This website was created to house internal and external drafts containing reports associated with the art of angling and our Kayak Fishing Adventures. Based in and around cities and locations throughout Australia, these tales of experience, knowledge and info are for all to enjoy and all content, text and images contained herein are deemed strictly copyright ( (C) 2006 - 2010, all rights reserved ).
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Recently I was lucky enough to win a Stealth Serpent 34lb thrust electric motor, an adaption of a Jarvis Walker Watersnake. I am seriously impressed with the unit but to this date haven’t had a chance to put it through its paces. Full credit to its designer, Tas Aifantis, is due as its an epic build of solidity and rigedness with a well thought foresight into what the unit can handle. Its at this stage, a couple of weeks after receiving it, I thought it was necessary to inform readers on the product, the build, Tas himself and how to align oneself with the unit. What is the Stealth Serpent:
‘The Stealth Serpent is an electric motor designed to fit into the Hobie Mirage Drive well using a Jarvis Marine 12 volt Watersnake ETW 34lb. The Stealth Serpent utilises the Hobie cassette using marine grade stainless steel components, which ensures a durable snug fit.’ ‘The Stealth Serpent Is a Jarvis Marine – Watersnake 34lb, with a 12volt electric motor modified utilising a hobie mirage drive cassette and marine grade stainless steel components.
Essentially it is an electric motor that fits a hobie mirage drive kayak. It just slides in. The Stealth serpent has 5 forward and 2 reverse speeds and will travel at speeds up to 7-kmph using a hobie outback. It will draw approx 25 amps per hour at full speed and weighs 7kgs (15lb). The Stealth Serpent has been made in Australia using quality parts by Tastech Industries. Each motor is personally modified and tested. The Stealth Serpent is rated for saltwater use and has a replaceable zinc anode.’ ‘Also available are heavy duty wheel trolleys to suit Hobie kayaks capable of carrying 0ver 200kgs. They are made from 25mm (1′ ) stainless steel frame with nylon rims and bushes and inflatable heavy duty wheels. Rough terrain and beach sand is made easy to manoeuvre over.’
Following videos provide a closer look at the Stealth Serpent:
About Stealth Serpent, Tastech Industries and the product:
‘The Stealth Serpent is made by Tastech Industries. We are a Canberra Australia based business that specializes in stainless steel fabrications and elevator interiors. We are keen fishermen both kayak and land based in both salt and fresh water .Like most fishermen we spend a lot of time daydreaming about our ideal fishing scenario. This is how the concept of stealth serpent came about . There is usually a hobie outback in the work shop or on the roof racks of my vehicle and its hard not to come up with possibilities for it. What started as a one off experiment has grown into part time production of stealth serpent motors and wheel sets.’
‘We build things to a standard and are constantly looking at ways to improve our products or streamline production. We welcome new ideas from the public and we will judge the merits of any idea and have ago at them if it’s within our expertise. We realise that this” can do philosophy” has earned us an excellent reputation with all our commercial clients and we wish to bring this to the general public. Please contact me for any information you may need or any Questions want answered and we will do our best to help you out.’
Issue #48 summer edition of Sport Fishing Australia (Incorporating YAK Fisher) is out in stores now, just in time for the onset of seasonal change. The Sport Fishing Australia section features many top articles from seasoned sport fishing journalists such as Jason Metcalf, Shane Mensforth, Brent Hodges, Roderick Walmsley, Nigel Webster, Lee Brake, Daniel Kent just to name a few.
YAK Fisher Kayaking Magazine has Yak news, Tournament results, dedicated Kayak test rundowns and also features many articles by industry stalwarts covering new products / innovations / gear reviews. The Autumn Issue includes Swashbuckling Scallops, Yakking King George Whiting, Canals + Kayaks and clued up big city Bream, Getting to know your kayak (By yours truly) and much, much more.
Available at all good newsagents or by subscription,
One of the oldest abd standard features on the KFA website is the comment feature located at the bottom of every post. We dont get millions of comments or emails but we get a few every now and then, some good and some bad (Some constructive and some sad). After a reader makes a comment it must be approved by admin and wont go 'Live' until it is, this step alone reduces spam and unwanted material that in no way realtes to kayak fishing or fishing in general. You dont have to be a registered Google user to post comments (Our native support CMOS) but unless you want to do so you will always remain 'Anon'.
This poses no real issue and is harmless to a point, I am always quite happy to approve any 'Anon' comment as long as it relates in a contructive way and provides a form of tangent. If users wish to add their name under their comment (Or username from another website) this can help with relation, such as a passionate south coast local was prepared to do (And I appreciated it, no sarcasm here). However, if you choose to add fuel to a fire and provide links in comments that are in no way directly related to the subject matter they will not be approved (Such is the recent case with a comment from 'Tony').
While I could understand his amazement concerning the topic he was commenting on I felt he actually had no idea on what he was commenting on, the subject related to behind the scenes, not the everyday enviroment he was used to (Anyway, subject is dropped). Any view expressed by a member of KFA or information of any context posted on KFA does not always reflect the nature of the site as a whole, every one person is treated as a singular identity and has the right to express their views. The main reason for bringing the above to light is KFA is always looking for contributions of a positive nature but will curb anything that fails to adhere to our Terms of useor Privacy Policy.
To end on a positive note I reported on a fishing trip on Lake Burley Griffin way back in 2007. Rather than rabbit on about another Redfin caught I adapted the report into poem form (Sourcing a poem 'The Hunter' from an online site). Recently the original author who I adapted my report from (And credited mind you) visited the site and saw my post, leaving a comment and a suprise for all at KFA.
ABT Hobie Kayak Tournament Bemm River, Victoria (Round 7):
Having stopped briefly at Bemm River during my Christmas ordeal (Slash holiday) I was a little concerned on the tournaments location. A small and initially bleak town offered little or no tourist respite during what should have been their busiest time of the year (In hindsight, probably a week early). Sussing out the waterways of the Bemm proved pointless, it was howling a gale and housing an unflattering stench. “Can’t always be like this?” I muttered to Claire, realising that not only had we booked accommodation for the tournament but the whole family had chosen to follow me 4 days prior for the long weekend (Six powered sites and one unruly clan). With the sixth round of the tournament series at St Georges Basin on the NSW South Coast held on the Saturday I had a lot of ashphalt to cover to make the first of the Mexican competitions held on the following Tuesday (Australia day).
A large field gathered from near and far, Victorians embraced the round while the usual suspects (Now tournament veterans) travelled from Nothern NSW waters. With fabled big Black Bream on the cards in shallow environments many arrived days earlier to enjoy pre fishing success. With pre fish bans on the Marlo round (VIC State titles) this was many visiting anglers first and only opportunity to test a Gippsland lake system, it was also many kayak angler’s first encounter with a big black. Sharing attributes with their Yellowfin cousins, they are predominantly thicker and larger fish and a voracious to the point of accepting all presentations. Overcast skies and picture perfect conditions allowed a dominant technique to develop during the prefishing opportunities, all whilst encouraging variation. Slow rolled crankbaits, high sticked shallow runners, flickbaits and Prawn style plastics all worked successfully. Noise and colour replaced any perchance for profile and action. Mottled green SX 48’s, Atomic Hards and custom shallow diving Jackal Chubby’s attracted planty of interest (And good fish) but the Squidgy ‘Pepper Prawn’ and glitter styled dark plastics secured the larger fish. Keeping jigheads as light as possible was a given, considering the majority of the lake was 0.7m – 1m deep.
Tight lines with Jerky, erratic rod lifts equalled strong tussles with XOS specimens. Little fish were lost quickly and certain areas seemed to fish better than others. All expectations were met and solid plans had been forged for comp day. The wind that created havoc before my arrival did manage to muster stronger gusts overnight, though it didn’t affect our time on the water actually fishing each day provided a different problem in the same areas (Weed blown debris). As the fish were still there multiple fouled casts hassled us more than the targets, removing weed from trebles became the norm.
Squidgy Southern Bream Series, Clyde River, Batemans Bay (Round 1):
Buckets and buckets of rain had fallen over the south coast region weeks prior to the tournament, in some places it was a record fall (A welcome relief anyway). Unfortunately water conditions would rapidly deteriorate, making an area which we had finally mapped out a little slow come game day. With the other members getting down for a pre fish two weeks before the competition a few of us decided to return and see what damage had been done. These are the times for new lures, varying techniques and breaking tournament moulds, not the time for the usual offering.
Sometimes thats easier said than done but it was a little easier due to the discoloured water and sheer amount that had fallen. Red, burgundy, claret, merlot the water was the colour of wine (But suprosingly clear), debris scattered the shore and remained way up on the tree line (Buckets 8ft above high tide mark). The pre fish was timed with the rising tide and while proved successful was the complete opposite of what tournament days tidal chart predicted. I lost a couple of fish early in some shallow creeks (Due to rusting trebles) but it was a good sign, the Bream were still up for top water action in shallow water.
Some of the fishier looking locations (Very similar to the Bemm) held no species of fish, not even a lonely Mullet. I am sure in better conditions this area would be a haven but one sip of the water showed the amount of fresh in the system as opposed to salt. Other small creeks held surface smacking Bream, a Towadi and PX 45's secured smaller fish but none of legal stature. Jason landed a nice 29cm fork length Bream with an aggressive Hopper Popper retrieve along a ledge (The take from this fish was awesome). Using blades in deeper water I struggled to fight the current ripping through hard so proceeded to bombard the rocky ledges with a purple shallow running Atomic Hard instead.
While it wasn’t a fish a cast I managed a bag limit of legal Bream by casting in close, twitching once and rolling back. If the lure wasn’t taken in the first five seconds more often than not it failed to raise a scale. The funny thing was some fish were sighted loitering below or behind the crankbait far from the confines of the ledge. I should have added some scent to the rear of the treble but was content on leaving these fish for a week (Not wanting to sting any prospective targets before comp day. The day was a success but would conditions differ or deteriorate any further?
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