Whilst I had kayaked during my Outdoor Education courses and fished from both land and boats, I had never mixed the two—until now! The annual Dawnbreakers Fishing Club Kayak Fishing Competition was about to change that game for me. Yolande Jeffares, or as everyone calls her, ‘That Kayak Chick,’ generously offered to take me out in her spare kayak and teach me the ropes. With amazing prizes on the line courtesy of Burnsco, Repco, Smokai, Stoked to Smoke, Feel Free Kayaks, and Kaveman Tackle, my excitement was through the roof! Best of all, there was a fantastic kayak from Stealth Kayaks, delivered by Mainfreight, as a spot prize for any competitor who caught a legal fish listed in the competition.
I arrived at Yolande’s the evening before the competition, buzzing with anticipation. The conditions looked promising overnight, but there was a chance things could take a turn later in the day. With peak bite time around 12:30 am we decided to skip sleep and head out to Cable Bay just after midnight alongside another competitor. Safety was our top priority, so we packed two communication devices each and the essential kayak lights.
Once we hit the water, it was a slow start, but an eager squid came by, checking out my kayak! There were also schools of piper fish on the surface, it seemed you could pluck them out with your bare hands! As dawn broke, the rising sun was a welcome boost for me, especially when I spotted a fleet of other kayaks joined by fellow competitors eager to dive into the action. 45 kayaks in the competition didn’t sound like a lot to me, but when you see just half of them launch and head out towards you it’s spectacular – it was like a flotilla of kayaks heading out to battle.
Then, suddenly, it was game on! I hooked something big, and it was pulling me all around in the kayak—what a thrill! It was definitely a wild ride, especially since I was used to fishing from a stationary boat. Thankfully, this helped tire out the fish a bit, and soon enough, I was ecstatic to see that it was a massive snapper! In my excitement to land it, I accidentally dropped my gaff overboard, followed closely by a rod! Fortunately, my rod was tethered, so I retrieved it, but alas, the gaff was lost at sea. It hit me then that I had left my knife back on shore after cutting paracord to secure my rod!
Luckily, after quite the battle, the tired snapper was easy to handle, and a quick tap on the head sealed the deal. I was absolutely thrilled— my very first fish caught from a kayak, and it was a stunning 65cm beauty!
Next on my agenda was to catch a kahawai, which was essential for my trifecta entry—where I needed a snapper, a kahawai, and another eligible fish from the species list. I started trolling lures, mechanical jigging, slow pitch jigging, casting metals, and nothing, eventually in a shallow bay with a 60 gram kabura, I land an undersize cod, whilst not ideal, a fish is a fish even if you have to release it. I then drop back down and hook something and thought for a moment I was snagged on the bottom. Then, I felt the unmistakable tug of another fish! This one put up a bigger fight than the previous cod, and I almost lost it three times! But at long last, I managed to haul it aboard—an enormous Blue Cod, which surprisingly bit me on the finger with its sharp teeth! The good news? I didn’t lose anything overboard this time! This cod came in at a whopping 45cm, which is quite the catch for Tasman Bay. Sadly, it wasn’t a prize-winning species, but it would definitely count for the Dawnbreakers annual competition.
At the competition weigh-in, about half of the participants had landed a fish! Most of those catches included some impressive snapper, with an average length of 59.5 cm—proof that big snapper can definitely be caught from kayaks! The species highlight of the event was a magnificent 76.5 cm snapper caught by Corey Parsons. It was almost outdone by his wife Razel’s colossal catch, but alas the tax man snatched away half of it – the remaining head to the rear rib measured 40cm and some joked she could have still entered it for the average snapper length!
I can’t express how much I loved my first experience with kayak fishing! It’s a totally different thrill compared to other fishing methods. The ability to navigate closer to rocks that you just can’t reach by boat is a game changer. Being up so close to the water, you really get to witness all the fascinating activity going on around and beneath you. Plus, the challenge of reeling in and landing a fish is exhilarating and adds so much fun to the experience! If you ever get the chance to try kayak fishing, I wholeheartedly recommend it—you won’t regret it!
*It was an absolute pleasure to have Jasper join me on the water and I am thrilled he really enjoyed it. At 65cm, his snapper was a kayakers ultimate snapper test, fish that size are at their peak strength and endurance. Congratulations Jasper on such an achievement- I have no doubt that you will achieve great things kayak fishing in the future. * The Kayak Fishing Chick
