Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series

Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series - Round 1

Round 1 - 2020!

Dear YAKHUNTER,

Welcome to Round 1 of the Yak Hunters 2020 Kayak Fishing Series, proudly POWERED by Freak Sports Australia!

With registrations now finalised, you are now an accepted entrant into the series for Round 1 and beyond for our 2020 Season Pass members.

You have entered a brand new, next generation nationally linked Kayak Fishing tournament series, geared for all anglers at any skill level and with the ability to compete among hundreds of other like-minded anglers across the country.

Firstly, we’d like to welcome our new entrants into the Series and welcome back our seasoned campaigners from series past. We thank you for your participation in making Rd 1 of the 2020 Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series the largest Round 1 numbers to date of our history.

Now, let’s get you squared away with some important information you’ll need to know about ROUND 1 and attached to this email you will find an Early Bird discount special for ROUND 2 also!!!!

WHAT YOU NEED TO PREPARE:

We have all your entry details from your registration form – so we’ll take care of all the paperwork aspect for the entry component. You’ll need to make sure however, that you are prepared and ready on the day of your event for what will be required of yourself upon arrival.

-LIFE JACKET / PFD: Please make sure you are in possession of a SERVICEABLE and OPERABLE life jacket / PFD that complies with your state regulations. It is a requirement for all Yak Hunters events, that all entrants MUST wear a serviceable and operable life jacket / PFD at all times. Event staff will be conducting inspections; however it is your responsibility to ensure that your safety equipment is in order. We may refuse entry if a Life Jacket / PFD does not comply with regulations, so in order to avoid disappointment on the day, please ensure you inspect your equipment prior to the event.Some aspects that can be overlooked are self-inflatable cylinders being rusty from salt exposure, broken clips / straps and vests that do not comply with state safety regulations.

-MOBILE PHONE / CAMERA PHONE:

You'll need to be in possession of at all times whilst at the event, your mobile phone. This is for both Safety reasons and your ability to take photos of your fish and enter them via the Yak Hunters App.

Please make sure your phone is 100% charged prior to the event commencement. We also recommend a waterproof option to store your mobile phone whilst out on the water, so please consider this before hand.

-KAYAK

Pretty obvious right? Don't pack everything at home and forget to take the main thing! Entrants must have a serviceable and working kayak, so MAKE SURE you also pack your paddle! (people have forgotten this before) and /or pedal drive. The use of Electric motors in Yak Hunters events is NOT allowed. (Unless by special circumstance)

-YOUR SERIES CLASS

This Year - there is only ONE Series class. This means you will RANK against Anglers in your state event for your local prize pool... AND ALSO against Anglers NATIONALLY for the overall Yearly rankings!

-YOUR KAYAK

There are a whole range of ‘kayaks’ available on the market that can range to anything from what appears to be an Esky Lid to an imperial Battle Ship. We won’t judge you on what Kayak you have.. however we REQUIRE that your kayak is serviceable, operable and in a suitable condition to undertake water activities without any presenting a risk to safety, to yourself or to others. This is good time to check that there are no cracks, splits, broken rudders, cables, drive systems etc. We will be conducting inspections on the day, and refusal may occur for any kayak we (the event STAFF) deem to be unsafe for participation. So in order to avoid this disappointment, ensure you check your kayak before arrival. Kayaks within the Yak Hunters series MUST be MANUAL OPERATION ONLY – this includes paddle or pedal.

NIL ELECTRICS or MOTORS will be allowed within the series. So if you do have an attachment of a motor or electric on your kayak, we suggest you remove this prior to the event as Staff will request that you remove these items on your kayak prior to launch and / or may disqualify if electric or motor is not removed.

-YOUR WEAPONS OF CHOICE

While we understand fish can be caught from anything from a sour worm to a toothbrush.. we are strict on the procedure that for all rounds within the Yak Hunters series are LURE ONLY!(Nil bait allowed) You may use scents, but nil bait will be accepted and may result in a disqualification or penalty if any use or attempted use of bait exists. You must also NOT use Burley. Staff will be conducting thorough equipment checks of all your equipment prior to launch.. so for any who are tempted.. leave the bait at home in the freezer!

We will allow a maximum of 3 rigged rods on the day and in any Anglers possession, however local state regulations will always apply according to your state. When handling rods, only ONE rod is permitted to be used at a SINGLE time ( i.e., you may not cast and fish with one line while another line is present in the water beside your kayak)Heavy penalties and / or disqualification may occur for ANY angler, regardless of Series class, breaching this rule.

TROLLING:

All anglers are now able to TROLL! (Single line at any time) TROLLING will be defined as a static line present in the water whilst the Kayak Operator is manoeuvring the kayak over distance by either paddle or pedal. LONG CAST and retrieve, Drift and Jig is also acceptable.

-YOUR VITAL EQUIPMENT

- ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Whether you embrace the Australian sun with nothing but a pair of pluggas, footy shorts and a bonds faded navy blue singlet… or dress covered in head to toe like a form of water Ninja… it is YOUR responsibility to be SUN safe and EQUIPMENT safe whilst partaking in the event.

We recommend you protect yourself with UV protective clothing or 50+ UV protection sunscreen PRIOR to launch, and pack a rain jacket just in case it rains. We also highly recommend that you carry enough water out with yourself on the day. Some water will be issued to you and available prior to launch, but it is YOUR responsibility to ensure you are prepared for Hydration and Sun protection whilst partaking in the event.

- KAYAK EQUIPMENT

Now is also a good time to check that all of your applicable kayak or fishing equipment is in working order (fish finders, pedal drives, rod and reels, etc) Yak Hunters will NOT be responsible for any personal lost or damaged equipment – You will be required to sign a Disclaimer waiver on the day and you are individually RESPONSIBLE for all of your personal equipment that you have personally brought to the event.

You will also berequired to have a working Mobile Phone on your persons throughout the entireduration of the event – so now is a good time to find an option on how to waterproof your device or carry in your possession. It is STRONGLY recommended that your Mobile Phone has the ability to take clear and quality photos and download the Yak Hunters Australia App from either the Google Play or Apple Store (Now might be agood time to upgrade that Nokia 3310!)

We also recommend theuse of rod leashes, spare batteries where required, braid scissors, sunglasses,hats, face wraps, first aid kits, etc. Ensure you also have aback-up option to operate your kayak – this is pertinent to Anglers with pedaldrive systems that may unexpectedly fail.. a pre-packed paddle can save the dayin this case!

-YOUR MEASURE DEVICE

Commonly used items can be a thong, a stick, a fishing rod, or that over-exaggerated story of ‘Yeah it was 70cm on the brag mat mate… I just didn't take a photo of it on the mat when measured it’ In this case, you won't need to worry about creative stories… as we’ll organise the brag device for you.

As you are joining us for the first time this year we will issue you with a FREE Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series Brag Mat on the day that all fish MUST be measured on (This mat is also yours to keep for future rounds and beyond) You will only be issued this mat ONCE.

Any loss or damage will require you to pay for a replacement fee of $35.

All fish caught are in a CPR format – Catch. Photo. Release. Fish must be released immediately after your photo has been taken and released safely (and handled safely) in the same location (or close to) where you found it. This is to ensure any territorial fish or breeding fish can be released with the best chance of survival and has a lesser impact on the event environment (an eco-friendly measure for all Yak Hunters Series rounds)

The use of Live-wells to transport fish is NOT ALLOWED – unless in EXTREME circumstances where you require a MINIMAL transport distance to measure a fish for example, or release in a safe area WHERE you caught it. Any live fish brought back to the launch point and measured in at the end of the event will result in all those fish being VOID and may result in Angler Disqualification.

Photos are taken and measured from nose to tip of tail. Ensure your photo captured is CLEAR and READABLE – Staff may refuse blurry photos or decide on a lower score for brag mats or measures that are creased or measured incorrectly.

Any attempt of CHEATING will result in fish being VOID and / or could result in Angler Disqualification.. this will be the decision of the event judges on the day.

You will need to download the Yak Hunters Australia App from your phone’s relevant app store (it is free) to be able to record and lodge your captures. Please do this before comp day!

Once downloaded you will need to signup following the simple on-screen instructions and you will see your relevant Yak Hunters Round on the event drop down tab that will go live on the event day.

The Yak Hunters Australia app will enable us to keep a live tally of your captures throughout the tournament for those that have mobile coverage and leave their app online but the app will also store your photos if you decide to go offline or are in a low coverage zone and we will be able to download your entries when you comeback to home base.

PLEASE USE YOUR CAMERA PHONE TO TAKE YOUR PHOTOS FIRST, THEN SUBMIT YOUR BEST CATCHES VIA THE APP. The app is there to register your LIVE scores, but we will also be checking photos at the end to double check scores.. so it's important you have the photos ready to show us!

POWER PLAY

A new addition to the 2020 Series is our POWER PLAY option - which gives you access to a separate prize pool ON TOP of any other prizes you have scores. To be eligible for this win, you must have selected the POWER PLAY option at checkout when placing your registration. Each prize shall be awarded to the Power Play member who has caught the largest fish out of all other Power Play members in that state round. Below is the total POWER PLAY prize pools for each state in ROUND 1:

QLD: 6 x PowerPlays = $150

NSW: 23 x PowerPlays = $575

VIC: 4 x PowerPlays = $100

SA: 1 x PowerPlay = $25

WA: Zero

TAS: 4 x PowerPlays = $100

-TIMINGS

As much fun as it can be to have a few beverages with mates the night before the event in anticipation of the day, stay up until 3am, sleep through your alarm and feel like you've been hit by a Train when you wake up… Here are a few KEY timings you MUST meet before planning any night before celebrations or sleep-ins! Like with any timing provided.. the earlier you can arrive the better. Some events may attract BIG crowds that attract congestion and limited parking spaces.. so while we have a set guide of timings that we attempt to adhere to.. It’s always better to be a little earlier just in case!

PLEASE ADHERE TO ALL PARKING RULES AT LOCATION - THIS IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE SIGNAGE. YOU WILL BE LIABLE TO PAY YOUR OWN FINES IF ANY PARKING FINE OCCURS FOR YOUR VEHICLE!

-LOCATION

Please find attached to this email all map graphics of your respective state event MEETING location. Ensure you are familiar with directions to your event PRIOR to the day for easy of arrival.

Please also be aware of any OUT OF BOUND's, NO FISHING ZONES, BOUNDARIES and LAUNCH POINT that may be applicable to your round. These will be attached in this email for your reference.

0500: ALL entrants arrive BY this time (arrival earlier to this time is recommended)

0500 – 0530: Event check-in, registration forms, equipment issue.0530: Event briefing and safety briefing (ALL Entrants MUST be attend this briefing)

0545: Kayak and Equipment Inspection.

0600: Kayaks LAUNCH and event COMMENCE

1200: ALL entrants RETURNED by this time!!

1215 – 1230: Entrant photos entry and scoring placings recorded.

Post 1230 onwards: Winners announced!

(Post event activities like B.B.Q, social chat etc may also be undertakenspecific to your event hosting and will be announced prior to)

It is YOUR responsibility to ensure you meet these timings. Staff may refuse entry, or points may be deducted as a penalty or disqualification may occur if you are not present at the timings given. Penalties for LATE RETURN will apply as follows:

0-5 minutes: MINUS 5cm 5-10 minutes: MINUS 10cm 10-15 minutes: MINUS 15cm 15 minutes and beyond: DISQUALIFIED

It’s a good idea to make sure you are in a position nearing the return time to effectively be back at the launch point by the timing given (Don’t paddle further than you can get back in time!)

If you’re going to be late.. let the staff know in advance and we can attempt to mitigate circumstances where possible.

-YOUR SAFETY

No jokes on this one – your Safety is paramount.

We will endeavour to provide and assist with safety requirements from our event Staff to the best of our ability.. However it is ultimately YOUR responsibility for your own safety AT ALL TIMES. This includes the requirement to wear your PFD / Life Jacket AT ALL TIMES whilst undertaking the event. Ensure that you have a WORKING means of communications (where reception exists) or dial 112 in the event of an extreme emergency.

Carry your communication device at ALL TIMES whilst partaking in this event. Please also keep an eye out for others on the water at all times – this includes entrants and any other vessels that may exist on the water whilst the event takes place. Have an extra sense of situational awareness – watch for changes in weather, other vessel operators, sharps in your equipment, and any other anglers that may need assistance. While we can’t help our fellow anglers on the water with catching their fish.. we can all help each other on the water when it comes to safety and assistance where able.

We STRONGLY recommend that if you are feeling unwell or are injured prior to the event.. you DO NOT participate within the event. Please make this known to Staff at registration if you are feeling unwell or may be injured prior to undertaking the event.

Safety staff on the day MAY cancel the event in the event of extreme weather of adverse weather conditions – If this is the case, head back to the launch point IMMEDIATELY and observe anglers around you who may require assistance.

You may also use your own discretion on this if you feel you are unsafe at any time also. When it comes to safety, there can be no room for errors. Please comply with staff directions at ALL TIMES and observe safe practices during the event AT ALL TIMES.

Staff may issue penalty or instant disqualification for any observation of unsafe practices. Do the right thing (You guessed it).. at all times!

Whilst undertaking Yak Hunters events, Yak Hunters adopts a ZERO tolerance for any consumption of Alcohol and / or prohibited substances prior to and whilst undertaking on the water activities. If Staff suspect any entrant, individual, or persons to be under the influence of alcohol or prohibited substances, instant refusal and dismissal from the event will occur with ZERO refund. Save the festivities for after the event.. and fish with a clear mind and in a safe manner.

All YAK HUNTERS Series events are covered by a Public Liability insurance which protects YAK HUNTERS as organisers. You will be required to sign an accident waiver and Liability release form on the morning of the event prior to partaking in the event. We strongly recommend you have your own personal health / life insurance in place before entering any Yak Hunters Events to protect yourself from any accidents as this will not be the responsibility of Yak Hunters.

TARGET SPECIES:

PRIMARY SPECIES:

This is your MAIN target species and will be scored the HIGHEST. At measure in at the end of the day, those who have caught the Primary species will be measured for placings first and in order. Your TOTAL score is calculated by the combined total length of your bag limit of the primary species (bag limits will be announced on the morning of your event and are subject to most recent fishing conditions)

QLD: Flathead

NSW: Bass

VIC: Bass

SA: Bream

TAS: Silver Trevally

WA: Flathead

BONUS SPECIES:

These are used to 'Boost' your national points at the of the daily round. Catching a Bonus Fish will increase your national points by + 5 points on the ladder, giving you a potential position boost on the OVERALL position of the tournament ladder. A Bonus fish can only give you a MAXIMUM of 5 points extra on the day.. so there is no accumulation of any extra points or rewards for catching multiple.

QLD: Bream

NSW: Carp

VIC: Redfin

SA: Mulloway

TAS: Tailor

WA: Bream

THE PRIZES

Everyone’s favourite part! You will find each state prize breakdown located on your home state Yak Hunters Facebook page. If you have any questions on your prize breakdown.. please ask the staff at your event! In the Yak Hunters 2020 Kayak Fishing Series, we are now able to pay prizes down to 6th Place at each state event!

In each state there willalso be a prize for the BIGGEST FISH (primary species) of the event.

Placing prizes are listed as a TOTAL RRP and may consist of PRIZE, VOUCHER, CASH, or a combination of any of these together.

Cash will not be given out on the day but provided via direct bank transfer after the event however winners will receive their non-cash prize components on the day (unless it is a kayak these will need to be picked up from the supplier)along with a cool jumbo cheque to keep also!

-THE YAK HUNTERS CODE

Practiced by many skilled Yak Hunters throughout the ages...

As a basic wrap up, Yak Hunters events and this series was designed and will always be designed for a sense of SOCIAL FUN , Provide some FRIENDLY competition, and the chance for ALL Kayak anglers of ALL skill levels to participate in a friendly environment that welcomes ALL members from the amateur angler level to the expert angler level. With this in mind,Please remember to uphold a POSITIVE attitude on the day at all times – meet new friends, have a laugh, take on new challenges and please be RESPECTFUL at ALL TIMES to all anglers and event staff on the day.

ANGLER SAFETY is our number one priority above all else. Please respect any decisions made for your safety on the day by your event Staff.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me, chat to us via the Yak Hunters Australia Kayak Fishing Series messenger chat or FB page or via your State YH Page.

We look forward to seeing you at Rd 1 and enjoying what will sure to be a fantastic day out on the water to kick off the 2020 Series ahead!

See you soon.

Luke and the Yak Hunters Australia team.

Luke Lispet

Managing Director

Yak Hunters Australia

M: 0421 950 997

E: luke.lispet@yakhunters.com

W: https://yakhunters.com/

NO FISHING ZONES WITHIN EVENT AREA (QLD Paradise Point Round)

Queenslanders - please familiarise yourself with the OOB (Out Of Bounds) regions. These are No Fishing areas that are situated within your Round location.

Ephraim Island is no fishing within the island canals.

There is also no fishing within Boat Harbour

Round Launch Locations

Please make not of your relevant round launch point below. This is where you will need to meet the Yak Hunters Staff on the day to commence your event.

Queensland Launch Point, Paradise Point.

New South Wales Launch point, Lake St.Clair.

South Australia Launch point, West Lakes.

Western Australia Launch point, Swan River.

Use the code YH2020 for 7% off your Round 2 entry.

Luke Lispet
Yak Hunters Australia.

Posted on January 31, 2020

Luke Lispet

New game...new rules!

2020 brings a new game...with new rules!

After 2 successful years of the Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series ran across Australia.. we often asked ourselves - what can we do to make this Series even better? So we reached out to our Admin staff who had run the events, the members who had competed within them, and analysed all of our workings to develop a plan for a brand new format . The new format was based on trials, input and feedback from both staff and members right across the country. We've listened to our Anglers and members.. and we now bring you a brand new formidable series which we are sure you will love even more! Some of the key changes to the 2020 series are listed below:

ONE CLASS nationally linked - to make ranking against ALL of your national peers simple and easy.
POWER PLAY option added - back yourself to win even more prize money at your round.
APP AND SCORING UPDATES for a more accurate score checking process across all rounds - regardless of reception.
TIME SHIFT - Get the absolute best fishing and weather conditions out of your event.

The Yak Hunters kayak Fishing Series 2020 is a well balanced platform to encourage ALL anglers to enter for some serious fun. To put simply, it's the perfect format to have some awesome fun when fishing with mates.. and score some sweet prizes at the same time!

One Class - Nationally Linked:

Upon an in-depth analysis of the previous 2 years rounds.. we found some data that was very interesting! Here's a rough breakdown of what we noticed that influenced the decision to go with a 'one class' approach in 2020:

- There was a much larger ratio of Amateur class anglers in comparison to Elite class anglers - 7:3 as an average in most state rounds. This meant a larger portion of the TOTAL prize pool was easier to win in some cases at some rounds, particularly when low numbers of Elite Class were present.

- The Amateur anglers generally out fished the Elite Anglers at most rounds! What we found here was that some skilled anglers were entering the Amateur class when they should have been entering the Elite Class, often an unfair advantage to the Actual Amateur Angler.

- The ruling of the 'No trolling' rule for Elite Class was often hard to enforce out on the water when Anglers were out of view. This gave a potential for some Anglers to 'cheat' and troll whilst not in sight of others. Now under the One Class ruling, ALL Anglers have the ability to Troll and bring fairness across the board when it comes to consistent fishing conditions.

- Often Anglers came 4th or 5th at their state event but missed out on a prize. With a One Class ruling - we now have the ability to pay prizes up to 6th place at each state event round, award 6 state champions at the completion of the series, and one grand national champion!

- For those who wish to back themselves or play against the Elite still - we have introduced an additional 'Power Play' option, which gives an opportunity to enhance your prize pool and still play against the big dogs of the event.

- One Class Nationally Linked also provided an immediate ranking system - so you can see exactly where you rank NATIONALLY across all members and competitors. This brings some extra fun, bragging rights.. and might surprise you in your overall skill level when compared to other national anglers!

We think the One Class approach offers the ultimate platform of fairness to all Anglers. The new ranking system and prize payouts to 6th place will be sure to put more smiles on anglers at each round and makes your efforts out on the water all the more worthwhile.

When questioned, most Anglers preferred a 'Friendly and relaxed' environment over a highly competitive one.

The 'One Class' approach enables all Anglers to maximise their fun whilst still offering a good degree of competition.

The added option of POWER PLAY :

Still back yourself to do well at a particular round? Or is the target species something you've perfected the art in? Well... Power Play might just be the option for you.

How does it work? It's super simple.

Upon registering for a round, you will now have an added optional feature called 'Power Play' which you can add to your registration fee. The Power Play Fee is an additional $25. Think of it as an option to 'back yourself' at your upcoming event.

Each 'Power Play' entry of $25 accumulates into a separate prize pool, specific to your event. The goal here is to catch the LARGEST target fish out of all the 'Power Players' within your local round event. If you win this.. you score the entire pot of 'Power Play' prize cash. This is also on top of any additional prizes you gain during the round.

NOTE: Another entrant who has caught the largest fish at the event, cannot score the 'Power Play' prize pool unless they have added that option to their registration. The winner of the 'Power Play' pot must have:

a) Included the 'Power Play 'option to their registration, and;

b) Caught the single LARGEST fish out of all 'Power Play' members at their LOCAL event round.

The less Power Play members in a round.. the easier it is for you to win it.

The More Power Play members in a round.. the harder it is to win it, but the larger the prize pot is!

We think this is a fun way to back yourself in an event that you feel confident in. It also creates an additional and larger prize pool for anglers who are confident in their skill level, or as a bit of fun amongst mates who want to gain a little more than just bragging rights.

'Power Play' can be selected as an additional option at registration.

It gives confident Anglers an extra option to win greater prizes at their event round.

'Power Play' is a perfect option if you're competing against mates and wish to up the antics.

App and scoring UPDATES:

The use of the Yak Hunters Australia Scoring app has been great.. but we are making it now even more accurate when it comes to scoring.

Previously at some locations, phone reception has been incredibly low and at times, unavailable. We understand that this can be frustrating at times.. especially when you have a cracking fish to submit, and your phone just won't get reception!

So we've listened to Anglers from across the country here, and have gone back to Manual confirmation entry. What does that mean? It means you simply just take photos of the fish on your brag mat with your tag included.. and show the Admin Staff at your local round your photos to register your score.

Whilst this may take a little longer to calculate scores.. we find it is more consistent and accurate - particularly in areas where phone reception is very limited. This also allows all event judges to get eyes on for any conformation or scoring discrepancies - meaning you get accurately judged on every entry.

But don't discard the app just yet! We are packing it full of extra fun features in the following year to come. It is also the go to place where you can see OVERALL rankings of the series nationally.

After your event has taken place, tune in to the Yak Hunters Australia app the following week to see where you ranked nationally amongst all competitors!

Accurate scoring enables faster national results to take place.

Each entry gets checked by multiple judges - meaning the decision is unanimous.

Use the app to see where you rank nationally, amongst some other great features.

TIME SHIFT:

We've done some research into this.. and realised there's one MAJOR factor we can't really control - The Weather!

What we can do however - is attempt to work around it.

Introducing 'TIME SHIFT' into the 2020 rounds.. we've given the Yak Hunters State Admin teams the ability to decide their start and finish times, provided it's a 6 HOUR BLOCK between SUNRISE and SUNSET.

Upon observation and feedback from previous events, we discovered general patterns in both the weather activity and the fishing activity. This consists of aspects including;

- Optimal 'bite' times.

- Generalised predicted wind strengths.

- Time based weather forecasts for wind, rain, storm and tide predictions.

By giving our Local teams the ability to decide on the start and finish time at their event, this enables the knowledge of staff (and members) to ultimately decide the BEST opportunity to fish in the safest conditions and gain the optimum bite window for the target species. It also adds more flexibility to the rounds and ensures anglers capture the BEST and SAFEST times to be on the water.. which we think is the most important thing and is something you will all love.

TIME SHIFT will take place in all Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Rounds in 2020.

TIME SHIFT allows the best use of local weather conditions for your event.

An optimum bite window can now be targeted for each event target species.

Meaning you catch greater fish.. in greater conditions!

We've made it simple and easy

The 2020 Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series packs some powerful extras - with all the simplicity you could ask for. You'll be able to fit in smoothly and understand how it all works straight away, even if you've previously never fished a Yak Hunters Kayak Fishing Series round.

Step 1

Register ONLINE and select your chosen event.

Step 2

Select 'Power Play' if you wish to add this feature.

Step 3

Finalise payment - You're all done!

Dates and locations - COMING SOON!

Stay tuned... the State teams of Yak Hunters Australia are finalising dates and locations - they will be released this week! Plenty of time for you to clear your 2020 calendar and join in to Australia's LARGEST Nationally linked Kayak Fishing Tournament!

Meet new mates, fish new waters, target new species.. we're sure you are going to absolutely love the 2020 series to come.

The Yak Hunters Australia Team

Posted on December 02, 2019

Luke Lispet

2018 Elite series A "Reel" Success

2018 series has come to a close.

With the 2019 series fast approaching lets reflect on the 2018 series.

4 states have battled it out over 4 round in 16 different locations Australia wide.
coming down to 2 champions taking the series with 2 hands.

Here's a little about our series national champion's, and what they had to say about the series for 2018:

Neal Palmer (SA) ELITE

When I moved back to Adelaide from the mid North 5 years ago one of the first things I did was buy myself a fishing kayak.
I reckon I've been on one every weekend ever since, I just love it.
The Elite series has been the highlight of my fishing year no doubt about it. Meeting new like minded Hunters from all over the state at different venues targeting different species is not only a whole lot a fun but it certainly has improved my fishing. The awesome prizes are a great bonus - I'm pumped for next season, can't wait!

Bruce Tozer (NSW) PRO AM

My kayaking started on beautiful Lake Macquarie in the Hunter NSW.

I currently fish out of a Hobie Outback with all the bells and whistles, I love it.
I fish weekly if i can with my neighbour Geoff Barry and enter as many Yak Hunter events as possible with terrific fellow fishers.

Great to fish a series where you can push yourself, also love the state to state interaction that brings.

Looking forward to 2019.

Neal taking victory in the Elite class winning himself a Wilderness systems Radar 135 kayak from Paddle Pro Australia.
Along with Bruce taking out Pro am winning himself a Perception Pilot pedal drive kayak from Melbourne Paddle Sports.

But lets not forget those who took out the title of state champion for their series class in their state!
Here's what they had to say.

ELITE

Joshua Bell (QLD)

Hi i'm Josh from Brisbane, I have been kayak fishing for about 5 years now. I enjoyed the social approach the organisers took with this series and i feel that helps ensure everyone has a fun day on the water. Thanks again to Yak Hunters and all of the sponsors involved in putting on a great series.

Greg Rigby (NSW)

I started kayak fishing on the Sunshine Coast in 2013 but since moving to Newcastle a few years ago I have really enjoyed the friendships formed within Yak Hunters.
This has driven me to compete more and expand my skills and techniques.

The Elite Series has been a great way to further those skills by sharing advise and a few beers with great people in a social environment. I cant wait to see where it goes from here.

PRO AM

RICHARD ORCHARD (QLD)

I first started kayaking and kayak fishing as a kid on the Darling Downs in a kayak that my father built for me, that is over 40 years ago.
I now live at Birkdale on Moreton Bay, a fantastic spot with all kinds of options for kayaking and fishing close by.

The best part of the series is the concept of having a tournament that includes all states competing at the same time but still keeping it at a state level. Brilliant.

Mathew Bini (SA)

I’m from Golden Grove, in Adelaide’s North Eastern suburbs.
I purchased my first kayak in December 2016, after stumbling across kayak fishing vids on Youtube, and started fishing from it 3 months later (March2017), in between heavy work and study commitments.
I saw kayak fishing as an opportunity to mix 3 passions in my life…fishing, fitness and adventure. It’s been a thoroughly enjoyable and learning experience with lots of species caught in the short time I’ve been participating in kayak fishing.

The Yak Hunters elite series provided me with the opportunities to fish different areas, target different species, and do it all in the company of some great people, and in a friendly competitive environment. Also, taking on a leading role here with the Yak Hunters team has been very rewarding.

John Rao (VIC)

I live in Geelong and started kayak fishing about 1 year ago.

The thing I enjoyed most about the Elite series was meeting new people who love fishing and fishing new waterways and different species of fish. I'm looking forward to next year i can't wait.

There we have it. 2018 series has come to a close. with many hyped for 2019. We hope to see you then.

Posted on December 11, 2018

Luke Lispet

2019 KAYAK FISHING SERIES

With 2019 fast approaching, our 2019 series is going to be a BIG one!

With the NEW addition of Tasmania and Western Australia, this is going to be a True National series not to miss.

Fish from your local state round against your local state anglers...whilst also linked up to battle against the hordes of other Yak Hunters around Australia in their State rounds on the same day

🎣

There is also the introduction of a 2 day event round 4 Grand Final across all states -
Which will double up as an end of year camp for all members to make new friends and tell your fishing stories about “the one that got away”.

Get keen. Get excited. Get ready for the most EPIC nationally linked Kayak Fishing Series to come!

This one's gonna be a heap of fun!

Posted on September 29, 2018

Luke Lispet

REEL TALK from the LEADERS

One of our NSW competitors Greg Rigby, who is currently placed 1st in the Elite Series on 190 points, took time to talk to me about his passion for fishing and what he thought about the first two rounds.

Posted on June 03, 2018

Luke Lispet

Elite Series & Pro Am Series National Points

The news everybody has been waiting for! Here's the national points collation after round 2. Lots of big movers made it up the board, hopefully we'll all see you at round 3!

Congratulations to all of our round 2 winners and current points leaders.

MAJOR PARTNERS

Wilderness Systems Kayaks

Perception Kayaks

EVENT PARTNERS

Viking Kayaks Australia

Dragon Kayak

Crazy Kayaks

Rod Armour

FPV Power

Hurricane Lures

Ricks Fish On Plastics

Estuary Clothing

Sharp Point Jigheads

Yak Hunters Australia

Posted on May 11, 2018

Phoenix Noffke

Yak Hunters Elite Series Round 2 National Wrap Up

Round two of the Wilderness Systems sponsored Yak Hunters Elite Series came faster than most expected, albeit after a nearly 3 month break from the competition side of business!

Unsurprisingly, a phenomenal turnout over the 4 states. Most impressive from Victoria who after 15 in round 1, managed to retain another 15 with a few fresh faces on the day. A massive contribution from Evan Koka running the daily events on the day, We don't mention it nearly enough, but as much as we have primary national admin that deal with the business aspect of things, our state admin get nowhere near the amount of thank they deserve.

However for the Victorian wrap up, it is time.

Victoria's venue for the day was Paynesville. Water temperature and conditions seemed to have won this war as many competitors on hand were nothing short of great anglers and fishing still proved to be hard. Bream being the target species and Flathead being secondary.

Mumma flatty told everyone to stay home, none were caught for the day. Papa tailor however asked everyone to go for a feed and low and behold, tailor aplenty and most anglers caught at least one throughout the course of the day.

Our daily winners and pacesetters are as follows;

Elite Series / 2 Anglers

1st - Stephen Majera

2nd - Evan Koka Burrito Taco

Pro Am Series / 13 Anglers

1st - Lex Forbes

2nd - Brendan Smith

3rd - Gary Slykerman

Now, down to the points situation, even with a fair whack of non competes in either round one or two. In the Pro-Am Class, Benjamin Hotchkin retains his state angler of the year lead after a hard round two and only minimal points banked. John Rao holds down second with a same same but different story to Ben. Brendan Smith, Lex Forbes & Tyler Hotchkin are hot on the heels of Ben in third place and are only 20 points adrift heading into most likely to be the hardest round of the year in Victoria, the finicky trout.

In the Elite Class, after a did not compete in round 1, Stephen Majera rockets into the lead for the state AOY in the Elite Class. Tony Meletis retains his high placing, previously leading but now slipping to second after a non compete in round 2. Evan Koka and his taco shop are pushing harder for result and currently languishing in third place a whopping 85 points behind our leader.

Everyone is keen to chase some Trout and we're hoping to see you all our for round 3!

South Australia is next, very much the same as Victoria, it's extremely promising to see the numbers increase after round one and see some fresh faces to one of the newer groups in the country.

After a decent showing of 8 in round 1, a stout showing of 13 showed in round 2. We're not sure what did it, maybe South Australians like cold weather ey? Maybe its the pursuit of Bream, or the dislike of the famed Coorong Mulloway.

Early, brisk morning action slowed eventually as the SA fish decided they're allergic to sunshine. Morning bags included the primary species being Bream, as well as many Flounder, Salmon and a lone Flathead came through. Upgrades were aplenty and made for a great day for all involved.

Our daily winners and pacesetters are as follows;

Elite Series / 10 Anglers

1st - Alex Whitehead

2nd - Luke Oleson

3rd - Andrew Helps

Pro Am Series / 3 Anglers

1st - Chris Miller

2nd - Mathew Bini

3rd - Matthew Gorne

Biggest Bream - Chris Miller - 33cms

Biggest Salmon - Joshua Davey - 29cms

Biggest Flounder - Neal Palmer / Luke Oleson - 55cms

For the points situation, Chris Miller in the Pro Am Class is near perfect and having a pretty good crack at checking out from the field. Currently 40 points clear of the duo of Mathew Bini & Matthew Gorne retaining a tie for 2nd with 170 points a piece. After two perfect rounds, you'd be asking if Chris could be knocked from his mantle this year.

Elite class having slightly more anglers has led to a more wild points spread. Neal Palmer retains his round one lead, backing up his perfect 100 with another 80 points in round two. Chad Soper, consistent and banking enough points will lock him into second, 45 points adrift of Neal. Bringing home the current bronze is Alex Whitehead sitting 35 points adrift of our second place runner.

Round 3 brings Callop (Yellowbelly) into the equation at a to be determined mighty Murray River location. We hope to see all you blokes out there!

New South Wales, the land of the ever majestic cockroach had a fruitful event. The birthplace of Yak Hunters always holds a special place to the more sentimental of our admin and staff. For the first time in a blue moon, we ventured down to Hen & Chicken Bay, on the banks of the Parramatta River. Like South Australia & our Victorian compatriots, Bream made a welcome entry to the NSW target species. Conditions on the day, whilst not perfect bore some cracking fish for those who managed to find them.

Our daily winners and pacesetters are as follows;

Elite Series / 18 Anglers

1st - Dan Rappolt

2nd - Ben Milliken

3rd - Josh Richards

Pro Am Series / 8 Anglers

1st - Mark Nissen

2nd - Jason Rumph

3rd - Bruce Tozer

Biggest Bream - Bruce Tozer - 42cms

Greg Rigby retains his round one Elite Series points series, bagging a sneaky 80 points en route to a two round total of 190 points. Ethan Hugo kept it together for round two and whilst not bagging maximum points does enough to keep him just shy of Greg on 150 points. Current 3rd place points angler Ben Milliken made a monstrous jump from 9th place after round 1, capping his round off with a solid 95 point haul & a daily class win! Could Ben go back to back?!

Bruce Tozer caps off two perfect 100 point hauls in the Pro Am class and retains his round 1 lead with a solid 200 point haul, Bagging the biggest Bream of the day as well as a 3rd place showing. Geoffrey Barry is playing the points game and without a win as yet, chases down Bruce with another 80 points, retaining second place in the Pro Am class. En route to a second place finish, Jason Rumph, caps off our NSW points spread moving one place higher from 4th to 3rd!

Next up on the NSW calendar is the spiritual local for Yak Hunters, with a good ol' Flathead tournament on the famed Lake Macquarie. Due to demand, this round with have an expanded field of 60 people and some massive prizes!

For our final tournament grounds, we travel to the dominant origin state of Queensland. Panamuna Outfitters Club on the banks of the Maroochy river played host to what was always going to be a tough slog. The dreaded dark horse fish of these Sunshine Coast Reaches, Trevally, of any species. After hearing of big bags being pulled the days prior, the weather was always going to be the factor.

Maroochydore didn't disapear and managed to blow its ass out all day which made for the toughest fishing seen in any event we've EVER held. Two fish all day were caught, luckily we had a couple of sneaky Bream as the secondary species sneak in to make up a points score for multiple anglers. Estuary Cod made up our bonus points fish for the day.

Elite Series / 25 Anglers / 4 No Shows

1st - Mark Pedersen

2nd - Scott Bryant

3rd - Shaun Wooderson

Pro Am Series / 31 Anglers / 4 No Shows

1st - Lee Major

2nd - Brendan Eustance

3rd - Sam Steele

Queensland points had such a stout change, we're going to keep you guessing for a while and will release the points a little closer to round 3! The 3rd round for the Queensland series will take us back into Brisbane chasing Bream at Raby Bay. Interest has been MASSIVE, so we're going to up our daily cap and invite 80 of you to participate in this round! Get in early as spots are filling fast.

For event entries, head to Elite Series Entries and fill out both forms.

Well over 100 anglers competed and completed round 2 of the Wilderness Systems sponsored Yak Hunters Elite Series. Thankyou to all that attended and made this first season of this series great. Without the help of our major sponsors and daily event sponsors we'd never be able to put on such a great show. When you get the chance don't forget to give back to some of these great companies.

MAJOR PARTNERS

Wilderness Systems Kayaks

Perception Kayaks

EVENT PARTNERS

Viking Kayaks Australia

Dragon Kayak

Crazy Kayaks

Rod Armour

FPV Power

Hurricane Lures

Ricks Fish On Plastics

Estuary Clothing

Sharp Point Jigheads

Yak Hunters Australia

Posted on May 04, 2018

Luke Lispet

NSW Elite Series Round 2

What a tasty day at honey chicken bay today for some! i caught every species bar a bream, as soon as the tide dropped i couldn't find a fish. the wind was a pain in the ass around 12pm.

It was phenomenal to see a few new faces. With out you guys the members the show wouldn't go ahead. cheers to my admin team. Your roles are just as important as mine.

The YH Australia admins behind the scenes these guys work harder than me at finalising the YH series.

1st Dan Rappolt
2nd Ben Milliken
3rd Josh Richards

1st Mark Nissen
2nd Jason Rumph
3rd Bruce Tozer

Biggest bream Bruce Tozer 42cm

Shoutout to our sponsors

Brandon Goh - FPV Batteries

Hurrican Lures Aus

Rod Armour

Crazy Kayaks

Ricks Fish on Plastics

who got the lucky showbag lures?.......

Looking forward to seeing you all at round 3!

Posted on May 02, 2018

Phoenix Noffke

VIC Elite Series Round 2

Round 2 of our Yak Hunters Wilderness systems elite and Perception Pro-am series in Paynesville VIC is done and dusted!!

Target species for today was Bream and and boy was it tough! Water temp was hovering around 17°c and only the local bream were hanging about with locked jaws!
A few anglers did manage to pester the bream and land a few!

Tailor were plenty throughout the weekend with most members getting them on the troll.

1 travelly was caught.

No flathead this round.

Pro am winners.
1st - Lex Forbes.
2nd - Brandan Smith
3rd - Gary Slykerman

Elite winners
1st - Stephen Majera
2nd - Evan Koka.

Stephen also took out biggest bream of the day by a fraction and scoring a $50 Berley Pro voucher. Well done!

I personally want to thank all the members who participated throughout the weekend and helping out with setting up and packing. Thanks to Scott Boyd for putting on a BBQ after the round and the YH VIC admin team for your hand throughout the weekend.

Also a big thanks to our sponsors for the round!
We had an absolute blast off the water and even though fishing was tough we all had a great time.

See you all at round 3!

Posted on May 02, 2018

Phoenix Noffke

SA Elite Series Round 2

Well that's round 2 of the Yakhunters Elite Series done and dusted!

It was great to see the numbers nearly double from round 1's 8 entries.

The day started nice and early. Down at the lake just after 4:30am so that I could have everything ready for when the participants arrived, constantly wiping the morning dew off all the paperwork.

It was a beautiful clear and still morning which was a welcome sight, but did make me wonder if the Bream would shut down as early as they did the week before.

Shortly after launch time photos started to come in, and then some upgrades, so this was very promising for everyone's chances. Pictures of Bream, as well as Flounder, Salmon and a flatty came in before the action started to slow, although photos were still coming in. I took the opportunity to push the kayak onto the water just by the launch site, as I had to keep an eye on all the gear, and started flicking Gulp sandworms about 2 meters from the waterline…..and was very lucky to snag 3 pups in a 40min window.

A return to the setup location ad a check of the phone and Chris Miller had logged the biggest Bream at that stage (33cms) which ended up pipping out Luke Oleson by 5mm (32.5cms) for biggest of the day.

Although a lot of smaller model bream were caught, there was still a total of 12 legal size bream caught.

Results:
Elite: 1st Alex Whitehead
2nd Luke Oleson
3rd Andrew Helps

Pro-am: 1st Chris Miller
2nd Mathew Bini
3rd Matthew Gorne

Prize packs:
Biggest Bream: Chris Miller (33cms)
Biggest Salmon: Joshua Davey (29cms)
Biggest Flounder: Neal Palmer and Luke Oleson (55cms)
Biggest Mully: - , so prize for biggest ‘other’ went to Matthew Gorne: Flathead 29cms.

Good job by all participants….better luck next time to those who missed out.

All those who placed will receive communications from the Yakhunters team this week.

I’d like to say a big thankyou for all those who attended, you’re all an awesome bunch of blokes, as all you guys knew what was expected as a competitor on the day, which took a lot of pressure off me…and auditing my counting skills near the end of the day when my brain was fried was appreciated.

Thanks to our national and local sponsors including ACW, Spot On fishing, and Northside Doors and Windows for their support.

Now on to Round 3, on the picturesque Murray River in August, location to be advised but the target species will be Callop. It would be great to see the growth of the competition continue. Hope to see you all there, and some new faces….stay tuned for more info….tight lines all!