Kayak Koz

For those of you that don't know, we hold Fishing with the GM days at my hotel and I teach kids (and sometimes adults) the basics of fishing and how to properly release fish. No, we don't fish for bass because that requires too much patience and it's not high percentage fishing. We have $8 Zebco spincast reels that I set up with tiny hooks, a small bobber, bait with redworms, and fish for bluegills. We only had 6 kids attend today (usually it's 10-12) but each kid caught at least two fish. We had on 2 year old - yes two years old - catch 3 fish and he actually reeled in two of them himself. In two years we've now had 87 kids attend this program and every kid has caught at least one fish. One kid even caught a baby bass today. That's one more bass than I caught this morning Actually, I only get in a few casts at these events. I spend my team teaching the kids and baiting hooks. The only thing that marred the day was when some idiot came down our small cove in his bass boat and drove right through where I was fishing with the kids. As he approached, I suggested he don't even bother flipping docks in our cove because the 90 degree water was only 3 feet deep, there was no vegetation around, and the bass have been setting up at the deeper drop offs, off of points and at the entrance to coves. But of course he thought he knew better and steamed right through where we were fishing. Of course, he caught nothing. In my mind I wanted to test my target casting skills and launch a treble hooked bait at him, but I took a breath and let it go. Besides, why would I want to lose a perfectly good lure?

There was no joy in Mudville for me night fishing today. I woke up at 3 am but didn't get on the water until almost 4:30. Tons of baitfish everywhere, and as the sun came up the flathead catfish were breaching the surface everywhere. The area where I fished today is mostly shallow, and that's tough fishing during the summer. It's about a 3 mile pedal to deeper water and dropoffs and I just wasn't up to that today. Plus, I forgot that my new Helix 7 draws a lot more power and I forgot to charge my battery last night and lost my electronics and mapping about halfway through my trip.

It was just over one year ago that I bought my Seastream Angler 120 PD pedal drive kayak. Prior to owning it, I had only fished a few times out of rented paddle kayaks, so I considered this a risky purchase. I didn't really like fishing out of the paddle kayak because I spent more time paddling and repositioning the kayak than I did actual fishing, especially on windy days. I was hoping that a pedal kayak with a rudder would take care of those issues. It most certainly did. My Seastream handles the wind and chop well. Even with big wakes and wakes rebounding off of seawalls at no time has the craft seemed unstable, nor did I ever feel I was in peril on the water. The rudder holds position well, allowing me to drift in the wind and current without constantly having adjust the rudder to keep my orientation. That being said, there is some slop in the neutral position of the rudder. In other words, there's a lot of play in the rudder control handle around the neutral position and sometimes when I think I have the rudder straight ahead it's actually angled a bit to port or starboard. An easy fix might be just to draw a line with a permanent marker to show the neutral position. There was a little less slop when I first setup my kayak, but that added tension led to frayed cables. Perhaps I can tighten them a little as well and reduce the play in the rudder control. Other than the frayed cables, there have been zero issues with any of the components of the kayak. Zero. The turning radius is good. Just remember that if you're stopped and at full rudder and need to turn, you first need to go to neutral rudder, get moving, then turn again. For me, the seat is comfortable. I can fish for 4 or 5 hours without any issues. That being said, it's not perfect. I do wish it was 2 or 3 inches higher, but that would change the center of gravity and perhaps make the kayak less stable. Front to back seat adjustment could be better as well. The seat supports set in U-shaped grooves about an inch or so apart. I would prefer a seat that allows micro adjustments front and back so I could find the perfect pedal position. As it stands, for my legs I'm either just a little too far away or a little to close to the pedals. A higher seat would also provide a little downward angle on the pedals, and I think that would translate to better stamina and more power. Cruising speed for me is 2.9mph - 3.1 mph with very little effort. I did manage to crank it up to 5.6 mph trying to outrun a thunderstorm. I did notice the last few outings that my speed was down slightly, so I think it's time for an adjustment to the chain drive. All told, it's easy to fish out of. I do not stand and fish, but I have stood up on the deck plates and it was stable. But when I stand and reel in a fish I tend to move around and I'm afraid I might trip on the pedal drive and end up in the lake. One important factor with this pedal kayak is that it does have instant reverse. In my opinion, that is absolutely crucial to have in a pedal kayak. Not only does it allow you to maneuver quickly in tight situations, but more importantly it allows you to jog the pedals and keep your kayak essentially stationary and oriented while you are fishing. This comes in handy when you don't want to anchor and want to keep targeting a specific spot. One thing missing from the Seastream Angler 120 PD is a dry storage hatch. So that means I had to add a dry storage bag, and without access to inside the hull I had to find an alternative for my fishfinder battery. One other thing about the hull - it's a pontoon style design and doesn't feature a dedicated mount for a transducer. Some may find that to be an issue, but I don't as both my fishfinders include side scan and I utilize a transducer arm so the transducer is completely below the hull. My solution for my electronics is to put the battery in a YakAttack CellBlok and mount that on the rail, then attach my fishfinder and transducer arm to the CellBlok. Both my head unit mount and transducer arm are YakAttack products. But here's the weird thing, the rails on my kayak appear to be wider than the standard rails found on most kayaks because I had to purchase some aluminum adapters (YakAttack FeelFree UniTrack Adapter) so my gear would not come out of the tracks. I've gone back and forth a few times with mounting the CellBlok on the right side and left side, but I prefer it on the left side as most of the time I "fish left." This allows me to fish and keep an eye on the screen. Since I fish in a lot of shallow water, this is critical so I don't drive the prop into the lake bed. Water intrusion within the hull is minimal, and any that enters the hull appears to happen when water gets under the deck plates. But I've never had problems with much water coming through the scuppers except for one really rough day on the lake. There is no water leaking around the pedal drive. It forms a tight steal and has a sturdy clamp to keep it locked in place. The drain plug is on the side in the back, and I strip everything off the kayak except the seat to lift and drain. Even though the kayak (without the drive) weighs 97 pounds, it's easy to flip it on its side (so it rests on the seat), then lift the bow to drain it. And speaking of weight, like all pedal drive fishing kayaks it's heavy. The drive adds another 22 pounds. My fishfinder and mounts add another 9 pounds. Then add 3 rods, my safety flag, a dry bag with shoes and a change of clothes, my C-Tug, paddle, and then my Tuff Krate Plus with 7 Planos, tools, soft plastics, snacks, and something to drink and this thing gets heavy. After fishing for 4 or 5 hours, the toughest part of my day is pulling this thing back up a steep, twisty sidewalk to store it in my hotel. Heck, I've seen people get winded just walking up the hill let alone pulling 150+ pounds of kayak and gear. I'm thinking of ditching the big crate and taking only a few Plano boxes each trip, but then I lose the rod holders attached to the crate. And good news - you can fit two or three Plano boxes under the seat. The kayak has two stand up rod holders behind the seat and two lay down rod holders. But to me, those lay down rod holders are useless because of the gear on the rail. I'll probably add some short rail track behind the seat and add two rod holders. Even with my big crate, there's still room for a cooler back there. When I bought this last year I purchased it for $1,300 and I consider that to be a steal of a deal. Today it sells for $1,700 and even at that price I think it's a great deal. I can't compare this to Old Town or Hobie because I've never been in one of those. But as I said, when I purchased this I was inexperienced with kayaks and I could not see spending $3k-$4k on something I might not like. Despite my nit-picking on a few things above, I still love this kayak after one year on the water. I have zero regrets with my purchase. Updated photos are below, but note that the pedal drive is not in place. It's sitting on the dock next to me.

After experimenting a bit, I once again decided to mount the fishfinder and the transducer arm to the Yak Attack CellBlok. I tried mounting the fishfinder and arm to the rail and putting the CellBlok behind my seat, but it did not fit well back there. Plus, behind the seat is where I put my C-Tug while I'm out on the water. My kayak does not have any hatches or internal access. If it did, that is where I would probably put the battery. Even when I drop the fishfinder mount lower, it's still pretty high as the CellBlok is about 2.75" tall. In the pictures below, note that when I'm on the water I swing the head unit to the left so that the screen is just about parallel to the side of my kayak. I have to say, I really like the Helix 7. I liked my Lowrance 5 as well, but the larger screen size with the Helix makes it much more useable.

I've never thought about the actual distance of my casts, nor do I practice casting into buckets or at objects in the yard. For me it's all just experience and touch and feel. But even with that, I'm still amazed at times when I drop a cast in a tight spot without really thinking about it as I cast.

Good timing with this post. I'm planning on heading out on my kayak around 2 or 3 am tonight. I actually have a day off tomorrow, but with the brutal heat this weak it's time for some night fishing. The last few times of I've been out at night I've my section of the lake to myself. But I still stay out of the main channel just in case some boats show up. Even with my light pole and headlamp I worry boaters can't judge the distance.

The noise never bothered me. It's a mindset. The issue here is people don't expect it, so they get ticked off. If your mindset and routine are that you expect there will be noise at some point, it won't distract you. Your comment about my work is off base as well. As General Manager, I'm responsible for everything and face disruptions all day long. Phones, guests, vendors, clients, associates, it's non-stop every day. Sure, it's a giant pain when I have an important deadline, can't get any rhythm going, and a one hour project takes three because all of the disruptions. But that's the way things are.

I used to live on Hilton Head and I played a lot of golf. I mean, a LOT of golf. 72 holes on weekends and I was hitting balls 3 or 4 days a week. So I'm no stranger to the game. But I'll tell you what. I never understood how if Aaron Judge could hit a baseball 450 feet in Fenway Park with 38,000 angry, nasty Red Sox fans screaming at him why golfers get upset when someone makes a noise during their swing. I'd venture to say that hitting a 90 mph slider is a lot harder than hitting a stationary golf ball. I suppose the tradition is that all is quiet when a golfer is in action. But really, it's all in your mindset.

I'll admit that many times in the past, something or someone would rub me the wrong way and I would get ticked off about it. I still don't suffer fools gladly. But one day by chance I read something and it literally changed my outlook on many things in life. It's called the Serenity Prayer. I believe it may have started with the Alcoholics Anonymous group, but really it applies to everyday life. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. It's such a simple thing. Almost corny. But if you take it to heart it can really make a difference in your outlook on things.

I never head the "pleasure" of hooking a snapping turtle, but one day a big box turtle hit one of my treble hook baits and got hooked in the upper and lower jaw. Luckily I had pliers. But it took 20 minutes or so of him pulling back in his shell to tire him out so I could unhook him.

Oh man - this got me thinking. Things were easier - and cheaper - when I was just bank fishing. Let's see, since I moved to a lake in early 2021 I have purchased: 1. Seastream Angler PD 120 pedal drive kayak 2. Cheap kayak paddle for emergencies 3. Lowrance Hook2 5 Tripleshot fish finder 4. Flambeau Tuff Krate Premium 5. Yak Attack fish finder mount for the Lowrance 6. 3 Shimano Curado reels (DC, MGL, and K) 7. 2 Shimano Expride rods 8. Lew's KVD Rod and Reel 9. Dobyn's Fury rod 10. St. Croix Mojo Yak rod 11. Dock anchor line and rail cleat 12. Yak Attack Visi pole flag 13. Headlamps for night fishing 14. Fishing rain gear 15. Water shoes 16. Humminbird Helix 7 DI SI G4 Fishfinder 17. Yak Attack mount for Humminbird 18. Yak Attack Switchblade Transducer Mount 19. Yak Attack CellBlok 20. Lithium battery and charger for fish finder 21. Crappy kayak cart 22. C-Tug kayak cart to replace the crappy cart 23. Fish net that I never use 24. Shimano Sedona Spinning Reel 25. About $400 in baits, fishing line, and tools But Tackle Warehouse sent me a few free t-shirts and stickers! Holy crap I think I have a problem. I suppose that if I was still married my list would be only a few baits and some free Tackle Warehouse stickers. My ex was great and spending and stealing money. In all seriousness, listing all of these purchases over the last 18 months is a bit shocking. I'm blessed that I'm in a position to make purchases to enjoy my hobby. It's also obvious that my spending is a direct result of buying a kayak, so let that be a lesson to those looking to buy their first kayak. I'm just glad I didn't buy a bass boat!

It’s fairly straightforward. Memorizing the key presses helps (long press, two presses, etc.). It may also help to at first take it off of Angler mode and put it in custom mode so you see all of the menu choices.

I bought the screen cover but was surprised that it’s a soft cover. I prefer the hard plastic shell of the Lowrance units. Everything except the seat gets removed from my kayak at the end of each trip so I can drain any water, and the electronics stay off until the next trip. So I prefer the screen cover because I’m always lugging the unit around. As I mentioned on the other thread, take it off of Angler mode and put it on custom mode so you see all of the menu choices. Angler mode shows only the most common options.

Not down here! It’s supposed to be 103 here tomorrow- that’s before the heat index.

I did that when I set it up in my living room. Really, the biggest issue is remembering the button sequence (i.e. press, press twice, press and hold, etc.) to get to certain menus and features, or even finding some of them. For example, on my kayak the transducer faces forward and while out on the water I couldn't find the menu to swap right and left side imaging. It looks like I should have taken it off of angler mode and put it on custom mode to see additional menu options. All in all, it was pretty straightforward. It is nice to have the bigger screen so that split screens are actually readable. I might head out after work tomorrow and play with it some more. Plus, my latest Expride was delivered this evening!

Next time I head out I will take a picture. I may go back to putting at least the head unit on the CellBlock. I like to try a few different things to see which is the least intrusive when hauling in a fish.

Well, I received my new Humminbird Helix 7 Mega DI SI G4 on Saturday and the YakAttack fish finder mount for it arrived today, so despite the heat I decided to get out on the water and try it out. I previously had a Lowrance Hook2 5 and the transducer arm mounted to a YakAttack CellBlock on the rail, but with this unit being bigger I tried something new. I had the Humminbird and the transducer arm on the rail and put the CellBlock loose behind my seat. One thing I don't like about my Seastream Angler PD is the rails aren't standard, so I need a special bracket to lock items to the rail. While putting it together I realized I forgot my battery clips, but after a little trial and error I made do for the day. It was hot and the fishing was slow. Oddly enough, I found nothing in shade pockets and my favorite spot drew a blank. I hate when that happens, because it's a 35 minute pedal to just get there. I looped back and hit a bay area that pays off every now and then . I set the fish alarm to medium, and that actually helped and soon found some bass and landed three. It was a weird day, I guess because I was anxious to try out the new fish finder. Not only did I forget the battery clips, but I also forgot a hat. So on the way I stopped at a convenience store / boat launch to buy a hat and I realized I forgot my wallet. I also forgot my fish grippers, and this came into play. While I was fishing a spinnerbait in that hot spot, about 15 feet from my kayak a big gar - 4+ feet - hit the spinnerbait. Realizing I didn't have my fish grippers I ripped the bait to get it away. It hit the bait, but luckily I didn't hook it. I don't think I want to pull a gar onto teh kayak. If I had hooked it I probably would have headed to shore to figure out how to get it off. I love the my new Humminbird. The side scan is much more detailed than on my old Lowrance. The sonar also pick up less clutter, and while it may not be "pro" this fish alert helped today. I had the screen mounted low, and it was blocked by my knee. I'm going to take some time and move it around, and may even put it back on the CellBlock and lay the arm down so it's not too high. I'm not sold on the down scan imaging, but I think it's something I'm going to have to play with and dial in. I'll also play with the charts and navigation. There's a lot to learn and dial in, and I need to find the patience to do that. It's just that once I'm out on the water I'd rather be fishing. I guess the best thing I can say about the Helix 7 is I don't feel like I wasted my money, and I can't wait to get more familiar with it. I'm still fairly new to electronics, so there's a lot to learn.

That looks like a terrible pedal drive design. Why would the unit drop in that slot and require a cover rather than the unit mount over that slot and form a seal? It wouldn't surprise me if the unit bent over time or you had major problems where the post slots into the deck support. Have you called the manufacturer? That being said, I would probably try a rubber seal and see if that helps. My pedal drive unit forms a tight seal over the hole and has a locking clamp.

I just received my new Humminbird HELIX 7 CHIRP MEGA SI GPS G4 for my kayak and fired it up while sitting in my living room. My first impression is that it's going to take me a while to learn everything to get the most out of this. It's a big step up from my Lowrance Hook2 5. I think the best thing is just to set it up on my kayak, then find an out of the way spot on the water and go through the manual step by step. My Yak Attack mount and the screen cover are due by tomorrow night, so I'll probably set it up after work on Monday. But I'm going to change things up and Velcro my CelBlock battery box to the deck behind my seat, then mount the transducer arm and fishfinder mount directly to the rail instead of on top of the CelBlock. I'm really excited to try out this new Humminbird on the water.

I have a DC, MGL, and a K. You can't go wrong with any of those.

Bank or boat? And if you're fishing from the bank, will you be covering a lot of ground? When I bank fish I'm usually covering a lot of ground moving from lagoon to lagoon and because I fish and move I always found it to be a pain to carry more than one rod. So in those cases I brought a single, 7' MH baitcaster. On my kayak it's different. I usually limit myself to three rods and base those on where I plan to fish and what I plan to throw. If I'm a backseater with a buddy on a bassboat I usually bring four rods.

Get yourself a machete. Either one of these will do.

I've posted more than once here about being chased and stalked by alligators. But it never deterred me from fishing those waters. You just learn to keep your head on a swivel. That being said, I NEVER approached high grass along the bank without first walking around the bank to see if a gator was sitting along the water's edge in front of the grass.

I got hit by the storms as well - literally. A big tree branch broke off and took out the gutters and the edge of the roof. There's a bit of a leak into the kitchen, but everyone is safe.