Grant does it again

Author: josh

Category: South West Rocks

Published on Saturday, 28 January 2012 11:41

Written by Josh

Physopath (AKA Danny) sends news that legendary mid Nth Coast kayak fisho Grant Ashwell has caught yet another Marlin at his stomping grounds at Sth West Rocks. Congradulations Mr Ashwell, you've done it again! Here's the report as it appeared in my inbox:

Here are a few shots of the latest expedition. Unfortunately the weather is very poor and we have only been able to get out infrequently. The water has been 25 to 26 degrees but lacking a current flow close in. In the first week I have managed about 6 hook ups--not too great for 9 hrs on the water some days but this has translated to 2 yellow fin, a cobia and a blacktip plus this marlin I boated and released on Friday after a 40 minute tussle. Louis (Gamefisher) and I are now land bound as big seas and high winds appear to have put paid to further sorties until the end of the week.

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Josh's gear list updated

Author: josh

Category: News

Published on Friday, 27 January 2012 10:59

Written by Josh

After setting side an hour to update my massive gear list by the time I'd spent almost 3 hours doing so, it struck me just how much I have refined my kayak fishing load out and how many changes I'd made over the course of a year. I've made so many small and not so small changes that even I have trouble keeping track of it all.

For those of you familiar with how the list appeared when first published, among the many changes you will note is how much less equipment is listed. I'll be expanding this list shortly to reflect all of the time-proven mods I've performed on my AI as well.

Hobie Kayak buyers guide updated

Author: josh

Category: News

Published on Wednesday, 25 January 2012 07:26

Written by Josh

I've spent some quality time updating the Hobie Kayak Buyers Guide, partly to reflect recently added models (Revolution 11 and Quest 11), but also to provide more information and advice on specific models and the differences between them. This update is somewhat overdue, but I think my time and effort here has made it a better article.

A lot of the original text has been reworked to provide more information and I have also separated the range into several categories: solo paddle kayaks, tandem paddle kayaks, solo pedal kayaks, tandem pedal kayaks and trimarans.

Prep for minimalist solo expedition

Author: josh

Category: Equipment, rigging & preparation

Published on Monday, 23 January 2012 18:34

Written by Josh

With 4 days off over the Australia Day break this coming weekend, I've decided to make up for lost time by heading to Fraser Island for a brief solo expedition. Previously I'd planned to do this over the Xmas break, but weather predictions scared me off. The same should probably be true of this time around to, but I've decided to brave wind and rain and go for it anyway. From all reports it looks set to rain heavily, so I'll be gearing up for mid-summer winter-like weather.

Heavy duty water-shedding apparel aside, I'm planning to travel ultra-light and carry absolutely no extraneous luxuries whatsoever - only the essentials will be packed. Where I plan to save most weight, bulk and stuffing around is in the provisions department. The only cooking equipment I plan to take is a liquid fuel burner and a small titanium pot, mug and fork... and thats it. All of my main meals will be prepackaged Freeze Dried types that I will both cook and eat from the packet (no bowl or plate required). That might sound a bit too extreme for most peoples tastes, but the truth is that Backcountry Freeze Dried Cuisine meals are surprisingly edible (and actually somewhat nutritious). To be cooked they merely require some boiling water to be poored in and sat for 10 mins (with the top of the packet folded closed to keep heat in), an occasional stir here and there for good measure. And it's really quite easy to eat the rehydrated slop right out of the packet.

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Lowrance Elite 4 series

Author: josh

Category: Kayak fishing accessories

Published on Sunday, 22 January 2012 09:49

Written by Josh

Lowrance are set to release their latest series of sounder/chartplotters that will hit the market under the Elite 4 series banner. Much like most of their sounders, Lowrance has labelled the Elite 4 series as being 'kayak compatible' but after having watched their brief promo video that introduces the range, I'd say that not only are they compatible, but probably also the most suitable as well. Smaller, lighter and more compact than the Elite 5 series (but seemingly equally capable) and certainly much smaller than the chunky HDS5 that I was using for a while. 

Lowrance describe the Elite 4 series as being the best value for money and most affordable in their class and there is no reason to think that these won't be just as reliable as any of their other current models, fully waterproof to an IPX7 rating. Because of this, coupled with their compact form factor and affordable pricing, there is every reason to think that they will take the kayak fishing industry by storm when they are released soon.

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RAM Universal Finger Grip Mount

Author: Daemon

Category: Gear reviews

Published on Saturday, 21 January 2012 10:30

Written by Daemon

A few months back I purchased a RAM Universal finger grip mount which I intended to use on my kayak to secure and stow my VHS marine radio. I chose this mount because it boasted a wide range of adjustment which I thought would stop me having to throw the mount out when the radio eventually died, and I’m very partial to the flexibility and quality of RAM products in general.

This is an unusual contraption that arrives in a daunting bag of mixed parts. Fortunately, it’s very easy to assemble, and total time including pondering and interpreting the easy to follow instruction leaflet was probably less than ten minutes. All components are composite with stainless steel bolts and nylock nuts, which lead me to expect it to be durable enough to withstand life on a yak. It has a regular pattern of bolt holes across the entire surface, many of which are superfluous and allow reasonable degree of latitude when deciding how you want to fit it up.

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Solution Access Cag

Author: josh

Category: Kayak fishing apparel

Published on Friday, 20 January 2012 19:53

Written by Josh

It was with great interest that I noticed Carl was wearing his Solution Access kayaking pants at Fraser island again for a second year in a row, which I thought was good testimony to how well they have served him. The fact that they were still looking to be in pretty good shape also made for a good example of their durability, despite their very thin fabric. While looking around for something to replace my aged and weathered Stohlquist cag and Hobie drytops, I figured now was a good time to look closer at Solutions Access cag, which is much the same thing as the pants, only a cag instead. Which is to say it's an ultra-light waterproof and breathable shell, pretty much perfectly styled for kayaking. I think the standout feature for the Solution Access garments is the glideskin lined neoprene cuffs, which make for an easy and comfortable waterblocking seal.

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Lowrance Endura Out&Back GPS

Author: josh

Category: Safety & navigation

Published on Thursday, 19 January 2012 07:38

Written by Josh

When it comes to electronics accessories for kayaks, typically I'm only really likely to upgrade when something breaks or fails and needs to be replaced. That wasn't the case when I replaced my Lowrance i-Finder H20 GPS with a Lowrance Endura Out&Back recently, because despite having used that i-Finder for over 3 years - in all sorts of abusive environments - it still works just fine. It's served me pretty well in that time to, though it's obvious limitations (greyscale display, as well as relatively poor battery performance) eventually started to wear a little thin and the Endura gets around both these issues nicely. I figured it's larger display and touchscreen capability wouldn't be lost on me either. The fact that the unit is smaller, lighter and (in my opinion) manufactured to a superior build quality helps matters to.

That I would replace my old Lowrance GPS with a new Lowrance GPS should tell you how I feel about their gear and to be completely honest, I didn't even bother looking around to see what else was available and how it might compare. I've only used the unit a couple of times so far, ergo it's too early for me to be reviewing it but I can say that thus far I'm suitably impressed - it is a neater and more user-friendly unit than the i-Finder.

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Beaten by a bronze

Author: josh

Category: Woody Head

Published on Sunday, 15 January 2012 22:14

Written by Josh

I sailed out from Woody Head into Shark bay with intentions to head for middle reef and with any luck, find some mackerel in the usual haunts. Not that my optimism was terribly high, due to some southerlies that blew in earlier in the week that drastically lowered the water temp. However I was fairly optimistic that I might hook a shark or two along the way and thats preciely what happened. I was able to get the first of these yakside (after a lengthy and spirited fight) but this bronzie was just a bit too big to bring aboard and proved to be too much of a challenge for my injured wrist. Eventually I conceded defeat and cut it loose.

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