# Mixed feelings



## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

Hi, now that kayak fishing is getting to be real popular, its weird. We are no longer the bunch of nutcases floating around, we are the same as everyone else. You see the articles in the magazines with all the old writers now writing about yak fishing like they've been doiung it for years, maybe they have.

I guess what im trying to say is that, with kayaking becoming this popular, where do we have to go? Will the government make us have to register all our yaks? I think its great we are getting recognition, dont get me wrong , but how far do you think yak fishing is going to go. Will it become like the states, where the have hundreds of yak fishos all out at once, and where they have a national yak fishing comp circuit? also will there be those of us who will get sponsered by OK, Hobie, Viking? Because if this is in the works, ill put my hand up for it!!


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

fishnfreak said:


> Hi, now that kayak fishing is getting to be real popular, its weird. We are no longer the bunch of nutcases floating around, we are the same as everyone else.


don't worry mate....still plenty of nutcases around :lol: :lol:


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## andybear (Jan 15, 2006)

Hi all,

Whatever does he mean?



Astro said:


> fishnfreak said:
> 
> 
> > Hi, now that kayak fishing is getting to be real popular, its weird. We are no longer the bunch of nutcases floating around, we are the same as everyone else.
> ...


Cheers all Andybear :shock: :shock:


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

patwah said:


> Might be to time to start the secret handshake??


Paddy I think bazzoo already does this in the shower recess :lol: :lol:


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

Rising fuel prices, higher food costs and credit card debt combined with a surge of baby boomers slipping into retirement and cherished leisure time for workers all play a role. It can only lead to more users.

Even though I hate Government regulation, on the bluewater side, I personally think many bluewater fishing yaks should include a higher degree of buoyancy. Enough so that the vessel can keep a paddler and gear afloat if completely swamped. Think of it as an industry led buyoancy rating system similar to the 5 star energy rating.

This means added weight and a sacrifice in storage space but it would give yak makers a chance to compete on bluewater hull configurations with storage and safety in mind.


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## theclick (Jun 25, 2007)

As someone who only came into kayak fishing about a year ago, I myself am probably one of those 'converts', which i dont mind.

Whilst I agree with whats above, there are a few things which will keep the plebs away. I think the best thing about kayak fishing and kayak fisherman is their attitude to the environment. We dont have the option to head out quickly, slaughter a bunch of fish and then jump back in again to the rest of the day. We dont have the space or speed, and there is alot of effort involved. Thankfully, that will probably keep the twice a year slaughter fisherman away and keep the kayaking to those who are dedicated to fishing, thus dedicated to the fish stocks.

So, i dont really mind it getting bigger, as long as we have the reasonable and progressive minded people that currently frequent kayak fishing.


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## Shorty (May 11, 2008)

fishnfreak said:


> and where they have a national yak fishing comp circuit? also will there be those of us who will get sponsered by OK, Hobie, Viking? Because if this is in the works, ill put my hand up for it!!


Hobie are putting a Pro Fishing team together as we speak, it has not been publicly annouced yet, at least one Perth fisho has his Hobie up for sale, as Hobie are providing them free as part of the sponsorship deal. 8)

I am not sure about other manufacturers yet.


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## Shorty (May 11, 2008)

Yeah the guy that has the Hobie sponsorship has other sponsors at present,,Shimano, Ranger outdoor world and others,,,has there advertising plastered over his yak.

I like the way things are going, love to have a bunch of others out there, like to watch the fishing yaks shows on T.V when they are being made,,,seems like a lot of Americans are fishing kayak guides as well, get paid doing what you love (prices start around $175 per person for the day from what i have read)

Anyway exciting times ahead i cant wait, its better than being alone on the water, which i have been.

(only seen one person in my life fishing in a yak on the ocean)


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## Redfin60 (Nov 30, 2006)

Spooled1 is right. With the rising cost of running a stinkboat I think there will be many more yak converts. Nothing wrong with having more kayaks on the water and less powered craft. Makes it safer for the yakkers. The same argument applies to the motorcycle / scooter community. More converts to two wheels reduces the cool status of a minority but means less cars on the road which makes it safer for riders so there is a bit of give and take.

I have been keen on kayaks for a while and a couple of years ago choose to purchase a boat over a Hobie so the family could come fishing. In hindsight the family is not that interested anymore the cost and hassle to go out for a quick fish with the boat is high, so I am also considering buying a Kayak for that quick getaway and keeping the boat for the occasional family trip. There is also hardly any water in the Goulburn River anymore so it's hard to get out to my favorite spots without giving the outboard a pounding!

Don't hold it against us newbies just cause we have seen the light 

Hopefully we don't encourage Mr Crudd that there is another revenue raising opportunity in registering kayaks :twisted: !


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## garyp (May 30, 2008)

Great to see all the lively discussion around this topic. I have been going it alone for a while on my yak, and while feel the "uniqueness" / "extreme sportsman" factor eroding, I certainly welcome the company & comradarie and the sharing of ideas that takes place when yakkers get together. Seeing seven yaks out at Longreef last Saturday certainly opened my eyes to how much the sport is groing and it was amusing to note that we outnumbered the powered craft - I daresay more fish were caught on the yaks as well


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Dodge said:


> patwah said:
> 
> 
> > Might be to time to start the secret handshake??
> ...


ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Cheeky Richo :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: , now put down the knitting needles dear and go make your hubby a cuppa :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Apart from that , you only have to look at the growth rate here on the forum to see how quickly the sport is growing , its a novelty at the moment with lots of guys jumping in and thinking i'll try this , it looks good , and after a while , the bubble bursts and we get back to the same grass roots guys that have been doing it for years . However , i really do agree with DAN , the kayak manufacturers have got to bite the bullit and produce offshore dedicated kayaks with permanent flotation .


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

patwah said:


> So how about that handshake Bazz :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:


Is that a question or a request Paddy :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## water_baby (Oct 26, 2005)

patwah said:


> bazzoo said:
> 
> 
> > patwah said:
> ...


i dont think you should be worried that much about your neck mate, you have more pressing issues to deal with when Bazz meets up with you bwahahaha :lol: :lol: :shock:


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## colzinho (Aug 6, 2007)

The crowds would have to get pretty thick before it impinged on the enjoyment...Id estimate Im one of maybe only 2 or 3 kayak fishers in my sububrb and im sure it could sustain a massive increase without any noticable effect. theres a lot of water to fish not suitable, accessible or practical from shore or a boat. As for comps and a pro scene appearing there will only ever be a minority of people into that by definition - great for their sticker and cap collection and possibly some cool advances in technology for everyone else.


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

I welcome the growth, I feel that in SA no matter how big yak fishing gets there will always be a small group of us pushing the limits (and our luck). Most of the yak fishos in my area target squid almost exclusively, then there's the bream crowd and the lads that like to try their luck with the whiting. There aren't many of us tackling kingies, backstairs passage crossings... even winter fishing, some people are already piking out and hibernating. I guess what I'm saying is I like the fact that Yak fishing is something "a bit different" and for me it will always be "a bit different" because I don't intend to follow the masses. The day we see 30 yaks down at Hallet Cove searching for squid and snook will be the day I paddle across the gulf to get away from them lol. I think that (at least in SA) there is enough diversity fishing wise for us all to be individuals (or individual groups).

The down side of all that is that I can see a lot more "private" trips being organised to keep numbers down and to keep good spots within certain networks of fishos. I think I will be guilty of this in the future if we keep growing.


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## Crazy_Horse (Nov 3, 2006)

UUuuuummmmm.....

What is kayak fishing?


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

After Aaron's comment this might be seen as a cop out. My bad


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## water_baby (Oct 26, 2005)

ouch ;-) and not in a good way..


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## onemorecast (Apr 17, 2006)

Dodge said:


> patwah said:
> 
> 
> > Might be to time to start the secret handshake??
> ...


Good one Richo   On the other hand, how you acquired insight into Baz's showering habits is well... a little disturbing to think about. :? ;-)


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

oh come on i wanna know what Jon said!haha

Now, how did Hobie get together thier kayak fishing team? Did they skim over the ABT results and lure them with a contract? Or are they real kayak fishos.

Also, i did not mean to distance myself from new yakkers coming into the sport. Only that it is weird to see so many people coming into the sport. At least there will be lots of 2nd hand yaks around when the fad passes


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

fishnfreak said:


> At least there will be lots of 2nd hand yaks around when the fad passes


True and if they don't sell because the market is flooded, that yak plastic can also be recycled to make hatches... and special screens that protect Bazz from prying eyes when he's in the shower :lol:


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## yakfly (Jun 8, 2006)

I dont look at it as a sport I look at it as part of my lifestyle which is based on fishing.I only work to pay rent and bills the rest of the time Im out fishing.As others have said the cost of fuel will mean more people will take up kayak fishing and why not,its healthy and its fun.theres nothing better than being on the water at sunrise or sunset with a rod in one hand and a can of cordial
in the other just chilling out.


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## cruiser (Dec 19, 2007)

ive only been in this sport for a short time , but i dont consider it a sport its privlege , when you think about it we are going back to our original grass roots ,we have done a full circle from hi tech state of the art fishing trawlers etc to your basic yak ,we are probaly following in the steps of some of our forefathers from a long time ago ,its just us ,our yaks and the elements ,whatever direction this passion takes us i am very confident yaking will continue for a long time especialy when i read the feedback and positive attitude on this forum ,sorry if i sound too serious but thats how i feel at the moment cheers cruiser


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## Shorty (May 11, 2008)

fishnfreak said:


> Now, how did Hobie get together thier kayak fishing team? Or are they real kayak fishos


Not sure its all under wraps at the moment from what i hear, but it will be announced in the very near future.

8)


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

cruiser said:


> when you think about it we are going back to our original grass roots ,we have done a full circle from hi tech state of the art fishing trawlers etc to your basic yak ,we are probaly following in the steps of some of our forefathers from a long time ago ,its just us ,our yaks and the elements


Maybe you havn't seen DGax65's yak. :lol: :lol:

Rob


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

yakfly said:


> I dont look at it as a sport I look at it as part of my lifestyle which is based on fishing.I only work to pay rent and bills the rest of the time Im out fishing.As others have said the cost of fuel will mean more people will take up kayak fishing and why not,its healthy and its fun.theres nothing better than being on the water at sunrise or sunset with a rod in one hand and a can of cordial
> in the other just chilling out.


Agree. Fishing is no more a sport than is ballroom dancing. Sure a competitive minority invent ways of competing against each other and I even find myself getting interested in such events. But something is lost in the process. For me fishing, particularly from the kayak, is about getting out in the elements, experiencing nature, getting some exercise, and for a very small part of the time enjoying the tease of fish hitting but not hooking up and for an even smaller time being thrilled by fighting a good fish for the tackle I'm using. And of course the pleasure of bragging about captures and providing a meal for my family. A complete antidote for the stress of the working week. To turn it into a competition is to reintroduce the very stress I'm trying to escape.

Fishing is a recreation and long may it be so


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## yakfly (Jun 8, 2006)

hear hear Dave
as the saying goes "if we caught fish everytime we went out wed call it catching not fishing"


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## DGax65 (Jun 7, 2006)

fishnfreak said:


> Hi, now that kayak fishing is getting to be real popular, its weird. We are no longer the bunch of nutcases floating around, we are the same as everyone else. You see the articles in the magazines with all the old writers now writing about yak fishing like they've been doiung it for years, maybe they have.
> 
> I guess what im trying to say is that, with kayaking becoming this popular, where do we have to go? Will the government make us have to register all our yaks? I think its great we are getting recognition, dont get me wrong , but how far do you think yak fishing is going to go. *Will it become like the states, where the have hundreds of yak fishos all out at once, and where they have a national yak fishing comp circuit?* also will there be those of us who will get sponsered by OK, Hobie, Viking? Because if this is in the works, ill put my hand up for it!!


Too mas kayaqueros aqui 
































































Sometimes it gets a little crowded over here. :lol: 
It really is amazing how much the sport has grown since I got into it back in 2002.

Even with the crowds, I still manage to find a little open water to enjoy.


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## crazyratwoman (Feb 26, 2007)

occy said:


> Yep a secret handshake, and unique head dress might be the way to go. Andy Bear, are you able to enlighten us a little on your efforts with the stainless steel colander? It has a certain (how shall I put it?) appeal (that's the word) to me, because you would have to be a nut case to wear one. Not that there's any thing wrong with that Andy. ;-)


I nominate BAZZZ for the title of Grand Poo Bah!!!!


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## SteveFields (Mar 21, 2006)

> Hobie are putting a Pro Fishing team together as we speak, it has not been publicly annouced yet, at least one Perth fisho has his Hobie up for sale, as Hobie are providing them free as part of the sponsorship deal.


Shorty,

I'm really not sure where you got your info from however, I can tell you it's from a bad source. Hobie are not giving kayaks to any "pro team". The best way to get info about what we are doing is ask us directy. You can PM me for my number if required.



> Yeah the guy that has the Hobie sponsorship has other sponsors at present,,Shimano, Ranger outdoor world and others,,,has there advertising plastered over his yak.


Hobie Cat Australia has *not sponsored *any person *at all *with any product!

In Perth, one of the Ranger Outdoor Stores (they are owed seperate) have Thunda (I think his nick here) working there and he did have a Shimano sponsorship or so he said. Just becuse someone has a "Shimano sticker" on the side of a boat doesnt mean they are sponsored by Hobie. We have no ties with Shimano. *We have sponsored no one*.
Again, Hobie Cat has played no roll in any sponsorship program any where in Australia, other than Josh, who works here.

We have no plans to ever give a kayak away for free other than via some fisho mags.

Steve


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

Hobie Aus said:


> Just becuse someone has a "Shimano sticker" on the side of a boat doesnt mean they are sponsored by Hobie.


Looking at Couta1's yak you'd think he was sponsored by Halco, Shimano, RMG, Tilsan, Stealth, Rapala, QLD fisheries and the AKFF.

He's caught a lot more fish than me in 2008 which proves that his branding technique really works :?


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## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

I sponsor Daiwa !!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

I know of a few others on hear that do too !!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## spooled1 (Sep 16, 2005)

wopfish said:


> I sponsor Daiwa !!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> I know of a few others on hear that do too !!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


 :lol: :lol: :lol: Gold!
I sponsor Shimano, Jinkai, Tuff-Line XP, Owner's wonderful range of hooks and trebles, Rapala, Halco, Fish Eagle, STM, Surecatch, Tsunami, Storm, Spanyid, Smith, Tacklehouse and I'm yet to see a viable return on investment.


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## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

The other one is TEAM _ Davey's Locker ........hahahahaha


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

Hobie Aus said:


> Hobie Cat Australia has *not sponsored *any person *at all *with any product!


Are you able to tell us what the future holds Hobie Aus?

http://www.hobiefishing.com.au/fishing_team

That page has "Sponsors" plastered on it so can we assume that when a fishing team eventuates they will be sponsored?


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## andybear (Jan 15, 2006)

AHEM....Ahem...

I hope there is no conspiracy to make me hand over my stainless steel pudding bowl to an elected Grand Poohbah!!

At least not the Genuine one, the one that lets me talk to animals and aliens, keeps King George whiting away from the kayak and keeps me normal".....I suppose I could try and get a bulk shipment of stainless steel pudding bowls, and anybody with a 100 posts would be entitled to wear!!!

mmmmm...cheers all Andybear :shock: :shock:

Proudly sponsored by Andy's Kitchen


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## Shorty (May 11, 2008)

Well seems like someone was maybe having a little laugh about being sponsored :lol: , i fell for it anyway . 

Anyway i am more interested when are Malibu get a team together, i need to get a lot of runs on the board :lol:


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## SteveFields (Mar 21, 2006)

> Are you able to tell us what the future holds Hobie Aus? That page has "Sponsors" plastered on it so can we assume that when a fishing team eventuates they will be sponsored?


Hi L3GACY,

As to what the future holds? (First, thanks for asking us directly vs. rumour mill)..

The future holds lots of things at Hobie and I have to be careful that this post does not turn into a commercial thread, I hope you understand.

We have a number of plans and when the time is right, they will be posted in the commercial section, on associated sites and via the Hobie Dealer network.

As for the wording "Sponsors" on a web page, we work with others in the industry and form partnerships. We reward those by listing them on that page. For instance, if we hold a function and we worked with say "Hogs Breath Cafe" for a dinner, then we would list Hog's as a sponsor, on that page.

I think you guys are "fishing" for something that may or may not be there....... 

The post (this thread reply) was about a "PRO TEAM".... there is no "PRO TEAM ".

The most you'll get out of me (for free) is a beer when you buy a Hobie kayak.......(hope this doesn't start a new thread over how many beers I owe, yikes)

Have a good Friday gents (and ladies)


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

Thanks for clearing that up Steve,

Interesting thread with some amazing photos Doug, far out thats a scary sight!


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## fishydude (Dec 30, 2007)

G'day guys, I think I must slot in to the newb class somewhere myself as far as yak fishing goes. I think it will be a fair while before Oz has to worry about massive crowds of yak fishos. With all the coastline we've got and our small population, the only reason it probably seems there might be a few folk about on any given day is our penchant for clustering close to home and living close to town. If one were to trek over to Pt. Hughes for instance you would most likely not see another yakker unless they came with you and that's only a couple hours away from Adelaide. Once in a while during the week most people can manage to get out and due to work commitments for the vast majority those days will be quiet too. Night sorties and inclement weather will weed out a lot of folk at other times, so I don't think it will be too hard to head out for some secluded fishing at the odd time here and there. Of course S.A being cooler and having big white bitey things will ensure a lower than average yak fisho population, or so it seems to me. However the recent publicity may accelerate the growth rate, so I do feel the same way to some extent. If you want to remain different from the vast majority you could always nude up :shock: ...lol. As for a handshake, mine shake after a big night out. I usually try to keep it a secret but was pretty hard to when soldering. :lol: :lol: 
Cheers
Mike


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## L3GACY (Sep 2, 2007)

fishydude said:


> However the recent publicity may accelerate the growth rate, so I do feel the same way to some extent.


Yeah, recent publicity advertising my stomping ground! I know how to fix it though... If Matt chucks another article up from my area I'm going to start getting information published about the *EXCELLENT* kayak fishing prospects of the Neptune Islands.

That should help "shave" the yak fisho population a bit.


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## Astro (Nov 27, 2006)

kayak fish mackay.....and check out the crocs.....

that will keep the numbers down....


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## AndyC (Feb 29, 2008)

I got into yak fishing in a round-about way. I bought my first yak for no other reason than to access a particular piece of water....... and discovered the joy of fishing from it in all sorts of places! But to me, the great attraction of a kayak is in its ability to take me where other people aren't. To be able to enjoy unspoiled environment and untroubled wildlife as you quietly paddle along makes you remember that you too are actually a part of it. If the water ever became crowded here (with yakkers, stinkboaters or whatever) I think I'd stop going there.

As for the idea of 'competition' in fishing ..... 'Pro teams', stickers, sponsorship ........ it all smacks of the very reason I like to get away on my own. There is something unbelievably pathetic to me, about people who need to 'piss on a wheel' and who strive for a sense of self-worth by 'achieving' some kind of victory over other human beings! I wonder if we will manage to grow past that before we go extinct!

I recently saw an advertisement for a stink boat that can travel at 100KPH and it wasn't for towing skiers ..... it was a fishing boat! And the debate on the particular site about the 'value' of such a boat, was that it can provide competition anglers with a few more minutes of actual fishing time beyond what their slower competitors might manage. And only $39,000, second hand! That, it seems to me, is the inevitable outcome of competition ..... to show us just how insane we are capable of being!

Fishing isn't a sport, its just a recreation. Unfortunately, the 'wreck creation' element wants to turn that into another arena where they can show us their 'sporting prowess'. God save us from competition!!!

Cheers All

AndyC


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## Shorty (May 11, 2008)

I agree with 99% of those ideals Andy ,except for the competetion side of things, here in Perth there was a comp last year which had 28 people showed up ,all reports is that it was a top day out ,,people making new friends, comaradie and mateship on the water with a few handy prizes to boot, those smaller non pro type comps are great i reckon.

There was one for later this month but had to be cancelled due to lack of numbers, but i will be looking forward to the next one, as long as you have fun and don't take it to serously, competetions are a great day on the water.

BTW_ 28 yaks went out for 6 fish caught for the day,,it was one of those days,lol No prizes for the heaviest bag of 3 fish,,nobody had three :lol: ,,,,,,,,,but everyone had a blast from all reports. 

Andy if you are mainly talking about Pro Comps i agree can to much ego and serouisness sometimes,,,cheers,,,,


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## shappy (May 29, 2008)

g'day everyone,
i'm a newby and my first post. i did have a boat to the end of last year and had to sell it. i thought i would have another boat by now but the rising cost of everything these days, it is just not afordable.
i don't have a kayak just yet, but the funds are growing slowly. when i had my boat i did see guys fishing from kayaks and have always had some interest in the idea. if i had more dollars and was not forced to sell the boat i more than likely would not be getting a kayak?

i think there will be alot of fishos in the same position as myself, but the ones that love the fishing and want the exersize that comes with it, will do it. i have a few fishing mates that i know will never consider the idea as they would have to work up a sweat. i believe the sport/recreation, will grow with the right people for it!

also, just quickly add i had a test paddle on a viking tempo and a mission catch today and i maybe without a kayak a bit longer yet to save a bit more for the catch. very nice!!!

thanks, shappy


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## fishnfreak (Jun 22, 2007)

fishydude said:


> If one were to trek over to Pt. Hughes for instance you would most likely not see another yakker unless they came with you and that's only a couple hours away from Adelaide


Mate, i am fishing at Pt Hughes almost once a month, usually more. I can tell you from first hand experience that you are right. Everytime i launch there i see no-one else on yaks, if i do they are holiday makers, not fishos.


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