KFNZ Forums to Close

Mental · Tue Oct 20, 2020 11:24 am

Hi All,

Well it's been a awesome ride that's for sure, I started KFNZ back in September 2009 and had no idea how big this place would get but of recent times the forum gets less and less traffic, the costs just keep increasing, and for the last three years there has been no financial support coming in to keep KFNZ running so it's been a drain on my personal pocket, so I've decided to close the forum at the beginning of the new year.

There are a few people I want to mention in particular the Moderators who have helped me rein in what had to be the most unruly bunch of kayak fishers I've even seen - nah just joking you guys were hardly any trouble! - but yes a huge thanks to HLD and Hainesy who were happy to jump in and stop things getting out of hand, fixing up posts, editing links, and generally being good guys making the forums easy to read and use on a daily basis - thanks guys I owe you a beer or few!

I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone that used KFNZ over the years and made it what it was, without your input and posts it wouldn't have gotten to the size it did, nearly always a friendly place - I think I only banned two people over the years for being dicks and even one of those pulled his head in and came back as a great member!

I also want to say a personal thank you to the many hundreds of people I met over the years though KFNZ, both virtually and in real life, many have gone on to be people I now see outside of kayak fishing and have become life long friends, also many like myself who don't kayak fish as often as we used to or don't even kayak fish at all anymore it's great to be able to call you friends.

Of course KFNZ is not dead and we have an active and inclusive KFNZ group on Facebook where many of our members post and discuss kayak fishing and receive answers to their kayak fishing related questions as well as share their catches, kayaks, etc. So if you are not currently using the Facebook group head there today and join up!

Thanks again everyone!

Jason aka Mental

awondering · Tue Oct 20, 2020 11:29 am

Yep been awesome times had in here , met some real good buggers that’s for sure, had some awesome mothership trips ... see you all over @ the FB page [emoji106]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Marc N · Tue Oct 20, 2020 11:36 am

Sad news

Badfisherman · Tue Oct 20, 2020 11:50 am

Thanks for all the work Jason. Learnt so much off this site and got me addicted to kayak fishing!

See you all on facebook

Hainesy · Tue Oct 20, 2020 12:42 pm

Yep..she’s been a great ride and like Mental has said, I’ve met some (mostly !) great people and experienced some trips and made a lot of memories.... far too many to list on here!
Whilst I haven’t been able to do much out of kayak for a couple of years I’ve certainly kept in touch with what’s been happening via this Forum.
So, whilst this page is closing down, head over to the FB page and join up..... if you haven’t been a naughty boy / girl on here we might even approve your membership of that page !

kingiFiddler · Tue Oct 20, 2020 12:45 pm

Cheers for the ride too Mental. What does it cost to keep this site going?

I joined the facebook group a few weeks ago but didn't last a day before realising I was ruffling too many feathers so left the group, which I think means I can't get back on when this forum is goneburger? If so, I'll pop up on the Stealth forums when I finally get one.

Here's a pic for ya, caught this morning on my phoenix weapon.

TBreezy · Tue Oct 20, 2020 12:48 pm

Thanks for getting this happening. I have learned a hell of a lot from this place and these people. Still average at catching fish tho

See you on the FB

Casualtyward · Tue Oct 20, 2020 1:03 pm

It'll sad to see this forum end, but I totally respect the reasoning. My only hope is that someone distils all the collected wisdom of this site and generates an Encyclopedia Britanica-esque guide to kayak fishing in New Zealand

Rylee · Tue Oct 20, 2020 1:06 pm

Thank you Jason and Team for this great KFNZ page. Kayak fishing addiction started when i bought your Hornet off this page long time ago. Learned a lot from this community.

PJay · Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:24 pm

Thanks, Jason - it's been fun.

Hairy Little Dwarf · Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:53 pm

Does that mean I have to take all the KFNZ stickers off the Hornet?
...On a brighter note, my retirement fund collection of the various incarnations of the KFNZ T-Shirt will soon be on EBay

@kingiFiddler I knew you were going back to a basic setup, but paddling out on a bare boat and just gaffing the bastards is real Croc Dundee style, I like it!

Any chance of the forum getting zipped up and uploaded to some cloud with a silver lining in Webland? I'd happily blow my monthly data to have a copy on my HDD (Which is like an HLD, only useful)

AndrewRawlingson · Tue Oct 20, 2020 5:24 pm

It's the end of an era. I thought this might happen sooner or later. Many forums have died due to the Borg-like machine that is Facebook. I've noticed traffic getting lighter over the years, yet more people seem to be kayak fishing than ever. This forum and some of it's members taught me to fish in NZ, so sad to see the end of KFNZ. As some of you know, I "retired" from kayak fishing 5 years ago when I bought a jetski, yet visit the forum occasionally for sentimental reasons more than anything. I won't be joining the Facebook group. Thanks to Jason and the moderators for your hard work over the years.

kingiFiddler · Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:19 pm

Hairy Little Dwarf wrote: ↑Tue Oct 20, 2020 4:53 pm
@kingiFiddler I knew you were going back to a basic setup, but paddling out on a bare boat and just gaffing the bastards is real Croc Dundee style, I like it!

Haha. That sounds like a challenge. Perhaps if I use a glove, the gaff can stay home next time. Heck, forget that, will just swim out with a loop of woven flax.

SitDown · Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:28 pm

thanks Jason, its been a kool ride on this forum, learned heaps off here too, churrr

kingiFiddler · Tue Oct 20, 2020 7:05 pm

Could we all pitch in to keep it going or just time to put a fork in it?

Blazer60 · Tue Oct 20, 2020 9:30 pm

Very grateful for the many useful advice/hints/plagiarised ideas when I first started out. Thanks KFNZ.

AndrewRawlingson · Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:04 am

Ironic news: https://www.fishing.net.nz/fishing-news ... atercraft/

Marc N · Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:34 am

I speak as a Grumpy old codger:

This forum is a valuable resource and it's like the local pub, with people of all sorts popping in, to share and so.

These things never make money and are usually a labour of love, for those that hold the keys.

I know, I am involved in two other forums (nothing to do with 'yaks or fishing).

On both of those other forums, when this situation was reached, the users got together and funded a new server and such, to keep the forums going.

I for one would contribute and support this forum, in terms of an initial donation and/or a future donation as necessary, for software upgrades etc.

It'll never be a money spinner, but if the owner/s want to keep it going, it is fair that this community, provide support.

The "golden ticket" that keeps the other two attractive, is a private forums component, to their boards.

Essentially, the public are free to look at all the content, but not post, and there are small areas, that are viewed and posted in by members only.

To become a member in these boards, is free (subject to vetting), on the understanding that in the future, hands will be put in pockets for maintenance.

Any hoo, the above is my opinion on a Wednesday morning. Looking calm tomorrow.

* Mental: if you do give up the domain name, I would happily take it and park it, for somebody's future use.

** further, I may have to re-consider my long standing antipathy to f*cebook, when this forum goes.

kingiFiddler · Wed Oct 21, 2020 7:58 am

Count me in for any donations or fund-raising initiatives. Collectively, we could not just cut Mental's costs to zip, but also some compo for anyone associated with running the site to acknowledge their contributions over the years.

We all spend thousands on this sport. A few $ from each of us would add up to something significant and certainly a site-saving level of funding of a unique NZ fishing portal that hasn't been compromised by corporate interests.

But perhaps Mental and others just think it's time they put a fork in it. Fair enough if so.

Cheers for the great resource while it lasted.

kingiFiddler · Wed Oct 21, 2020 8:09 am

AndrewRawlingson wrote: ↑Wed Oct 21, 2020 12:04 am Ironic news: https://www.fishing.net.nz/fishing-news ... atercraft/

Thanks. That's interesting. I wonder if site traffic here is following the same trend or slowly eroded by facebook groups and the like. How long before each major brand has their own forum/club/tribe/facebook group, etc, instead of the great melting pot this site has been.