About to order my new 'yak, got some questions....

well i sold my motorcycle last night and i'm going to order up the new WS Ride 135 fishing package in the next day or so but before i do, i was hoping i could pick the brains of some of the members here.

first i should outline the mission of this yak.  i'll mainly be using it to fish the south Sound around Point Defiance, Dalco, Brown's Point, mouths of the Puyallup and Chamber's Creek for salmon.  there will be occasional trips to the Bear River into Willapa Bay too.  salmon is the main target, but i'd love to learn to catch flounder, sturgeon, lings (missed the season this year, bummer) and rockfish and the like.

the boat will be outfitted with and anchor, rudder and Eagle Cuda 350 FF/GPS.  i don't plan on doing a downrigger just yet.  maybe in the future. for the time being, i plan to start out with jigging, mooching and using divers.  i have tons of river gear but no salt gear so i'll need at least one rod and reel. so my questions start with:

is there a rod that is suitable for jigging as well as trolling/mooching or should i buy separate rods for the different tasks?  i plan on getting a line counter reel so i have some (questionably accurate) idea of how deep i am.

for the anchor, is a trolley system necessary?  i was thinking of using a folding cleat near the cockpit and one of these on or near the bow.  i know that would limit me to only anchoring facing into the tide/wind.  is that a bad idea?

i have tons of 550lb parachord that i can use for rigging but it is strong enough to use as anchor line?  i'll probably need more than the anchor kit comes with.

does anyone here use a de-hooker?  (~16" wooden dowel with a short coathook on the end) i was thinking it may come in handy for releasing fish i can't/won't retain and dogfish.  it could also double as a bonker. (anyone ever keep and eat dogfish?)

i'm planning on getting the Scupper Pup cart.  any feedback on those?  how about roof racks for a Jeep Grand Cherokee?

i read the recent thread on drift socks/chutes and wondered if anyone used them for mooching with the tides and not just for maintaining position?  it seems like a perfect solution to mooching around Point Defiance on an outgoing tide or Dalco on the incoming.

since i'm a newbie, i'll save you the time of the safety advice.  that was the first stuff i read here and i will be squared away with the normal safety equipment.  PFD, whistle, first aid kit, vhf(?) etc.  i'm still young (at heart) at 32 and in great physical shape so no worries there.

i'm really jazzed about getting the boat and getting out on the water and hopefully joining some of the people here on some fishing adventures.

i certainly appreciate any and all feedback and advice.  thanks all!

Bobby

is there a rod that is suitable for jigging as well as trolling/mooching or should i buy separate rods for the different tasks?  i plan on getting a line counter reel so i have some (questionably accurate) idea of how deep i am.

Separate rods are probably better, but a cheap rod like a 7 ft ugly stick tiger will do the job.  There are lots of line counter reels that will work well with that rod.

for the anchor, is a trolley system necessary?  i was thinking of using a folding cleat near the cockpit and one of these [img]http://images.westmarine.com/thumb/22154_t.jpg[/img on or near the bow.  i know that would limit me to only anchoring facing into the tide/wind.  is that a bad idea?

i have tons of 550lb parachord that i can use for rigging but it is strong enough to use as anchor line?  i'll probably need more than the anchor kit comes with.

Both the anchor and the rudder in the package you plan on getting aren't necessary.  If you do go with the anchor, the parachord will work well.  You'll be using about 3 lbs of anchor and there is no way you'll ever place 550 lbs of force on that line.

does anyone here use a de-hooker?  (~16" wooden dowel with a short coathook on the end) i was thinking it may come in handy for releasing fish i can't/won't retain and dogfish.  it could also double as a bonker. (anyone ever keep and eat dogfish?)

Dehookers are good to have.   Lip grippers are nice too, esp. for toothy fishes.

i'm planning on getting the Scupper Pup cart.  any feedback on those?  how about roof racks for a Jeep Grand Cherokee?

I'm a bit leary of stressing my scupper holes.  Maybe the Ride135 can handle it.  Personally I like the Wheeleez kayak beach carts, but they are pricey.

i read the recent thread on drift socks/chutes and wondered if anyone used them for mooching with the tides and not just for maintaining position?  it seems like a perfect solution to mooching around Point Defiance on an outgoing tide or Dalco on the incoming.

I'm not familiar enough with the area to give you an opinion, but I'm sure others are.  Drift socks generally help you with the wind, in current they pull you along faster.  I guess if you want to mooch with the current that might be good.

since i'm a newbie, i'll save you the time of the safety advice.  that was the first stuff i read here and i will be squared away with the normal safety equipment.  PFD, whistle, first aid kit, vhf(?) etc.  i'm still young (at heart) at 32 and in great physical shape so no worries there.

That's good to hear.

Good luck and enjoy your new kayak.

Brian

If you already have "hot shot rod" for river fishing, you can use this as a multi-purpose rod in the salt.

-Allen

Thanks Brian and Allen!  

i'm going to get the boat with the anchor and rudder because i'm one of those "would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it" kind of people.  so i'm just going to get it decked out the way i want it from the getgo so i don't have to rig it all up later.  the Sound is often windy and aside from slack tide, there is always currents to contend with.  pulling a diver will be easier too.  the anchor will most likely be used when i paddle up the Puyallup to plunk some eggs for fall kings and silvers.  

my rods are all bank fishing rods.  they're 8-9.5' and most are rated for 8-17 lb line and 1/4-1oz weights.  i don't think they would cut it for the salt.  i should be able to swing buying 2 separate rods.  

should i get a shorter, stout rod for use with the diver and later the downrigger and a lighter one for jig/mooch?  one of them will have to pull double duty.  which tasks should i overlap into one rod?

i never thought about stressing the scupper holes.  i'd hate to have to contend with a cracked hull.  any thoughts on the C-Tug?

thank you for the input!  i'm open to any all i can get.

Bobby

I use this guy for my cart. http://www.kayakfishingstuff.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=KFS&Product_Code=KFS-cartbeach&Category_Code=kw I love it it's pricey as hell but when the wider stance is very nice and the fat tires are a dream on sand and muddy trails.  

For racks I use a Thule Slipstream http://www.rackattack.com/product-pages/thule-887xt-slipstream.asp The forward and back sliding capabilities make loading a snap without bumping the yak on your vehicle (talked to a lot of guys who love it for their suvs).  And the wider stance offers great support.  It was necessary for my car since my cross bars are so close together.  Depending on the length of the kayak you won't even need a bow or stern line.  

I've used a friends tiger ugly stick they are great cheap poles.  Also you might check your local Bi-mart if they have them in your area.  Down here they had Lamiglas Sardinia 7'0 MH (L 870 C )for $79. I couldn't pass up the deal and  paired it with a Penn 320GT2 to use as a Ling/Bottom/Light Backup Halibut combo.   The pole feels great and has good play for it's size makes a great all around salt setup.  Might be a bit heavy for you but depends on your fishing style.

thanks for the links!  i hadn't seen that rack before.  that's pretty cool.  that'll definitely be on the short list of candidates.  i'm looking for a more compact and stowable cart.  something i can toss into the bow hatch.  i don't know if that one would fit.  cool cart though.

i'll head to sportco this weekend and check out some rods and reels there.  i'm pretty sure i've seen ugly sticks there before. 

thanks again!

Bobby

thanks for the links!  i hadn't seen that rack before.  that's pretty cool.  that'll definitely be on the short list of candidates.  i'm looking for a more compact and stowable cart.  something i can toss into the bow hatch.  i don't know if that one would fit.  cool cart though.

i'll head to sportco this weekend and check out some rods and reels there.  i'm pretty sure i've seen ugly sticks there before. 

thanks again!

Bobby

Ya that cart is definately not easily stowable* lol.  I generally turn it upside down in my back scuppers, used a bike chain to lock it to something similar, or run it back to the car.  If you are interested in the rack this video shows all the nice features and how it works. 

Hope you enjoy the new yak.

thanks for the links!  i hadn't seen that rack before.  that's pretty cool.  that'll definitely be on the short list of candidates.  i'm looking for a more compact and stowable cart.  something i can toss into the bow hatch.  i don't know if that one would fit.  cool cart though.

i'll head to sportco this weekend and check out some rods and reels there.  i'm pretty sure i've seen ugly sticks there before. 

thanks again!

Bobby

bobby,
either do a web search, or go to our link to outdoorplay.com and look up C-Tug for another idea on karts...
rich

Rich,

 i have that one as my next choice in the link above.  looks like it will fit the bill just fine.  thanks!

i just called Austin Kayak and placed the order. my new red Ride with rudder. (maybe i should change my screen name to RedRider?) will be here in a week or two.  the wait is going to KILL ME!  oh well.  i'll have time to track down good deals on the Cuda and some tackle.  

i should be all set up and ready to go just in time for the fall chinook to start showing up in the sound!

thanks to everyone for their input.  i really appreciate it. can't wait to fish with some other yak anglers!

Bobby

and everyone thought I jumped into this headfirst!!!

Get that area all scoped out for me  I'm moving to Portland in two weeks and my family is still in Puyallup, would love to hit that area with someone when I'm visiting them

bigdog.. i am in graham if you want to hit some of the lakes around here when your in town let me know.

SquidGirl.

I got the Thule Glide and Set for my truck rack.  Works well.  YMMV.

http://www.rackattack.com/product-pages/thule-883-glide-and-set.asp

I have a Scupper Pup cart for my T13.  The scuppers seem stout enough on the yak, but the cart is a bit flimsy.  It works, but make sure the screws are all very tight, and there is no way to get rid of the flex in the extension tube.  It would have been nice if the hex-head screws they used were wing nuts instead.  You will need a bungee to secure the cart to the yak.  I also had an issue where a tar ball gummed up the plastic hub, worked the wheel retainer in, and the wheel came off while pulling the yak up a steep hill.  It cleaned up well with gasoline and there was minimal cosmetic damage to the cart (none to the boat).  If your plan is to hide or secure your cart at your launch point, I suggest something other than the Scupper Pup.  If you are going to stow it in/on the yak the Scupper Pup breaks down into manageable pieces. 

Build your own kayak cart: http://www.watermanatwork.com/KayakFishing/KayakRigging/KayakCarts/KayakCarts.html

Or buy a used one from me ...http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php/topic,2339.0.html

-Allen