My New Yak

[cyeezy]

hey just got my ok prowler trident 11 too! got mine through REI. they had a sale online for the non angler version. i figured i'd just do the mods myself anyway so the non-angler was the way to go for me, plus it was 200 bucks less than the angler. can't wait to get out on the open water!!

[MN BassFisher]

Yeah, going with the non-angler and adding what you want where you want is always a good idea! Especially when the price difference is that large. Well done! What area you going to be kayak fishing this summer? I'm from NE Metro and it sounds like Ted is a little south, like Mankato area?

[ted4887]

Congrats on the new kayak Cyeezy, and welcome to HSO. I got my angler for $100 off what ACK sells them for, which to me was a nice deal. Plus I got a 10% off coupon that never expires, and I can use it as much as I want.

Hopefully you get that new yak all rigged up just the way you want it for open water season! Is this your first kayak?

[cyeezy]

Thanks guys! I'm in the NW Metro but i fish just about anywhere in the metro. This is my first kayak but for about 3yrs now i've been an avid canoe angler. The reason I got the yak is so I can go out by myself every once in awhile and not have to haul around a 100 lbs canoe. 100 lbs doesn't sound like much but when you stretch it out over a a 15.5 ft canoe it becomes very difficult to balance when you are trying to put it on your car roof. At roughly 50 lbs my kayak is light compared to my canoe and in my research i've seen tons of people rigging up rooftop kayak racks and systems to help load it up all by themselves. all the materials they used could be found at the hardware store. pretty darn cool.

[ted4887]

For me, I went the cheap route as far as the rooftop carrying. I have two foam pads, a few ropes to tie down front and back of canoe, and a ratchet strap for the middle. I think all together, the whole rig was $25 and it works just great. You could set it up much cheaper than that, but I picked mine up at the big C.

[MN BassFisher]

I have yet to give it a trial run but I'll be towing my kayak around this year with a Malone Handirack. I found in of Gregslist brand new for $60, it seems pretty slick.

[cyeezy]

fishing out of my canoe i mostly targeted bass. this year i want to do a lot of walleye and even crappie fishing. i'll have my humminbird 385ci mounted on my yak so i can get on some good deep water structure instead of just fishing shallow. you fellas got any tips for a walleye nubie?

[ted4887]

I don't, because it's not a fish I will typically target. However, you could Browse the Walleye/Perch forum for some good insight from some of the guys around here. There are some seriously knowledgeable fisherman here, and they're always glad to help you out.

How do you like your 385?? Are you going to upgrade to the OK transducer? Any drawbacks with this unit?

[MN BassFisher]

Yeah, the only Walleye I caught this winter was the one in my avatar. Ha. It was a nice one but I'm not very knowledgeable on that species. Hope to get a few on the rivers this summer though from my kayak! Ted what color did you wind up getting? I started doing my modifications today, I think I need one more order of misc things I just realized I need and I should be able to get it all rigged up!

[cyeezy]

i love my 385. i got the portable package that came with a bag and a transducer that has a suction cup so you can stick it to any boat. i like having this because i can grab it and use it in my canoe or any rental boat. as for the O.K. transducer, you can't beat having it flush mounted to the hull so i'm planning on ordering it separate. found one online for $89. also considering the ice-ducer since you can use the 385 as a flasher too. only drawback is the smaller screen. initially, i thought only the 300 series fit inside the portable bag but it turned out the mounting plate in the bag has molded punch out holes to fit bigger models too. but i think the 385 will work great with my yak. i paired my 385 with the lakemaster chip and i'm very satisfied with my purchases.

[ted4887]

Ted what color did you wind up getting?

[JeffW]

Hi all...I'm new to the site and new to Kayak fishing as well. I've been researching for about six months now and think that I've narrowed it down to a couple of kayaks. Just curious, why did you go with the OK? (stability, portability, weight, reviews, etc?)

There's a demo coming up on April 14th and I think that I'll make my decision then...can't wait to hit the water; it's been a long winter!

Regards, Jeff

[cyeezy]

welcome to hso jeff! all of the above, after lugging my heavy canoe around and having to wait for a buddy to be available to help with the canoe, i wanted something more portable and lighter for solo trips, and something stable enough to stand on in calm protected bays. after looking at a dozen different models and reading many, many reviews it was pretty clear to me that O.K. kayaks were a great choice. they seemed to be favored by ocean anglers and were stable enough to handle the ocean swells. ultimately, my final decision came down to pricing. i found a good price for my non-angler prowler 11 and figured i could make the fishing modifications myself for a lot less than what the stores were charging for an angling model. if price and portability had no bearing on my choice of fishing kayaks i would love the hobie mirage pro angler.

[ted4887]

Quote:

Hi all...I'm new to the site and new to Kayak fishing as well. I've been researching for about six months now and think that I've narrowed it down to a couple of kayaks. Just curious, why did you go with the OK? (stability, portability, weight, reviews, etc?)

For me, last year was my first year kayak fishing, and so I went with what I could afford, and what was comfortable to me that came with good reviews. I fished from a sit-in Old Town Vapor. This was a great kayak to learn on, but had some disadvantages. After reading many reviews on a wide range of kayaks in different price ranges, I narrowed it down to the range I could reasonably afford to be in.

Ocean Kayak Trident best fit my needs in a few different aspects of what I wanted.

First - I needed something that would support my bigger frame (6'1 235). This kayak fits me very comfortably, with plenty of leg space, and the weight capacity is great.

Secondly - it needed to be under $1000.

Third - I wanted something that would allow me to make modifications easily with limited drilling into the boat a whole lot. The Mod-Pod and scupper hole specifically molded to fit Humminbird transducers is what sold me. The mod pod basically has enough holes for all of my rod holders, water bottle holder, and anything else.

Fourth - Storage space. This kayak has more than sufficient space for anything I could imagine needing to bring with me, even for an overnight trip somewhere.

Fifth - Reviews & Reputation

[maj330]

Who is hosting the kayak demo? Where will it take place? Thanks!

[JeffW]

Thanks guys...I really appreciate the input. There are so many to choose from, and I've heard (and read) great reviews on the OK as well. I've been primarily drawn to the NW Manta Ray12, WS Tarpon 120, and curious about the Jackson Coosa.

Maj330 - Midwest Mountaineering in Minneapolis is hosting the demo on April 14th at Lake Nokomis.

I contacted Wilderness Systems, Jackson, and Native Watercraft to ensure that a rep was going to attend. Unfortunately, WS was the only one that confirmed their attendance, while Jackson and NW wasn't sure at this time. If Ocean is there I will be sure to try out the Trident as well. I really don't think that one could go wrong with any of the four mentioned...I guess it's just personal preference from there on out.

[MN BassFisher]

I've been out doing some slight modifications and add ons to my Trident and I figured I might as well throw up a few pictures. I'll have plenty more to come...

[ted4887]

Looking good! I had thought about ordering some LEDS too. What type of power source are those running off of?

[JeffW]

Oh great, just when I thought that I had it narrowed down to "two" boats...now I have a third to consider . That looks awesome Bassfisher! I can't wait to get mine and start rigging...

[Duffman]

Looking good! I had thought about ordering some LEDS too. What type of power source are those running off of?

Looks like that's some reflective cord on the yak. Which is a great idea, that stuff is nice for tying out tarps and tents while camping. I might have to start using some as my bow and stern painter lines on my canoe.

[MN BassFisher]

Yeah, its just the deck rigging they use. It is reflective in lights and camera flashes . It's called Bluewater Niteline. I bought some more for my anchor trolley, which is becoming a pain in the arse for something I'm not sure how much I'll use!

[ted4887]

Ahhh gotcha.

I hardly ever used my anchor trolly on my old yak. But I guess it'd be nice to have it just in case. I'll probably install one as well. I think I'm going to make some type of shade device like this.

[MN BassFisher]

I added some Scotty Gimball Mounts and Rod Holders to the Flushmounts behind my seat.

The Gimball mounts fit a little loose so I added some pipe insulation around the stainless steel part for a nice tight seal!

[MN BassFisher]

I finished my No-Drill Anchor Trolley this afternoon and am pretty satisfied with it. Now I just have to add the anchor cleat before our waters open up here in Minnesota. Here's how it turned out:

[cyeezy]

looks like you fishing rig is really coming together nicely bass fisher! where did you get you anchor trolley from?