Thread: My Future Beach Angler 144

Thumbs UpI appreciate your invite. Right now the wife is rehabin' from knee replacement
and I'm her #1 cheerleader. Takin' her to rehab 3 times a week and doin' more
domesticated work than I care to mention. After this one is dubbed ready to
carry the load, her left knee will get replaced, and I'll be twice as domesticated
and I am now. It will be next summer before she will be ready to climb up into
the 5th wheel and by then I should have both kayaks tweaked to my satisfaction
and the kayak trailer rearin' to go. Until then, I'll be spending time in my creek
close to the home and fryin' up fresh local crappie to keep us healthy and fit.
I do hope you find all them exotic places blessed with willin' fish and welcoming
fellow fishermen. Keep us posted/updated and we will enjoy your trip via this
forum. Make lots of memories and take lots of pictures. Enjoy!

Pics from my 1st fishing trip (didn't catch enough to keep). Thought it'd be a good idea to add some reflective tape to the hitch extension.









Seat didn't do too bad. I was out 12 hours, and had to hit the bank 4 times, but more for my leg than anything else. I forgot my Stadium Cushion in the truck, so I pulled the innertube off my fish basket, and sat on that Rofl It helped! Going to take a bit of getting used to fishing from it, but I like it, and am glad I bought it.

Holy Crap this is just AMAZING! I'm going to be making a kayak purchase myself in the near future and I only wish I had the tinkering ability you have shown. That seat is awesome! Heck everything you did to it is awesome! I may end up stealing a few of your ideas for mine since I'm still unsure what route I'm taking exactly

Thanks rockbass! Being a new Kayak Owner, I didn't have a clue as to rigging, so I googled "Kayak Rigging" and "Kayak Fishing", that's were the majority of my ideas came from and are pretty much the standard on rigging.

I need to get a couple longer screws for the aluminum clamp that holds the strap for the seat bottom in place, it slipped-out once because the seat back sets behind it, and from my leaning back pushed the seat bottom forward. I think I need to re-do the rod holder too, as it sets just a bit too close to the back of the seat. The factory rod holders are installed at a funky angle (splayed outwards) which makes getting the pieces of PVC that go into them a bit of a challenge. I'm hoping if I spin them so they point straight back, the flange will cover the original holes.

Sharing ideas is what it's all about, others have posted theirs, which I have used, so if I come up with one of my own, it's just paying it forward. The seat is a definite improvement, I just wish there was a bit more room in the seat well of the Kayak itself for a slightly wider bottom. Maybe there should be a "Big and Tall" Kayak Store Rofl The LED Flashlight for Navigation Light idea I found on the internet, but using the wood dowel to turn it off and on was just a fluke when I dropped the dowel into the PVC.

One thing I learned yesterday is that accessing the front hatch, and accessing stuff in the back is out of the question for me unless I can hang my feet over the side and turn 90 degrees with my feet in the water, which still won't get me to the front hatch (but I don't put much in there anyway). That's something I'll have to try when I have on shorts and in shallow water. I like fishing smaller bodies of water, so paddling to shore isn't a huge issue, and a good excuse to stretch the legs. Also the anchor trolley and stakeout pole worked great, and I'm glad I went the trolley system (since it wasn't my 1st choice)

It's pretty neat setting right on the water, I drifted right over the top of about 6 big Carp yesterday like they didn't even know I was there.

Your experiencing things that otherwise would have been missed opportunities. The quietness,
the calm, the serenity, wildlife. Your the only one that will shatter the quietness when you pull that
monster crappie up out of the water. Don't forget the camera! Stories are great, photos are prrrrooooof
positive of what actually happened. Enjoy.

Thanks RRR....now all I need is to run across that monster crappie

Well, I re-worked the rodholder today. The flanges on the stock flush mounts covered a new set of holes, so I spun them around like I mentioned a few posts back. The added benefit might be that I can reach my Plano StowAway (which sets just behind the seat) and not have to work it around the rodholder, it now might fit between the seat and rodholder. If there's room, I may shave a little off the legs (which I had to head and bend a little so the rod tubes were near vertical since the 45 degree ells were a different angle than that of the flush-mount holders in the Kayak) to shorten it up a bit, but need to try the box 1st to see if there's room. I might even be able to add something to the back-side of the seat back for it (Plano Box) to fit into and save a bit of room in the rear well.

Originally Posted by NeonMoon

Thanks RRR....now all I need is to run across that monster crappie

Well, I re-worked the rodholder today. The flanges on the stock flush mounts covered a new set of holes, so I spun them around like I mentioned a few posts back. The added benefit might be that I can reach my Plano StowAway (which sets just behind the seat) and not have to work it around the rodholder, it now might fit between the seat and rodholder. If there's room, I may shave a little off the legs (which I had to head and bend a little so the rod tubes were near vertical since the 45 degree ells were a different angle than that of the flush-mount holders in the Kayak) to shorten it up a bit, but need to try the box 1st to see if there's room. I might even be able to add something to the back-side of the seat back for it (Plano Box) to fit into and save a bit of room in the rear well.

A tweak here and there and satisfaction is just a tweak away. Finally broke down and invested in
my first crappie landing net (telescopic) and anxious to break it in. The rod with the orange/red
pool noodles on it, your stake out pole? I made one out of 1" schedule 40 pvc with a flattened
point, (heat gun flattened). Finished tweaking my WS Ride this evening, but was too dark to
take a good photo.

Sorry I missed your question, yes....stake-out pole. It's a 6-12' paint roller extension pole. I had it laying around, and don't do much painting these days, so I figured it'd be better served here. The ID of the noodle is slightly larger than the pole, so the lower noodle automatically slides up to water-level when I stick it in the bottom (and allows it to serve as a bumper).

I had a nice smaller landing net, and let it go with my last boat, wish I'd have kept it. I was considering replacing it, but figured I was so close to the water I wouldn't have a problem lipping a fish, plus it's one less thing to haul. Hopefully I won't live to regret my decision.

nice work!there is just no alternative to the serenity and closeness to wildlife from a kayak! i love the freedom of getting around by myself in my own little vessel.these things i love about kayaking.doesn't cost you gas(except driving),can get places bigger boats can't . my kayak was really cheap,129$.its not the best boat,nor the fastest,but it works for me.i'm planning on having it hang out the trunk of my car for transporting when i get my car on the road.when i go with my buddy,the kayaks are hanging out the back of his small hatchback car bungeed good lol

Started on the "Kayak-O-Sphere" today. This will mount on top of my 15' enclosed trailer and have a lockable door on the rear (above the rear trailer doors) to slide the Kayak into. No tie-downs to fool with, just slide it in and shut the door. I'll likely add some outdoor/grass carpeting inside the box (on top of the roof) for a little padding. I also plan to add a couple vents (which will be so water can't enter them).

I'm trying to decide if I want to paint it or bedliner (white) the outside of it. Cost will be the deciding factor, but bedliner would help it weather better, and probably look better.

This will be the door opening:


Nose:


13' long, so a bit of extra room in case I'd ever buy a new Kayak.


The trailer it will set atop of. Since these pics I've flipped the axle under the trailer to gain some ground clearance (since I pull it with a bus). I haul my fishing gear and scooter in the trailer (along with surplus junk). I'll be posting more as things progress.