The yak fleet were out in force off Narrowneck yesterday (Saturday) morning. With an incoming tide and no moon in the sky it looked like a good morning, the only thing that was a slight worry was a rising NW wind as the day progressed. I was out of bed at 4.30, wanting to nab an easy car park. A couple of gyus were thre already setting their yaks up. Paddled hard across a more Northerly than NW chop and made the channel; ducked across as a cruise liner came around Rangi, and set up my first drift. A bit of messing with the fishfinder because it was showing an unlikely amount of bait - as it turned out it was telling the truth. The fishin was steady for me, once I found the schools. The wind did get up and the drift was fast, but while the current was running the fish bit. About 7.30 the tide slackended, and as usual so did the bite. By now the breeze was NW and fresh, it was a hard paddle back into the face of it but got to the ramp and met up with a bloke I know from the fishing.net forum - his 2 best fish of about 10 & 8lbs dwarfed my best. I kept 6 which is about as much fish as I know what to do with given that I don't much like freezing it.
Yakking is good cheap clean fishing, and as long as you don't mind not being able to move around the craft much is about as close to self sufficient 'boat' fishing that
I know.
Again i took only soft bait, and seem to be getting better 'at it' ; although I did drop a few fish that picked up the bait and avoided my strike. Practice makes perfect - but I suspect perfection would be boring!
