[Ratruder]

I am about to venture into your world & have been watching with interest the reports coming in about the Kingfisher (wavedance). I'm a novice but my wife & I love the concept & have previously owned an old Canadian sort of canoe that doubled as a sail when the wind blew, which was fine if you wanted to travel in that direction. We've had a couple of goes with tour companies in Ballina & Byron on SOTs & really liked it. They were doubles & fairly cumbersome & not real flash when you were trying to catch a wave.
The Kingfisher sounds fairly versatile but I'm not sure what it's like in the surf.
Does any one have any new info. We're looking at 2 singles.
Are the wheels a good idea?
What are the best rod holders & where should they be located
What paddles are recommended
Which life vests are the go or are wet suits or something else prefered
Do the brighter colors oxidise faster than the darker ones & are they the preferred colors
What accessories & brands are the best (limited budget)
Which company is best to deal with - Wavedance direct or a dealer?
We live at Alstonville near Ballina
Any advice will be greatly appreciated :?:

 

[Peril]

Welcome Ratruder. I'm sure you and your wife will very much enjoy yak fishing.

I can't help with questions on the kingfisher, and don't know how it will be packaged. There are many good yaks out there, some of them made locally. I recommend that you seen if you can try some first. The Kingfisher is reputed to have a very keen price. Other yaks in that bracket are the Viking Espri and the Dagger (Toyboy) Cayman. It is important that you try these out first to make sure that you are comfortable with them.

As for all the extras, you have many questions Grasshopper. Seek the wisdom of many by trolling through this and other forums. The US forums have much good information. The best place to start is the Sticky Links forum on this site.

Good luck in your search and tight lines

 

[sunshiner]

Hi Ratruder. Welcome. After a lifetime of fishing I eventually found the perfect boat early this year -- a yak. I'm sure you'll love it, not just for fishing but for just getting out into places most people never get to. I have two Espris, one for me and one for visitors. I find the Espri is pretty good in the surf, and I'm getting to the stage where I can even catch the odd wave but early on I had a few embarassing events.
Wheels are really useful, and you can make your own trolley (plenty of ideas in the forum) or buy one of a variety of types. Someone the other day in this forum reported on buying a hand trolley from SuperCheap auto for $20 and cutting it down to suit his yak. A brilliant idea.
I think the main thing is to get a yak and start using it, gradually adding rod holders etc -- warning -- this is a never-ending process. If you're going out through surf you should assume you are going to get rolled so rig everything appropriately. I wear a wetsuit (for warmth and comfort)and when fishing offshore wear a PFD also. I carry a phone in a waterproof bag so I can call my wife and tell her whether there's fish for tea.
I have rod holders set up just to suit my style of fishing and I've rigged them on my Espri without drilling a single hole in the hull. So just get out there and start fishing and gradually the ideas will bubble up to the surface.

 

[PeterJ]

I hope to have some news on the kingfisher before Wednesday.

I did say "hope"

 

[Ratruder]

Thanks guys. I will continue to troll for info.

Sunshiner - I'm curious as to how you fit rod holders without drilling any holes & is your pfd comfortable & well suited for the task. The Espri's must be pretty good if you bought 2

PeteJ - I'll keep an eye out after Wednesday

 

[Dodge]

Welcome Ratruder it's a great pastime you are looking at now.

I haven't been to Brunswick Heads in a while, and at only 1 hour away, and if you are interested I will bring both my yaks down, and you can drive up, have a test paddle in the river on each one.

Would prefer midweek if interested, PM me if you are interested and we can tee something, it would cost you 2 middies though :lol:

PeterJ noticed the race no. mod to your signature..nice touch mate

 

[Peril]

Love your work Richo.

 

[Dodge]

Love your work Richo.

Dave he's a good man have had a PM with schooners offered, which could contribute to the govt coffers with DUI, and have a lot of explaining to my wife when I got home [that could be worse] :shock: :lol:

 

[hairymick]

G'day Ratruder,

Welcome aboard mate.

As Peril said, Try as many different yaks as you can.

Don't be too concerned with rigging them yet. Once you start fishing from one, you will soon work out what you need and where you need it, all best to suit your own needs and style.

Richo's offer is brilliant. he owns two fine fishing yaks and IMHO, either might suit your needs well.

good luck with the hunt mate.

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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[sunshiner]

Sunshiner - I'm curious as to how you fit rod holders without drilling any holes & is your pfd comfortable & well suited for the task. The Espri's must be pretty good if you bought 2

Hi Ratruder. Without holes -- yep. In fact I have a lot of bits and pieces attached and have yet to drill or cut a hole in the hull. Give me a few days and I'll post some pics as there are a few other ideas which may be of interest to Espri owners, especially those fishing offshore. My PFD is very comfortable. It's a Marlin Type 2, Pro-Sailor Mark2, about $90. One of the good things about it is that it has a front zippered pocket which can hold a phone plus sunglasses, etc (secure them in here before travelling through surf zone).
The price is the main reason I bought two Espris, although I was so impressed with the first one (my first ever yak) I didn't hesitate when another became available at the right price. The first was second hand on E-Bay for $600 and the second cost me $720 brand new on special at my local tackle shop.

Hope you get to take up Richo's kind offer.

 

[RedPhoenix]

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

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[sunshiner]

Ratruder and Red, It's a rotten day up here and I found the time to post a description with pics of my rod holder. See my post on "Rigged Kayaks"