Out of the box: When I first got the stinger in the mail I was actually surprised about how little there was to this system. A pole, bracket, pipe, some rope….and that’s about it, I’m going to be completely honest I was very skeptical. I just knew it wasn’t going to hold up to my style of fishing.

Installation: Is just about as simple as the entire system, place it near the back of the kayak and rivet in place. Again, I was surprised, I had imagined at least two hours of measuring, checking, measuring again and then finally drilling those dreaded holes. Here I come to my first negative, to be securely attached the stinger requires a lot of holes, I wound up with eight in my Native Manta Ray 14. This can be a stressful operation, especially if you never done any installations yourself, if you have fears, call your local kayak shop. With that being said, once the first hole is drilled installation was incredibly easy.  It took me maybe 30 minutes. Once the main bracket is installed find a place to mount your rope hook everything up and you’re good to go!

Use: I was scheduled to be fishing a tournament the week after I got the stinger installed, which couldn’t have worked out better. I was going to get at least three full days of hardcore use, and you can ask any of my team mates, I am very hard on my gear. Reels generally last about a season and rods break even faster, if you kayak fish with it, the chances are I’ve broken it. With that being said, I still had my doubts about the stinger, the installation was a breeze and it seemed to be beautifully simple but I just knew I was going to find a way to destroy it. My first trip with the stinger was a decently average day, winds from 10-15 MPH fishing in about two to four feet of water over quicksand like mud and shell reefs. I was pretty sure the stinger would perform in the soft mud, but I was kind of worried about the rope fraying on the oysters. On day one I noticed how easy the stinger was to use.  I didn’t expect it to be easier than a stake out pole….but it was!!! Instead of fumbling with a pole, anchor trolley and bungees, all I do now is unclip a rope!!! GENIUS!!! I didn’t even know that using a stake out pole was hindering me, until using the stinger. I wasn’t able to break the stinger despite my beast efforts, and it’s held up to about three months of use without even slowing.

Let’s review

Pros:

• Easy to install
• SIMPLE
• Fast
• Quiet
• Easy to operate

Cons:

I was able to find a couple of flaws with the stinger, and I think they should be brought to the attention of potential buyers.

• When the stinger is in the “Up” position it moves a little with paddle strokes making a slight rattle.
• When the stinger has been used in sandy mud some mud can get between the pole and pipe, add some waves or boat wakes, and you have a nice grinding noise.
• Installation may be hard to swallow for some.

Overall: The Stinger anchor system is a great product and offers an alternative to the old stand bys, traditional anchors and stake out poles.  Two things we all thought couldn’t be upgraded, until now. I think it’s important to state that I personally do 99% of my fishing in less than four feet of water.  I can see where the stinger may not fit other angler’s styles as well as it did mine.  So, if you’re tired of fumbling with stake out poles, and fish in shallow water check out the Stinger, it is an awesome way to sneak up on whatever you’re chasing!!!

Tony Gonzalez - www.fishprotexas.com