New Meat

Well, you have another newbie to deal with.  Went out and bought my first kayak the other day. Been a fisherman most of my life, mostly fly fishing for trout but also a little bass fishing and some inshore & offshore SW when I lived in SoCal 16+ years ago. Have called Portland home since then.

Never actually sat in a kayak until a month or so ago when I rented a SOT from the Tumalo Creek outfit in Bend on the Deschutes. Then rented another one in Lake Tahoe a couple of weeks ago. That pretty much sealed it and when I saw that the Kayak Shed out in Hood River had a WS Ride 115 for 20% off I zipped out there one day last week and snapped it up. It was Luke, I think, who set me up out there with the yak and a PFD & paddle. I have to say it was a great experience. He was very accommodating and took a lot of time to answer my probably dumb questions.

So I took my new boat down to Cook Park on the Tualatin R. this morning for a shakeout cruise. Spent a couple of hours tooling around upstream and downstream of the put-in. It was really fun, although I got a little nervous trying to get back upstream through the skinny water just upstream from the RR bridge at Fanno Creek. It was fine going downstream but I didn't realize it was only about 6 inches deep. Once I relaxed I was kind of surprised at how well I could move upstream against the current in that little spot although I had to adjust my paddle stroke to avoid scraping the bottom.

I was also able to stand up in the Ride. At Luke from the Kayak Shed's suggestion I rigged a t-handle to some paracord tied to the bow strap. Using that I was able to get up to the standing position without falling into the river. I'm really pleased about that because one of the primary reasons I thought the Ride would be a good choice for me was that it sounded like a yak that you could stand and cast in. Not that I felt comfortable enough to cast a fly rod in it today but I'm sure that will come with time.

I was a little worried that the Ride would feel like a pig in the water, but in comparing it to the yaks I rented I was pleasantly surprised. Although admittedly a complete novice, I thought I was able to move along and track pretty well. I guess I'll never know the difference until I paddle an actually fast yak.

Something that I'm really worried about though is the weight of the Ride. This sucker is heavy. In fact, I completely wrenched my notoriously bad back today getting it on & off the roof of my car. I'm going to have to think this through and come up with a better system or I'll never be able to handle it on my own without risking another back problem.

I guess that's enough for know. Any and all input and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Tim

welcome bud! I've been meaning to buy a fly rod and try it out. seems more fun than cast/retrieve on lakes. where in SoCal are you from?

Thanks Maverick. Huntington Beach. You?

san Diego, grew up fishing la jolla shores and the banks. i miss sea bass, corvina, and barracudas.. but I'm loving the salmon fishing!

Welcome to the forum! Lots of good info and great people on here to ask questions.

Yeah, and bonita & yellowtail too! Not that I would ever go back. I'm just fine with the gray and the rain.

Welcome, GoTimbers!  I moved up here from San Diego (where I first got into kayak fishing) in 2007.  Congrats on the new boat!  Don't be a stranger!

wel since were on an roll we cant leave out the prized thresher sharks! even though ive only caught one.. most fun I've ever had. i wonder how many other people on here are from SoCal. we should organize a group trip! that'd be awesome

i wonder how many other people on here are from SoCal.

Maybe more than are willing to admit it. I usually keep that to myself :-)

Welcome aboard Tim! Have I talked to you a couple of times in front of my house on 62nd? If so I've been wondering now long it would take you to get a boat Good choice on the 115, I haven't seen one of those on the water yet but they look like a sweet ride. You might want to look into some of the extending loading bars. Do a search, I think rawkfish and Olyspec may both have videos showing how they work.

Don't be a stranger either. The Tualatin is a great river to start on but let me know when you want to give the Willamette or Columbia shot. The willamette is always fun for Sturgeon and the Columbia will be heating up for fall chinook here too. Feel free to swing by too if you have any questions or need a place to drill some holes in the new boat

Hey Noah! Yep, we're neighbors. It's good to know I have a resource right around the corner. I might become a pest ;-)

Gotimber - welcome to the site. Congratulations on the new boat. Those Rides seem like great fishing yaks.

I live within a couple of miles of Noah, so I work the same waters. Give me a shout if you guys go out. It is a lot easier to get my butt moving if I commit to something - if left to my own devices, I spend a lot of time thinking about doing something, rather than doing it.

Welcome to the site!  For your back have you taken a look at the Thule Hullavator?  May be better for you than doing the ol' clean and jerk to get the boat on the roof

That looks like a sweet setup bigdood. Pricey though. Thanks.

Three words... Yakima boat loader