# Help! New to fishing kayaking



## Wombatroo (Jun 29, 2014)

Hi I have just got a Malibu Serra 10 and am just starting out kayak fishing, I had no idea what I had been missing!
I have seen the soft roof racks and wondered if they are any good? I don't live far from the beach. Also I saw a device that helps get the yak up onto the roof are they worth getting? On eBay they have fish finders for under $70 anyone found these worthwhile? I was thinking of going up to Black Rock I was told this is a good place to fish. Hoping someone can give me some advice. Thanks Tarnia


----------



## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Wombatroo said:


> Hi I have just got a Malibu Serra 10 and am just starting out kayak fishing, I had no idea what I had been missing!
> I have seen the soft roof racks and wondered if they are any good? I don't live far from the beach. Also I saw a device that helps get the yak up onto the roof are they worth getting? On eBay they have fish finders for under $70 anyone found these worthwhile? I was thinking of going up to Black Rock I was told this is a good place to fish. Hoping someone can give me some advice. Thanks Tarnia


Welcome Wombatroo (Tarnia) to AKFF.

Do you have a tail, and do you hop or waddle? 

I little bit of general advice only. A 3 m kayak is very short for offshore, but much more suited to estuaries lakes and rivers.

Regarding the roof loading, there are a myriad of loaders and tie downs, but most able bodied young fellas will cope with a soft rack, though most use hard racks.

I can't comment on $70 fish finders, but you get what you pay for (some are $ 1,0000 +).

You would be best to add your location to your signature line - it will help with future advice.

Go to the Wiki for advice about pimping (modifications), and read for your own sake, and those of your family, read the entire safety section, at least to become proficient at deep water re-entries.

PM anytime or ask the forum for advice.


----------



## brinkmanc12 (Sep 5, 2014)

welcome,
I would not get a really cheep fish finder as you will buy an other quite quickly, I have two one on each Yak but I just bought a Lowrance Elite 4 for a $190 (new) online it has a fish finder and charts for navigation and an other $125 if you want an overlay with more detailed mapping from BCF. The Roof Racks it depends what you are putting it on, I have 2 expensive cars so I have the Thuele roof racks they are awesome and you can get accessories to fit on them. I first bought them for a BMW X5 and I modified them to suit my new car but I have heard the rubber ones can scratch your car just ask that question but if you are only going really short distances then it may not be an issue. cheers, Paul.


----------



## Guest (Sep 18, 2014)

Hi Tarnia

That's a lot of questions in one thread. Some people may avoid responding to multiple questions. You may get best input if you separate your questions into different threads.

- Soft roof racks - I never tried them and have no idea. I use Whispbars because they are far quieter than either round tube or square tube types owned previously.

- Loading devices - If you have a super lightweight kayak, you may not need a lifting device (e.g. my 10kg is easy to handle). Once you start lifting heavier kayaks (most fishing yaks) you need to start thinking about the potential to damage your back. You might lift without trouble for years then one day a slight change will upset the load and may lead to a slipped disk. A slipped disk is a major injury. Leaving aside the physical cost, the financial cost will be far more than any kayak loader. While devices like hullivators do most of the work for you (at a prohibitive price), most other loaders virtually halve the weight. They also help stabilise the lift - the wind doesn't make it swing about while you are holding it in a high position. Some people use other methods. If budget is an issue, the following shows how to do it without using a loader. You could use a towel on the roof of the car to help prevent damage.






- Fish finder - What you need depends on how you plan to use it. For example, my main use is gauging depth and viewing structure. I wanted good quality interpretation of structure so spent money a FF with DSI. Others want to see fish in open ocean and spend their dollars on FFs that have electronics better suited to identifying fish. Others want side-scan so they can see greater width instead of a very narrow track of what is underneath their yak. Less expensive models generally have less features and low resolution. They may do the job but won't do it as well. If all you need is an approximate understanding of depth and structure, a budget FF may be OK. I've never bought a budget FF so can't recommend for or against any brands. I suspect it would be better to pay a fraction more for a bottom-end FF from a reputed manufacturer than buying an unknown brand via eBay.

- Black Rock - No idea.


----------



## barrajack (May 20, 2007)

kayakone said:


> Wombatroo said:
> 
> 
> > Hi I have just got a Malibu Serra 10 and am just starting out kayak fishing, I had no idea what I had been missing!
> ...


Wow kayakone's all over it , stomping the forum two and fro , must say all this replying in detail is keeping you busy

getting a little tingley feeling inside or something hey lol

wombatroo you might get a Snapper down there , grew up down that way seasonal though

kayakone should be able to help with that

Cheers


----------



## laneends (Jan 25, 2013)

Personally a 3m yak I believe is too short for the bay. May start off fine conditions, but if an offshore blow picks up you may have problems pointing it in the right direction let alone making any headway. I know I was caught a couple of times in my first 3m yak.

Look up the met site for wind patterns during the day http://www.bom.gov.au/marine/wind.shtmland dont go unless its going to stay under 5knots. An onshore wind will create bigger chop but off shore can have you drifting out in no time. A northerly at black rock can see you way out wide off mordiallic very quickly.

Black Rock will be good shortly for snapper season. Be aware they have restrictions down there down where you can launch a yak. also the marine park at Black Rock.


----------



## Wombatroo (Jun 29, 2014)

Thank you all so much for your advice and information. Made me release how little I do know. 
Think I'll leave the fish finder till I can get something half decent. 
Thank you for the links very interesting. I'll get some roof racks for my station wagon and give it a go. It fits in the back but can't stand my car smelling like fish days later! Plus really blocks your view and next year hoping to travel with it. 
Really appreciate all your help. 
Tarnia


----------



## kayaktwo (Sep 17, 2014)

wombatroo if you need any more help , please feel free to pm me

Regards Travis


----------



## laneends (Jan 25, 2013)

I have section square rhino bars, so i jam a suitable length of timber batten in the end to extend one of them and load as per above vid. Loading upside down so there in need for cradle. Practice Though it does tip salt and sand on car roof, so keep up on thorough car washing if you do this.

Balancing yaks above your head snatch and jerk style will work 100 times, until you end up rupturing a disc in your back when you trip and are reluctant to drop it. Never balance full weight of yak above your head. I'm sure we've all done it at times. :shock:

If you do put a yak in the back of your car, it might not stay there if you hit the brakes or rear end someone.

A big sealable bag, or box in the back of the car is not a bad idea to dump all the wet stuff, seat, pants shoes etc and other wet, sandy, smelly bits until you can get home and wash or dry them out.Sand and salt smell gets everwhere I have a spare car which is my "yak car", smells like a burley bucket

Practice your setting up and packing up as its a pain on those cold predawn days, or raining.

Any electrical connections, solder, just crimping will give you no end of woes.


----------



## Evoids (Jan 10, 2009)

Hey Wallambatroo,

I can't give any advice on yor fishing area as I'm not sure where it is. I do know that I wouldn't be taking my 3.3m yak offshore though, and I've been paddling it for 5 years.

As for sounders, I spent $100 on a Lowrance X-4 and it does exactly what I wanted it to do ie. plot depth. Dont expect too much more out of a sounder that doesn't cost you much.

The soft racks are ok. I used a set for quite a while. I did find that they could scratched my roof up and could damage the roof of my car if tightened up too much. I didn't trust them at high speeds either so I kept my fishing local (no highways, etc).


----------



## Wombatroo (Jun 29, 2014)

Got the roof racks and thanks for the video OnceBitten was as easy as they made out. Hopefully the end I'd next week the weather will pick . Thank you all again for your time I really appreciate it. Wombatroo.


----------

