# Corner Inlet Wilsons Prom



## varp (Sep 12, 2005)

Sunday midday out from Yanakie Caravan Park. Stiff Nor/wester but if it was off shore and well protected in close. Had a bit of luck with S/P's - average size 40cm rock flathead that I've caught there before. They are normally very bait shy and only ever a minor by catch by the locals, but I did discover a small black backed shad did the trick.

Not this time.

Got just beyond the moorings and put out the drogue and started a drift with two rods and a squid jig on the handline. Lot of weed kept me busy and I'm still getting used to handling all the gear on the yak. Trying different things, generally friggin around.

Bloody weed starts to lessen as I get out deeper, but being blown at a fair clip even with the largish drogue out. Thinking this is getting a bit blowy, but their's no weed and I should get a hit any minute now.

Gusting hard and the slop is beginning to mount and quite suddenly I realise this is all wrong and I shouldn't be here. Look over my shoulder and I'm probably 2k from the safety of the lee of the land. *F##K!!!!*

Frantic to get the gear in and now with the drogue in I'm really getting knocked around. Gusting hard and I'm going like stink to get the bow around not having had time to deploy the rudder. She goes around and I'm now aware of just how strong this wind is and so it's head down and paddle hard. Eyes are stinging with the spray coming off the top of the chop and I have a moments panic when I realise there is no way to judge if I'm making any headway and if I can't I better think about the flares.

Head down I paddle hard concentrating on all the technique I've ever read about and trying to make sense of it in what was now a crisis situation while taking the waves head on. Soon discover it's best to attack the wind at about 11 oclock and after what felt like 15 exhausting minutes later I can see that I'm gaining and relief sets in as I ease into a more measured stroke.

I was and remain completely knackered. Strained some muscles that I'm sure have never been used in all their puff and then some. Slept in today and hobbled through the afternoon.

Sleeping in tomorrow too.



















Still love this yak fishing thang. Beautiful part of the world down there. Going back this weekend for another crack if anyone is interested.


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Its the dorado , it will always get you home, that thing is born to paddle , glad you got in mate, ohhhh the sore musicals :lol: :lol:


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## PoddyMullet (Aug 29, 2005)

Nice one Varp, looks like an area the salmon could hang about in close and tight too. With Corner Inlet, would an offshore wind make ya hit land on the other side (albeit a long ways across), or just make ya hit Flinders Island, Tassie or Mawson Base? :shock:


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## Milt (Sep 2, 2005)

LOL Varp,

I've done that before turned my back on land and was blown out a few km's before i knew it. The turned around straight into a head wind and lots of Port Phillip Bay chop. It took forever to get back had to rest every now and again which blew me backwards some more. I was sore for days thankfully the espri was stable enough to cope with a few near tips, it may be abit of slop to paddle sometimes but it got me through 8)

Milt,


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## hairymick (Oct 18, 2005)

Geez Varpy,

Great report mate. Reall glad you made it back OK. A great effort.

Had you been in a lesser boat, the end result may have been a lot different. Well done. And your boat looks fabulous in the piccies mate. (I still want one)


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## Eberbachl (Jun 21, 2007)

Well done on getting back  I know what you mean - when I was ou ton Sunday on the west coast of PPB the offshore wind was blowing me out at an alarming rate. Even though I was keeping my eyes on it, it seemed pretty gradual until I thought - holy crap.....I'm out alot further than when I started. It wasn't too bad getting back in where I was, but boy it creeps up on you.


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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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QlpoOTFBWSZTWdpIKJMAABPXgAAQQIUggBAAP++eoCAAiBqnpD1PKaaaDTJ5A00KaJ7QSDR5NTQELsfUJ+k5IzoZIdFf5ViCFXEhvtCYqGeVxRJ5SDdKWUZuO4X1AgFnoMq8sVu86Hth1okKCJrg1xfmybLf5yNBWJhX6D1NvJlNJ7JVlaWmcQ6p/F3JFOFCQ2kgokw=


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## Garfish (Jun 2, 2006)

My GPS has saved me before in similar circumstances....

Strong winds... I think the anchor is holding.... GPS informs me that I'm travelling at 2km/hr!

Glad your back and safe.

From reading the 5th's website, it looks like he still suffers from a permanent shoulder injury resulting from a similar scenario.


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## varp (Sep 12, 2005)

Garfish - Friday night I'm off to the boat show looking for a good deal on a GPS and to check out some Hobie's for The Handbrake, but I was just plain stupid to get caught out like that. My ache is from under the rib cage. Think my guts went into a tight knot that is just now beginning to unravel.

Thanks Red - No fun at all when you think you will probably turn into a blue bloated corpse that has had it's toes nibbled off by toadies because a stupid rock flathead gave you a wink! I remember a phrase used by sailors and soldiers - long periods of insufferable boredom interspersed with moments of sheer terror!

Hiya Eberbachl - That's it. In future I'm only using the drogue in low voltage conditions. It gives you a false sense of what is really going on.

Hairy! - She's a you-beaut-machine alrighty, but I am starting to notice a few limitations. If I want to take a stack of gear for a days fishing like I did in the canoe when I was chasing small fish for the pot like KG whiting, gars, flatties etc it could get uncomfortable. I can sit up on the hatch to stretch and sit side-saddle in calm conditions, but being so low slung and snug in the cockpit can limit your movements. I'm slim with long arms and can reach behind into the crate, but I've got to go mainly by feel. A different physique would have real trouble getting gear out. It really is a big blue water yak that suits a quick sprint beyond the breakers and a sudden violent encounter with a huge Spaniard or two.

Fibreglass is a tad precious for rough-as-guts domestic fishing too. Launched from a concrete ramp the other week and I didn't like it. I did get her for the Prom though and I'll be doing some daily 15/20 k round trips out through the surf to check out the islands round there as soon as I get the training wheels off. Got a few mods to make her a shade more comfortable too.

Giday Milt - Never felt like the yak was out of it's depth, but then I've got no comparison. We will hook up soon won't we? Copping a Melbourne winter like we used to have, but it has to change sometime. Bustin for the snapper run, but this bloody wind just keeps howling across the moors....

Occy - Thanks mate. Dorado didn't worry at all about it. Probably wondered who was the idiot on top with the smelly underpants! I thought those kids were in Adelaide, but it was a bit freaky watching the footage after my experience.....

Poddy - I would have wound up 15k away at the foot of the Mt Vereker Range. An awful looong walk back. If I had of given up and went with it I suppose I'd put the drogue on the stern....dunno really, but being so shallow the chop would get horrendous. Salmon do come in, but being such a paddock finding the schools is hit and miss unless the birds are working. Shallow Inlet is just a poofteenth away and is a much more reliable option. Fabulous spot too.

Baz - The musicals! :lol: Dunno if a dull thumping bass line qualifies as musical!


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## Eberbachl (Jun 21, 2007)

> Shallow Inlet is just a poofteenth away and is a much more reliable option.


Shallow Inlet is a beautiful spot! Fished it for the first time a few weeks ago from a friend's stink boat.

I'm taking the family up in a few weeks to see my brother and family who's recently moved up there, and we'll be taking the yaks for certain!


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## Milt (Sep 2, 2005)

Varpster,

Absolutelly keen to catch up one day, things are a bit hectic with the financial year and all. I have you're number in my mobile son 8) good to hear you made it back :shock:

Milt,


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## Y-Knot (Sep 26, 2006)

crikies Varp, talk about edge-of-the-seat stuff :shock: i was only confident you had made it back cos you posted the report i was reading :lol: sounds like your a lucky fella.


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## Shoey (Aug 30, 2005)

Good to see you back out there Varp (and back in safely too!).

Ive stayed many times at the same park and only fished it from a kayak once, back when I was in Melbourne. I know exactly what you mean about the wind down there. A friend and I nearly lost a boat that we moored overnite. Wind came up and ripped the boat from its mooring, but luckily another mooring float got caught up in the prop, and the boat stopped about 500m from where we left it the night before. On that same trip we spotted 2 blokes in a tandem seakayak that left from the caravan park and paddled across to the other side for an overnighter. We saw them the next day heading back in looking pretty tired, but we were unsure if that was from the long paddle or the night they spent together on a deserted beach? Not that there's anything wrong with that :shock: :? .


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## varp (Sep 12, 2005)

Onya Shoey - I share your :shock: :? and go :lol: :lol: :lol: ....and no, there is nothing wrong with that provided I don't think too long about it..... 

First run in the canoe with the new leccy on the back found one of those bloody mooring ropes  , but in your case - gawd bless em! Jeez you were lucky though. I've got a van down there too and know just how quickly it can blow up, so I've got no excuse.

Cheers Y-Knot and doubtless we'll meet soon too.

Pm'd ya Eberbachl. I'm down there as much as is humanly possible now so we should hook up and try and pull some lip at Shallow. I know a triffic hole down near the entrance that has never failed. Need to catch the last of the bottom, fish the change and then scoot back on the flood. Fish it in any weather.


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## Eberbachl (Jun 21, 2007)

varp said:


> Pm'd ya Eberbachl. I'm down there as much as is humanly possible now so we should hook up and try and pull some lip at Shallow. I know a triffic hole down near the entrance that has never failed. Need to catch the last of the bottom, fish the change and then scoot back on the flood. Fish it in any weather.


Thanks varp  Got your PM - will definitely be in touch


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Glad you made it back in one piece Varp, I bet you have new found confidence in the Dorado now :wink:

I also love shallow inlet, try pumping nippers on the flats at low tide, and fishing em in the channels for whiting, salmon, flatties etc.


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## squizzy (Mar 3, 2007)

Hey varp, get urself a gps fishfinder, not so u dont get blown from Yanakie to welshpool, so you will know when to stop to fish those channels. Ive had a look at the marine & fishing charts over there and its looks very good although it does blow a lot down that way, I have fished over at Port Albert a bit and its always windy. Glad to see you made it back though, look forward to some warmer weather, later days and catching up for a fish.


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## varp (Sep 12, 2005)

The only thing wrong with the Dorado Jason is me, but I'm slowly getting that sorted and it is nipper city down that way.

Cheers Squizz - Coming back from the Boat Show with a GPS today and if someone can strike me a good deal on a depth finder and I can get The Handbrake to look the other way - one of them as well. We will definitely catch up soon. I'm out and about with a passion now and aching to get some scales onboard.


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## Guest (Jul 6, 2007)

Wow Varp, that story sounds a lot like my experience which ultimately led to me discovering Hobie yaks. Its just easier pushing into slop and wind like that with legs instead of shoulders and either way if your legs or shoulders get tired, you can switch. It takes the worry out of exhausting oneself (does for me anyway).

Great to catch up with you (again) today mate. When I come full circle and back round to Victoria we definitely have to go and spend some quality fishing time around the Prom. That place is the one thing I'll miss about Victoria the most.


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

Nothing like a moment of panic in the wind, you probably used twice as much energy from it than you needed too. I know i do in tough spots. 
A lot of my family live near the prom (between toora and leongatha) and the weather there can change on you so fast there, beautiful spot but, glad to hear you got back ok, she looks like a great boat.

Cheers Dave


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## varp (Sep 12, 2005)

Hi justcuisin32 Definitly used a stack more grunt than was needed, but sheer unbridled terror will do just that for you without even trying to lift a finger. Good gear adrenaline. Shame they can't bottle it!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

5th - Real good to meet you too at the show. I think time spent sussing out piscatorial options from the yak down there will be time very well spent. If I don't see you before you go, best wishes and hope you have a fantastic trip and we look forward to your safe return.


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## Biggera Yakker (Jan 25, 2007)

Hi Varp, just read your post and it's good to know you can count on yourself if you're really asked to!!
On ya mate!


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