Slayer 10 maiden voyage Fishies Beach

[Sebb]

After three weeks since I bought the Slayer 10 kayak (and my mate bought the Titan), we finally gone fishing on the yak!
Was more trying and trialing than the fishing.

Started with 1/0 whiting snatcher and squid jig with pipis. Straight away caught few pinkies on the whiting snatcher, gave it up and changed to snapper snatcher 4/0 with squid head and half whiting, nothing big caught, swarmed by micro pinkies (multiple tiny taps).
Caught one squid.

The Slayer 10 was surprisingly super stable. There was wind gusts around 20-25kmh and swell from boat going fast etc, yet I didn't feel 'oh cr*p' at all. It could go fast too! Surprised by the speed it could go. Easy to hand and manouver.

The stupid mistake of the day was my sounder on simulation mode the whole time, didn't realise that til about to head home, lol ! I know right, pretty stupid...
My mate was too excited he cut the main line instead of the tail end while rigging. Lost my lip grip, got knocked accidentally.

The question of the day : how do you bait fish while drifting?

It was a bit of a mess casting squid jig and one rod on bait.
The bait rod either slacking (the kayak drifts towards the sinker/bait) or the sinker/bait gets dragged and gotta let some line out all the time (the kayak drifts away from the sinker/bait).

One time the kayak was drifting towards the bait/sinker and the slack line was caught in the propeller. Problem found, noted, learnt not to that again but haven't found any solutions.

Overall, not so much a very successful fishing but definitely very educational about having to fish on a propeller kayak. A good test. Definitely worth the money, so much better than the hand paddle $350 kayak I used to have.

Date and time : 5/10/2019 fish 5pm-7:30pm
Barometer : 1015 and dropping
Air temp : 20°C and dropping, SE wind 10-15 kmh gusts 20-25 kmh.
High tide : 7:13pm
Source : Willy Weather
Lure/bait : yamashita live 3.0 red, squid head, pipis, frozen whiting, bluebait, squid strip

[4liters]

With your issues drifting, it isn't great to have lines going under the kayak so just let them trail behind as you drift, a drift chute will keep you pointed in the same direction as you go so your lines won't get crossed over. The sinker will just bounce along the bottom but if it's really reefy it can help to just give the reel half a turn as soon as the sinker hits the bottom to keep it out of the snags.

[purple5ive]

so it was you that i seen afterall...
was a good test on the way back in when the wind picked up..

[Sebb]

so it was you that i seen afterall...
was a good test on the way back in when the wind picked up..

'ey??
You're the guy on a hobie with super bright light? There were few kayakers yesterday.

Yeah, surprisingly the kayak and the propeller did really well, much better than I thought.
Being the propeller in the middle, the kayak goes straight in a straight line. While hand paddle makes the kayak's nose goes left and right a bit.
Loving the kayak atm.

With your issues drifting, it isn't great to have lines going under the kayak so just let them trail behind as you drift, a drift chute will keep you pointed in the same direction as you go so your lines won't get crossed over. The sinker will just bounce along the bottom but if it's really reefy it can help to just give the reel half a turn as soon as the sinker hits the bottom to keep it out of the snags.

I've seen that drift chute thing, kinda knows how its works, it slows down the drift.
Do you just tie on a rope and throw it to the water? Where do you tie it? Bow/stern? Single rope?

I've seen with two ropes, so it makes kind of a triangle.
Worth the 'more stuff going on' ? Potentially tangling with the hook/line/sinker.

[purple5ive]

so it was you that i seen afterall...
was a good test on the way back in when the wind picked up..

'ey??
You're the guy on a hobie with super bright light? There were few kayakers yesterday.

Nope, i dont own a kayak. but i did see him come in

[4liters]

With your issues drifting, it isn't great to have lines going under the kayak so just let them trail behind as you drift, a drift chute will keep you pointed in the same direction as you go so your lines won't get crossed over. The sinker will just bounce along the bottom but if it's really reefy it can help to just give the reel half a turn as soon as the sinker hits the bottom to keep it out of the snags.

I've seen that drift chute thing, kinda knows how its works, it slows down the drift.
Do you just tie on a rope and throw it to the water? Where do you tie it? Bow/stern? Single rope?

I've seen with two ropes, so it makes kind of a triangle.
Worth the 'more stuff going on' ? Potentially tangling with the hook/line/sinker.

The simplest way is to just clip it on to the handle on the side of the yak, that will have you drift sideways to the wind. If you have an anchor trolley you can attach it to that too.

[Tim399]

Nice one Seb.
I have set up my yak with 3 rod holders each side, the rear most is the flush holder most kayaks come with, then two Scotty rod holders each side roughly where my thighs are. The rear rod is angled backwards, the middle rod straight out and the front holder pointing forwards. This spreads the lines out and reduces tangles so I can fish 3 rods off the trailing side of the kayak, behind the drift direction, and cast another lure in the drift direction.

Also, if your drifting baits and the wind dies down making the drift too slow, you can cast two rods in front of yourself, put them in the forward holders then have the side holders rods pointed directly out sideways and slowly peddle in reverse (keeping an eye on where you are going of course). Your kayak will then travel directly backwards. This gives you a good spread and allows you to watch your lines and keep drifting. For hobie owners with the GT drive or earlier, you can insert your drive backwards and do the same, I have the GT drive and this method works well for me.

Having the rods pointed away from each other on a drift helps reduce tangles but also having different lengths of line out helps too. If you hook up on the closer bait you won’t tangle with the longer line, if you hook up on the further bait you can quickly wind in the shorter line then all is clear to bring the fish in.

Hopefully this helps

[Sebb]

Nice one Seb.
I have set up my yak with 3 rod holders each side, the rear most is the flush holder most kayaks come with, then two Scotty rod holders each side roughly where my thighs are. The rear rod is angled backwards, the middle rod straight out and the front holder pointing forwards. This spreads the lines out and reduces tangles so I can fish 3 rods off the trailing side of the kayak, behind the drift direction, and cast another lure in the drift direction.

Also, if your drifting baits and the wind dies down making the drift too slow, you can cast two rods in front of yourself, put them in the forward holders then have the side holders rods pointed directly out sideways and slowly peddle in reverse (keeping an eye on where you are going of course). Your kayak will then travel directly backwards. This gives you a good spread and allows you to watch your lines and keep drifting. For hobie owners with the GT drive or earlier, you can insert your drive backwards and do the same, I have the GT drive and this method works well for me.

Having the rods pointed away from each other on a drift helps reduce tangles but also having different lengths of line out helps too. If you hook up on the closer bait you won’t tangle with the longer line, if you hook up on the further bait you can quickly wind in the shorter line then all is clear to bring the fish in.

Hopefully this helps

Thanks! Yes I kinda get the idea now.

Ummm so when you drift away from the sinker/bait trailing, you let the sinker/bait dragging the bottom? Small sinker better than big/heavy sinker?

[Tim399]

Thanks! Yes I kinda get the idea now.

Ummm so when you drift away from the sinker/bait trailing, you let the sinker/bait dragging the bottom? Small sinker better than big/heavy sinker?

That picture is correct, I prefer a sinker heavy enough that it touches and bounces off the bottom, but not so heavy that it really drags on the bottom as this will more likely get you snagged as you come across shell beds and reef. The size of the sinker depends on depth, drift speed and tidal flow if there is any. I always fish with sinkers as light as I can, if anchored I fish without sinkers if possible. However if drifting for flathead a sinker heavy enough to stir up sand as it bounces is supposed to grab the flatheads attention

[Sebb]

Thanks! Yes I kinda get the idea now.

Ummm so when you drift away from the sinker/bait trailing, you let the sinker/bait dragging the bottom? Small sinker better than big/heavy sinker?

That picture is correct, I prefer a sinker heavy enough that it touches and bounces off the bottom, but not so heavy that it really drags on the bottom as this will more likely get you snagged as you come across shell beds and reef. The size of the sinker depends on depth, drift speed and tidal flow if there is any. I always fish with sinkers as light as I can, if anchored I fish without sinkers if possible. However if drifting for flathead a sinker heavy enough to stir up sand as it bounces is supposed to grab the flatheads attention

I see, thanks!
I always thought bait fishing was supposed to be as leas disturbance as possible. But what you said makes sense! Get their attention and they'll hit the bait.
I'm assuming paternoster then. Cant think of 'bouncing' on running sinker.