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Getting Back Into It


a-frame81

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Hi All,

 

Getting back into fishing more regularly after kids. Mostly hitting up the freshwater lakes around Canberra, with mixed results. I just found the forum today so I thought I'd join up.

 

No boat at the moment (1st boat went to help buy the house), but hoping to get another in the next couple of years.

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Hi Ellicat & Hamish

 

Kids are still small, just now past the baby stage (youngest is 4). I've mostly caught redfin (european Perch) but have caught one 40cm Yellowbelly. That's my only native so far. I've started to fish with bigger lures hoping for a Murray Cod, but no luck so far. Might have to head to one of the rivers or try some different spots in the lakes.

 

Time is still short but I'm generally getting out once every 1-2 weeks, which is a vast improvement on the recent past. We also head down to the coast a couple of times a year so I get some saltwater action from time to time.

 

I'm only new to lures after growing up baitfishing, so I'm always learning as well. 

 

With the 40th coming next year, I figure I'll ask for a tinny again so I can get on the water and troll for the natives to shake things up a bit.

 

Cheers.

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Hey a-frame81

Rightio, hopefully you can get a monster Murray soon. Sounds like you will do god if you get a tinny also, I am a yakker (as well as my Dad) so we normally kayak around in the Brisbane River. 🙂 

I am a bait fisho also, I have only caught one lone flathead (50cm) on a lure before, but I'm looking to improve that.

Cheers Hamish 🙂 

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I've been looking at the tinny vs kayak debate and trying to decide which to go for. Around Canberra a yak would let me access more of the lakes  as there aren't may with boat ramps, but not sure my back would cope with lugging it around and lifting it onto the roof racks. Unfortunately I haven't been kind to my back in the past and it's already catching up with me.

 

How do you find the yak, lifting etc?

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Hi a-frame81

Sounds like a yak would be good for fishing in some of the lakes, but a downside is unless you pedal/have an electric motor, you need to paddle it around. It is OK for one or two spots, but if you need to continuously paddle back and forth it gets pretty exhausting. Saying that, you can travel far distances in them so I wouldn't write one off...

If you think a tinny is better for you, I would get the tinny. I don't do all the manual work (lifting), but my Dad (who is a member on here, Cavvy) seems to manage it with a bit of a hand. I will tell him and hopefully he can answer your question a bit better. I don't really have experience with tinnies either so if you plan on doing lots and lots of trolling then maybe it would be better. 

Cheers Hamish 🙂 

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28 minutes ago, ellicat said:

That's one of the pros or cons. I guess the idea of a tinny would be easier to 'sell' to the good wife.

 

57 minutes ago, a-frame81 said:

Thanks Ellicat, I have a box trailer so that may work. It all depends if I want to take the kids out as well I guess....

Hey a-frame81 and ellicat

Yes, that is a problem with our kayak. We used to be able to take my brother/sister and me out, but now we need more gear and I am bigger (the last time we did that would've been a year or two ago). I know my mum likes it when we are all out, so if you got the tinny that would certainly be a pro (if your wife wants you and the kids out all together 🙂

An option to take your kids out might be to get a double kayak, and while it may be a lot more grunt work (we have a double by the way) you could probably do good on that as well. A tinny might be a bit easier if they are younger children to get around though.

Cheers Hamish 🙂 

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We've got a double sit on kayak and yes it is a bit heavy getting on the roof at 35kg or so.  I bought some of the suction cup sliders that you can put on the back of your vehicle and just slide the kayak on without lifting.  That was pretty good.  However now I have half a helper I can just lift it on. 

In terms of your decision making........ it was easy for me as I much prefer a kayak and paddling around.  Generally I am the motor for Hamish who just throws his line out while I'm positioning in the river or moving to the next spot!.  In earlier years I could take out two of the kids with one in the middle so was still a bit of a family outing.  Having said that I'm sure Hamish would prefer we had a tinny and if you are wanting to do fishing yourself and have one or two of your kids with you a tinny may be required!

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Thanks for all the perspectives. 

 

I've also started watching some videos about fixing up old boats, so may head down that path (I have a bit of a thing of resurrecting old pushbikes, so this is a bit of an extension of that).

 

Still a little over a year until the 40th so plenty of time to think.

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The ACT is a bit different to most states, we don't have to kill carp or redfin. I think every other state you can't put them back.

 

Apparently the wirrah is common on rocks and breakwalls down on the south coast. It's the only one I've every caught as most of my fishing has been in rivers or lakes. Certainly was a cranky character and full of spines. glad I had my gloves for getting him off.

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Hiya a-frame81

Rightio, that is interesting. I would've thought carp and redfin (Or English Perch as they are known) would be an eradicate only species but obviously not. 

7 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Yeah, he looks pretty nasty.

Hi ellicat

Yes, he does. Probably the equivalent of a nasty big scat in QLD. 

Cheers Hamish 🙂 

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  • 2 months later...
22 hours ago, a-frame81 said:

Cheers guys. I have my eye on one that has just popped up on Gumtree down here. It's a Perception Minnow. Now just trying to decide if I want a sit-in like the minnow or a sit-on-top. 

Tips or pros and cons would be great.

 

7 minutes ago, a-frame81 said:

Cheers Ellicat,

 

How wet do you get in them? Noting winter gets pretty cold down here, I had thought the sit-in may offer a bit more protection from the freezing water.

Hey a-frame81

Well, a sit-in is straight away more tippy and cumbersome when fishing as it is hard to grab anything.

We use a sit-on-top and it is much easier to paddle around, deal with gear, etc.

I have been out in crap weather once, you get pretty wet. A sit-in wouldn't make/doesn't make a difference. 

Cheers Hamish

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Thanks Guys,

 

On a tight budget, but looking at options. Maybe thinking of one of these: https://www.anacondastores.com/water/kayaks/seaflo-adult-kayak/BP90098727 at the moment with a  rod holder. Light and have plenty of deck space for the kids. I could add a rod holder in front of the seat as I've checked and there's a pre-drilled mounting spot under a sticker (you can see it on the pic of the red version). Plenty of storage on the deck and enough weight capacity to ake me and some gear. Thoughts?

 

 

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Thanks Benno,

I have a PFD already, my service kit just arrived yesterday so will get onto that part pronto. I'll take a few weeks to look at Gumtree and see what's there, but keen to have one ready to go for spring when the fish come back on the chew a bit better. The wetsuit for Winter isn't a bad idea with water temps down here too.

I'm hoping for some "in hull" storage, at least for key/phone etc but was going to get a  dry bag in any case as hatches can leak. 

I think I'm set on a sit -on , thanks to all the feedback here. As much as the sit-in would be good in the cold, it will be harder to get gear sorted on the water. 

As for seat comfort, I'm likely to only get and hour or two at a time around family needs so if I can mange it for that it will be ok. Good to know about not really getting wet on the sit-on. It will definitely come in handy in winter and I'm only likely to fish flat water, or the occasional estuary when I can get down the coast.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 30/07/2020 at 8:11 PM, a-frame81 said:

Cheers guys. I have my eye on one that has just popped up on Gumtree down here. It's a Perception Minnow. Now just trying to decide if I want a sit-in like the minnow or a sit-on-top. 

Tips or pros and cons would be great.

Mate you should join the fishing comp. Starts tomorrow so you will need to be fast. 

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