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With the Hobie/ABT kayak tournaments wrapped up for this season, Mr. Greg Lewis took some time from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for us here on KFA. For those that dont already know, Greg was awarded Angler of the year (AOY) after topping the points table at the end of the inaugural Hobie/ABT kayak tournaments in 2009. Greg then backed it up with yet another AOY award in the 09/10 season which is a fantastic achievement.
What inspired you to start fishing from a kayak and how long have you been doing it for?
A: I've been kayak fishing for almost 3 years now. Before that I owned a few boats and never even considered owning a yak. However, some tough times meant that I had to sell my big trailerboat that I used to target marlin and yellowfin, and I was without a fishing platform. I ended up buying a small tinnie for the lake (Burrill Lake), and it was around that time that my neighbour with whom, I spent a lot of time fishing in a little row boat, bought a little sit in bass yak. He kept telling me how cool it was fishing from a yak and getting towed around the lake by big flatties, but it still wasn't enough to get me really interested. Then one day I was at his house and he showed me a magazine (Yak Fisher) which had a list of pretty much every fishing yak that was available at the time.
Initially I was really taken by the Viking Tempo which was fitted with an electric motor - the whole set up was very affordable and I ended up taking the magazine home and reading through it properly and getting a grip on what the differences were between all the various brands of kayaks. As I learned more, I kept coming back to the Hobie's - the Mirage Drive system really made sense to me and my personal needs, and in the end I went up to the Sydney Boat Show and bought a Revolution with all the bits and peices to have it fully rigged for fishing. Funnily enough, I didn't tell my neighbour what I'd bought, and looked forward to surprising him with it. As it turned out, he actually went out and bought one too before I picked mine up, and so we ended up with identical yaks!
What do you think are the pro’s and con’s of fishing from a kayak, and more specifically a Hobie pedal craft?
A: I guess the main con with kayaks is simply that you are fairly restricted to how far you can travel during a session. In a boat you can be fishing in one spot, and then decide to pull the pin and shoot over to the far side of the lake, or another spot down the coast which might only take a few minutes under horse power, but under your own steam in the yak, it might take half an hour or more - so that can be pretty frustrating at times. Having said that though, it's not the end of the world, and can actually mean that being restricted to an area allows you to really give that area a thorough work over and find the fish that you thought were possibly somewhere else. As they say, the grass isn't always greener...
As for pro's, how long have you got? There are so many pro's to kayak fishing, but I'll just stick to a couple of key ones that are important to me. Stealth is a massive key to fishing, and as we all know, creeping into the quiet area's of a waterway without any noise or disturbance can only put the odds in our favour. Even offshore, I'm now concentrating my snapper efforts in water often less than 5m deep - areas where it simply would be too dangerous to take a boat, let alone all the noise - and the results I, and the guys who I often fish with, have been getting have blown away the other guys I know who fish from boats - and I'd also say its frustrated them a bit too because they know that they just can't do what we're doing unless they get yaks themselves... Suits me though!
Other pros include the simplicity of yakking - not being restricted to boat ramps, dealing with trailers, rego's, fuel etc etc. Its just so easy to chuck the yak on the roof and away you go. The Mirage Drive is what really does it for me though. A highly effective propulsion system that requires such little effort, which allows me to keep casting whilst maintain position in current or wind - that was my initial impression of the Mirage Drive when I first got the Revo, and I felt I couldn't really ask for anything else when it comes to yak fishing.
But I soon realised the other benefits of 'hands free kayaking', especially during hook ups. Even though we all love getting towed around by big fish, there are times when that will cost you big fish. With the Mirage Drive, I'm able to effectively 'drive down' on big snapper and kings, and I love being able to drag big bream out of racks or other heavy structure, whilst still putting pressure on the fish and regaining lost line. I just can't see how you can do the same thing from a paddle yak - but I'll be the first to admit that I've done very little paddle yak fishing! (Each to their own, but I love the Mirage Drive).
You have received the award of Angler of the year in the Hobie ABT kayak tournaments 2 years in a row, and fished most of the rounds, what were your 3 favourite locations from each series?
A: Yeah, BREAM Kayak AOY back to back - that was awesome, and I am stoked to have pulled it off. The Hobie/BREAM series have been an absolute ball - highly addictive, and I'm proud to have attended every round since it started. The inaugral round in Sydney was pretty unforgettable. In the morning before kick off, it was so weird - hardly anyone knew eachother, there was no banter and you could have heard a pin drop during Steve's briefing. Then, when we all got back in, it was completely different and everyone was helping eachother out, relaxed and having a laugh - that really indicated the birth of a successful competition that lots of people would have a great time being involved in. I placed 6th which was a little bittersweet, because I'd missed out on qualifying for the Grand Final, but at the same time I'd made it into the top 10 (which was a main goal) and I realised that this was a lot of fun and I was keen to do more.
My first win came at Round 3 on the Gold Coast, and naturally I was stoked to bits with that one, and then another win in Round 1 of the second series down at Glenelg in Victoria. You can't beat winning a comp! There have been so many highlights though, and so many great venues. Just about anyone who fished Bemm River or Marlo this year will tell you what insane days of fishing they were, and I was really happy to get to go to Tassie and also to Walpole in WA - two places I've always wanted to fish.
The Grand Final this year is also well worth mentioning. It was such a massive event and a truely fitting end to the series for this year. Seeing so many guys making big efforts not to miss out on the chance of winning the comp was awesome, let alone the spectacle of all those Pro Anglers charging up the river! It was such a cool weekend for everyone.
What do you enjoy most about fishing the kayak tournaments?
A: I love the comps! I've done heaps of game fishing comps over the years and love the extra pressure of really having to catch fish really adds an edge to what would otherwise just be another day out fishing. I'd never fished bream comps until the Hobie Series kicked off, and I was really pleased that the feeling of pressure, and really trying to be at the top of your game was just as intense as in a marlin comp. I feel that over the last couple of years my fishing has really improved exponentially, not only from what I have taught myself, but more importantly from learning from all the other guys taking part. I've also made some really, really good mates purely through being involved in the comps so that has been a major plus too.
Who do you think will be the anglers to look out for in the next series of the Hobie ABT tournaments?
A: Hmmm, thats a tough one!
Last series there were only a few 'regulars', but this year there was a real influx of new faces and some exceptional talent, and with the success of the series this year, I'm highly anticipating seeing another wave of anglers getting involved and I'm sure we'll see some new faces up there on the leader board.
I guess thats dodging the question though...!
There are plenty of guys from last year who I reckon will be in with a shot, but the three I'd be watching out for are Jason 'Zohan' Meech (he's performed consistently well and really knows his stuff), Dan Brown (he just won the Grand Final, so that means he's got a yak and is more than likely going to get a lot more involved in the series next year!, and finally Stewart Dunn - he's an absolute gun angler, and if he gets on a roll, look out! There's also a dark horse called Bevan. He's turned up at a few events but never really showed his true form. I'm pretty sure he's just waiting for the right time....
What species do you enjoy targeting the most?
A: I obviously love chasing bream, but I'm also right into chasing big reds on the South Coast, and ducking up the Clyde looking for bass. I don't really have a favourite though - I'm just a guy who loves his fishing and being out there doing it. If I'm fishing, then I'm happy.
What species would you like to catch from your kayak that you have not already caught?
A: Easy - a marlin.
Its a big call, but I am determined to do it. I've had a lot of experience with marlin from boats over the years so I've got a good idea of what to expect, and I know it certainly won't be easy, but I'll be giving it my best shot each summer until I've done it.
If you were given the choice, to go kayak fishing anywhere in Australia where would it be?
A: I'd love to go up to the Top End and have a go at all those thumping great barra, queenies, threadfin etc that hang around the river mouths and mangroves - I reckon that would be awesome. Naturally the crocs probably mean that will never happen though! I do plan on heading up the coast sometime in the future to chase the LongTail , Cobia, Mackeral and other large pelagics that they get up around Queensland - I'm pretty envious of all those guys! A barra trip is also on the cards.
Is there anyone you would like to thank that has helped you on your journey through kayak fishing and the kayak tournament scene?
A: Yeah a couple of people in particular - firstly my neighbour 'Coops' - its all his fault! If he'd never got into yakking, then I probably never would have either. I'd also like to thank Steve Fields from Hobie - he's given me a huge amount of support, and recently a new career! I'm very happy to be working for Hobie, and its great promoting a product that has personally given me so much enjoyment over the years. Ian Miller (Millerods) has also been right behind me since I began fishing the bream comps, and I'm very grateful for all his support, both in the fantastic rods he builds for me, and for the knowledge he so generously shares. Its great having such an icon of Australian fishing having belief in little old me!
Finally, I want to say the biggest thankyou to all the new guys I've met through my yak fishing journey so far. There really are too many to mention, but without having met such a cool bunch of like minded guys, there is no way I would be enjoying my kayak fishing as much as I am - cheers guys!
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us all Greg, and we look forward to seeing you on the water soon
