How I Learned To Love The Yak!

Posted by Starlo on May 4, 2016 | 1 comment

My first metre-plus Murray cod helped to radically shift my perceptions about fishing from kayaks!

For at least a decade now, kayak fishing has been one of the fastest growing sectors of the angling scene here in Australia, as well as in many other parts of the world. Interestingly, this phenomenon shows little sign of slowing. Sales of kayaks and related paraphernalia continue to boom, marking this as one of the strongest niches in the marine and boating industry.

You don’t need to forsake modern tech’ when you ‘yak fish!

I must admit that I’ve been a little slow to embrace the whole kayak “thing”. I spent lots of time sitting (usually with a wet bum) in various Canadian-style canoes throughout my early fishing career, and I was delighted when I could finally afford to graduate to a “real” boat. Don’t get me wrong: canoes have their place, and I’ve enjoyed some wonderful times in them. However, once you’ve fished from a craft that’s sufficiently large and stable to stand up in, especially one with a raised casting deck, it’s very hard to willingly go back to the low, cramped, unstable and often wet confines of a canoe.

My wife Jo really helped to get me into serious ‘yak fishing.

There were also other factors holding me back from kayak fishing. One was a perception that many ’yak fishers, as well as those who catered to their equipment needs, seemed to be missing the whole point of simple, minimalist boating. Some of the ’yak rigs I saw on the water and in magazines or videos had more “fruit” hanging off them in the way of electronics and accessories than my 4.8 metre trailer boat! Some actually required dedicated trailers of their own just to get them to the water’s edge, and half an hour or more of fiddling, tweaking and setting up before they were good to go. Wasn’t portability and ease of use supposed to be the whole point of ’yakking?

Then there were some of the people involved in the ’yak fishing scene. Apologies in advance for generalising, but I have a hunch that a disproportionate number of them drive Volvos, drink soy lattes, watch soccer, have kids named Tiffany and Sebastian, and also own flash, imported pushbikes, not to mention way too many items of lycra clothing. In fact, for a couple of years, I disparagingly referred to this particular group of kayakers as “cyclists of the sea”.

I’m sure you get my drift. Just as a handful of cyclists with a certain attitude give the rest a bad name with their “I own the road” mentality and a penchant for pedalling en masse in front of heavy traffic, so too there’s a sub-set of kayakers who look down their noses at all other watercraft users. Unfortunately, they don’t do their cause, nor their fellow enthusiasts, a whole lot of good.

My current fishing ‘yak is a Native Watercraft Mariner 12.5. It’s stable and carries a hefty load. The insulated cooler on the back is my live well.

So, I’m sure you’ll understand that I was more than a little bemused when my good lady Jo not only organised herself a kayak to fish from, but also picked up one for me! Oh, the shame… (Read Jo’s blog about her love of ‘yak fishing by clicking here.)

For almost a year I staunchly resisted temptation (for want of a better word). However, an extended road trip that required us to leave the boat at home effectively forced me into the dreaded ’yak… And I must grudgingly admit that I actually enjoyed the experience immensely!

We fished the lower Murray River between Mildura and Renmark for several days, then caught the ferry across to Kangaroo Island, where we explored a bunch of the island’s secretive and wild little estuaries. I caught golden perch and Murray cod on the big river (including a whopping new ‘PB’ cod just over a metre in length — you can see the video here) as well as bream, salmon and mullet on KI. To be honest, I had a ball, and didn’t feel too disadvantaged at all by being confined to the kayak. I guess it helps that we both have state-of-the-art Native Watercraft pedal-powered set-ups that leave their occupant’s hands free for fishing. In fact, I can see this nifty sit-on vessel becoming an increasingly important part of my overall fishing life in coming years (although I staunchly refuse to wear anything made from lycra).

This is how I see the world a lot these days!

Who’d have thought it, eh? Starlo has finally joined the ’yak fishing revolution… Watch this space for more reports…

Check out my video review of the Native Watercraft Mariner 12.5 on my Starlo Gets Reel YouTube channel by clicking here, watch me land my PB cod from a ‘yak here, and read my blog on stand-up paddleboard (SUP) fishing here.