# The 'REACH" Issue



## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

For those of you with longer kayaks (14 foot and longer), how do you go with 'reaching' around the front of the yak with your rod when fighting a fish?

I'm 6'4" and fish out of a 12 foot yak with (mainly 6'6" - 7' long rods) and find that I can just guide the tip of the rod around the bow of the yak when fighting a fish or trying to move my line from one side of the boat to the other etc.

As I'm thinking of upgrading to a longer (15 foot) yak, my concern is that I'm going to lose some of this flexibility, even with my reach.

So, for those of you with longer yaks, what's your thoughts/solutions on this issue??


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Davey, I never use a rod longer than 5'6" in my P15. I have never found the need to reach around the front of the bow with my rod tip. I fight my fish generally at a position of around 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock if I am in to a fast running fish that is taking me for a bit of a tow. If I am drifting side on the swell ect I position my drogue and rudder so I am drifting with the drogue at around 8 o'clock to the stern of my yak and fight my fish on the upwind side at around the 9 o'clock position.

Catch ya Scott


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## Freckles (Sep 19, 2006)

My yak is 16 feet long and has a 6 foot long open section for doing all the work from. The foredeck is also 6 feet long and enclosed. Its about 10' 6" from the bow to me as I sit in the boat. My rods are 6 feet and 5' 6" and I've never had any problems in reaching around the bow with a fish on. The only time I have had trouble is when at anchor and I have to guide the anchor rope away from the front cleats mounted at the very front of the bow. To work the rope I use my super-size-wide-bladed paddle to free it from the cleats. As for fighting a fish that has gone onto the wrong side, I use the power of the fish to turn the bow toward it which gives me all the clearance I need. I put the rod tip in the water (eg, the fish has run from left to right ) on the left side as far forward as I can reach and keep it about 2 1/2 to 3 feet away from the side of the boat at the front. As the fish pulls, it also turns the bow in the same direction and the clearance widens as I get stuck into it. (Just read this over myself, gee! do I catch 'em this big?) 8) 
Well thats how I do it, but I never anchor anymore when I'm catching these big'uns. If I do use the pick, its always in the creek (Waterpark in Corio Bay) and I anchor close to the bank, casting out into the main flow of water. I just remembered, I sold the anchor and have never used it for more years than I can remember. All my fishing is done on the drift which enables me to use the fish to control the swing of the boat. Hey, I've come full circle here. Well I guess you have to read this from the begining again. The 35" long flathead (below) actually towed me down the creek untill I finally got him in the boat. It was caught on a 7lb line and a No2 hook using a yabby as bait. Hhmmmm......they were the days.
Freckles


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## ScottLovig (Aug 7, 2006)

Hi Davey

Swing side saddle and slip up the cockpit.

or

strain forward and pucker your valve.

Cheers

Scott


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## Sunhobie (Jun 22, 2006)

I'm personally not a big fan of the rod tip in the water technique. I prefer to play the fish on the open side of the kayak, not with the line going underneath. True, you can slowly spin the yak by positioning your rod forward and using the tension in the line and your rudder to spin the whole thing, but I prefer to reach around the bow and maintain direct contact above water. Longer kayak = longer rods if you want to do this. Longer rods = more difficulty handling the fish in close.
Just one of the extra challenges in kayak fishing. If it was too easy, we wouldn't bother


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

I dip the wick and let the fish decide which side to play. 
Close in to bommies it gets a bit scary.
My rod is a 5'10 Penn (Cutdown from 6'4') and I love shortness.


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## troppo (Feb 1, 2006)

Davey G said:


> how do you go with 'reaching' around the front of the yak with your rod when fighting a fish?


If only I had that problem :roll:

no fish = no need to 'reach'


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## Jake (Sep 23, 2005)

This actually begs the question "How do you fish with more than 1 rod?".
I know it looks great in pics, and I see it all the time, but for those that fish with several spare rods sticking in the air surely they get in the way when you are trying to land a fish?
I prefer to use only 1 rod at a time. It is hard enough trying to keep up with a Trevally speeding around your bow withouth having a rod in the air to navigate as well.
Maybe its just me? (My father was born in Longreach so I should be ok...)


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

I use more than 1 rod - simply because I can use 1 with a float and bottom bash with the other.

The rods I use are either 6ft or 7ft penn powersticks.

Whilst we have on occasion had to guide a fish around the bow, generall it isn't a problem.


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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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