Port Augusta Kingfish on a Kayak mission

[fishnfreak 0]

hey all.Some of the AKFF kayaking nutbags (including myself) are organising a kingfish hunt in the first weekend of august. Mods, I have put this here instead of the kayak section as the question is directed at boaties.I was just hoping for some advice from some experienced kingfishermen. I guess the standard gear we will be using will be TLD20s with 50lb braid on 10kg rods (or equivalent spinning rods).I will also be using an upgraded Spheros 14000FA on a King Mac TCurve. The rod may be a little under gunned but then again, we cannot set our drag overly high or we go swimming {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifWe will be anchoring near the power station outlet and livebaiting and casting poppers and plastics.I would love to get some advice, because i am sure there are some experts here, but please no negative words, unless it is constructive (ie no "you cant do that, youre crazy, you'll die" sorta thing) as we are all fairly experienced bluewater kayak fishermen in good seaworthy kayaks. And we are sorta crazy!

[Simon 0]

No expert at Kings at Port Augusta but the gear you state is good, Kayak would be interesting and it has been done by others with good results as 2 years ago a young lad was in the sunday mail with a nice king from a kayak, another guy 2 years ago for memory caught a nice king also from what looked like a bath tub and yesterday when I went up for a try a very small polycraft boat turned up.August would be a good time to be heading up.You are reasonably protected up there but can get a bit lumpy on any given day.Good luck with your venture and I might bump into you as I plan on giving it a few goes again this year.

[bruce 0]

Geez you're a game man fishnfreak - if you get a hookup, reckon there'd be only 1 thing to say - hang on!! {SMILIES_PATH}/wink.gifHope you get one mate. {SMILIES_PATH}/wink.gif

[brenton 637]

Never fished it myself FF but i think most prefer mono up there...snags i suppose and not so brutal on the gear? cheers brenton

[fishnfreak 0]

is that the general consensus for up there? I reckon i have heard that before, maybe ill run 30lb mono instead on my TLD

[Ranger 48]

it has been done by others with good results as 2 years ago a young lad was in the sunday mail with a nice king from a kayak,

I remember that one! 15 year old local butchers apprentice. Had to sit on the fish to paddle back in, then when he got to shore he realised just how heavy the fish was, and had to phone his mum to come down with the car and trailer to get him and hus fish home! Recon's they'd be eating Kingy fillets for about a month!If he can do it, so can you!

[bennyboy 0]

Definately no expert, but i would suggest possibly find the way to the shacks, launch there and gather bait, then make the trip back to the P/station... {SMILIES_PATH}/undecided.gifAlot of the shallows are lined with ribbon weed, so the shacks aren't the only area to gather baits either {SMILIES_PATH}/smiley.gif

[SadDad 0]

Hey fishnfreak, sounds like you have a plan, I'm sure you'll learn from the first time and learn more from local's up there as well.

[fishnfreak 0]

hey thanks for the replies, Can anyone tell me of the more sucessful rigs to use, and of course these need to be appropriate for the available baitfish at the time(august)

[Guest 18livebait]

fishing freak good on you for having a go im sure you stand a good chance of landing one. One of the things that might help you is to attach some kind of float(drink bottle or boy) to your anker line so when you get a hook up you dont have to pull the anker . Rigs you are in a kayak so i would go for a very short leader to make to easy to get the fish in around 1m of 80-100lb and a wind on leader. hooks anything from 5/0 to 10/0 i like 7/0s but i dont think it matters they are easy to hook if they take the bait propley. Tie a peice of fishing line 2-3kg from your swivel to your balloon you can make this longer to get the bait down if you wish or just run a bait straight up and down. Take a bucket with lid put holes in it to keep your live baits in maybe you could tie this to the anker float and leave it behind.Staying at anker and bringing a king fish back to a ankered boat is a recipe for disaster!!!! 5kg of drag is more then anoth to land a king of anysize luck is needed to land a king on any gear if you can stay conected for the first 30 seconds you stand a very good chance. so dont worry about being under gunned any half decent gear will do 10-24kg. tld 20 with a good drag and 15kg mono is ideal in a kayak i would think and give you more streach so when the fish runs it will give you a little more time to brace your self. most the guys in the know use 15-24kg mono!!!! i dont think it would even be possible to bust 15kg in a kayak august is normally a bastard to get squid but you still can or samon trout work all thou ive only court them on squid you can get samon trout in the hot water outlet if you wont to try them or squid anywhere near the shacks i gess thats where you will launch from some ideas for you cheers jon

[spog61 0]

might pay to take a sea anchor or collapsible bucket to throw out the back to make the big hoodlums work a bit harder, a lot easier than trying to maintain some "beam to" while fighting,sounds a real hoot though

[fishnfreak 0]

now these are the posts im after!18livebait. I already have a quick release anchor setup for this specific reason. I am also either importing a Shimano Bristol Bay kayak fishing livey well with pump, or i will be making my own. So basically- Shimano TLD20/10kg Penn Mariner Plus - 15kilo mono, to 80lb wind-on, to swivel,to 1m of 100lb trace, to 7/0 Mustad Hoodlum, suspended underneath a balloon Shimano Spheros 14000FA/King Mac TCurve - {SMILIES_PATH}/huh.gifSpog61 - I will be investing in a drift chute. Thanks mate

[azza1 0]

hey matesounds like you have got the gear sorted, bing on august hey!Regards Azza1

[fishnfreak 0]

hell yeah!!

[srick 0]

now these are the posts im aftereverythin you said is the go bud, now its just hookin one. all i can say is goodluck and hold on. oh yeah this, could be a useful tip for ya, after you get a strike and set hooks into the fish, put your reel into only 1 or so kilo drag untill your untied and paddling towards the channel. as the more presure you put on the harder they pull hence its like guiding a puppy along when less pressure is applied{you hope lol.} when in open water put to strike and settle in. good luck,

[Guest 18livebait]

fishnfreek i would use 7/0 gamagatsu octopus hooks as far as your 10kg rod gos i dont know the brand but if its a guttsy 10kg should be fine. the egg beater would do the job on the lures and i defintly woudnt run two rods livebaiting when they take the bait all hell can break lose!!!!

[fishnfreak 0]

thanks livebait, I wont be baiting with two rods, we'll have enough work to do without having to worry about that

[srick 0]

stuffed my post earlyer i edited it for ya now lol.

[YoBBo 0]

Hey fishnfreak, dont worry bout the sea anchor. I'll bring a wakeboard, you take me for a ski..LOL {SMILIES_PATH}/cheesy.gifDamm I hope you get onto em, I can feel the adrenalin rush already. Goog luck mate.

[fishnfreak 0]

cheers mate, its all starting to come together now, picked up my new car on sat, and drove it back from Canberra, then i got my new rod today courtesy of Complete Angler Wallaroo. Thanks to the guys there for holding one for me.Now i just need to make my kayak trailer

[srick 0]

roofracks? why not?

[fishnfreak 0]

the trailer will be used to carry all the gear, 4 kayaks and all the rods in the rod tubes.I also dont want to get nasty saltwater on my new car {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif