# My first outing S.E. Qld



## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Hi all,

I had initially planned to launch for the first time tomorrow after waiting for weeks to recover from surgery. I decided that if I got up early enough today I could squeeze in a few hours before having to attend to other commitments. So last night I packed the car strapped the foxx to the roof ready for a quick departure.

Morning arrived and I was off, first stop the tackle shop for a new lure (they open at 4:00am) and then the bakery, this could now become part of the ritual. When I arrived at the Bald hills boat ramp it was still dark and I was the first one there, time to set up the foxx while waiting for first light. I parked the car so I could set up the yak in the light of the car after a minute I thought it best to have the car running if I was to have the lights one that's when the car decided it did not want to start anymore. Fuck it I thought I will deal with this after my paddle the only problem was my car was left parked as if by an inconsiderate asshole, so I left a note in the hope it would spare me having to change tyres as well. This seemed to work.

With just enough light I decided to head out, the bung knee made getting in the yak a little difficult but once in I was all good. The foxx seemed to glide effortlessly through the water, abeit glassy conditions, a smile had stretched from ear to ear across my face I was away. I paddled for about an hour trolling a lure behind me to no avail so I decided to give the soft plastics a go casting under some snags. My amature status lead me to the inevitable tangle as I cast too far and found my self tangled in the tree so I paddled over and untangled my line retrieving my lure. As I turned to place my rod back in its holder at the rear I felt that awful feeling of a tilting kayak, I tried spinning back around to right the wrong but alas I had gone beyond a point of no return and soon found myself submerged in the South Pine river.

I guess the splash was the sound of inevitability as I at some point would have to learn to get out of this situation. My PFD did a wonderful job in keeping me boyant (which if you saw me you would understand this is no mean feat) which made turning the foxx upright very easy now the challenge was to get back in myself. The night before I made a decision to instal paddle clips on the top of the kayak rather than on the side as seems to be the case for most, this was about to prove itseldf a wise descision. To get back in I swam to the front of the kayak and was able grab the paddle and slide up onto the foxx, brilliant that was the plan all along well it is what I will tell people now if they ask why I have my paddle clips the way I do.

Despite being soaking wet I was surprisingly not too cold, I guess in part to my choice of clothing, so I decided to keep paddling for I while longer before heading back in to call the RACQ. Thankfully I packed a change of clothes which were the car.

The problem I have now is that my electronic keys ended up soaking wet so that when I unlocked the car the alarm started screaming, I hurriedly popped the bonnet and rippedthe wires out of the horn. Now dry it was time to call the RACQ and prepare to wait. The call centre girl asked me where I was which when I tried to explain she could not place it on here directory. I went In search of better clues I could provide as to my whereabouts as I turned around to my surprise there was a RACQ service car in the car park, was this the best service ever or something more mysterious how could they have known. The serviceman was a great guy and an avid kayaker, he got my car going and we talked all things yakky.

Well what a first out or as I prefer to call it The Learning. Advice I had taken on board from the AKFF that came in handy was the following;

Wear a PFD, no matter how good a swimmer you are or think you are;

I you don't want to loose it tether it, I had tethered everything except for my sunnies which now lay at the bottom of the river;

Lure fishing takes practice;

Wear clothes you can swim in;

Pack a spare set of clothes;

Put all valuables in a dry bag; and

Ensure your RACQ membership is up to date.

Most of all I had fun and am looking forward to learning more tomorrow where I will hopefully catch some fish.

Thanks for reading.

Brian


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## jfish87 (Jul 12, 2011)

Glad to hear your first kayak fishing experience was a positive one, despite the lack of fish and having to take a swim. Did you find out if the RACQ guy was a member of AKFF?


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Cheers, the swim was rather amusing. The RACQ guy is into ocean kayaking rather than fishing but it was great to talk about equipment and his experiences.


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## Bretto (May 23, 2010)

Hey Brian,

It was running pretty fresh today. A lack of fish would have been common anyway. I was the guy launching next to you who still looked half asleep. While the water clarity has returned to what I would deem an acceptable state (very cloudy), that much fresh water can make the fishing hit and miss. I ended up with a couple of undersize bream and a pissed off flattie around the 55 mark which kicked my arse (spiked 3 times), then jumped out of my catch bag.

Good to see taking a swim hasn't dampened your interest. If I have the time, I'm happy to do you up a map with some spots to try next time you launch there.


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

G'day Bretto,

Cheers for the map offer that's really cool of you, I did actually pay attention to what you were doing and paddled around to where you fished after you left to check it out. Today for me was really about the paddle and in a strange way the swim was good for me. All in all it was a great first experience and I think my humble foxx performed rather well, having time on my side to put my yak together along with advice from AKFF has been invaluable.

Having a glass of red now watching rugby and looking forward to tomorrow. By the way nice looking yak you have.

Cheers
Brian


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Early morning yak, break, rugby and red wine.

Ok, what's not to like? As good as this is, it only gets better. ;-)


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

I sure hope so, apart from no fish it was a good day.


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## 2hats (Jan 29, 2012)

Well done foxx1.
What a great learning curve aye.
Once you've had your first dunking, you thank your lucky stars for forums like this where you can find out what you need to know & do in emergency.
As i wear glasses, a surfing band with extra stiching keeps the glasses on no matter which way up i am :lol: 
Have fun & better luck next time out on the water


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

foxx1 said:


> My amateur status lead me to the inevitable tangle as I cast too far and found my self tangled in the tree so I paddled over and untangled my line retrieving my lure. As I turned to place my rod back in its holder at the rear I felt that awful feeling of a tilting kayak, I tried spinning back around to right the wrong but alas I had gone beyond a point of no return and soon found myself submerged in the South Pine River.
> 
> I guess the splash was the sound of inevitability as I at some point would have to learn to get out of this situation. My PFD did a wonderful job in keeping me bouyant (which if you saw me you would understand this is no mean feat) which made turning the foxx upright very easy ... now the challenge was to get back in myself. The night before I made a decision to instal paddle clips on the top of the kayak rather than on the side as seems to be the case for most, this was about to prove itseldf a wise descision. To get back in I swam to the front of the kayak and was able grab the paddle and slide up onto the foxx, brilliant that was the plan all along well it is what I will tell people now if they ask why I have my paddle clips the way I do.
> 
> ...


Could anything else have gone wrong? :lol: :lol: :lol:

You're a fast learner Brian.

:lol: :lol: At this rate you'll be an expert in four outings. I'm still pissing myself laughing, but _I am glad_ there was no real damage.

trevor


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Cheers Trev,

I too am still laughing but maybe it is just the red wine hopefully that does not cause me to piss myself :lol:

If you can't laugh at yourself what is the point.

What was really great was the escapist moment where I was on my own enjoying the serenity and solitude.

What else could go wrong, I like to think of myself as a survivor in that I have previously survived the following;

fell out of a mates landrover when he rolled it at Araganu, walked away with burns from the muffler;

Fell twenty five feet in London hit the concrete, broken ankle seven screws;

set on fire when kitchen blew up at work, five weeks in Brisbane burns ward; and

Tore meniscus in half in my knee playing back yard withseven year old son.

Possibly best to paddle on the other side of the river from me :lol: :lol: :lol:

Brian


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

foxx1 said:


> Cheers Trev,
> 
> I too am still laughing but maybe it is just the red wine hopefully that does not cause me to piss myself :lol:
> 
> ...


And you wanted to come paddling with me?? :shock:

Tell you what Brian ...next summer we'll run a safety day _just for you_. I'll engage a psychologist, a health and safety officer, we'll have an ambulance and trauma specilist on standby, and we might even have a kayaking safety instructor.

You make me laugh. :lol:

trev


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Trev you forgot the fire dept, the SES and possibly the United Nations dissaster relief fund.


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## fishmond (Nov 20, 2011)

Glad to hear you are ok after a capsize.
keep your head high and keep at it... as you get used to your yak, you will be able to manouver in ways you never thought possible, and do so safely.
You were obviously very well equipped (physically and mentally) for your first trip out. I have only been on a yak for about eight or nine months but the things I have learned in that time have been invaluable. That said, I probably have the lowest quality gear on the forum. No tethers either :shock: 
Hope your day out tomorrow provides some joy on the fishing front. The weather will be fantastic and you will now know your limits a little better.

Enjoy your paddle champ,

Richo

PS hit me up if you want to go for a paddle up in the Maroochy river sometime.


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Nice Richo,

Do yourself a favour go to BCF and buy some tethers, $4.95 well worth it if not string will do. One of the things I am enjoying about kayak fishing is the commoradore (forgive spelling) and the shared experiences. The funny thing is I think I was lured into a false sense of security after a boat zoomed passed and the wash didn't bother me at all. I guess from all my experiences I have learned not to panic in a bad situation, always served me well but there is always those "oh shit moments"

hope to paddle I. maroochy soon

Brian


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Trev,

We forgot to include a Country Western star to write a song about how tragic it was and how good it could have been. Keith Urban or do we go for an ol favorite in John Williams.


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Brian the early days in yakking offer many challenges, and importantly you now have your dunking behind you and by being a fast learner should now stay dry in the future.

And compliments on the first report it was a good read mate.


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Richo,

Your signature reminds me of my time in Edinburgh. Edinburgh is full of statues covered in pidgeon shit yet there are some statues of pidgeons surprisingly clean. A drunken night nearly got me to even the score, thankfully I was wise enough just to let it go. Damn pidgeons win again.

Brian


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## scoman (Oct 4, 2010)

An incredible first outing fella and a much anticipated one. Hope the next one has a little less disaster and a little more fish.


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## DennisT (Jan 2, 2012)

Great report Brian . That was an enjoyable read ... Nothing seems to dampen your spirits ...Not Even being damp ... Good on ya ...

Cheers


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## 4weightfanatic (May 19, 2011)

I remember the first day I got in my kayak and started paddling - whoa !! 30 years or more since I'd been in one at school and I'm thinking maybe I should have done this in the shallows. Within half an hour I was rockin' and looking for boat wakes to test the stability !! You'll never look back now and be wondering why it took you so long. I look forward to some fishy stories in the future. Cheers Pat.


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Hi all,

Straight back on the proverbial horse again today and hey managed to stay dry, what a gorgeous day ir was too. Took my time making my way from Bald hills down river to the Bruce Hwy bridge paddling in and out of every nook, crany and bend on the way there and back. Paddling down stream on high tide was very easy and I got to say the foxx performed very well paddling back up stream against the outgoing tide, no real effort required at all but hey it really isn't fast moving, this is a lesson I am sure to learn the hard way at a latter date.

Apart from a couple of niggles at my trolling lure there was not much action fish wise. The anticipation of catching fish had me spin around at alarming speed when I first hear the spin of the reel tearing out line. Sadly this turned out to be my first snag on the upside I was able to paddle back and retrieve my lure.

Hope the weather next weekend is as good as it was today for I will definately be back out on the water more serious about catching fish next time round. Will be trying out somewhere new maybe Bribie Island, anyone got any suggestions?

Cheers

Brian


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

Enjoyed the read Brian, you've certainly got the right attitude mate and the fish will come soon as a happy side effect to this addictive drug called yak fishing!


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Thats a shame about the dunking Brian but lucky you came out alright and only lost the glasses!



foxx1 said:


> Hope the weather next weekend is as good as it was today for I will definately be back out on the water more serious about catching fish next time round. Will be trying out somewhere new maybe Bribie Island, anyone got any suggestions?


If the wind isnt up too much and you wanted to fish near bribie I'd suggest launching from Donnybrook and fishing the drop offs and weed beds in the pumicestone passage. I find plastics work best in this area as the weed will foul up any trolled hardbody really quickly. But there are plenty of places to choose from in the passage to suit your fishing needs and the weather.


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Cheers Evoids,

It could well be a day out from Donnybrook this comming Sunday. What coloured soft plastics work for you around that area? After a lot of promises made by myself to my wife in regards to the fish that I will bring home from my kayak fishing adventures I will have to start showing a return on investment for all the gear I have bought, which is why any advice you have will be well recieved by me.

Brian


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## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Haha yes it certainly helps to bring home a feed every now and then! 
I'm certainly no pro when it comes to fishing the passage but I know what's worked for me in the past so I'll show a spot that usually produces for me. Plus its a huge system so its good to have at least one area to focus on!










The green line is the usual drift path I'd try to take while flicking plastics along the drop and the X shows a little run off channel that fishes well on a run-out tide. This drop off is marked out well by a couple of green markers that you can get to in minutes by paddling north from the boat ramp.

Obviously this technique would work along the edge of any of the channels in the passage but I usually focussed on this one because for ages I didnt have a sounder and this drop off was the easiest to find and stick to. My last PB flathead came from this drop off (63cm) and my brothers PB flathead (73cm) also came from this drop off.

I usually use natural coloured plastics. Worms and fish imitations work well. Squidgy flickbaits, worms and wrigglers have worked well for me in the past usually in sizes around 3-4 inches.


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Cheers Evoids looks like lots of potential for flathead I am hoping to be there this Sunday.

Might also take an extra day off this week and head out into Bramble Bay from Dohles rocks area, holy shit it happens that quick I am hooked on this kayak fishing phenomenon.

On a side note the other week I was checking out fishing gear on ebay spying two fishing lures (small poppers) for sale at $1.50 with one minute to go. I thought what the heck and bought them for $1.77 plus free postage, honestly didn't hold out too much hope for them actually turning up but when I got home tonight there they were. Yes they are and look cheap but hey will have to give them a go, who knows what they might bring.


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Wow nearly a thousand reads of my first trip. Really enjoying the encouragement from the members in this forum.

Very excited and looking forward to the Jumpinpin trip. With any luck there will be fish, hopefully we don't need Jesus to ensure we all get some, most of all I am looking forward to actually meeting some of you telling tales and having a great time.

Cheers
Brian


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

foxx1, one of the things I like about this forum is how generous members are when it comes to helping out fellow members.

On the subject of flathead, quite am while ago I noticed that I only caught them as by catch and could never catch one when I really wanted one. I asked the question and the help came thick and fast. I was fishing in the wrong spots and using the wrong technique.

I went for a quick fish down the river is afternoon, still had my workbooks and jeans on, eager to christen my new rod and reel. I knew from all I'd been taught on this forum that I was in with a chance with the flathead. I caught two and lost many others after snapping the rod (damaged in the back of the ute!) and losing my leader and having to resort to 8lb braid direct to the jig head. In the back of my mind a little voice was saying "I wouldn't be having this much fun if I hadn't asked the question on akff"

That's a long winded way of saying don't be scared to ask questions and give the suggestions ago. Eventually you'll work it all out and the you'll be the one sharing your knowledge with others.


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## foxx1 (Jun 3, 2012)

Too true Barra,

Fishing seems to be all about hard luck stories which I guess only serve to make the good ones great.

Brian


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