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?

[Brian Jones]

Ok here are the pics.  Can't embed them on my phone...had to use the puter.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Nice set up, basically a primer for effective kayak fishing. Thanks for sharing!
I've never used a SinK for fishing, but am considering another kayak or canoe.
I got a float tube but after messing around with a personal pontoon, I decided to NOT TAKE IT OUT OF THE .BOX. It's still in the carton and up for sale.
See, I'm only minutes from Lake Murray - it's big water and I want the reach of a yak/canoe.**
My last yak was a Hobie 10' Mirage. A nice boat with the pedal drive, but kind of a barge and cramped for my frame. It was outfitted well enough, but being a SOT, you got a case of swamp ass sooner or later. So I am yak-less at the moment.
I'm going this weekend to look at something a bit different - a Mad River Adventure 14.
Definitely a bigger can than I'm used to, I've learned that people who single hand them paddle or row from the center seat. Then they fish from front, back or center. It's essentially a yak-canoe hybrid.
At 75 lbs it's a bit hefty, but actually the same or less than the Hobie... And less than others (Ride 125, Ascend 128T, etc) I've looked at! It will also take some tricks to get it in and out of the truck, but I can handle that.
But at the $400 price I'm getting it's a deal with two paddles, PFDs and anchor system. It also allows me to bring a friend, something no single yak can do. I gotta work on the center handling, but I'm hopeful and taking notes in your Vapor!

** PS Anyone want a new in the box Chehalis Deluxe
8' float tube??

[Brian Jones]

Thanks David. I got my yaks without trying um or thinking about how I would fish um. I also have a Malibu Pro 2 Tandem. That thing is a barge! She can carry 500 lbs. Turns out my wife don't like to paddle so I sit in the middle. When doin that I don't use the hatches. Its a fairly dry ride and more room but the vapor is a lot lighter.

The third is an old town Loon 100 shes fast but narrow...tippy...and not much room at all. A Sot is my prefererd boat on big water since they are easy get back on if I fall off.

I think I saw a Native hybrid canoekayak on craigs list. Those are some nice rides. Your gonna like that Madriver. I wish I had gotten one.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Wow, cool!
I am a little leery of the weight on the MR14. But there is no way around it if I want the hybrid features. The Hobie got my back early on - I was unable to lift if for a while! But the MR14 is long enough to lever in and out of the truck bed, so I should be spared a lot of lifting. With a dolly, for any treks to the water, it is doable. I access some rough launch sites, none trailer friendly and none leading right TO the waters edge. So truck bed access is crucial. Any bigger than 14' and I wouldn't even consider it.
I'd prefer a SOT, too but my budget won't stretch to one of the roomy ones. Having tried a cramped cockpit, I'm not wanting to go back there. The lowest price one is the Ascend from BPS and it's way past my wallets current capacity.
And I want the option of a passenger.
I will rig the FF transducer as a through hull and figure something out for the center handling. One of the guys here, Tooty, had a canoe with oar locks. I may get with him on that idea.
If I get the thing, maybe you will have some reason to mosey up to Cola one weekend and we can give it a go.

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

 "  Swamp Ass ! "   Hahahahahahahah !   We always called it Boatass !  LOFR

[Michael Stockelman]

A couple months ago I got an inflatable Walker Bay Sport kayak, 10', on Craigslist. I clip a milk crate in back, strap a length of 2x4 at the front of the seating area to support a fish-finder, and last time out I tried an additional crate on the front. It's been fun just being out there but it hasn't been a game-changer in my fishing accomplishments yet. It's pretty time-consuming to cover distance, and I'm on the tidal Potomac, which is big!

What kind of fish finder do you have? I got a Fishin Buddy 120, which is pretty self-contained in basically a 30" stick size with C batteries. A lot of other systems seemed to need a marine battery, which I wasn't going to do.

I'll get some pictures next time it's rigged up.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Awesome! Lots of float tubers use the Fishing Buddy.
I've got several 7.5 Ah 12v batteries to run a FF. They are about the size of an average shoe and not real heavy. They came from emergency lighting systems.
I saw a guy that uses 14v drill battery packs, too. He claims they last a long time and do obvious double duty back on shore.

[Brian Jones]

Im using a Humminbird 535, got the transducer mounted on a swing arm that is on the pvc console frame. when im paddeling I can pull it up out of the water to reduce drag.  Once I get a second Trans I will make it a thru hull. I got a pile of boats so I have to switch from one to another. I power my system up with a Werker 3ah AGM battery.  Its used in the hallway emergency lights here at work so I put mine in there to let the light system maintain the charge.

 

David I hear ya on the back pain.  My vapor isn't much to handle when empty.  I use a dolly for my Malibu, I made mine so I can wheel it up into the truck bed and let the dolley hang off the back so when unloading I just slide it out and away I go to the launch site.

 

Even with the SIK i still get wet, I hate the lack of padding in ther so I made a coushion from closed cell foam. It helps a lot, also added a padded cross member to support my knees, I love that thing.

 

It's fun to make all the creature features.  Over the winter I will be making a bait well for the mid compartment of my Malibu and a internal cooler in the front section.  I was going to deck mount it but I want to minimize wind resistance.  The bow acts like sail when the wind kicks up.

 

Somethin else I want to do is gut out a power wheels and make a powered dolly.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Similar kind of battery to mine, I suppose. Mine is labeled 7.5 Ah, so I assume it will maintain a continuous current supply long enough to do what I want. I don’t expect my first fish finder to be a “Mega Super GPS Charting Coffee Master 3000,” so my current draw should be moderate.

I anticipate a dolly myself. The length and general bulk of the MR14 pretty much demands it. I’m also not as young as I used to be, so anything I can do to ease the load is a plus. Id like to get a look at your dolly, if you have pics.

Im something of a minimalist, myself. I don’t really want to fish all day nor carry everything I own. Live bait to me is worms, grubs or crickets. So, the necessities and a few niceties, and that’s about it. Although, a powered dolly does sound intriguing…

[Brian Jones]

That battery should work great. Should be able to make two long trips if your just using the FF

 

I dont have any bit I can get ya some.  Mine is more or less 2" PVC pipe with T joints at each end to make the axle sleeve.  Two pipes come up from the T's and slip thru the scuppers on my Tandem Yak.  I just run a tie down strap to hold it in place while its in the truck.  I would say you could do simular but rather than the two uprights thru the scuppers tou could let it make two Ts that run on each side of the keel and fasten straps to them and loop um around the yak.  I got my wheels from Northern Tool but my next one will come from a power wheels.  I got a couple sets on stand by.

 

I wouldnt use anything smaller than 2" Shed 40 pipe. My axle is a 1/2" or 5/8" (cant remember which) threaded rod. 

 

Minimalist....I am still trying to learn that lession.  I'm still trying to gear up for a month long multi species expedition. LOL

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

I feel your pain. I fight the urge to overload all the time.
One of the reasons I like fly fishing is I can carry so many different lures, leaders, gadgets and "stuff" with only a pouch.
I've got several good dolly plans, but I also wouldn't object to spending a $40 on a folding metal one. Either way, I'm good. I couldnt ride it to the waters edge like Dink does, burnout would be a big help getting the 40 yards or so to the shore.

[dink dailey]

welcome brian  I have a wilderness 100 sot it seems to do the job ok .I bought a trolly to walk it to lake but I added some pvc pipe to go through the scrubber holes ,now I just set in on and it rides great while walking to the lake.most of the trollys can be made with pvc by just using your imagenation.look on line at pictures and that will give you a idea to start with. mine folds up and I strap it to the back of milk crate while fishing