Kayaking

LAST month we stepped through the manufacture of a drop-in kayak rack for my box trailer to allow my kayaks to be transported upright, and launched and loaded without lifting. In the final state as pictured last month, the rig worked perfectly allowing even my heaviest tandem Hobie to be slipped onto the skids without heavy manual handling, as planned. …

LIKE many, I hadn’t seen much of my folks due to the restrictions that were in place, so as these were eased it was great to get the parents back out and onto the water in search of flathead on the flats. Flathead are a favourite target for many, including my parents. Flatties love eating lures, are great fun on …

ORIGINALLY developed for the Adirondack region of North America, the pack canoe or pack boat is traditionally a small, lightweight open-top paddle craft designed to be manoeuvrable and easy to carry. The original concept was for a boat you could literally drop your gear into and go – it was open-topped for easy gear access and usually quite short, wide …

THE Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series has emerged as one of the fastest-growing and most-inclusive fishing tournaments to hit the Australian kayak fishing scene in recent times. Run by the team at Yak Hunters Australia, this series was established in 2018 and released in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia, and in 2019 it has expanded to include Tasmania and …

OVER the past few years a dedicated group of kayak anglers have fished bass competitions around Queensland, NSW and the Australian Capital Territory. But with the demise of B.A.S.S. Australia Nation, these anglers have limited dedicated kayak competitions available to them, with only ABT providing an avenue where the kayakers would have to compete against boats in the Bass Electric …

HOW often in life can you say you get something for nothing? There aren’t many places you can go or many things you can do that won’t cost you something. In fact, I used to think the only way I could move my canoe from A to B without any cost except the sweat off my brow was with a paddle. Turns …

THE new year has once again kicked off at a pace many of us cannot keep up with, but among the frantic rush of the ‘silly season’ a fisher must get his or her fix, regardless of the crowds. How might you improve your odds in a time of mayhem when enough boats are on the water to require a …

BECAUSE my recent annual winter road trips have coincided with the Brisbane Boat Show, it’s been several years since I’ve been able to attend. There was no clashing of calendars this year though, so I wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to visit the show. A lap around the show’s four halls in the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre revealed, …

WITHOUT doubt, kayak fishing is one of Australia’s rapid growth activities. More and more amateur anglers are hitting the water in an array of craft, from cheap plastic sit-on kayaks to top-end composite offshore fishing kayaks, fishing in waters from narrow freshwater creeks to open lakes and oceans. It’s no surprise really; paddle craft offer anglers a low-cost and hassle-free …

The only limit is your imagination! In addition, canoes themselves are quite inexpensive when compared to other expedition watercraft. An average canoe suitable for camping will cost between $1500 and $2000, compared to an equivalent kayak that will often range from $2000 upwards. Note here I said suitable for camping. A 10’ sit-on-top kayak is not really going to cut …