Portland Offshore - First Timer Guide

General offshore yakking discussion.
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Seasherpa
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Portland Offshore - First Timer Guide

Post by Seasherpa »

This is in response to Yako's question in the Kingfish thread http://www.vyak.net/forum/viewtopic.php ... 52#p232752
Yako wrote:Hmmm just read this post (yeah a bit slow :shifty: )
I'm keen but never done an offshore in a yak before.
Is there a link or other links with what to expect, distances covered, target species, best gear to bring rods, safety etc ?
Ummm yeah should I post this under Newby section :eh: ?
Thanks
Rich.
To start you off here is Jordo's report after we dragged him offshore down the coast to chase tuna:
Jordo wrote:I'm writing this to reflect on how I got into offshore kayak fishing and so that anyone planning to give offshore kayaking a go can get a sense of what's required and what to expect.
A bit of background first; when deciding to try my hand at offshore kayak fishing the first thing I did was hit the internet to do some research. While researching I was asking myself questions such as; who is doing this? how? where? and what gear are they using?
It became clear very quickly that people that where doing this type of fishing took the kayaking aspect of it very seriously as well, it wasn't about just having something under you that kept you afloat. I started looking around for a new yak that would be up to the task and my research led me to glass yaks. I saw videos of people punching through massive surf in these things and thought 'if they can handle that then they can handle just about anything', fair to say I had (and still have) a lot more to learn. Anyway I found a place in Melbourne that sold some glass fishing yaks and went in to check it out. The knowledge I gained from talking to the guys in the store was invaluable, even if I didn't realize it at the time, and I picked out an adequate kayak. The people at the store also put me on to someone who was already into offshore kayaking (Eoin), and the knowledge and advise I gained from talking to him was also crucial.
I then got onto the forum here and did some more research reading the accounts of others who had been offshore. I also got involved on the forum and soon enough an opportunity for going offshore came along in the form of the south west Vic trip. I scrambled to get the last of my safety gear together, but tried not to take any short-cuts either. My first trip offshore was on my own before anyone else had gotten down there. looking back that was a bit of a stupid move. I was way out of my depth. I brought a bit too much gear on board and wasn't prepared for how daunting the swell would be at first. After a short outing I came back in and regrouped, it had been a huge learning curve and I had a lot to take away from it for when I went out next. The next day I stripped back the gear I was taking out. I had learnt from the day before and remembering what I'd been told back at the store, that the more gear I had the more my yaks performance was compromised. After the day before experiencing the swell in conjunction with the wind for the first time I was making kayak performance my first priority.
This time out I was going with a group of guys who had a lot of offshore experience, and I highly recommend going out with a group. Not only is it safer, but being new to the sport it is reassuring having people who know what their doing with you, and it gave me a lot more confidence in the swell.

Here were my first impressions of offshore:
- It's a bit scary at first and takes a bit of getting use to. The swell is nothing like bay waves, the swell seems huge and makes you feel very small. They tend to be far apart though, and after a while you get use to them just slowly lifting you up and putting you back down.
- once you get use to the swell you realize the real issue out there is wind and chop
- there is a lot more paddling then I anticipated; while you may be going 3 kms offshore, you don't go as the crow flies. In around the first kilometer out from shore there are breakers, reefs, rock walls and point breaks that all require a wide birth. Looking at my GPS we had done 5-6kms just to get 3kms offshore
- but despite all of that, it is extremely exciting! and a lot of fun!

Things I learnt:
- minimize the gear you are taking out with you. It helps with performance and balance and I found that I wasn't changing lures or gear very often anyway. In the end I found that my safety gear made up the majority of what I took out there with me.
- If you stop to pull up a line, pull up the rudder as well (If you can). Otherwise the swell and wind can quickly push you back over any other lines and they get tangled around the rudder.
- Dry pants are defiantly a good investment. I didn't have any and I paid the price, my toes are still defrosting.
- I have a lot of work to do on my paddle stroke. I was very quickly paying the price of my inefficient stroke technique.

My suggestions to anyone else wanting to give it a go:
- Do your research; use youtube, forums and go to some kayak stores. Find out as much as you can as the knowledge is invaluable when getting started. I constantly found myself remembering stuff from my research and putting it to use while out there or during my preparation.
- Get all the safety gear. Even if you never need it, it gave me the confidence I needed when dealing with the elements out there knowing that I had everything I needed to ensure that I got home in one piece.
- Don't be deterred by the swell. It is a completely different type of wave to anything inshore, and it can be very unnerving at first.
- watch the weather, and know what it means for kayaking. This was another thing I learnt a lot about, reading swells, wind and tide and knowing how each will effect your kayaking.
- Make sure your yak is up to the challenge. I could never have gone offshore in my old yak.
- remember that the main challenge is getting back. One of the guys I went out with said that 1/3 of your energy is for getting out, 1/3 for getting back in, and 1/3 in the tank for any wind, chop and tide you may face getting back in.
- Go out in a group. It is a key safety feature and it gives you confidence.
- And finally have fun, it is a fantastic experience.

My offshore kayaking days have only just began, I can't wait to get out there again. This has been an honest report of how I got into it and how I found it, I hope it helps anyone else who is interested.
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Re: Portland Offshore - Safety Gear

Post by Seasherpa »

Distances covered vary for each offshore trip, a lot of our tuna trips are between 20 and 30 kms paddled, but you can be lucky and find fish just behind lawrence rocks or behind the lighthouse at Port Fairy. The kingy reports from Portland are from a lot closer in on the North Shore with some being within 2nm so technically not properly offhsore. The 2 nautical mile mark is close to coinciding with the 15m contour line down at Portland, after which you need the full offshore safety gear.
Here's a summary of our safety gear:
All of the requirements are listed at this website:
http://www.transportsafety.vic.gov.au/_ ... tsheet.pdf

For fresh/estuary/inshore waters the following is required:

-Type 1,2 or 3 PFD
-Bailer (if no bilge pumping system)
-Electric or manual bilge pumping system (if enclosed underfloor areas)


For Offshore (>2NM/3.7km from land) its the above plus:

-Waterproof torch
-Spare oar or paddle (generally a telescopic in the hull or hand paddle/full paddle for hobie)
-2 orange smoke flares and 2 red distress flares (Tackleworld sell them as a pack for ~$60)
-Compass (dedicated, gps/sounder or phone in case?)
-Registered EPIRB (not PLB)

Recommended Extras:
-Hi-vis safety flag (So boats/other yakkers can see you in swell)
-Phone in waterproof case
-GPS/sounder with maps
-VHF marine radio
-PLB
-Tow rope
-Paddle float/stirrup as required.
-Kwells/seasickness tablets if required

Try to fish with a buddy and organise a plan of attack before hitting the water, it can be pretty easy to lose track of each other in big swells.
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Re: Portland Offshore - Target Species/Tackle

Post by Seasherpa »

It's my first time targeting kings of Portland so I've been researching and here's what I've been able to find out if its any use:
Target species:
Southern Bluefin Tuna, HB's: Williamson Speed Pro, Rapala XXX Cast & soft plastics: small z-mans or atomic plazos
Kingies: Livies: (squid/gar/slimies) Deadies: squid strips, rigged deadbaits Large soft plastics: silstar slapstix/ sluggos/smashbaits Hardbodies: Rapala sub walk 15's Poppers Halco Rooster, Williamson Jet

Back-up fishing if the weather is bad:
KGW (North Shore) usual methods
Bream (Surrey River above Narrawong bridge) soft plastics

You could take any combination of the above on the trip, it depends on how much you want to spend on gear really!
Here's what I've picked up:
WP_20160120_09_12_20_Pro.jpg
Jordo and I aare heading down on Friday night to fish Saturday and do some recon.
I'm travelling light and bringing a 3 rod set-up. I'm going to tow hardbodies around while I'm looking for bust-ups/ marking bait balls.
I'll also have 2 x soft plastics rods. If there are tuna in the bust ups I'll throw the small ones in, if its kingies I'll be using the rod rigged with the big sluggo.
That's the plan for Saturday and if it doesn't work I'll concentrate on live/dead baits for the trip on the 20th.

Hopefully the full moon doesn't have a negative effect on them.
Last edited by Seasherpa on 20 Jan 2016, 19:21, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Portland Offshore - First Timer Guide

Post by 4liters »

On the topic of lures for kingies/tuna, I've got a Rapala CD Magnum 14 in 'Red Head', a Williamson Jet Popper, and some green Zman 6" soft plastics.

I was wondering if there was anything else I really should be taking? I thought I might get a Halco Laser Pro in 'Pilchard' because I've seen a few people mention that colour goes alright and those lures seem ok for the price.

Without giving away too many secret spots or whatever, would it be possible to get a rough map drawn showing where the various species can be caught? I'm mainly interested in squid and other bait grounds as it sounds like the kingfish will be where they feel like it at the time.

Cheers
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Re: Portland Offshore - First Timer Guide

Post by shane »

4liters wrote:On the topic of lures for kingies/tuna, I've got a Rapala CD Magnum 14 in 'Red Head', a Williamson Jet Popper, and some green Zman 6" soft plastics.

I was wondering if there was anything else I really should be taking? I thought I might get a Halco Laser Pro in 'Pilchard' because I've seen a few people mention that colour goes alright and those lures seem ok for the price.

Without giving away too many secret spots or whatever, would it be possible to get a rough map drawn showing where the various species can be caught? I'm mainly interested in squid and other bait grounds as it sounds like the kingfish will be where they feel like it at the time.

Cheers
If you launch at Wally's ramp and head straight out you should start hitting schools well within the 2nm (Kings are in 2m-20m, target 12m). While lures are good insurance I'd be targeting live bait as the main focus of the fishing down there. This can be live squid or yakkas/slimies. Gear for this is pretty simple but you will want bait needles and either rubber bands or tooth floss to make bridles from. To get the livies you will need sabiki rigs and possibly burley, plus jigs for squid. Then to keep them alive you will need either a bait tube or a live well, unless you plan on catching and using straight away (a bit limited). Squid/cuttle strips rigged on a jighead or with an occy would be the next best after live bait. Then finally for lures, what you have sounds good and you could probably add in some stick baits, jigs (40-100g) and very large plastics, say 9" slug-gos or similar. The CD14 will suit tuna but you could add a second trolling lure, say a xrap20 in pilchard or mackerel colours. Also be prepared to lose a few lures when the Kings bust you off on the shallow reef, you don't want to run out of lures.
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Re: Portland Offshore - First Timer Guide

Post by 4liters »

Forgot about jigs, I've got 50g and 80g Storm microjigs, is that the sort of thing that you mean? I was thinking about getting the 5 pack of 100g jigs from the downriggershop website but would that be overkill in shallow water?

What stickbait would you recommend? I've never bought them before.

I think I've got most of what I need for live baiting, I might get a proper needle though because the DIY one I made from wire is pretty bendy.
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Re: Portland Offshore - First Timer Guide

Post by shane »

50g and 80g in shallow water will be plenty, more of a just in case. For stick baits try the xrap sub-walk 15 series, similar from williamson and shimano. Also don't forget the big plastic (6"-12") stick baits, the kings love them and they're cheaper to lose than a hard stick bait.
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Re: Portland Offshore - First Timer Guide

Post by wokka1 »

Thanks for taking the time to post this (and to Jordo). Very useful info.
Regards,
Wokka. (aka...Fruitbat)
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Re: Portland Offshore - First Timer Guide

Post by Seasherpa »

4liters wrote: Without giving away too many secret spots or whatever, would it be possible to get a rough map drawn showing where the various species can be caught? I'm mainly interested in squid and other bait grounds as it sounds like the kingfish will be where they feel like it at the time.
Cheers
The most commonly mentioned squid spot is around the 7th lamppost on the Lee Breakwater in the harbour. The recon trip on Saturday will be looking for bait spots nearer to the launch spot at beach road. I'll drag a squid jig around and probably try the burley/sabiki combo on the Minerva.
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Re: Portland Offshore - First Timer Guide

Post by shane »

FishnDive wrote:
4liters wrote: Without giving away too many secret spots or whatever, would it be possible to get a rough map drawn showing where the various species can be caught? I'm mainly interested in squid and other bait grounds as it sounds like the kingfish will be where they feel like it at the time.
Cheers
The most commonly mentioned squid spot is around the 7th lamppost on the Lee Breakwater in the harbour. The recon trip on Saturday will be looking for bait spots nearer to the launch spot at beach road. I'll drag a squid jig around and probably try the burley/sabiki combo on the Minerva.
The weekend we're all down there we'll have to organise some live bait parties to head out to the jetties to collect yakkas and slimies in the early hours to stock up aerated live wells/eskies and then share them out ready for launch.

I'll be down there this weekend and am aiming to fish the North Shore out of Wally's ramp on Sunday (6-9), Monday (6-12) and Tuesday (6-11). I'll hopefully see a few others out there (plus a million boats :roll: ) and will check out the lay of the land(water). :up:
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