# AKFF Legend # 4 - Squidder



## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

The Australian Kayak Fishing Forum is an interesting place, with a diverse range of people and personalities. We have members from all walks of life, from many countries around the world, and with a wide range of experience.

Sometimes though, a particular member really stands out. They may, or may not be, the most successful fisherman. Perhaps their fishing fashion sense could only be described as "enthusiastically grunge". They might have a squid ink stained kayak that only a mother could love. However, their continual commitment to the community, their participation in innovative kayak fishing-related tasks, or their constant positive influence on the forum, really makes them shine.

As such, we have come up with the concept of the 'Legend of AKFF' award.

The inaugural AKFF Legend recipient was Bob 'Richo' Richardson - or Dodge as he's better known around these parts. Then we had the pleasure of highlighting the efforts of the honorable Mr. AKFF, Leigh 'RedPhoenix' Purdie. Barry 'the great Bazzoo' then took over the crown; a man with a welcoming nature, and effusive enthusiasm. Joining these ranks, it gives us great pleasure to introduce our fourth 'Legend of AKFF': Jason 'Squidder' Price.

'Squidder' joined AKFF on Friday Sep 02, 2005 at 5:21 pm, and quickly became an active participant in many conversations & threads on the site. Jason cut his teeth fishing the Port Phillp Bay from a row boat at the age of 12 years old, and traipsing through Victoria's freshwater rural surrounds for Trout and Redfin with his father. When AKFF first appeared online as a forum, Jason was one of its first members, becoming instantly addicted to Kayak Fishing (After 10 years of row boating!).

A very generous fellow, with a knack for fishing, Jason is always quick to help out fellow yakkers with hard-won techniques and ideas. Although he could be considered a hard-core kayak fisherman, that doesn't mean that he leaves his creature comforts at home. His typical fishing sessions involve very early morning starts, and impossibly freezing mornings.... followed by a three course meal cooked on the nearest bank! Jason's hospitality at home and abroad is infamous; you always know if the fishing is slow the food will be fast. His bacon rolls by the foreshore are a warm and welcome treat, and his salt & pepper squid after a salt water excursion, is legendary.

Jason also has the kayak with arguably the most 'AKFF history' on the forum, purchasing his Cobra 'Fish N Dive' many, many moons ago off the forums original administrator, The Mariner. Many of its original modifications are still attached today - some, like the remnants of some ancient civilization, are underused or abandoned - their original function forgotten, and best left to future archaeologists to decipher. Notorious for never cleaning his Kayak, the poor old yellow FND holds its head high with a hull thickness that rivals armor plating, and a stability factor that is unmatched in anything less than an aircraft carrier. (If a tornado passed through Canberra, parliament house would probably disappear, before the FND budged an inch). Squidder makes excellent use of this beast, taking it to places that the original designers would never have imagined; it is only recently that another kayak has felt his weight - occasionally borrowing the kayak of his partner ("Squidette"), which used to be owned by another old legend, Bazzoo - Bazz's Hobie Quest, Skippa.

A true Renaissance man, Jason is an accomplished Scientist who has been working hard on skin cancer vaccines. He dabbles in Volleyball through social and competitive tournaments in Canberra. His singing voice, however, is best left undiscussed. Canberra's population was lucky to snag Jason through work commitments, enveloping him into our tight knit community and enjoying his free spirit and dedication to life (He is also the meanest fillet master this side of Melbourne, sorry Mangoes, you can't have him back&#8230

Your a top bloke Jason and one we are proud to call our mate!

Paf and Red.










*Name?*
Jason Price

*Occupation?*
Scientist

*Age?*
31

*Where do you / have you lived & what have been your local fishing spots?*
Grew up in bayside Melbourne, fished from an 8 foot rowboat targeting flathead, snapper and garfish in Port Philip Bay from age 12. We had a holiday house on the Great Ocean Road, so every holiday was spent chasing mullet, bream, salmon, and trout.

*Is there a story behind your username? Can you fill us in?*
Um, I just like to catch squid. I've been fascinated by them ever since I caught my first one. Physically they are so different to anything else we fish for. They are amazing, ultra aggressive predators. They are jet propelled. They live for about a year, then spawn and die. They are delicious. They shoot black stuff at you when they're angry. What's not to love about them!

*What fish do you most enjoy catching, and why?*
Toss up between whiting/bream/flathead on surface lures - the visual aspect of seeing a bow wave heading for your lure, then watching it get eaten a couple of metres from the yak in a spray of white water is definitely man's second greatest thrill.

*What's your poison? (drink)*
Beer - anything by James Squire, or with plenty of hops.

*When did you start kayak fishing & what got you into the sport?*
I have been kayak fishing since around the time AKFF started (mid 2005), and was introduced to the sport through the generosity of AKFF member Milt (who I met on Fishvictoria.com) lending his spare kayak to a bloke he had just met online. I did a few trips with Milt fishing the inshore reefs of PPB, and decided I had to have my own kayak. Ended up driving from Melbourne to Adelaide to buy a kitted out Cobra Fish n Dive from Phil ("The Mariner", AKFF founder and yak fishing legend). A massive source of knowledge and encouragement for me in the early days was the "Melbourne Mangoes" (Milt, RodL, PoddyMullet, Hoit, Mushi and others), and I have many fond memories of great trips with the Mangoes off Rickett's Point.

*What was your first Yak?*
Cobra Fish n Dive

*What Yak(s) do you own now?*
Cobra Fish n Dive, still going strong after many years of service and very few washes. Most people who see it comment that it is the dirtiest thing they've ever seen. It is slow, stable, and IMO the best and most comfortable fishing platform around. Have also been enjoying taking Squidette's Hobie Quest (formerly owned by Bazzoo) offshore over the past few weeks.

*What was your best experience on the kayak so far?*
The first SCUBA dive I did off the kayak was awesome, and opened my eyes to a lot of opportunities. Also introducing Squidette to kayak fishing and watching her skills and confidence grow, to the point where she has outfished the boys on quite a few occasions.

*What was the worst or most embarrassing experience on the kayak so far?*
-Snapping the tip off Paffoh's brand new Nitro rod when it became entangled in my crate off Barling's beach, when I paddled over to take a photo of an ooglie he had just caught.
-Taking Tony (YKnot) out for his first ever kayak fishing trip, and watching in horror as he tipped over in the first few minutes, and drowned his wife's phone and new camera, and lost some tackle. He ended up catching a few fish, and told me later that it was his best fishing trip ever (seriously), and bought a kayak not long after, so maybe it wasn't so bad.

*If you had an opportunity to go anywhere in the world on a kayak fishing trip, where might it be, and what would you target?*
It would be the NSW South Coast, but 200 years ago, and I would target estuary species on surface lures.

*What's the most interesting thing you have ever seen while kayaking?*
Probably watching drops of water falling off the paddle shaft onto my lap, and turn to ice before my eyes, during a very cold trip to Jindabyne last winter. I was also witness to a submarine bowel movement by Gatesy several years ago - that was not so much interesting as disturbing and wrong.

*Looking back over your years on AKFF, are there any particular AKFF stories or moments that really stand out for you?*
The first "BIG" AKFF gathering at Barling's Beach was a huge stand out, the sense of camaraderie on that trip was out of this world.

*What is your best tip for newcomers to kayak fishing?*
Spend a few hours on the water learning to handle your craft before loading it full of expensive unleashed gear and going fishing.

*Where do you see kayak fishing going in the future?*
Onwards and upwards!

*If you could sum up kayak fishing in a few words, what would they be?*
Easily the most rewarding way to fish.


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Ahhhhhhhhh Jason , you champion , welcome mate and well deserved ,Legend of the forum no 4 , what can i say , one of the nicest blokes i have ever met and so glad that Skippa found a home at your house ,even though you seem to be using it a tad too much so i am going to suggest to Squidette that she charge you a loan fee . For all you guys that have never met Jase he is one natural completely straight forward down to earth guy who just happens to be a very good cook and excellent fisherman and i have heard the quickest filleter of fish on the planet . i also remember that he moved from Melbourne to Canberra in order to work on the development of a vaccine for Melanomas , so he is selfless in his giving and apart from that i like him a lot .What a great fisherman ,Jason , I am really chuffed for you that you have been awarded this honour , its very well deserved , good onya Jase.


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

Yeah have to agree with Bazz, this dude can fish!

He may wind the reel using the rod hand and hold the rod like a Mexican but boy oh boy can he angle. I have learned more things off this guy than I did in an entire lifetime off my Father (Still love you though Dad). His passion for fishing is really second to none, only his emo like state when he fails brings me back to reality (Jindy ring any bells Jase?). Seriously though mate, well bloody done and I dont care if you think you dont deserve it or not... We all know you do. Reach out people, touch the bling bling that seperates the common folk from the chosen ones (Yes its really screen rez gold).

Cant say enough dude, lets go fishing!?


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## Shorty (May 11, 2008)

Well done Jason,,your a legend


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Welcome and congratulations on becoming a Legend, Jason have read and enjoyed your contributions to the forum during my time as member and it's well deserved in seeing you get some gold as well mate.


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

Good work on keeping it real,squidman.
8)


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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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## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

A well-deserved award for a keen and competent angler and yakker. And keep up the important work on the other front, Jason. Well done, moderators.


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

Also this


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

Yes, well deserved Jase.

Your continued enthusiasm, help, advice and 'just do it' attitude are what sets you apart. A worthy Legend...and a good bloke too!
















Also, a rare shot of Squidder out of his kayak on dry land..


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

well deserved.
love the shot of the roo feeding you bread :lol:


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## johnny (Aug 12, 2007)

ditto to all the above,Squidder!


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## FishWhisperer (Mar 5, 2009)

I can vouch for Jase being a great bloke and happy to share his tips....And a dedicated fisherman to boot, if its been done before or someone has thought of doing it, Jase has done it already multiple times...Trout on plastics is my fav....And the suitcase of powerbaits that he opened up in Jindy bought me back to the days of drooling at the local candy store, there were more flavors than I'd seen in any fishing store..On the road trips home he was happy to take the position of "Red leader" scaring and dodging the local roo populations to make sure we all got home safely.. 

Thanks Jase again for all the tips and its always great to see your reports....Looking forward to the next fishing trip...

Well done and congrats again..Canberra's lucky to have you...

Luke


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## scleburne (Aug 10, 2008)

Ahh Jason ya LEGEND....
lets go fishing!


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## GregL (Jul 27, 2008)

A very fitting award handed out to Jase - well done mate.
I've only fished with 'The Squid' a couple of times, but I thoroughly enjoyed those times and look forward very much to fishing with him again soon - and I'm sure there will be many more trips thereafter. A true gent who knows his stuff, and a top bloke.
I do think though that the bright shiny gold fish that will now adorn his profile could do with a few splats of squid ink...
Well done Jason,
Best regards,
Smeg


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

Well deserved award mate  
I met Jason a couple of years a go through AKFF on a trip to Congo (south coast) and straight away it felt like id known him for years, since then theres been way too many trips to count and have thoroughly enjoyed every one of them.
He really does have a wealth of knowledge and is happy to share it as well, a true champion of the sport  
He also guided me to my first Squid, which before then i had absolutely no idea how to fish for them but on my first outing he managed to put me right where they were.
Your a top bloke Jase, and a valuable member of our fast growing sport 8)


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## Marty (Mar 18, 2007)

Congratulations Jason ... very well deserved award .
I first met Jase when he came to my place to buy some gear off me , I ve fished with him a few times now and really enjoy talking to him GENUINE NICE GUY


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## rawprawn (Aug 31, 2005)

Well done Jason.


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## pescado (May 17, 2007)

Onya Squidder, a damn good fisho and damn good bloke to boot. Your yak is dirty as hell but only because she sees a lot of FISH and SQUID


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Thanks everyone for your kind words. It is very humbling.

I have been lucky to meet so many top people through AKFF and look forward to meeting many more.


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

I surprised no one has mention Jason's ability to fillet fish. I watched in awe at Forster as Jason filleted all his fish in the time i would have done one.

Congrats Jason, well deserved for a top bloke and good fisho. It was great fun (i think :shock: ) sitting between you an Craig at durras pulling whiting out of two meters of water on your damn hopper poppers at least four to my one :lol:

Cheers Dave


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## skorgard (Oct 6, 2007)

I had a business trip in Canberra and Jason borrowed Paffoh's Outfitter and gave me a top day. I am waiting for him to stay in Adelaide longer than his flying visits so that I can return the hospitality. Well done.


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## Biggera Yakker (Jan 25, 2007)

Good on ya Mate!


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## Y-Knot (Sep 26, 2006)

*What was the worst or most embarrassing experience on the kayak so far?*

-Taking Tony (YKnot) out for his first ever kayak fishing trip, and watching in horror as he tipped over in the first few minutes, and drowned his wife's phone and new camera, and lost some tackle. He ended up catching a few fish, and told me later that it was his best fishing trip ever (seriously), and bought a kayak not long after, so maybe it wasn't so bad.

Fair Dinkum Jase, i feel ashamed that our trip out (my 1st) you rate as 1 of the most embarrasing/worst trips for you... it was one of the greatest moments in my life that day, despite my sheer stupidity in taking out expensive gear during my maiden yakfish, it has been a turning point for me, an introduction into a new sport/hobby (that my misses may never forgive you for) that l'll forever be hooked on till my dying days.

You are a top bloke. Generous with your time, equipment and knowledge.

Congratulations on your Legendary status mate, most deserving...


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2009)

Good onya mate, congrats


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## Revo (Aug 3, 2008)

Congratulations Jase ... I've been away and just noticed this announcement. It's been great to meet you and to learn from you. A couple of memories come to mind ...

1. First, was when I arrived back at Maloneys Beach after dark (one of my early trips out in the evening to try some night fishing). I thought I was the only one on the whole beach as I started to pack everything away and load the kayak onto the roof bars. Then, this car drives up and stops about 20 meters away from me ... I'm thinking that I'm alone here and start hoping this stranger is a friendly type as he gets out of the car and starts walking towards me ... you spoke and I recognised that it was you. You'd been squidding nearby - but I hadn't noticed.

2. Second, was at Durras Lake. You had collided with a roo on the way down that morning and modified the shape of your car, but soldiered on to keep your appointment with the fish. Soon after launching, we experienced the forecast "occasional shower" which was a solid downpour, as this pic shows, as you got out of your cobra to put on some wet weather gear!









Neither the roo or the rain was going to stop you that day. Typical of your commitment to this sport and to your many friends on this forum.

All the best


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## LoboLoco (Feb 1, 2008)

well done!
would love the opportunity to fish with you one day.

Cheers


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