just didn't want to show you up on your first paddle so let it slip away :wink: 
In regards to the wrong week with the tide times, what can I say, I'm certainly not the brightest crayon in the box


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## tasyakker (Jun 27, 2006)

wayne, good stuff mate my first trip should be soon.
sam


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2006)

Nice work Wayne  glad you got a few fish on your maiden voyage.

Dont apologise for the long posts either mate, keep em coming!!


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## sam60 (Aug 30, 2005)

I agree about the posts wayne...... don't worry about the length if you have a story to share then thats what we want.


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