I’ve had a battered little kayak for 25 years. Mostly used for bass fishing on tiny impoundments, like Lake Parramatta. When we moved near the Harbour I gave it a try on the saltwater but it was downright dangerous, especially in the ferry wakes:
Eventually I found a cheap safer option - second-hand, and online:
Been having a ball with this puppy:
Slaying the local flathead population although haven’t caught a big one - yet. Have hooked big ones though:
I started out with Berkley Gulps but they’ve been costing me a fortune – simply because, where I’m fishing, there’s a lot of chopper tailor. They can – and have - chomped their way through twenty bucks worth of Gulps in an hour. Just recently I’ve switched to our 10 gram metal jigs, fishing them in exactly the same way as a soft plastic:
They work great and the hook up rate has improved:
Check them out here? 10 jigs for $44 delivered. They’re a lot tougher, cast a lot further, and last a hell of a lot longer, than a Berkley Gulp:
But what I wanted to talk to you about is something closer to home. Pretty sure most of our readers are up to speed on the rise in cost of living:
Still early days and not pretending to be an expert but it’s incredible how many fish I’m catching. That's helping the food budget and I'm getting some great exercise too - at no cost. So I’ve got a little idea for you blokes who have never considered kayak fishing, just based on personal experience over the last couple of months:
Flathead are delicious - and expensive, in the shops. But they’re swarming in the sandy bays of Sydney Harbour. Everyone knows where they are but if you don’t, I’m talking about places like Rose Bay, Clifton Gardens, Balmoral etc:
Readers outside Sydney would have their own ideas as to local spots. I can only speak for Sydney but there must be a million kayaks out there. As a Scout leader I used to get them donated to our Group all the time. Kids grow up and move away and the kayak is just cluttering up the garage. Here’s an idea to get into cheap kayak fishing – without the kayak cluttering up YOUR garage:
Just get a super cheap one - for starters. Drive around the neighbourhood on a sunny Sunday afternoon and have a stickybeak up your neighbours’ driveway. If you see something that might work, offer him $50 bucks to take it off his hands. Or, find a cheap one on Facebook Marketplace. Just keep lowballing until someone says yes – especially because we’re heading into winter.Add yours to the stack, maybe even chain it to a tree. Take the paddle home. Use all the safety gear recommended and exercise all the caution appropriate but keep the tackle super simple. If the Council or someone else pinches it, you’ve only lost fifty bucks or so. Not only is it a great way to save a fortune on fresh seafood, but it’s bloody good exercise too. If you think it might work for you, give it a try? And please let me know the results. Thanks for reading
Andrew Hestelow