what kind of yak are you prowling around in?

[Brian Jones]

I'm new here and wanted to introduce myself. I'm stationed at Shaw AFB in Sumter SC. The fishing here is great once you find out where the buggers are hiding.

I like to see what folks are using and what their rigging ideas are.

This is what gets to to the fish. A Vapor 10. I have a console that clips to the cockpit combing. It is made of PVC pipe with a board to mount the fish finder..pliers..rod holder..and an adjustable mount for my phone so I can shoot video or use mavrick for navigation. The mount is made from a paint roller so it makes a great place to stage my lures.

I have an LED light mast on the back. Made that from pipe and led strips from amazon.

The anchor trolley needs some work. I will move the read pulley forward a few inches to help it work more smoothly.

My stake out pole is an aluminum broom handle that is partly filled with sand to make sure it hits bottom point down. The point is a a paint roller handle. The roller part was cut off and the stud that was left sticking out was sharpened. It works great.

I can go out and buy ready made equipment but I like the challenge of using other items. Its cheap n saves the money for more fishin trips.

What do yall roll around in?

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Good for you. It's all about balance.

[Mark Sleeper]

my kayak

[Allen Morgan]

Nice!

[Mark Sleeper]

Thanks Allen I also have a oldtown preditor 140, and my wife has a wilderness pungo

[Andy is OptiMystic]

I have a yak and a half; soon to be 2 yaks.

I currently paddle a Sun Dolphin Aruba 10. Yep, one of those $200 K-Mart boats (and I used an online coupon code and paid even less). Weighs 29# so I can easily carry it to launch pretty much anywhere boats are allowed. I usually carry it in the back of the truck; takes under a minute to load it and hit the road. Added an inset rod holder behind the seat and I strap down a rod holder up front. Mostly paddle rivers and lakes in the NC Piedmont and in shore down at the coast.

The "half" is one that I am building. A Bateau Wave 13. I have the bottom hull assembled and glassed, drilled holes in the bottom and epoxied in fiberglass tubes for the scuppers instead of the side scuppers show with the study plans. I am building up the seat with styrofoam and sculpting it to shape, then I will cut the top deck, attach it and glass the entire top (decks, tankwell and seat) in one shot. I have built a "rod pod" that is an interior channel I will access through a hatch between my knees and the channel goes under my seat to the stern, so I can slip a couple or rods inside and button it up. That feature is primarily for paddling through the breakers to go trolling for mackerel and blues. Once it is built, I will probably start using it for most of my lake fishing as well as inshore and off the beach. I will likely always use a plastic boat in the rivers. There is no major whitewater around me, but the rivers have a few shoals and even flat water sections often have submerged boulders to hit. I should finish it by late spring.

[Dohrman Crawford]

I have a Native Slayer 14.5 that had been a demo model. It was slightly scratched in a few places, but sound. I usually fish on Lake Lanier for spotted bass and stripers. No Stripers yet, but have done ok on the spots. I have had 3 stripers on, but the hook pulled out twice, and leader broke the other time. I'll get 'em, sooner or later.
The Slayer is a fine boat, fast enough, and very stable. I hope to wear them out this year, if it ever warms up.

[Mark Sleeper]

we have 3 kayaks, a Jackson big rig ,a oldtown preditor, and a  wilderness pungo

[John Foro]

[Jay Fogle]

Hey John - please tell us how you have that nice yak fitted out?

[Jay Fogle]

I haven't been on here in a long time but I saw this thread and really liked it. I really liked the pics of Brian Jones' innovative fix ups/rigging ideas. Great creativity and it looks good, not chinzy.

Brian- nice job if you're still on here. I also am an Air Force retiree.

I have three yaks and few float tubes. My yaks are a 10ft sit inside Pelican I have had for several years. Light, not a fishing model, but it did the job just fine. Just too small, and I am too old to enjoy it all day all the time.

Last year I was blessed to have some extra money and picked up two Vibe Sea Ghosts, a 13 footer and an 11 footer. I weigh over 250lbs and thought I was going to use the 13 footer mostly with my 19 year old son using the 11 footer. However, it turned out the opposite most of the time. The 11 footer was plenty for me and he like the "speed" of the 13 footer (arguably not a noticeable difference but he seemed to think different.)

Thanks all

Jay