Yakass Home
Rod leash lanyards
- Category: Equipment, rigging & preparation
- Published on Saturday, 04 February 2012 18:54
- Written by Josh
Not so long ago I came up with a new way to go about leashing my rods and it was in designing the Bullhorn rod holder system that I came up with it and I arrived at this because it made sense given the moulded eyelets at the end of each RAM tube used. The major pro to this arrangement is that rods are leashed solidly into the rod holder, which is more secure than a loose leash. It's stood up to the test of time pretty well and I'm inclined to leash rods like this whenever I am trolling 2 lines at once. There are times, however, that its simpler and quicker to secure the rod by attaching the leash snap clip to somewhere on the rod. For me this has typically been the bail arm of the reel, or otherwise the arms of the guide closest to the reel... both of which is a bit of a no-no. This doesn't really do any favours to the rod or the reel and although I haven't yet experienced any serious problems doing it that way, for sure, the potential is there. So I've been thinking of a simple leash lanyard for fishing rods and came up with a solution that is inspired by a modern archery bow string rigging technique. Specifically, the d-loop used for arrow-release mechanisms on modern bows.
I had a few attempts at mimicking this sort of rig on the base of the rod where it meets handle, each time using different string materials. Each attempt seemed to work quite well, though I found that the spectra cord (as used in Hobie kayaks) particularly good. Though I was pleasantly surprised at how secure the knots seemed to be I wasn't convinced that they would hold up as well on a rod shaft as they might a bow string and after a few quick attempts at dislodging them I was able to do so. So I came up with a slightly different way to do it, which although not quite as clean looking, is certainly more secure.
KFT super Series Round 1 results
- Category: News
- Published on Monday, 30 January 2012 18:51
- Written by Jay 'Yakfisher' Penfold
True to form for this time of year I have missed out fishing the first round of the KFT Super Series located within the wily bream habitat of the Gold Coast. Curious to know just how tough it was this time around, I asked Shane Edyvane to provide a wrap up for us. As Justin would say, "Buckle up!"
Aussie yakfishers on milkcrate
- Category: Interviews
- Published on Sunday, 29 January 2012 18:59
- Written by Jay 'Yakfisher' Penfold
Having recently shed some light on kayak fishing lifestyle site The Milkcrate, seems they've discovered Australian kayak fishing legends of our own and profiled them. Short, sweet, informative and great interviews with, (amongst other great international anglers), Paul "paulo" O'leary, Yakfish West's Brett "Shufoy" Ozane and Josh "up for anything" Holmes. Check out more at themilkcratemag.com.
Which wheelcart updated
- Category: News
- Published on Saturday, 28 January 2012 16:40
- Written by Josh
I'm busily taking advantage of these rainy days-in by updating some of the content here at Yakass and the latest to get the treatment is the 'Which wheelcart for my kayak' guide, which has been updated to reflect new and current models, including the new TI Dolly wheels from Hobie, Solutions adjustable plug-in cart, Tastech's mighty Terminator carts (pictured above) as well as the awe-inspiring Batcart.
Grant does it again
- 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.
Josh's gear list updated
- 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
- 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
- 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.
Lowrance Elite 4 series
- 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.
RAM Universal Finger Grip Mount
- 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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