Garagects 2015 - what you got?

Strong winds and lack of offspring have given me some time in the garage to get some rigging projects done ahead of ling season.  Got a new outback recently so have to trick it out and stuff.

Interested in any innovations you folks have made recently.  Here's what I got...

First off was to finish out the battery setup. 



I got this cheapass "dry box" because it fit the anker lithium battery.  And it has a compass on it so you will NEVER GET LOST!  I mean, right?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001SH5U0E/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It has some space for foam padding and a blue brick backup.  Yep, the ol "belt 'n suspenders".  I'm still not fully trusting of lithiums so I'm gonna pack 2.  Hypothetically, there's 20+ hours of full-brightness finder power in there, enough for a weekend.  Even with the 2 it's still half the weight of the SLA.

Gooped in some noods and have a foam brick to create a pressure mount for battery cases.  The advantage is it will work with different sized cases.  Secondarily, adds more floatation.


 
If (more like when) the lithium setup craps out, made this case for my SLA (8ah - lasts 13h!).  Made a lil' dongle so that you can charge without having to remove it form the case.



Now for my pièce de résistance...



That's the hobie plug-in cart modified to work with the huge wheeleez beach cart wheels.  A franken-cart. A loooong time comin'.  This is my attempt to mitigate the pain and anguish beach carts cause.  The hobie plugin cart is nice but the wheels are too small.  You end up just plowing sand.  The wheeleez beach cart is nice but trying to get your kayak centered on that stupid contraption makes you wish you were having a colonoscopy instead.

I had the pipe shop at the hardware store cut me a couple 5/8" steel rods with 1/2" holes to act as extended axles.  About 8" in length. 



They fit really tight, had to bang them on with a composition hammer.  Drilled holes at the end to accept the wheel clips.

Also added more cushion to the crossbar because I inevitably overload it.  Ziptied a couple extra clips to the crossbar because they inevitably get lost.



Another project that's been a long time comin' is a dedicated rockfish descender.  I hate making floaters (even if the eagles love 'em). But the descender has to be a) portable and b) easy to use, otherwise I just ain't gonna use it.  Clipping on a descender after catching a fish is such a pain, after doing it once I just say fuckit, and hope the rockfish makes it back down

So I resurrected a spare-parts reel and sawed off a broken rod.  Added a Shelton Fish Descender.




The shelton descender is nice (and cheap), but an upside-down 12oz jighead or even sharpened coat hanger fashioned into this shape would work too. 

WDFW fish counters already ask if you used a descender to release rockfish.  I'd like to be able to answer yes.  MPAs are looking more and more like a reality.  If more sporties use descenders, then sportfishing will look like less of the problem.  Plus not having dead, wasted fish on your conscience

Good stuff!!   I like your mod for the cart, but did you see that the most recent Hobie accessory catalog has the new plug-in cart with those same big Wheeleez wheels as an OEM item?  I got one and it's pretty amazing for dealing with soft sand.

Figures!

Those Plano waterproof tackle boxes fit the anker battery really well.  Light and durable.

Not sure this is a garagects worthy item, but I just came up with something I think is cool.  I love the sure spin herring helmets, but don't like the look of the tooth pick sticking out and looking sloppy.  I decided to straighten out a few paper clips and cut them to length and bend one end at a 90 degree angle so I can push it through the herring.  looks really clean and barely visible.  Will have to give it a water test this week.

As they say in boston..."smaht"

One could even put that in the "wicked smaht" category. Make a bunch though, you may lose them with each salmon you catch.

 Hey Rory---- when you put the wheelez tires on the Hobie cart--- did you just buy the wheels separately ? I have both carts but would like the bigger wheels for traveling through sand. Think I can just steal the wheelez and modify to fit the Hobie ?
 Don't really think I need to spend the $200+ for another cart.

 Hey Rory---- when you put the wheelez tires on the Hobie cart--- did you just buy the wheels separately ? I have both carts but would like the bigger wheels for traveling through sand. Think I can just steal the wheelez and modify to fit the Hobie ?
 Don't really think I need to spend the $200+ for another cart.

Yeah I already had both carts.  I sure as hell ain't gonna drop yet another $200+ on my least favorite piece of equipment!  I just got the steel rods to extend the axles of the plug-in cart so it will fit the wheels of the big beach cart:

http://www.wheeleez.com/kayak-cart-beach.php

 Hey Rory---- when you put the wheelez tires on the Hobie cart--- did you just buy the wheels separately ? I have both carts but would like the bigger wheels for traveling through sand. Think I can just steal the wheelez and modify to fit the Hobie ?
 Don't really think I need to spend the $200+ for another cart.

Yeah I already had both carts.  I sure as hell ain't gonna drop yet another $200+ on my least favorite piece of equipment!  I just got the steel rods to extend the axles of the plug-in cart so it will fit the wheels of the big beach cart:

http://www.wheeleez.com/kayak-cart-beach.php

Dude!!!! Those things are $200 for $30 worth of material? OUCH!!!