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Picture Of The Month



SD2OR with a trophy fall walleye

Topic: Couple questions for you guys  (Read 7597 times)

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pmmpete

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Location: Missoula, Montana
  • Date Registered: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 1989
Do any of you guys use the milk crate or live well ideas? I normally just use a stringer. So i may or may not get one. Not sure yet. I dont use live bait. So it will be mostly for fish caught. But i have the stringer too. Any ideas? Or suggestions?
I strap a cooler in the rear cargo area of my Revolution so I can put my fish on ice as soon as I catch them.  In many situations I bleed and/or gut them while I'm out on the water and before putting them on ice.  Leaving fish in the water on a stringer will harm the quality of the meat, particularly as the water gets warmer.  Throwing fish in the rear cargo area of your kayak will harm the quality of the meat more.  If you're fishing for small fish, you don't need a very big cooler.  If you're fishing for big fish, getting your fish on ice is a bit trickier.

I have anchor trolleys on both of my fishing kayaks, so I can anchor while spearfishing or while fishing with dead fish on the bottom for pike, lake trout, or sturgeon. But I suspect that relatively few people need an anchor trolley. I suggest that you hold off on installing an anchor trolley until you repeatedly find yourself wishing you could anchor while fishing.  For example, if you are casting towards shore for bass or pike, and the wind is pushing you towards shore, and you wish you could anchor and cast.  Or if you are running a river and wish you could anchor at the top of a pool and cast down into the pool.


Kalph

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Cda idaho
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 102
Do you use the milk crate idea as well? Or just a cooler?


Noah

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Cabby Strong!
  • Location: Tigard
  • Date Registered: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 3593
IMHO don't buy and install an anchor trolley. I have trolley's on 2 yaks and I never use them anymore. I tie a line to the bow and one to the stern. These can be locked into a cam cleat for a quick release. On my Hobies I use the existing rudder line cleat. To reverse direction for stern anchoring, I put a pad eye in front of the rudder cleat which I can also use to attach a rod leash when I am trolling. Then, the line that attaches to your spool and float slides onto that line with a carabiner or brass ring. When you need to get off anchor quickly, you just pull the rope out of the cleat and throw it overboard. You then easily float away from your anchor line. What is nice is that this always ensures you are anchored directly off your bow or stern which means you stay in line with the current reducing drag and the needed anchor size. With the side mounted trolley, you swing out at an angle from the anchor and creates more drag thus sometimes causing the anchor to move. Look at this article http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?page=26
here is a quick video of how to do it . It only shows the stearn line, which on that yak (I no longer have it) I would hook to the rear bungee.

That is pretty slick.


craig

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Location: Tualatin, OR
  • Date Registered: Jul 2008
  • Posts: 3814
It is soooooooo much easier.


Warf

  • Perch
  • ***
  • Location: St. Maries, Idaho
  • Date Registered: Jan 2015
  • Posts: 81
I have  two kayaks and they both have trollies. As I fish mainly for bass in shallow weedy waters the anchors get a lot of use. I rather be fishing than correcting my location with a paddle all the time.

If you fish mainly salt or large lakes I probably could live without a trolley. I would never use a attached to the yak anchor in a river with fast flowing water, could make for a real bad day. A simple trolley with about a three lb. downrigger ball makes a great anchor, I see some yaks use  those folding three pronged anchors, they would never work where I fish in the CD'A area. Every time you raised it it would have fifty pounds of weeds included, no thanks. Simple Wally World  ladies fuzzy coated barbell makes a excellent anchor and nobody will notice if its pink or purple...lol...warf


craig

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Location: Tualatin, OR
  • Date Registered: Jul 2008
  • Posts: 3814
I have  two kayaks and they both have trollies. As I fish mainly for bass in shallow weedy waters the anchors get a lot of use. I rather be fishing than correcting my location with a paddle all the time.

If you fish mainly salt or large lakes I probably could live without a trolley. I would never use a attached to the yak anchor in a river with fast flowing water, could make for a real bad day. A simple trolley with about a three lb. downrigger ball makes a great anchor, I see some yaks use  those folding three pronged anchors, they would never work where I fish in the CD'A area. Every time you raised it it would have fifty pounds of weeds included, no thanks. Simple Wally World  ladies fuzzy coated barbell makes a excellent anchor and nobody will notice if its pink or purple...lol...warf
I use my old Shake Weight.


Kalph

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Cda idaho
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 102
Need to think of something. I will be fishing CDA and fernan mostly cause theyre right there by my house.

I will venture into other lakes on occasion though.


reelmccoy

  • Perch
  • ***
  • Date Registered: Nov 2015
  • Posts: 96
Lots of good advice here!

1. Get a good quality comfortable PFD.
2. Get a comfortable seat.  If your but it back hurt you'll be unhappy on the water
3. Get a two piece paddle that works for you, don't worry about price too much until you have actually been on the water a lot.  You don't want your paddle shaft or blades to flex much.  I have a Lifetime brand paddle that got me started and it worked fine.  I have since upgrades to a Werner and it made a big difference, I wouldn't have know that unless is started cheaper. 
4.  Gear storage.  The Xfactor has lots of deck space so you lots of options.  A cooler with rod holders bolted to it works for keeping fish fresh.
5. Anchor.  I would prefer a drift sock for lake fishing as it would allow me to move without pulling anchor, but slow the drift down to a manageable level.
6. Dress for immersion.  If you fall in the water will be COLD!  Wear cloths the dry fast and done hold water, but that will help keep you warm if you have to be in the water for any length of time.  Those of us who fish the coast use wetsuits or dry suits.  When I fish a lake I will wear rain pants to keep my legs dry.

I can't stress the comfortable seat enough!

Most of all, get out and use that boat!

Todd



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Kalph

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Cda idaho
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 102
Yeah. I need to get a pfd. Ill get a cheap paddle for now. Then upgrade.

How do you guys protect the bottom of your kayak frkm rock dings or scrapes? Though about a thin coat of spray on rubber grip maybe. Unless i launch from the bkat docks. But if i pull to the side of the road and launch there, there are generally tons of rocks and what not to get down to the water.


Tinker

  • Sturgeon
  • *******
  • Kevin
  • Location: 42.74°N 124.5°W
  • Date Registered: May 2013
  • Posts: 3304
I use a milk crate because I had a bunch in the garage, but I'd go +1 on pmmpete's cooler suggestion.  I'm always worried about losing gear if I flip a kayak, and a cooler takes care of that (until it's full of fish which, if you're me, it never would be full of fish...).

Going cheap, you can make a DIY fish bag out of most any cloth bag if you line it with foam sheets and stuff a heavy duty plastic bag and ice inside.  It'll leak, but it'll keep the fish in good shape and tide you over until you've found the ideal bag or cooler for you.

I carry very little in the milk crate.  It's a PITA to reach back there, so I minimized it to carry rods and a net in sections of PVC pipe cable-tied to the crate and to hold my safety flag.  I can do that with a cooler, too - when I get around to it.

Dings and scrapes are just war wounds.  Badges of honor, I'm told.  I bought a demo Hobie that has a few scratches on it, asked about smoothing her out, and was chastised for my heresy.  Don't sweat it - and dodge as many rocks as you can!
« Last Edit: May 13, 2016, 03:35:10 PM by Tinker »
I expected the worst, but it was worse than I expected...


Kalph

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Cda idaho
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 102
Was thinking maybe both. A milk crate and maybe a small cooler. Since im lake fishing mostly ill probably be close to shore either way. So i can hop out and toss it in. Just have the fish in the net and put it in. The live well is an idea too but if i got a big pike it wouldnt fit in there. So a longer cooler would work. Decisions decisions


Kalph

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Cda idaho
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 102
For now i ordered a seat, a cheap paddle to get me on the water, some 15 foot tie downs amd a kayak cart.

Gotta practice loading and unloading the kayak on the car roof mount. Since its an angled mount i gotta practice a little.


Nobaddays

  • Lingcod
  • *****
  • Location: Central Oregon
  • Date Registered: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 409
For your cooler, you might consider the insulated Costco shopping bag.  It is plastic lined, zippered top and bargain priced at $6. I have been using them for my last several fishing trips. I throw a frozen quart water bottle in the bottom and even on sunny days the ice is only partially thawed and the fish nice and cold.
Being retired, they pay me when I go fishing, therefore I am kind of a professional fisherman.


crash

  • Salmon
  • ******
  • Location: Humboldt, CA and Ashland, OR
  • Date Registered: Jan 2012
  • Posts: 812
Since im lake fishing mostly ill probably be close to shore either way.

This line of thinking gets folks in trouble.  Huli in a stiff wind pushing you away from shore in December and it really doesn't matter how close you are, you are in trouble.  You may be as bad ass as you think you are but nature doesn't care.

Look at pmmpete's reports and look how he dresses.  Then do that.


Kalph

  • Rockfish
  • ****
  • Location: Cda idaho
  • Date Registered: Mar 2016
  • Posts: 102
Well thats why im here. For suggestions, information, experience and constructive criticism.

By the way i dont think im bad ass at anything but video games or shooting. Im a noob when it comes to kayak fishing. Thats why im here talking to all you folks. To learn.


 

anything