Kayak fishing light line techniques

Kayak maestro Stephen Tapp goes back to the future, leaving the anchor at home and dropping to lighter line  – and gets his just deserts!
I’m sitting here contemplating a selection of bruises, a burnt thumb the security scanner won’t recognise, and an assorted selection of cuts and scrapes – just the sort of thing you’d expect after being in a brawl!
However, these aren’t the result of some dark carpark escapade, instead the damage was suffered during a session chasing big… more

Kingfish Tips- Jason Kemp

Kingfish tips from the experts
Northland based Viking Kayak angler, Jason Kemp has been rewarded for all the hard work targeting these awesome fish. In this post we call Jason and ask a few questions on his success that might help you land one, along with tips from Stephen Tapp & Milan from Big Angry Fish. 
Here are a few pointers from Jason Kemp. 
Where to find them
Things to consider before planning your location.

Reef Structure
Strong Current
Early Morning
Rod & reel… more

Kingfish off the Profish Reload

Getting out on the water feels primal. I’m only a year into kayak fishing and with every journey out into the ocean I grow a deeper understanding and a connection to its powerful life force. Just like me, the inhabitants of the ocean are all looking for their next meal. Using the food chain to target the Mighty King has seen some good mid-morning catches this March.
Up until recently I hadn’t exclusively fished my local spots for Kingfish using live bait. Over the summer I pulled one into the yak from the… more

Livey pod prototype testing

As seen on Big Angry Fish TV Sunday 20 Sept  | Season 4 Ep9 | Getting Towed!
Milan and Nathan have been putting the new Livey Pod concept to the test in the Profish Reload kayak, chasing hard fighting yellowtail kingfish. In this blog we share a little more on the prototype concept as tested by Stephen Tapp

The Livey Pod top side when sat in a Profish Reload cockpit
Viking Livey Pod prototype as tested by Stephen Tapp
The Twin Livey Tackle Pod allows me to easily… more

Hot Kayak Fishing Tuna Action

Paddle leashes are great bits of gear when things work against you, in this case saving this outfit from heading to the bottom – just be sure you don’t overreach yourself trying to make the save!
Recently I had another hot tuna session off Taranaki successfully boating multiple albacore as reward for the days paddling effort. To add spice on light tackle I even managed to entice a few small kings with trolled lures. At around a meter long they were definitely in another league as their sheer brute power… more

Kayak fishing light tackle - setting up to go light

Kingfish of any size can be a handful, but even a modest fish such as this light tackle specimen captured in just a few meters of water behind the breakers will stick in your mind for a long time.
One of the real joys of fishing from kayaks is the ease with which we end up on a “Nantucket sleigh ride”. Even a modest sized fish can have us moving against the wind, while larger fish can end up totally relocating us before the battle is done. This adds a dimension not experienced in larger craft as not only… more

Deep water kayak fishing..

It’s not always about the glamour species, the humble gemfish on lighter line is fun and makes great table fare
Into the deep
My calendar at this time of the year normally has as many weekends as possible blocked out in anticipation of the snapper run. Light tackle is tuned and grab bags made ready to make the most of any weather window to hit Bream Bay, the Bay of Islands, or Doubtless Bay. The lure of having large fit snapper dragging rod tips deep into the water beside the kayak usually has me thinking of… more

Kayak Fishing with Small Frame Reels

(Milkey is another angler who enjoys fishing small but powerful reels, and on a breezy Northland day had no problems skull-dragging this prize from the stones!)
Small frame fishing reels, by Stephen Tapp (written for the August 2014 issue of NZ Fishing News Magazine)
Winter kayak fishing and having awesome fun seems almost a contradiction to the uninitiated. They can’t fathom why any person in their right mind seeks to surround themselves with an ocean of cold water while every little breeze chills unprotected… more

Long or short rods for kayak fishing

Big Cuvier Island snapper from the deep on short rods are much easier to land, and this saves the arms for paddling!
The Hutchwilco Boat show is always a great place to be, with plenty of opportunity to check out recent innovations in everything from large craft (for carrying your kayak of course) to the smallest items of terminal tackle. For me one of the more exciting aspects is the opportunity to talk in person to a diverse group of anglers and find out what they’re most interested in. This year was no exception,… more

Hunting big fish out of the kelp and Big fish out deeper this winter

Old School Techniques on latest generation setups
Now the colder months are here and water temperatures are dropping I thought I’d take a step back in time and revisit some of the fishing systems and areas I started with when first getting into kayak fishing. I had a gentle reminder of just how good some of these classic “lob big baits, catch big fish” techniques can be during the recent Taranaki Kayak Classic.
On day two of the tournament the windy and choppy conditions along our chosen part of… more