Viking Profish GT to kick off my second attempt

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Lecterfan
Apprentice
Posts: 10
Joined: 03 Sep 2014, 18:14
kayak: Viking Profish GT
Real Name: Richy

Viking Profish GT to kick off my second attempt

Post by Lecterfan »

Hello everyone -long time member/lurker, first time poster. I have a love/hate relationship with internet forums so we'll see how we go - I've posted here instead of the various Facebook pages or the yak section on Fishing Vic as this site seems to be the more sober (metaphorically), mature, and knowledgeable site with the fewest cowboys and more people simply keen to share info etc.

I owned a kayak many, many years ago and made a right fool of myself with it out of sheer ignorance and youthful machismo. Jump forward a decade and I've spent the last few years getting more acquainted with the ocean with the Aus Vol Coast guard: I decided the time was right to try yakking again.

This morning as a close-enough birthday pressie for myself I picked up a secondhand Viking Profish GT that came with a Lowrance Hook-4x on the tackle pod, a chill pod, anchor, 150S inflatable pfd and 50S Calcutta MTI pfd, flag, light pole and light with flag attachment and a few other bits and pieces. I am stoked with it. The tackle pod and chill pod blow me away for ease of use/convenience (even though old mate has made some mods to the tackle pod that I wouldn't have personally).

Initial impressions on the water: after years of reading, I immediately understand why 4m+ is better in a multitude of ways. However, the 3.6m Vik Pf GT is a huge step up in quality from what I've previously had and is miles ahead of the too-short cheapies I was considering as a second-attempt starter yak. Within approx 45mins of fooling around on the yak I was confident enough to flick some plastics around for a few flathead out from St Leonards (with reasonable success, as it happens.... success is relative I guess, but I had a great day and will enjoy my dinner). I became confident in the vessel's stability in the short, small swell and boat-wake that I encountered today and look forward to my next attempt.

I now have a million questions, and am hoping someone might be able to address some of them. My first and main question is this: I see some of you have joined 'mainstream' canoe/kayak clubs to work on technique etc., has this been beneficial? I am in Ballarat (we have a club here, but I will %99 be fishing saltwater), and would happily travel to Torquay or Geelong regularly to get some instruction on my technique in regards to my yak.

Second question: will I still benefit from lessons from my local inland club that mostly do 'proper' competitive rowing etc etc?

Third: can anyone recommend which section of this forum is the best to schedule trips/meetups with others (on a small scale)? Regardless of formal clubs/lessons, I'd love to learn whatever I can from more experienced yak fishers. I doubt I'll ever be landing monsters (and I'm not in it for that), but I would like to.

Anyway, I've tried to upload some pictures but they are too large, even when I've shrunk them down as screenshots etc... sorry! Thanks for reading. Cheers.
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laneends
Vyak Addict
Posts: 6641
Joined: 25 Jan 2013, 15:59
kayak: Quests 11 13 Adventure 16 Revo 16 ORSki epic k1
Real Name: Keith
Location: Melbourne, Bundoora

Re: Viking Profish GT to kick off my second attempt

Post by laneends »

Welcome to the forum and I hope you safely enjoy your new hobby, you have come to the right place and found yourself a decent kayak. Bad ones cause you to either give up or trade up quickly. Typically some members post up where they are thinking of going and when, and are quite happy for someone to tag along if they want to. Most are quite friendly and up for a chat and quite freely share tips.

Organise trips here Fishing Trips

Main stream kayak clubs should help you in basic paddle techniques and maybe have paddle exercise type equipment.

Not sure if you have gps on your sounder if not download navionics ap to your phone and computer. Also make sure you are familiar with the weather prediction services such as BOM/willyweather and Fish ranger. Localised forecasts are essential

To shrink photos so you can post them right click your photo thumbnail in the folder, and select edit. This opens it in paint. Go to menu at top and select resize. select pixels. Then change horizontal value as something like 800, select OK. Close it and choose to save.. This should give you a picture within the 250mb post limit. If not just reduce it further. I tend to make a copy of the original which I then use to resize.
Lecterfan
Apprentice
Posts: 10
Joined: 03 Sep 2014, 18:14
kayak: Viking Profish GT
Real Name: Richy

Re: Viking Profish GT to kick off my second attempt

Post by Lecterfan »

Thanks for the reply! As a mac user the picture suggestions aren't applicable, but I'll work that out down the track. I ended up on the Barwon river today after a few gusts of wind at Torquay put me off an ocean foray for my second outing earlier this morning (once I was already on the water). No fish today, but valuable lessons learned. Keen to experiment with more PPB/Corio options to explore different weather possibilities.
peatop
PHD in Yakology.
Posts: 2846
Joined: 17 Sep 2017, 18:34
kayak: dune PA14
Real Name: Peter
Location: Clifton springs

Re: Viking Profish GT to kick off my second attempt

Post by peatop »

Welcome Richy, nothing wrong with the viking ;) best to read through the safety section if you haven't done so, then maybe practice re entry :up: then look at what modifications you might want/need, i would suggest at this stage try an fish with someone especially if going offshore, corio bay an ppb offer many species, some are somewhat seasonal but mostly you can catch fish all year round, myself im not to familiar with the inner corio bay, but from point henry to queenscliff there are several areas and depths to catch all types of yummy eatables.

Keep an eye on the fishing trip thread for upcoming trips you can join, and trip reports to know where the fish are bitting, i live in clifton springs and fish most days available here, it's not often i go home empty handed. The bays around melbourne are full of fish, all you need to do is find them and work out how to get them to bite ;) or make them find you.
Mob no: 0401580668
Yak PBs kingfish (about this big <>>><), squid 39 cm, king george 42 cm, snapper 72 cm, gummy 122 cm, 71cm flatty (estimated ) Cobia 133cm
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4liters
PHD in Yakology.
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Joined: 02 Jun 2015, 10:55
kayak: Native Watercraft Slayer 13, Stealth Fisha 500
Real Name: Ian

Re: Viking Profish GT to kick off my second attempt

Post by 4liters »

Yes you’ll find this place is a bit better than FV, people seem to be much more forthcoming with info and fishing reports, and much more inclined to meet up for a fish. There’s certainly much less floggery here compared to fv too.

There’s a few of us around the Bellarine area who fish regularly so keep an eye on the weekly fishing trip thread and you’ll probably find someone to tag along with.

As far as paddle fitness goes an inland club will be as good as anything, there isn’t really any major difference in technique between paddling on lakes and the bay.
Lecterfan
Apprentice
Posts: 10
Joined: 03 Sep 2014, 18:14
kayak: Viking Profish GT
Real Name: Richy

Re: Viking Profish GT to kick off my second attempt

Post by Lecterfan »

Thanks for the support folks, I hope to meet as many of you and learn as much as I can over time. In the meantime I'll be chasing trout and reddies in some of the freshwater spots around me after work and will try to learn the Lowrance a bit more while eagerly waiting the low winds and favourable tides in the bay. Cheers!
peatop
PHD in Yakology.
Posts: 2846
Joined: 17 Sep 2017, 18:34
kayak: dune PA14
Real Name: Peter
Location: Clifton springs

Re: Viking Profish GT to kick off my second attempt

Post by peatop »

There are a few guys up towards ballarat and a few here that fish up that way if you want some company just post in fishing trips thread and you will most likely get a partner or more, I've been here a bit over a year and learnt a lifetime of information and met quite a few of these guys, and they are only to happy to help :up:
Mob no: 0401580668
Yak PBs kingfish (about this big <>>><), squid 39 cm, king george 42 cm, snapper 72 cm, gummy 122 cm, 71cm flatty (estimated ) Cobia 133cm
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