If you haven’t considered changing up to an eBike for hunting I’d like to share with you my experience, and and how it has opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me.
Many of my friends who I love to go fishing with tend to rely on their four wheel drives to get to the spots they like the most. Strange as it may sound to them, I’ll happily hike for a fair while before dropping a line in and setting up for a day or two.
“Why is that strange?” you may ask. Well, where I live it is quite hot. To say that it we get the best of tropical weather in Darwin, Australia might be a bit hard for some to believe. Yes, it gets tough in the build-up, but that’s only about six to eight weeks and is broken by the wet season.
For my friends, many of which who were born up here, the idea of hiking any further than the to fridge or the cooler box to do more than get another beer during the build-up, or any other time of year for that matter, is something of an alien concept.
Their idea of going bush for a weekend of fishing and camping is more about loading up the Ute with half a dozen slabs (24 cans) of beer, and throwing the rods on top. Don’t get me wrong, this can be fun, but it’s not the only way to roll.
I’ve found consistently that the best fishing is often located in the spots that aren’t that east to get to. The types of places where the fish tend to be left alone due to limited accessibility. And this is where my fishing game has been stepped up a considerable notch, all thanks to investing in an electric bike.
My Choice of eBikes for Hunting and Fishing
Let me give you a rundown on the kit that I bought a little while back through Hautland, and how this has become indispensable to my weekends away.
Imagine having two fat Maxxis tires (or tyres for my Aussie friends – they spell a few things differently here) capable of ploughing through the thickest of scrub firmly fixed to a camouflage light weight frame with a silky smooth ride courtesy of the GT MRK 860 Air forks. All the attributes of a great eBike for hunting or fishing. Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!
In the Aussie bush, particularly the Top End, you’ll find that you really need some more width on your tires for cycling through the rough terrain which can alternate between rocky, sandy, muddy very quickly, and in more places than you might expect, right through to savannah overlaid with thick Gamba and Mission grass.
It’s called Mission grass up here because it’s a mission to push through it. I’m just kidding about how it got the name. But that is its real name though, and with a lesser bike, you’ll be dismounting to carry it through this thick growth.
This Mission grass grows in clumps with really dense root balls that can bring you off your bike if you hit them the wrong way on thinner tires. But with these bad boy Maxxis tires, that’s not going to happen in a hurry! I’ve found that I’m able to glide right over them without any problems.
Taking my eBike to the Best Barramundi Fishing
I’ve had the recent pleasure of heading out to Daly River, about 2 hours drive South from home, and taking my all terrane e-bike out into the bush.
Once I’ve parked up and locked the car, there are some tracks that I follow off the dirt road, just South of a billabong that I won’t name for obvious reasons (need to keep my favorite spot a little bit of a secret). And then it’s a matter of following my nose and my GPS the rest of the way.
Daly River is a well known area in the Top End for barramundi fishing. It’s also well known for being densely populated with mosquitos, the occasional wasp, and heaps of crocodiles. So, having the right equipment with me is important here when camping for a couple of nights.
Loading up with my Base Bug Tent, essential supplies, rods and tackle is more than I want to carry on my back, so they go straight in the bike trailer and the pannier bags.
I have to take it a little easier getting to camp when towing the trailer on the back of the bike, which is to be expected. But once I’m there and set up, it’s game on!
Whipping through grass that grows as high as 20 feet in the wet season is like nothing else. Being able to do this with very little effort allows me to enjoy some aspects of nature that being in a vehicle, or on a dirt bike doesn’t.
There’s the obvious stuff, like being able to maneuver with greater ease. But then there’s the virtual silence that an eBike affords me.
I’ve seen more kangaroos and wild pigs travelling this way through the bush than any other. Being able to get closer to these compared to any other way, particularly in the cooler parts of early morning when there is still a little fog in the air has been breathtaking.
If you’re particularly quiet, you may be fortunate enough to spot some rate birds. The Azure Kingfisher is one that can be found in a few locations.
The most likely of places is in Yellow Water (Cooinda), so the relative quietness of an eBike compared to a motorbike makes this a more likely occurrence.
If you’re lucky, the earlier parts of the morning make it easier to spot the elusive Azure Kingfisher
You may wonder why I’m out and about on my bike in the earlier parts of the morning. Barramundi tend to not really like the cooler water temperatures, and they aren’t as active as when the waters warm up.
It’s like they are in bed and just don’t want to come out from under the covers. So, exploring and sight seeing time it is, until about 10 or 11am. Then the fish start really biting.
Barramundi fishing is like no other type of fishing in the northern Territory. The closest I could compare it to for the waters in Australia is like fishing for eels down south.
They can run on the line very quickly and will find a way to get off if you give them the smallest amount of slack.
You need to make sure they are well hooked before trying to reel them in because they tend to suck the bait or lure down, and can just as quickly spit it back out. TAs a fishing experience goes, there’s nothing quite like it.
The last trip I had out to this magic little spot saw me carefully towing a trailer on the back of my eBike through the bush back to the car with a fully loaded icebox of barramundi, and a couple of catfish too.
The biggest barramundi in the catch was a decent 76cm ( about 30 inches) and it put up one heck of a fight.
I find myself knocking off after work and parking the car in the garage next to my camping gear and bike, and just standing there gazing at them. Imagining the next long weekend where I can get three days away to immerse in the wonders of the bush.
Choosing what I Believe is the Best eBike for Hunting and Fishing
In closing, you probably found this article because you’re looking to buy an eBike for hunting or fishing. There are a lot of options in the market, but I found that not all of them stacked up for what I wanted, or needed.
I could go on and on about the specs behind the Rambo Bushwacker, but you’ll find everything you need to know about this impressive bike at Hautland.
For me it was really about the quality of the ride, and what I find is the generous capabilities of the Samsung 48V 14AH battery.
This power pack sees me through a weekend of camping and fishing easily. And the features offered with the Rambo Bushwacker made it my choice of eBikes for Hunting.
However, that’s not to say that you can’t get the sense of exhilaration from something like the BAM Supreme 750W, which comes in at a very competitive price.
This unit looks like it could power through anything you throw at it, and then bounce back for another go on the other side.
Honestly, if you’re after efficiency at a very attractive price point, when it comes to an eBike for hunting or fishing this is the one to look at and Hautland have got you covered here too.