Afternoon kayak fishing

[Toady king]

*EDIT* *disregard me saying that they're yellow yakka/scad. Im 100% sure they're horse mackerel*

Went fishing in my normal spot in western port, launched at hastings. In the water at 3:30 and had to head in at 5:15pm as the sun was setting behind the trees and didn't fancy packing up in the dark haha.
Was having troubles positioning myself as my kayak was changing directions quiet abit. Was using pilchard and pipis, but pipis were the diffent star, pilchards only got touch by one little toady.
After about 30 minutes of stuffing around and sorting out the roads so they were going to tangle, im looking at my Rods and *BAMB*! My starboard rod is dipping hard, half way to the surface and the fish spits the hook out :-/ quick bait up and drop it in the same spot 3..2..1... Rod dips again! Fish is arm length away, net in hand and my dropper knot snaps off :-(
After about 20 minutes and another 3 fish spitting the hook out, I finally land my first yellowtail yakka/scad!! they were going crazy for my bait. Bait up, wait 2 seconds, *peek peek* and FISH ON! solid fight in the fish, very pleased with their efforts, the biggest one actually had enough power to turn my turn my kayak got 6 in total, could have caught a lot more if the sun wasn't nearly gone, but oh well. Very pleased with what I caught

[dazz999]

nice what do they hit like ? salmon/whiting

[Lightningx]

Nice report and pic :thumbsup:

[deathray]

Great read mate. Are these cowanyoung or scad? I thought scad were a bit more compact a fish. Either way you're report rocks and I look forward more in the future.

[Nude up]

Great read great bait

[4liters]

do they taste any good? I've been wondering if slimies are common around hastings and the submarine too

[laneends]

do they taste any good? I've been wondering if slimies are common around hastings and the submarine too

Between there and stoney is know for the variety of bait species available

[meppstas]

Good to see you did manage a feed in the end, well done.. well worth the effort.

we used to call them slimy mackeral in Sth Aust.. great baitfish for snapper as well. Funny how each state has a different name for what seems to be the same fish species isn't it..

cheers
Adrian

[laneends]

Was having troubles positioning myself as my kayak was changing directions quiet abit.

Some techniques to avoid this
~If you have a rudder raise it. Otherwise it will deflect you from sitting in tide
~In slow to moderate flow anchor out back, drift chute out front will reduce swinging in wind gusts. Cant do in high flows or you will drag anchor.
~strap your paddle in such a way that blade dips in water towards front of yak, this will hold it in line with current. This is where pedal yaks have the advantage with fins vertical.
~ If fishing areas that have this issue a lot then you can make up a mini chute that will do the same. Even a rope would do it but it will foul fishing lines.

[cheaterparts]

apart from bait Yakkas pickle really well - if you like pickled fish , I do them the same as I do Aust Salmon

viewtopic.php?f=32&t=5383

goo fun catching them on light gear but the kayak normally looks like a murder seen with all the blood that comes out of them

have you tried fishing off Woolleys Beach it's not far down from Hastings ( between Stony and Cribpoint jetties ) the tide flows a bit after the drop off but it can be quite productive along the bank to that drop off - by the way it's not as much fun at low tide launching or retrieving - like a lot of WP it is muddy with the tide out