Kayak Fishing Magazine Forums

My Malibu Stealth 14 Summer and Fall 2009...

BlueDaksi — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:34:39 GMT

I put together this collection of still images and videos from my summer and fall fishing in my Malibu Stealth 14...

Freedom hawks

bonefishwhisperer — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:22:32 GMT

I will be getting 2 Freedom Hawk Kayaks 1st week of Dec...this is to allow fishing with 1 or 2 clients while standing...come try them out...catch a bonefish or something

Chokoloskee

Rjvermont — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:50:32 GMT

Being successful fishing Chokoloskee and surrounding areas can be pretty challenging as most that fish around here will attest. With the changes in the weather and some windy days has just added to the challenge. I�ve been bouncing around a lot lately kayak fishing different areas from the bay to outer islands on nicer days to sheltered areas in the backcountry on the windier days and over the last couple of weeks I have managed to find and catch some nice Snook. I�ve been catching reds and some larger trout but I have caught mostly snook. Here�s a few pics of bigger fish caught over the last couple of weeks.

Just under 38"

32"

32"

This is a more rare catch (at least for me). This is a sub-species of the common snook called a Fat Snook. This one is 22" and I believe their maximum size is around 24"

happy ending...

bonefishwhisperer — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:28:37 GMT

wet out with customer today...tried hard for reds but no takers...finished with a nice bone

Manta Ray 12.

NJ Musky — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 01:50:38 GMT

Liquid Logic Manta Ray 12 with rudder and Lowrance Transducer, $550.

dread the red

bonefishwhisperer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:44:31 GMT

the Bay is back!!!

100% finished and ready

bonefishwhisperer — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:40:47 GMT

web site is finally done until Mayan calendar expires...feel free to check it out...2 for 1 trips available for Xmas gifts...buy now and fish when you can...offer good until full and they(days) are selling fast...thanks everybody

www.bonefishwhisperer.com

In need of some direction

joemac — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:34:35 GMT

Hello all, my name is Joe and I am an avid fisherman but have zero experience from a kayak. I am in need of some direction on getting started. My first questions have to do with the boat itself. I am about 5'8" and 155 lbs. I live in Southern Maryland and will be predominantly in salt water. So I will need a boat that will do well in choppy water. Is it realistic to think kayaks can be taken out on the Chesapeake Bay? I will probably be in the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers most often. I would like something that might hold some live bait. What are my options here? Where do the fish go after landing? What if they are big, like over 30"? We have plenty of stripers way over that around here.

Next series of questions; what will I need to outfit the boat? I assume rod holders, how many are ideal, 2-3? How many rods are usually carried with you? Is it commonplace to carry a net, or does being so close to the water negate it's need? How benficial are depthfinders/fishfinders and do I need one? Is there anything else I might need?

Any other pointers would also be helpful. Thanks

Windy Saturday 11-07-09

Heywood — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:31:44 GMT

I had Jeff and Pat come up and join me for a morning in the mild November breeze.

Pat was first on the board with this massive trout. It took him into the backing twice.

Later on he hooked up with a frisky redfish.

Jeff can snag mullet like no ones buisness.

Later on he hooked into what we both thought was a redfish, turned out to be a nice 23" trout.

Oh yeah, I had a measily 73" slam today.

Despite the wind, we all had a great day.

Current Designs Zone

KneeDeep — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:55:58 GMT

Anyone had any experience with the Current Designs 17' SOT called the "Zone"? It looks like a SWEEET boat but I have not paddled it yet. It may not be quite stable enough for fishing, but it certainly looks FAST!

Nantucket Sleigh Ride

thenothing — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:12:37 GMT

Man vs 157# Bluefin Tuna

article
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pb...NEWS/911060327

youtube interview
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi5uOE3dPPA

in a 12' SInK

PFTS #2 "The Old Fashioned"

Heywood — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:34:09 GMT

Saturday, October 31st
We had 45 anglers show up today to fish the waters of Ft Desoto and South St Petersburg. Called “The Old Fashioned” this was the second event of the Paddle-Fishing.com Tournament Series 2009-2010. The format allowed the anglers to bring whatever artificial lures they would like to fish with, with the exception of no scented lures such as Gulps.
I started out fishing a nice shallow flat just off Pinellas Point. We had a good incoming tide and once I got on the flat I noticed tons of activity. I hit some docks early in hopes of picking up my snook first, in these Catch, Photo and Release tournaments, it seems that the snook are the deal maker. Having no luck on the docks I moved out to the flat and soon enough I had a nice 24 inch snook on. Good way to start the morning off. A little bit later I caught a small 16 inch redfish and I thought to myself that things weren’t going as planned. I picked this area to fish based on the bigger redfish moving in. I won another event at this same location earlier in the year, so I was pretty confident that the bigger fish would show up. Well, they never did. I did pick up another 25 1/2 inch redfish later, but still not what I was hoping for. So I committed the cardinal sin, “Never leave fish to find fish”. Needing a sea trout to complete my slam, I took off to another area that had some deeper potholes in search of the trout. Well, I had no luck at all. I only had one trout follow my spoon, but it wouldn’t take it. With little time left in the fishing day, I returned back to where I had started the day, but things had slowed down and I couldn’t find my trout. Off to our version of a weigh-in, we call it the “Pic and Sip”. The day’s pictures are reviewed over some nice adult beverages.

There were no slams caught and in total only 4 redfish and 9 snook were caught by 45 anglers using whatever lure they wanted to. The top three slam winners took home cash and their choice of a Wang Anchor, a print from Finatic Designs or a Polar Bear Cooler.

First Place-Bill Howard (Heywood) of Team Malibu with a snook/redfish combo of 45.5". He took home the Polar Bear Cooler and $225.00.

Second Place-SilverK (No one knows or can pronounce his name, so we call him Doom) with a snook/trout combo of 44.5". He took home the print from Finatic Designs and $135.00.

Third Place-Nick Coumea with a snook/trout combo of 42.5". He took home a Wang Anchor and $90.00.

We had 6 division winners. They had their choice of gift certificates from-
Bill Jacksons
Masthead Enterprises
Canoe Country
Hook1
Holy Mackerel Tackle
Bluewater Fishing Supply
Dogfish Tackle

Trout
First place-RayH with a 24.5" trout.
Second Place-MikeB with a 23.5" trout.

Snook
First Place-Vlap with a 24.5" snook.
Second Place-Seeinred with a 22.5" snook.

Redfish
First Place-Josh (Part of Paul's Posse) with a 28" red.
Second Place-Blindmullet with a 22" red.

It was a tough day for sure, great conditions but just one of those days. This was my third win in a row, so I’m looking forward to the next PFTS in December.

Events Calendar

bmackie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:02:42 GMT

An events calendar that showed a list of trade shows by region would be cool.

Norton Brass Rattler

Heywood — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:06:34 GMT

Norton Brass Rattler

I received a Norton Brass Rattler after the ICAST show that was held in Orlando recently and finally found the time to test it out the other night. To tell the truth, I was a bit skeptical. Not anymore, over 100 inches of Redfish, Snook and Trout will change your mind real quick.

Conditions: Afternoon, mid 80�s. Water temp, mid 70�s. Lite winds. Incoming tide.

Equipment: Quantum Boca 7�6� BCIS 76IM medium action rod. Quantum Catalyst PT20 Inshore Reel, 10 lb Power Pro, 25 lb Seagar Florocarbon leader

Lure: Norton Brass Rattler, 2 �� 7/16 oz Pearl and Gold Flake.

�Norton Brass Rattler spoons are made to cast like a bullet. The rattle chamber is made from real pistol brass. The 5/8" is from 38 cal., and the 7/16" is from 32 cal. Both transmit loud clicking sound waves similar to frightened shrimp, crabs and crawfish combined with the bait fish rainbow finish provoke savage attacks from redfish, specks, bass, and other game fish. The unique long life weed guard on the weedless models is made from nylon-coated stainless steel cable.�

The first thing you notice about this unique lure is the rattle. Made from an empty bullet shell, it makes a dull clicking sound when worked properly. The other thing I really thought was different was the weed guard. Made from coated stainless steel cable is completely flexible and can be rigged on or off the hook. After a full afternoon of use, it did get a little mis-shaped, but it is easily adjusted back to its original form. Given regular use, I would use a slightly stiffer rod, as the heavier weight of the lure was a little bit too much for my medium action rod. Like the website says, it casts like a bullet. I found that you could really cast this lure a long way, even into a slight breeze. The retrieve was much quicker than other spoons in order to obtain that back and forth wobble action that is desired in spoon lures. The hook set was really easy, and I found the hook stayed extremely sharp, even after numerous redfish. The actual spoon part is made from a hard plastic which held up really well. Some of the gold flakes wore off, but overall the finish held up great. I also like the contrasting red on the inside of the lure.
Overall, I was impressed with this lure. Like I said, I didn�t have high expectations at first. But after using this unique lure, I would highly recommend it to anyone.

wading

bonefishwhisperer — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:34:00 GMT

did a little wading for bones....

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Goombaween 2009

Heywood — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:56:50 GMT

Bay Area Canoe & Kayak Club
Goombaween 2009

The Bay Area Canoe and Kayak Club (BACK) held its annual �Goombaween� this past Saturday at EG Simmons Park on Tampa Bay�s south shore. The BACK club, founded in 2005 holds a monthly club trip, called �Goomba�s�, where members come together for a day of fishing and good food. The �Goombaween� has an added twist; kids from the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch join us for a day on the water. The club submitted a grant proposal to the Tampa Bay Estuary group, which was approved and bought 4 kayaks and equipment, along with a trailer to transport them for the Youth Ranch activities.

So each October the club gets together and hosts a group of kids from one of the Youth Ranch�s. For many of these girls and boys, it�s the first time in a kayak, but soon they are paddling like pros, in fact it�s hard to get them out of the things.
This year we hosted a group of girls from the Safety Harbor; these outings are a reward for doing well in school, or in the group setting. Usually we have around 6 kids show up, but this year we only had two that were able to join us. So after introductions were made, each girl was presented with her own fishing rod, tackle tray, sun glasses and hat. All donated by members of the club.

After the Snookfanitic, Jeff Harrell (Director of Recreational Activities for the Youth Ranches) briefed each shrimp on its assigned task, we were off.

Some of the other club members getting rigged and ready.

Here are two quests for the day are launching for a day of fishing.

The rest of the crew heading out through a nice mangrove lined canal.

The catches were low, it was a slow day. But the girls did get on some trout and ladyfish. I didn�t get any pictures of those, but another cameraman did, I will post those later.
Until next years Goombaween.

New EK kits

SteveK — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:05:00 GMT

Jon, Just got done speaking with Capt. Kayak (Jerry) and we plan on picking up a Moken to design a kit, also Malibu is coming out with a new sit-in called the Seirra 10 and it looks like the Pungo kit will work on it.
Here's a video on the Freedomhawk 14
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz3KGq8iKtk
We are working on a brushless system which will weigh 5 lbs, mount on rudders, and will work with a standard rudder, crazy speed and 12 volt.
Do it yourself kits are avaliable for a short time, also monthly specials
How did those props work out, I also have a great exclusive prop for the 30# that you may want to try. It's just like the MKP-2 but it is safer and more durable. This prop was specially engineered by Johnson for their Escape electric boats

Tightlines
Steve
www.Bassyaks.com

DIY Camera Dry Housing Video: Fishyaker.com Episode 28

fishyaker.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:18:05 GMT

Here's #28

Rod Pod Reinvented

thenothing — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:03:04 GMT

I like the Rod Pod, but I'm sure you guys have heard reports of them leaking in the surf, this should take care of things. But, that wasn't the point of this project. I felt the Rod Pod lid could be made much more useful. There's a lot of space there, and the plastic the lid is made out of is just, well, too flimsy to do much with.

So out came the tape:

and then the epoxy resin and glass

and then more epoxy and glass

and then the test fit came

I didn't bother taking any pics while joining the two pieces. But I ran strips from the top piece to the bottom on the outside, then some matting on the inside....

The final layer went on with black dye. Was gonna rattle can it, but this will be scratch resistant...

Heres the final test fit

The all important water test!

and this should give you an idea of how much space i've gained between the knees!

in use at a tournament last month.

you'll notice the center tray is sticking up. I dropped a small LED light down there to illuminate the trays to make it easier to find whatever gear i was looking for. FWIW, I did win the tournament and have a new Trident coming soon! Will have to work on the new lid next!

Since the last pics, I've put a RAM Mount on the front of the rod pod, and a bungie over the trays. I'm thinking of installing a small 4" or 6" hatch at the seat end. There's just enough room for the 6... The lid is sealed using inexpensive sealing tape - same type of foam rubber, self-adheasive tape as you can find at any auto parts store to seal your canopy to the truck bed (labelled "Camper Top Weather-strip").

The lid is STRONG. I've stood on it a few times just to test things out, and have lifted my kayak by it as well. Not had any problems sitting sidesaddle, but it would be easier to scoot to the front of the yak with some 5" wide trays instead of my 8" trays... I had to keep things shallow enough that I can still get rods and such stored under the lid, and so far so good.

redfish tour

snook57 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:48:05 GMT

I was just on the IFA Redfish Tour website. It looks as though there will not be a 2010 season. So I would guess there will be no Kayak Tour as well. Maybe someone at KFM could confirm that with the folks at IFA.

Sailf from the kayak

linda — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:12:39 GMT

Th fishing has been insane here in PCB the last few weeks. I have caught 2 sailfish from my yak and my husband caught one the other day Here is my report from 10/11
I headed out this morning in search of another sail. I brought a bag of ballyhoo in case I didn't find my Lys but right off the bat about 30 min into into my paddle I found to big LYs. So I let one go off the back and kept the other on my spinning reel close to my yak . Within minutes a sail comes right up to the close in bait and starts checking it out . I quickly grab the rod and start trying to get line out to let the Ly swim, then the sail turns away and 3 secs later my other rod starts screaming. So I quickly reel the first line in and just let it swim right next to my yak, I don't want this bait to die. So I grab the rod that's going off and I am not lying I think I was pulled at least 1 mile offshore. After about 30 or so min I get him close to the yak he is lit up and WAY bigger then the sail I got a few days ago. He starts tailwalking in front of me and I was so nervouse he was going to jump right on top of me I quickly let some line out to get him away from me. And then.... I look out of the corner of my eye and I watch a mahi inhale the other ly that is literally inches from my yak and that rod starts sreaming. Now I'm several miles offshore and I have a sailfish at my bow and a mahi peeling drag on my stern. The sailfish is done, so I get him yakside and quickly release him and off he goes. I was exhausted from the sail and then the mahi put up a good fight lots of jumps and finally got him gaffed and in the yak. That was the longest paddle back in fighting north winds but it was and epic day and believe I won't top today for a VERY long time!!!Wish I could have gotten better pics of the sail so you could see the size of him

Heroes on the Water Charleston

YakontheFly — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:52:34 GMT

This weekend, there will be a Heroes on the Water Kayak Fishing Fundraiser in Charleston, SC. We will be fishing Copahee Sound.

I plan on taking lots of pictures and writing up a story on this. If you are in the area and can make it. Please do.

You can get more info at charlestonfishing.com in the kayak fishing section, or at SCKF.com.

YotF

Hallandale, FL

Scraper — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:33:47 GMT

Heading down next Tuesday 10/20 to Hallandale Florida with the family and am bringing my Hobie Outback. Any help would be appreciated on what's biting, where good launch sites are, etc.. Fresh or salt, but I am more leaning towards salt. Please PM me if you are concerned about spot burning. I'm just looking to make the best of a long haul from Philadelphia and don't want to waste half my time driving around aimlessly instead of sitting on my yak.

Thanks in advance!

Montauk - 2009

yakman — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:58:23 GMT

I was wondering if anyone made it out there for some fall action? I am going to head out next week

How to build a wooden paddle

supercecchi — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:59:42 GMT

Here is a vedeo about self building an Eskimo style wooden paddle:
http://www.carvegp.com/

Install hatch on a Prowler Trident 11

BobbyR — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:33:50 GMT

I need to gain access to the inside of my hull to properly mount a set of out-riggers. I'm not sure where I should mount a hatch. There really isn't any room. Any suggestions? :eek:

Bobby R

Tampa Bay Report

Heywood — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:11:57 GMT

Very slow morning. Redfish were not the targeted species, but the tide was not condusive for what I had originally planned. (POONS):(

Pat was the first to strike with this nice slot red.

Little bit later, I pulled in a nice "just over" slot red.

Pat had a close encounter of the tarpon kind. Apparently they dont like canoes either. :shock:

Hobie Fishing Trout Challenge

KayakMike — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 01:17:07 GMT

Want to win a Hobie Mirage Revolution kayak?

Check out the Hobie Fishing Trout Trial, an online fishing tournament sponsored by Hobie Fishing for October 2009. Kayak anglers from throughout the Southeast will compete in a catch-photo-release format targeting Spotted Seatrout for over $3000 in prizes including a grand prize Hobie Mirage Revolution kayak.

The month-long tournament is for kayak anglers from any geographic location where Spotted Seatrout are found, from Texas to Florida along the Gulf Coast, and from Florida up through Virginia on the Eastern Seaboard. Kayak anglers will compete for universal Hobie Kayak Fishing products such as anchor systems, storage/transport products, safety products, assorted kayak rigging accessories, apparel, and even entries into the IFA Hobie Kayak Fishing Tour events. The top 20 anglers will qualify for entry into the Grand Prize drawing and are allocated drawing tickets based on their finishing place.

According to Vince Console, Fishing Product Manager for Hobie Cat Company, �Hobie is excited to bring this great format to kayak anglers across the country. It�s a great way to get anglers from around the country together and Hobie welcomes the opportunity to show the fishing industry exactly why Hobie Fishing is the leader in kayak fishing�.

Entry to the tournament is $20, and anglers will utilize the 321Fish.Com online angler management system to register, check-in, and score their fish. Anglers can register and get complete rules and prize details online at http://www.321fish.com/hobie

Newbie x 2...

mudmonkey — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 02:41:51 GMT

I bought my first kayak earlier this week. It's a Bic Bilboa (yellow, and not set up for fishing). I bought a seat that has a couple of rod holders on the back.

I should mention at this point that i have no idea what i'm doing. No experience with kayaks and none with fishing either. Total noob on both fronts. I read many of the posts on this site and some other articles i found online.

Tonight I went out to the beach after work just to "test" it out. The water was flat...like glass. Amazing. I ended up fishing right then. A friend who was with me used a cast net to get some small sardine looking bait fish (no idea what they really were).

Caught my first fish. Just a 17" Spanish Mackerel. Took it home and found that it yielded 2 very good sized fillets. I took a picture...i'll add it to the bottom of this post.

A great experience! I'm headed out again tomorrow in the morning. For the record, i'm all about the "catch and release"...but i've never had mackerel and just had to eat the first fish i caught. :)

Would love to hear from other Floridians (I'm just outside Tampa, in Pinellas County - Seminole area).

09 Fall / Autumn Outings

kempcr — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:59:03 GMT

Is anyone planning any outings before the snow flies? Im going up to the thousand islands tonight to do some bass/perch/pike/musky fishing over the weekend with my new kayak (Native ultimate 14.5 solo). I will be looking to get out localy in the next couple of weekends. I'm thinking the trout n salmon will be in the irondequoit bay soon! or at least close enough to shore to find on a calmish day. Fingerlakes? Irondequiot? etc? Its been a while kevin/paul! What do ya think?

Hi to all from across the water

Blunderbust — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:43:15 GMT

Hi,

I am not new to Yak fishing but have only been doing it for about 6 months. I live in the UK and I am originally from Scotland but due to work I am living in Norfolk, England. I am in the process of getting my yak (Ok Prowler Trident 15 Angler) set up and I am trying to buy some kit from over your side of the water. The items I am looking for are: YakPack 3 (Orange) with the nylon drain holes and the Yak attack VISI pole + flag. Do any of you guys/girls know of a place that has both items for sale and would be willing to ship them over to me in the UK? I would be grateful for any help or advice given.

I am enjoying your Forum and the very interesting subjects that have been covered so far, I am sure that it is going to get better as time goes on. I hope that I can contribute in some way.

Tight lines to you all and be safe. :fishing:

Jimmy.

Kayak Launch Map

JonS — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:46:00 GMT

Hi guys, we really appreciate everyone who's been putting launch points on the map. Some folks don't realize you need to place the cursor over the spot. If you don't it defaults to the middle of Texas. Since I don't know where these spots should be I've been deleting them. I'll list the ones I delete here but if you don't see it on the map you need to redo it. Remember to move the cursor and use the satellite to really zoom in on the spot.

Wessagusett Beach weymouth Ma.
Horse Creek
Sebastian Inlet State Park
Long Point County Park
Honest John's Fish Camp
Pineda Causeway
Ramp Road - Cocoa Beach, FL

National Kayak Launch Locator Map

yakman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:04:35 GMT

Kayak Fishing Magazine would like to announce The Launch Locator Map Section. This interactive map gives you the chance to find kayak launch locations all over the world. It also lets you share launches with others and even leave a fishing report for a particular location. Any kayaker who adds 5 new locations will get a KFM decal sent to them. Just send an email to info@kayakfishingmagazine.net after you have entered the 5 locations.

Click Here

New Kayak Fishing Magazine is now LIVE?

yakman — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:49:15 GMT

Joey, Jon and myself have finally finished the newsite. We think we got some great new sections that you will enjoy

You might have noticed the new layout of Kayak Fishing Magazine, it is a lot more than a new design and colors but it is, in our opinion the best place to get information on the sport of kayak fishing. Our goal here is to keep you, the kayak angler up to date with the latest news on kayak fishing, whether that be new gear or kayaks, tournament announcements and updates, reviews, guide reports, kayak fishing launch sites and much more.

We will still send out monthly issues but the website will be a constant information stream for you that will change daily. So explore the new site, we still have some areas under construction but the amount of information that is here should keep you busy for a while. Some new features we have added are our National Launch Map to help find the kayak drop in areas anywhere, a Kayak Buyers Guide to help you find the right kayak and many other sections to give you all info you need on the sport.

Please let us know how you like it and how we can make it better

Dual-Motorized Sip&Puff Controlled Robotic Kayak

kayakdiver — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:51:28 GMT

Although I designed this system for highly disabled adventurers, it is apparent from this forum that there is a great interest in this type of system among kayak fishermen as well. The maneuverability and stability of this design, not to mention true 100 percent hands free operation, sets this design far apart from any of the other systems out there. The system can also be controlled with a "single-stick" RC transmitter, either on-board by the rider, or by a safety observer when being used by a person with disabilities.

One of several YouTube videos I have posted can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sfYnretWJ4

Dave demonstrates using the kayak
after only 5 minutes of use. He hasn't quite figured out that the SIP&PUFF switches are so sensitive that he really doesn't need to sip or puff harder than the slightest breath.

The pontoons each hold a Minn Kota 30 trolling motor and add enough stability for me, at 200 pounds, to stand on the edge of the kayak while submerging the pontoon only 4-5 inches of its 8 inch height. Each pontoon can be raised independantly to allow the motors to ride above the sand or a dock as the kayak is launched or brought ashore.

The best video I have of the Operator Panel
during control via the Sip & Puff interface. There are (at least) two more videos on YouTube, one of which shows the kayak being operated unmanned.

UNMANNED OPERATION - Sorry for the shaky video!

Following is a fairly detailed description of the system I wrote previously for general audiences. You will want to take a look at a few of the videos in order to appreciate this descriptive text....

A highly disabled (quadriplegic) person can fully control the kayak via a SIP & PUFF Switch (Picture Steven Hawking or Christopher Reeve in their wheelchair).

The on-board Arduino Duemilanove Microcontroller puts the Motor Driver into Serial Input Control Mode and accepts Sip&Puff Switch inputs from the Rider. It then sends appropriate Serial Commands to the Motor Driver to operate the two Drive Motors. Split-second (0.1 - 0.6 seconds) Sips and Puffs control Left and Right Turning, respectively, and slightly longer (0.6 - 2.5 seconds) Sips & Puffs control REV and FWD movement. Even longer Sips and Puffs Stop the motors or command them equally to Full Speed. Steering is accomplished via differential motor speed.

At any time, the Safety Observer can (turn on the RC Transmitter and) transmit a Full Throttle command which the Arduino detects via this Receiver Channel being connected directly to it.

The Arduino then sends Serial commands to the Motor Driver to put it into RC Input Control Mode.

The Safety Observer now has full direct control of the Motor Driver via the AILERON and ELEVATOR channels of the Receiver being connected directly to the RC Inputs of the Driver (in MIXED "single-stick" Mode). The kayak is now essentially a large robot.

If the Safety Observer decides to pass control back to the Rider, a Throttle Off command is Transmitted, or the transmitter is simply turned off. The Arduino detects this condition and sends Serial Input Control Mode Commands to the Motor Driver giving control of the Motor Driver back to the Rider via Sip&Puff inputs into the Arduino. Note that the Arduino controls the Motor Driver via Serial Commands Only.

The Rudder Channel of the Receiver is reserved to actuate high-current switches which will physically disconnect the Drive Motors from the Motor Driver in case of a catastophic (full on) motor driver failure. Note that these extra fail-safe features are included only to further enhance the safety of a disabled rider.

Top speed is just under 3.7 MPH on the Malibu Two, according to my GPS. After 4 hours and 6.2+ miles, the motors were still running strong, producing ~3.3 MPH into the wind, and the main battery still showed 12.15 volts. The Motor Driver and Arduino Controller, as well as the Sip&Puff Interface, will continue to operate down to 5 volts.

My total cost for this project so far, not including the Spectrum DX7 Transmitter, is around $1300, with the biggest expenses being: Motor Driver ($430), 2 Min Kota Trolling Motors ($240), Aluminum ($135), Battery ($90), and Charger ($60). Also: LEDs, Cables, Connectors, Switches, and I.C.s ($175+), RC Receiver ($60), Cam Bolts ($40), Backup Arduino uController ($35), etc... Note that I actually did make it all the way through my Design & Development process without blowing up the original Arduino!

Although I have been contemplating this project since 2006, obtaining the Arduino uController really gave me a jump-start, and I officially started working on it in mid-June of this year (06/17/09). I had the project completely working on August 20, 2009. Compare this to the Cal Poly Solo Quad project (Google: Cal Poly Solo Quad). Cal Poly engineers considered Remote Control Assist impossible to incorporate into their design.

Hello All! new member w a couple questions

danielp — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:15:07 GMT

How's it going guys. Ive been lurking for a while but decided to actually come on finally. I'm not new to kayaking I own two kayaks. 1 creek boat and a vintage 70's folbot folder. i'm sorta new to the whole fishing thing. The most I see here are salty fishermen. but any of you guys fresh water? My question is what type of tackle should i be using for colder weather and what fish are out and about biting in colder weather. My local fishing spot is a creek/river with dark water. ive been able to catch some bass(large and small), catfish and i think blue gill was the other. Rooster tails seem to be the big hitter but with seasons changing here im thinking new tackle is going to be needed.

Minn Kota Install

TailStalker — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 13:29:25 GMT

Hey guys need a little help on an install here. I have a WS Ride 135 set up with an endura 35 trolling motor. Yak is all rigged and ready to go with the exception of the electrical. I can�t find a through hull 4 pin male/female plug to locate the controls to the cockpit of the yak. I removed the handle of the tm and there are 4 wires. Every �off the shelf� connector for minn kota is 3 wire. What am I missing here? Any help is greatly appreciated. By the way, after it is all said and done I would by the BassYak kit and be done with it. I don�t think I saved a dime, and I dang sure have put in a heck of a lot more time into figuring this all out. Scratching head and bewildered look not included. :confused:

Coastal Bus Trip

JonS — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:20:46 GMT

Each year my fly fishing club, the Coastal Flyrodders, does a bus trip to Rhode Island. It's free to members and the bus leaves the northern most parking lot on the Garden State Parkway as 3:30AM. We arrived at the West Wall in Pt. Judith at first light. Other then a few albies way out of range it was dead. No bait. Next stop was Weekapaug Breakway. There was bait but no fish that were reachable. A few times fish broke in the adjacent cove out of reach from shore. The last stop was Watch Hill. I grabbed a bit to eat and when I got to the beach the guys said some albies were moving in but a boat ran them over and they disappeared. they came up a few more times in the next cove but never within range of shore. There seemed to be continual action over near the point again out of range. Surf was 1' or less. This trip reinforced why I am a kayak fisherman. I would have had shots at fish at all 3 spots and Watch Hill was especially promising.
We had 22 anglers and a total of 4 fish were caught. 1 striper and 3 sea robins.

Three in a row!

NJ Musky — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:40:14 GMT

Three trips and three muskies.

My Musky.

Black & Chart Double Cowgirl.

Malibu v Ocean???

RgrWill — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:18:43 GMT

Like many before me I have a couple of questions about a new/first kayak.

I'm 5'11" about 250 lbs with a 30 inch inseam. I live in the FL panhandle (Tallahassee) so I need a kayak that can pull multiple duties...fresh water ponds and rivers, salt water near shore flats and bays, as well as a kayak that can carry enough gear to do a weekend camping trip. I have some experience in a kayak and canoe.

I think I have my choices narrowed down to a couple..Malibu Stealth 14 or Ocean Prowler Trident 15. I think I'm leaning a little more toward the Trident but I'd like to hear opinions on both. I'm willing to look at other options also.

Any help is welcome.

My Bassyak Battery Setup

JonS — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:27:54 GMT

Here are some pics of the way I did the battery setup in my Bassyak. The kayak is an OK Trident 13. The kayak has a great center hatch called a rodpod (by1). I located some batteries that would fit in the hatch. I got two 35AH sealed lead acid batteries. I put a piece of foam against the bulkhead where it dropped down to cushion the forward battery (by4). I used Lexel to glue two foam strips to keep the batteries in position while in the kayak so they wouldn't wander (by3 & by5). The kayak comes with a tray. With the two batteries in place the tray snugs up nicely and prevents them from sliding (by6). Once the lid is secured with straps the batteries can't move around. The two battery setup makes for a nice backup. When I run out of power in one battery I can switch and I know when I've used up half my power.

Attached Images

	by1.jpg (97.5 KB)
	by2.jpg (87.8 KB)
	by3.jpg (93.3 KB)
	by4.jpg (81.3 KB)
	by5.jpg (93.0 KB)

1st bone

bonefishwhisperer — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:16:21 GMT

this is Joel's 1st bone...he did a good job on all aspects from a-z...

Attached Images

IMGP2315.jpg (91.2 KB)

9/22 Musky.

NJ Musky — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:43:27 GMT

I hit the Lake again tonight and was lucky enough to have this one jump on after only ten minutes in the water. No other action or follows for the rest of the trip. Double Cowgirl, 100lb Fluro and a fast retrieve.

First use through surf

JonS — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:13:39 GMT

I took the Torque to fish the ocean the first time on Sunday. It was great having a motor as I covered a lot of ground. However I concluded the Torque is not the best choice for surf launches. It is very difficult to plug the motor in from the cockpit as the electric outlet is in the rear wall of the tank well. the alternative would be standing in mid thigh water and put the motor in. this would be OK in very small surf but when it gets 3 plus the wash area would be a pain.
The Bassyak will be my main choice as I can lower the motor from the cockpit. Raising it is more difficult but I'm going to rig a hook to pull it up after hitting the release. It's supposed to come up (the motor) by hitting the release and pushing on the rudder pedals but I've found it doesn't work well so it can't be relied upon. My solution will work fine.