North Coast Mac Tuna.

Paul removing the hooks for a release. 

Henry scores a Blue Fin.

Add one off " Thunnus maccoyii" to the species caught list. 

Measured 1.250m and caught on a pilchard. 

It took a two hour fight to get this one in the hatch. 

Great effort mate. 

Weekend away with the boys.

Just got back from a magic weekend away with my brother,Henry and Dave B. 

Managed a Spanish at 1.090m and a Spottie at 0.820mm. 

Caught both on live bait. 

Awesome company. Some great fishing and good waves. 

Henry bangs a solid red.

6.2kg and 820mm in length. 

Awesome effort from a ground that is known as Long Reef on Sydney's northern beaches. 

Caught on 10lb braid knotted to a 15lb leader. 

Raising the bar to 1.2m +!

Henry has done it again with a fourth kingfish caught over 1m.

The latest measuring 1.220m and weighing in close to 15kg. 

Down rigged live yellowtail from the side of his Stealth 495 did the damage. 

Well done mate. You hit the water with the right attitude and armed yourself with the appropriate gear to land a fish of that size. 

Lessons in Squid by Egi Master Mr Tokoshima (Paul)

Last few days of squid fishing have been superb on the Northern Beaches with more than 40 large squid caught in 3 sessions of fishing.

Led by the Egi Master Mr Yamashita Welsh 24 squid were caught in 1 single sessions casting around the wharf and beaches of Mackerel Beach, the Basin and Scotland Island.

Despite getting my ass kicked on Thursday losing by 4 squid 14/10 i have had a blast. Yesterday was even better when i picked up 12 with a few way over a kilo.

All caught on a range of colours and sizes. Pink seem to be the best

Henry bangs a 1.010m BRUTE !

Finally some footage showing the effort required to land a 1.0m plus kingfish via a downrigger  from a ski. The link below shows what I regard as "Pure Kayak fishing" .....just pump and wind,angling the fish from structure! 

  https://www.dropbox.com/s/zid0v0ykej1jd7j/101cm%20king%2027122013%202.mp4  

The month of December started a tad rough for Henry.Big seas closing out the basin sent Henry on a mission to find a "safe" entry spot back into Brownwater .....Please let me introduce the break known as "Son Of Dragon".End result.....Son Of Dragon "1"......Stealth Evolution495 "0". 

                                                                                                                                                       

He does it again....A brute measuring  1.010m. This is the third fish for Henry over 1.0m. Downrigged yellowtail did the damage. Top effort mate......you have raised the bar for all of us!                                   

Dave joins the 0.900m club with a 91cm brute!

0.910m .

Caught on down rigged live yellowtail.

                                     

Congratulations Dave for making it into the 90cm plus club!

It takes a heap of work,bust offs and time on the water to land a fish of that size from a ski. 

In true kayak fishing spirit......you stood your ground .....turned the fish,then angled the beast from structure. 

North Coast Snapper

Just got back from two weeks camping at Arrawarra with the family.Scored the pick of the camp spots!

Took the BFS away with the decision made to target snapper on plastics and hardbody lures.

Managed to sneak out for a few sessions between howling N/E gales.

Managed two of the target species....largest was 62 to the fork.

Henry and Dave took off up to Woolgoolga and both managed a couple of good fish. 

Henry's snapper went 5.4kg.

  

Gopro After more than a year in the Ocean

As hard as it is to believe  my Gopro camera was lost in January 2012. The camera and SD card were handed  at the local fishing shop

It was the day I got flipped in big swell.

It was found in about 3 metres of water about 50m off the beach and about 400m from where I lost it. Even weirder it was found in an area where the swell breaks?

Apparently the pole mount was wedged under a big rock.

Whilst the camera housing looks a little worse for wear the SD card and the camera are in perfect working order. It was completely dry inside

The photo and video is from the camera the day I lost it.

I now have 3 gopros happy days :)

Humble pie for breakfast and a nice King for Dinner

It was a day of surprises last Sunday

Of most significance

1. Phil ditched his mojo encrusted signature octagonal and circle design singlet for a nice watermelon/pink number. Donations will be gladly accepted for pink ribbon day with that outfit

2. I got absolutely smoked for speed on my new fibreglass 575 v Phil's carbon 550. It was daylight between the 2 skis with Phil pulling away within 5 metres (we tested it twice and it no way could be the weight difference). Not too much of a surprise given the rocker differences between the 2 craft . We eluded to this point a couple of weeks ago. There is just too much nose out of the water.  Cost was banana bread and coffee

3 Phil scored a double hook up on kingfish on a single rig. The rats were as thick as it gets especially if you had squid. I end up with a few rats and a 78cm job. Phil scored a million rats on primo northern beaches squid

An entry in the 90cm band

 It would have to rate as the best season yet for big Kingy fishing off Sydney .

So far between the 3 of us we scored countless legal fish with Saturday no exception.

I scored a 92cm job on Saturday and Phil hooked a PB tuna out wide.

Apologise for the crappy photo but the gopro fogged up and i lost some good footage.

Pants did real well paddling out to the fads on his carbon 550 with a PB tuna. Rigor mortis had set in good and proper by the time he brought it onshore.


Well done Phil

Stealth 575 - Kayak Fishing Porn

The seed was sown about 4 weeks ago when Paul asked whether I’d  go to the Stealth open day at Balmoral to view the new 575.

Semi reluctantly , and without any intention to buy, I went with him and paddled the 575. 

Four weeks later I am now the proud owner of a 575 in Sydney. I wasn't prepared to wait for a carbon so I took a boat effectively straight off the container  (patience is not a strong trait of mine).

Main features are
- huge capacity to store rod/reels and fish

-dry rod and reel carrier with the metal bar and Velcro tabs (no more fish amongst your reels)

-fastest ski in the Stealth range (at least a few K's faster than the 550 ...bet outstanding v a carbon 550) . Talking maximum speed in the 10-12 km range. Main advantage is its capability in strong wind conditions. Will easily handle 20 knot conditions and more than comfortably get you home in a 30 knot southerly. Obviously not in racing ski league but not far behind. Speed impacted to some extent by the design changes (significantly more  rocker) ?? much greater potential in the surf than other models (refer Stealth video)

-extremely stable for a long craft (unlike a racing ski that requires balance , co-ordination and practice this ski does not require any).

-weight wise it is not too bad at 25 kgs. This is very surprising given its length and internal hatch features . Premium materials must have been used to get the weight down because the 495 is a ton heavier.

-excellent turning abilities despite the relatively small size of the rudder . No issues with the rudder as opposed to say the 495’s which  struggles into cross winds (completely different design like a racing ski)

- normal Stealth features such as additional rod holders, back hatch and external storage area at the back. It also has a well thought out bait cutting board on the hatch 

 Criticisms are minor except hull slap

• Paddle holder is too far away from body especially in strong winds.
• Why 1 velcro rod support on the left side and 2 on the right . Is this an oversight excuse my ignorance?
• I really think that the back bait box area is impractical. I can barely get to the hatch behind me let alone the back area
• Definitely significantly more hull slap especially in sloppy conditions. In flat, surf and and high winds  it is an A-1+ ski. Interested to hear from Stealth as to this. 

Either way I'm very happy. Don't understand why you would contemplate any other ski other than extreme shore dumping conditions then maybe you would choose something shorter. Other than that think you've got rocks in your head other than a carbon 550 that the other guys have (but thats short a fish hatch).

There unfortunately is no perfect ski for every condition

                                                        -                                    

Thanks  to Dennis from Stealth  for the great professional and prompt service.  Highly recommend the service. Bought Friday delivered Thursday .  Will sort you out a great deal and may even throw in a golf cart

The "Mona Vale Crew" at work.

The last two years of kayakfishing

Paul joins the 1.1m plus club.

Mark and Paul had a cracking session.

Pauls king 1.170m

Taken on slow trolled kahwai.

The Sausages better of been good?  

The following is Marks account of what can only be described as a few days of awesome fishing.


Unbelievable is the only word to fully comprehend the fishing from the Sunday to Wednesday last week.
It was out of control with Hoodlum kingies all over the surface and absolutely no one around except 1 boat and us for the most part.

All in all we bagged out with 15 or so significantly legal fish (1 significantly over a metre a 96, 92, 86, 84, several 72-77 and assorted stragglers in the 65-75 range. Best part about it was there was bugger all rats.

Of note also were 3 lost monsters 1 at the boat by Paul. I lost 2 on 80lb fluorocarbon.

A rough chronology of the events of last week was as follows..........

Saturday afternoon – Myself and an unknown hobbo out. Got a few almost legals but it felt fishy

Sunday Afternoon - Paul myself and 1 boat out. Lost count of the fish and effectively ran out of  live bait and plastics.

Monday had to Work

Tuesday morning- just Paul and myself were out. It was a relatively quiet morning before we had an almost simultaneous strike. Paul landed his 1.170m I drop another big fish. Faaaaarrrrrk. I had to work Paul goes back out immediately gets smashed lands another 92 then an 86 straight off the bat. Faaaaarrrk again from me for not suddenly feeling too ill for work.

Wednesday – only Paul fishing and a few hobbo's along with the whole of Sydney. The news was out photos were posted on a fishing website.....the damage as always had been done. There was a flotilla of boats, pro boats, charter boats, spear'os on jet skis and every recognisable local was there. Paul loses another big big fish. Looked like Pitt St on a busy day.

Nice one Mark...And that my friends is why we keep to ourselves and do what we do!

Two Soft Men

We decided to head south and take a break from the weekend hobo scene at Longreef .Target species squid.

Between the three of us we caught 24 with 8 well over the 1kg mark.

You catch da fresh squid...........You bang da big kings.

Two Stealths 4.950m vs "Two Jews".

Some good fishing indeed lad's.

"Team Cobia" taking a break from chasing Black Kingfish to target 'The Jew" and producing the goods.

Secret spot ,secret bait.....Bingo the midnight session pays dividends.

Great effort brothers.I think the smiles say it all.

Mark got spooled.

Watch for the fin moving left to right...then the splash as Mark gets spooled.

Ski Patrol bangin the "Toothy Critters.

Stealth 5.500m vs King 1.110m

Finally into the 1.1m plus club.

Caught on a Stealth 550 carbon ski on Sydney's Northern Beaches. 

1.110m in length.
10.2kg in weight. 
50lb braid...80lb leader.

Two ski's,one species,one rod...........no bling.

Stealth 5.5m vs snapper 0.770m

Decided to target snapper at a reliable spot with great results.

Mark clearly aroused (as seen in photo 1) by his 4.06 kg catch at 770mm in length.

Caught on a slow trolled Kina.

Banging da big Inkers.

Stealthy Squid from the 550's

Its that time of the year again roars the lion king.

Mark and Paul bag 8 nice squid... some well over the 1kg in weight.

Stealth 4.700m vs King 1.060m.Ski patrol...banging more of da big ones.

Two 1.0m plus kings in two weeks at either end of the peninsula has to be a kayakfishing first.

Great effort Henry...you are leading the way and kicking some serious arse.


The storey goes something like this.......

1.You troll up the stinky pike.

2.You head out into 20m of water.

3.You deploy the custom 3lb bomb via the Scotty 1050 depthmater downrigger with pike in tow.


4.You paddle two strokes hook the 1.0m plus king .

5.To conclude you proceed to wind up the downrigger and boat the fish.



It is as easy as that?????

Stealth 4.700m vs King 1.120m.Ski patrol...banging da big ones.

Henry joins the 1.0m+ club.
Measured at 1.120m.
Caught on downrigged stinky pike.
Awesome fish.......Awesome effort.
I witnessed the fight and it was top notch all the way.

Winter kings at their best.
Well done mate.

Stealth 4.700m vs king 0.970m.

Henrys turn to nail a 90 plus.

Yellowtail kingfish 0.970m
Downrigged live bait

Welcome to the club mate.

So let me get this right.You caught the thing on a Stealth using a live downrigged bait...cool.

Things then start to go down hill.....
1.I hear you were wearing that crazy eskimo hat.
2.I get hit on the head by a rogue Bennet paddle (looked like it had been used upside down for the past year) whilst swimming Mona Vale Basin.Since been informed that you lost a paddle fitting this description whilst landing the above brute.
3.My spies then tell me that some bloke wearing a strange hat was seen trying to paddle a mule back to shore with a Mona Vale Hilton bait tube as a paddle..... still full of live yellowtail I might add.
4.Then to top it off I hear my old 495 was seen rendering assistance with a mule in tow.

What a story.......Henry have I missed anything?????

Well done mate.....Both you and Dave sure have put the hours and effort in this season.