Sandringham Anglers Club

Perfect conditions this morning for our annual kayak capsize drill. Eight (8) took part and a few more watched from the shore.

Lots of new ideas were tested as a result of last year’s drill.

Some learnings that I noted are below - please add any that I miss:

1. Need to remember to make the life jacket waist strap tight once you are in the water… to stop it rising & choking you!
2. Paul Jones loaned a paddle leash to several participants… I heard that this will be added to several yakkers equipment list now.
3. The rope trick to re-flip the kayak worked a treat although one nylon clip attaching the rope to the kayak broke under the strain so that will need to be strengthened.
4. Getting back into the kayak was more difficult than most remembered!
5. Getting back into the kayak from behind the seat worked for some , even as far back as the stern… but most of us would have a crate there that would interfere with this access if we were fishing.
6. The raised H-rail around the cockpit on some kayaks made getting back into the front of the kayak particularly difficult
7. Some kayaks took on a large amount of water into the closed hull which could make the kayaks more “tippy” in rough seas. These kayaks need to try & reduce the ingress while upside down, somehow.

Thanks to all for participating, Jamie for manning the first aid desk & to Garry for the very welcome BBQ’ed snags!

The weather for Saturday morning looks excellent for our upcoming “Yak Capsize Drill”… only 7 kmh winds and 15-20degC.
Come & test your capsize skills in a safe environment…
or come for the Entertainment & BBQ!! All invited.

A reminder that the Sandringham Anglers Club is running the Annual Capsize Drill on the foreshore near the Clubhouse on Saturday 14th March - 10am to 12noon… finishing up with a BBQ at the Clubhouse. Non-members welcome.

Cracker day on the bay. Beaut yakweather and plenty of fish. Pinkies galore to mid 30cms, many Sand Flatties to mid 30’s, one Bluespot Flattie in the mid 30’s, two small Snook. The highlight of the day was a boiling school of Australian Salmon which I raced to intercept… lost… then found on the sounder and then extracted two fish from… fantastic fight on bream gear! A bunch of Australasian Gannets were divebombing the same bait the Salmon were eating as well as a solitary Fairy Penguin.

Reminder… an illustrated talk on Kayak Safety tonight at the Clubhouse. All welcome

We have a talk at the Clubhouse next Tuesday… all about kayak safety! Some new rules & regs and a primer for the practical Capsize Training the Club has scheduled for 14th March… on the foreshore outside the Club.

Tite Lines to all for 2026

Some reasonable yakking weather is forecast for Thursday/Friday with tougher conditions on Saturday. Sunday & Monday look like being yakking non-starters. Tite Lines.

The forecast for Port Phillip Bay shows a good yakfishing opportunity on Friday with a poor chance on Saturday. The rest looks bleak… but there may be wind-sheltered spots around if you are very careful. Tite Lines.

November weather has been challenging - last weekend’s reality saw rain & wind on the Sunday… despite the good yakking forecast.

This upcoming weekend forecast is looking glum for yakfishing on Port Phillip Bay. Best day is Friday… and even then you will probably need your wet weather gear unless you go early. Tite Lines.

We were up at 6:30am to launch on Sunday morning. The forecast had predicted easing drizzle and light winds @ 7 kilometres per hour… finally strengthening to moderate winds of 20-30kph at around 2pm… by which time we’d reckon to be done.

Instead… one of the worst weather forecasts this year! We tried to wait out the rain and whitecaps… until 10am… then gave up.

Instead launched in the semi-sheltered waters just out from the SAC Clubhouse. Fish were few & far between and we came in and started packing the yaks away at 3pm.

Then… as we drove off… the wind dropped to nothing!

Totally the opposite of what was forecast.

It was an odd one, but thankfully PPB weather forecasts are generally much better than this.