Installing the Garmin echoMAP 55dv into the Wilderness System Flexpod OS

 

My new Wilderness Systems ATAK arrived this past week and so have all of my goodies to rig this fishing up. I am so excited to get this new fishing machine rigged up and ready for a big pike fishing trip and demo day this weekend, and I thought I would write up a simple step by step walkthrough on how I installed my sonar into the Flexpod

While I installed the Garmin echoMAP 55dv, this process should be fairly similar with all units.

The first thing to do is unpack the sonar unit and make sure you have all the pieces that you will require and tools that you will need.

          

Once I had the pieces all laid out, I made the determination to replace the self-tapping screws that came with the unit with stainless steel machine screws, nuts and rubber washers. All I needed for tools was a Phillips screwdriver, step bit and drill and wrenches for the nuts I had upgraded to.

I then took apart the base mount and placed the bottom portion onto the top of the Flexpod. Once I was comfortable with the location of the mount, I marked the holes and drilled them out.

         

I then mounted the base using the screws, nuts and rubber backed washers I upgraded to.

         

After the mount was attached to the top, I flipped the pod over and mounted the transducer mount onto the bottom. Again, I substituted the self-tapping screws for machine screw, rubber washers and nuts. I position the transducer mount approximately ½” back from the front of the mounting spot and held the transducer in place there to make sure I would have proper clearances. Once I was comfortable with the location, I drilled the 3 holes and mounted the transducer mount.

         

I then attached the transducer to the mount and looked to see the best location for the wire to enter the Flexpod. Once I was sure of where I wanted it to go, I drilled a hole, put a wire grommet on the transducer wire and fed it through the hole. I also drilled two holes into the lid for my power wire and transducer wire to come through, put grommets on the wires and pushed them through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I mounted the 2 included wire clips on the same side using the screw and nut already in place from the handle to keep the wires tucked to one side. Then I assembled the mount for the sonar and was ready to set the wiring for the sonar into their locked in ports.

         

I made sure I had enough wire for both the transducer and power wire pulled through then I applied silicon around the underside of the wire grommets and liberally around all of the screw holes and nuts to ensure it would be waterproof.

The nice thing about the Garmin unit is that the connection push through the back of the mount and have rubber seals all around them. The cable come with caps that you can put on when you do not have the sonar in the mount. There is then a small clip that slides down in place on the back to lock the cables in place. Once that was done, the unit was ready to drop the sonar in place and head out fishing.

          

 

 

Hope this helps some of the people looking for ideas on setting up their sonar in the new Flexpod OS that is being used on the ATAK and Thresher models.

 

Tight lines and see you at the launch

 

Mike

The Draw of Kayak Fishing

I had the opportunity to write an article on The Draw of Kayak Fishing for iFish Magazine. It was a great opportuinty to showcase how inexpensive our sport is and how easy it is for entire families to get invovled. Have a read and hope you like it.

http://bit.ly/1l0DF3n

Please also like my Facebook page – Pikeyaker to follow my fishing adventures and see what’s new in the world of kayak fishing.

Mike

4th Annual Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic

Well another Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic is in the books and once again it was very memorable. Of the 31 anglers able to make it out and hit the water, 15 were new to tournament with a great many of those new to kayak fishing as well. We fished Gull Lake in Central Alberta for Northern Pike (over 63cm), Burbot, Whitefish and Perch. This was a new body of water for many anglers and potentially a huge challenge for many, due to the size of the lake and no past fishing knowledge of it. As usual there were a few anglers that spent days pre-fishing the lake and trying to unlock its secrets. This year I am happy to report that no one, as far as they will admit, lost any gear overboard or flipped their kayaks!

I would like to say a huge thank you to all of our sponsors for making our prize table so amazing. Without all of your wonderful and generous donations we would not be able to draw so many anglers and would not be able to promote the sport of kayak fishing and sustainable fishing practices.

Friday night started off with a BBQ social put on once again by Glenmore Sailboats. Returning and new anglers got a chance to meet and enjoy a meal while discussing everything kayak fishing related. Once we had a chance to have a meal and meet our fellow anglers, we headed inside the hall for our Captain’s meeting. After we were done welcoming everyone and laying out the ground and safety rules we adjourned and everyone was free to kill the rest of their evening however they wanted. It seemed like a lot of anglers spent a great deal of time looking over the prize table at the amazing packages we were able to put together and many an angler could be overheard talking about what they were going to do when they won the door prize from Wilderness Systems, a 2014 Ride 115X.  Too bad there were 31 anglers planning out their future fishing trips in it, when only one would come to fruition.

As the night rolled on, anglers spent time getting their gear organized and lying, I mean talking, to each other about their biggest catches and the one that got away.

We rented the Lincoln Hall for this year’s tournament partly because of its location, but also for the fact that we would be able to camp there overnight as well. We had 3 trailers, 6 tents and a few anglers sleeping in their vehicles overnight in order to be ready for the 6 am start. We had a bit of rain come down and the wind started to pick up around 3am.

By 5 am I was up and getting organized to head out to the check in point to send my merry little anglers off into the cool, wet morning fishing grounds. Let me tell you that some anglers were up and getting dressed in their paddling wear and loading gear, while some continued to sleep happily in their warm beds. There was one white Ford truck that showed no sign of life, so naturally I took it upon myself to ensure that Jordan M. was up and didn’t miss the fishing tourney. I am not sure how many fishermen it takes to constitute a stampede, but I tried. You are welcome Jordan.

Once everyone, well almost everyone, was up and loaded, the race to the launch was on. When we got to the boat launch, the visibility was limited due to rain. That didn’t put a damper on spirits. Anglers rigged up their boats and by 6:05 am they were making a mad dash for areas they thought were going to produce their winning fish. The wind was blowing quite strong but many anglers powered through it heading north to a few locations they had determined were going to produce monster fish and huge numbers. Shortly before 7, I received a text from a couple of the anglers who were at check in at 6. This is the text I received. “So we’re having breakfast lol. We saw you, we’re checked in right? We’ll come launch at your spot in ½ hour”. This sounded like a great plan to me!

By 8 am the sky had cleared up quite a bit and whitecaps could be seen out in the middle of the lake. The wind was definitely putting these anglers perseverance to the test today. It was around this time that a few of the anglers decided it was time to hit the water. I must say, that would have been my choice as well.

By this time I was already starting to get reports of a few big fish lost and the odd one landed. Although the rain did stop for us, the wind never let up and many anglers found themselves drifting back towards the launch even while anchored. This played into a few of the angler’s hands quite well as they took to bottom bouncing and trying their luck with Pickerel Rigs. While the main part of the lake was quite choppy and blowing hard, there were a few areas that were somewhat sheltered and seemed to be producing some fish.

By lunch time I had seen pictures of Pike over 31” and had seen a few anglers consistently pulling in fish. One thing that was getting to a few anglers was the number of large walleye that were being caught. Too bad they were not a species that was part of the tournament.

After lunch one angler came into shore to see his family and brought his camera over to me. He had a fish that spilled over his 36” measuring board. He had to borrow another measuring board to put under it to try to get a measurement and we were able to see it was 38”+ in the picture. We called it a 38” fish, which was his personal best, and after a short visit with his family, he headed back out to try for a few more. As the time ticked on and the 4 pm deadline loomed closer, anglers started to concede defeat and head off the water. Much to their surprise they realized they were not alone and didn’t feel quite so bad.

By the time the last angler checked in at 4 pm, there were 13 anglers with legal sized fish to enter and 18 anglers that either caught pike that were under 63cm or didn’t land a fish at all. We loaded up all the kayaks and gear and made the trek back to the Lincoln Hall for the Awards Ceremony and Door Prize Draw.

Here is a list of the 13 anglers with total inches of fish, number of fish and prize package they picked out. I might mention too that of the 13, 7 were new to the tournament and at least 4 of those were new this year to kayak fishing.

1)      Joel Gaddi – Calgary, AB – 75 ½” – 3 Pike – Kokatat Paddling Package consisting of a Bahia Tour PFD, Hydrus 3L Paddling Pants and a Tropos Otter Jacket

2)      Connie Newsham – Bentley,AB – 58½” – 2 Pike – Pentax WG3 camera

3)      Tyler Murray – Edmonton, AB – 57” – 2 Pike – $250 gift certificate from Walleye Master Bait and Tackle

4)      Jim Kind – Red Deer, AB – 54 ¼” – 2 Pike – Gamin VIRB HD Sports Camera

5)      Dave Newman – Edmonton, AB – 38” – 1 Pike – Thule Chasm bag from Aquabatics Calgary

6)      John Kessler – Calgary, AB – 32 ½” – 1 Pike – Jackfish Lures Tacklebag and Lures

7)      Alan High – Edmonton, AB – 27 ½” – 1 Pike – Werner Camano Paddle package

8)      Dan Blackburn – Morinville, AB – 27” – 1 Pike – Cortland Flyrod and Okuma Reel from the Fishin Hole, Boomerang Clippers

9)      Jordan Morgenstern – Edmonton, AB – 26 ½” – 1 Pike – Redington 4wt Fly rod, Buff and Buff Gloves

10)   Amber Serbin– Edmonton, AB – 26” – 1 Pike – Humminbird PiranhaMax 165

11)   Christy Yaseyko – Edmonton, AB – 25 ¾” – 3 Perch – Pelican GoPro case from Valhalla Pure Outfitters and Buff

12)   Mike Bownes – Red Deer, AB – 9 ¼” – 1 Perch – Superfly Fly Rod and Werner Hawg Trough

Jordan Forsythe – Edmonton, AB – 9 ¼” – 1 Perch – Cooler from Arnett & Burgess Oilfield Construction, Lures from Pelican Lures and Pelican case from Valhalla Pure Outfitters

14)   Next was the 18 way tie. The lake and fish defeated some anglers who were unable to land a single fish and other who were unable to land a pike at or over the legal size.

o   Jordan Pfeil – Fort Saskatchewan, AB – Rapala Rod and Reel

o   Catherine Lewis – Calgary, AB – Redington 5wt Outfit and Silver Tip Fly Company flies

o   Gary Hetze – Ponoka, AB – Thule Chasm bag from Aquabatics Calgary

o   Megan Seymour – Darwell, AB – Buff, Hobie Polarized Sunglasses and hat, Boomerang clippers

o   Charles Hazen  – Bentley, AB – Aquabound Manta Ray Hybrid Paddle

o   Darryl Heidt – Crystal Springs, AB – Quantum rod and reel from The Fishin Hole, Pelican case from Valhalla Pure Outfitters and Shore Lunch package

o   Eric Nelson – Calgary, AB – Glenbow Flyfishing Plaque and Dry Bag from Valhalla Pure Outfitters

o   Jay Woodbeck – Sherwood Park, AB – Cooler from Arnett & Burgess Oilfield Construction, Lures from Pelican Lures and Pelican case from Valhalla Pure Outfitters

o   Eddie Woodbeck – Edmonton, AB – Len Thompson Lure package, Werner Hat and Hawg Trough

o   Tim Norman – Edmonton, AB – Scotty Prize Pack

o   Doug Hamm – Calgary, AB – Tie Boss Straps

o   Carl Ball – Fairview, AB – Gnugen Lure Prize Pack

o   Ryan Palk – Edmonton, AB – Scotty Prize Pack

o   Allan Zilkowsky – Parksville, BC  – YakAttack Prize Pack

o   David Kessler – Airdrie, AB – Scotty Prize Pack

o   Curtis Jensen – Legal, AB – Scotty Prize Pack

o   Cody Osbourne – Edmonton, AB – Dry bag from Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Get Reeled Prize Pack, Scotty Fishing Products

o   Jason Labonte – Edmonton, AB – Dry bag from Valhalla Pure Outfitters, Get Reeled Prize Pack, Scotty Fishing Products

 

On top of this, all anglers will be receiving a digital subscription to Kayak Angler Magazine, our Official Media Sponsor!

 

The Wilderness Systems Ride 115X door prize was up next and tournament newcomer Jordan Forsythe’s number was drawn, much to the chagrin of the other 30 anglers. This might be one of those situations where no good deed goes unpunished because, Jordan was the angler that gave his measuring board to Dave Newman to measure his 38” pike. Congrats once again Jordan and I can’t wait to see pictures of you out fishing in your new kayak.

 

The event wrapped up and old friends and new friends said their goodbyes after one last photo of all the anglers.

 

Here is to another successful tournament and I hope to see you all again next year. We are going to work towards making this tournament even bigger and better next year. Keep tuned to our Facebook page Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic for all things tournament related over the next year!!

 

Tight lines

 

Mike

Pike Fishing, Prototype Testing and Beating Personal Bests

I had the opportunity to take the Canadian Sales Manager for Confluence Outdoor (parent company of Wilderness Systems and Adventure Technology Paddles among others) out fishing for Northern Pike on May 31st. When he told me he had the entire day to go out and fish, I knew right away that we would be making the 2 hour drive to Wabamun lake West of Edmonton, Alberta. Kevin arrived shortly before 8 am and we started getting his gear loaded into my truck.

My setup for the day was my Wilderness Systems Ride 135 Advance Angler with an Adventure Technology Exodus Fishstix paddle and Kevin was using his Ride 115X powered by his Adventure Technology Oracle Glass paddle. With the gear loaded and kayak strapped down on the roof, we stopped for fuel and headed out. The drive gave us time to talk a little business and a lot of fishing.

When we arrived to our launch point, we showed up to a marketing guys dream. They were having a Farmer’s Market at the small building at the launch. Needless to say we both spent a lot of time talking to people about our kayaks and the gear we were using. After all the questions were answered, we carried the kayaks to the launch and answered a few more questions. The day was absolutely beautiful. A very light, favorable, breeze was tickling the flags on the back of our kayaks and we headed out. This was the start of a great trip where we were going to test some prototype gear from Wilderness Systems and hopefully slay some monster Pike.

Within a few minutes I had my first Pike on. Not a huge beast, but a fish is a fish and the skunk was off. I managed to get a lot of casting in before Kevin was able to wet his lure. He was fighting a losing battle his his new Lowrance Elite 4 HDI sonar. Apparently it really, really liked him being in simulator or demo mode. He finally gave up and started fishing, hoping that the problem would figure it self out. Eventually it did after he turned the power off and back on. After a short time of starting to fish, Kevin had his first pike into the kayak.

We floated down the lake along the docks and piers on our way to the weedbeds further down the bay. It was the perfect day for Pike fishing. The slight breeze was blowing us in the direction we wanted to go, the sun was out, it was hot and the fish were co-operating. By the time we reached the weedbed we each had a few pike landed and released. As we were fishing the edge of the weedbed a few kayakers out for a paddle mentioned to us that they could see a lot of fish in the weedbed. Since we were both in Ride kayaks and had the ability to stand up, that we did. We paddled our kayaks like they were paddle boards into the shallow weedbed and had our minds blown. There were literally thousands of fry in there and it was full of Pike actually breeching while feasting.

We must have landed about 10 a piece in there before we decided to move on in search of some larger prey. We continued along the shoreline in a systematic process. We would fish until the bite slowed down and then move 100ish yards further along and get back into the fish. This went on for the entire day. At one point we had a little sprinkle of rain come and cool things down, but in no time at all the sun was back and it was once again toasty warm.

As we rounded the bay past the creek confluence we found a honey hole for pike and landed, roughly, 30 pike. As I was fishing the shallows I saw a big ole slob of a pike swim up and look at my hook. As much as I willed it to take it, it was just not hungry enough and swam away. Once the bite had died down, we worked our way back towards the weedbed again and found the pike once more.

Shortly after we did this, one of the kayakers from earlier came back out with a camera to go photograph some of the nesting waterfoul. Kevin and I took a breather for a while and then went back to our mission of covering our entire kayaks in Pike slime. By the time 6pm came along we easily had over 60 pike into the kayaks collectively and decided to let the wind, which was now blowing towards the launch, take us home. We had a large audience by now of homeowners sitting in their yards and on their docks. As the wind blew us back I managed to tie into 2 30 inch Pike right in front of them all while standing up in my kayak. It definitely showed them the capabilities of these fishing machines and that we didn’t need a $25,000 – $30,000 boat to have an amazing time on the water.

As we neared the launch Kevin started pitching his lure in close to the piers and boat lifters. He had one cast that threaded the needle and landed in the perfect location. As he was reeling it in, he felt the heart pounding thump of a freight train taking his lure. The fight was on. I could tell from his reaction and the bend in the rod that he was going to beat his personal best of 30″ with this fish. I reeled in my line and started to head his way when I say the bottom of the jaw of this beast break the water. I knew right then that he had a great fish. Despite the adrenaline and sheer joy of hooking into a beast, Kevin brought this big old girl in without an incident. That is when the you know what hit the fan. By this time I had paddled next to him to assist him how ever I could help. As he was trying to remove the lure from this mouth full of teeth ready to amputate a finger or two, the fish spun and flipped out of the kayak ramming the lure into Kevin’s shin on its way. Kevin grabbed the braid line and pulled the ole girl back in and did a quick damage assessment. Just a minor flesh-wound on his leg. We got the hook our and put the fish onto the bump board. She filled it and then some. She hung about 1″ over the end making her a 37″ Northern Pike and Kevin’s personal best.

Now the best part, remember that kayaker photographing birds? Well he had probably close to $1500 of equipment hanging there and was snapping pictures the whole time we caught fish on the way back. I wish I could post some of the pics we have from our cameras, since we haven’t got the pictures for  the photographer yet, but because we were testing a couple of prototypes, I can’t post them yet.

One thing I can post is a few picture of a hungry Northern Pike that will show why these aggressive predators are my favorite species.The Pike in this picture was 37″ long, same size as Kevin’s, and drowned trying to have a snack. It could be because the snack was a 5lb White Sucker that it took head on. The Sucker was so large that it got stuck and the Pike died because it could no longer get water over it’s gills due to the fact this Sucker was just too big. I pulled the sucker out and weighed it and everyone was shocked at the size of it. This just goes to show that the bigger the bait, the bigger the Pike!!

Cheers

Tight Lines and See You At The Launch

Mike

Spring Time News

Well it is now official….

I am the first Official Canadian Wilderness Systems Fishing Team member. I am very excited to be a part of such a great fishing team and to be involved such great kayak anglers. While a lot of the fish they all pursue and catch are not found in Alberta, there are some that are and many techniques and tips that I will be able to learn from them all.

Along with that I am now on the Adventure Technology Paddles Pro-Staff as well. Add in the fact that I have happily been on Scotty Fishing Products team for the past year and I have a trifecta of great sponsor for 2014. I have stood behind all these products prior to being a part of their Pro-Staff and will continue to stand behing the thop quality products they deliver.

Top all this off with the fact that my little guy is gonna be 3 this summer and already stands on the bow hatch of my Ride 135… Yep Fishing Buddy is ready!!!!

I will be heading out as soon as the season opens on May 15th and trying my luck for some big old spawning pike and try to break in a few new rods and lures. Along with that is the fact that my brother is flying out during that time for work, I might have to take him out to Wabamun Lake and get him his first Northern Pike.

I have already started working with a few suppliers on testing out products for kayak fishing and let me tell you, this is gonna be a great year. I am excited to have a couple of Garmin cameras to try out on the water this year and shoot some amazing videos. I can’t give an in-depth write-up yet, but from what I have played with so far, these are amazing cameras and will be a great asset for kayak anglers. I have also been privy to a few up and coming prototype from Wilderness systems and let me tell you that Wilderness Systems did not spend the winter hiding from snow. They have been hammering out a ton of new products and I can’t wait until they start arriving for consumer use.

Also this year I have taken on Tournament Director responsibilities for the Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic and it is already shaping up to be a banner year. So many things to talk about but too many other things to get done today.

Don’t forget to renew your fishing licenses and get out on the water as soon as you are able.

My mission this year is one I hope many others take up as well. I am committed to introduce a ton of new people to kayak fishing and I plan on taking at least 4-6 kids out kayak fishing to show them how much fun can be had close to home.

 

Tight lines and see you at the launch

 

Mike

Gearing up for the season

Well with the winter slowly starting to creep away it is once again time for all of us kayak anglers to start getting our boats ready for the start of the open water fishing season. This also happens to coincide with Tradshow season!!!! I was recently at the Calgary Sportsmen Show working with the great at folks at Aquabatics Calgary and Wilderness Systems Fishing Kayaks. We had a Ride 135 Advanced Angler and a Tarpon 120 both rigged and ready to fish on display for everyone to look over.

We talked to a ton of people and peeked a lot of interest in the Wilderness Systems Fishing Kayaks. We had 2 gentlemen come by the booth who were instantly in love with the Ride 135, they even brought a few friends by to take a look at it and try to help us sell them a kayak or two.

By the end of the 4 day show we had taken 6 deposits for new Wilderness Systems kayaks and had numerous others wanting to come into the store to check out the whole line.

I had the chance to speak with a gentleman from Lowrance and discuss the DSI models, now HDI, of their combo GPS/Sonar units and how great they were for kayak fishing. We shared photos of screen shots of some interesting items found underwater. His was a tug boat that a friend found off the coast, mine was a 5 foot tall mermaid sitting on the bottom of Hubbles lake near Edmonton, Alberta.

Next stop will be the Edmonton Sportsmen Show where I will be working at securing some more sponsors for our 4th Annual Eastslope Kayak Fishing Classic and visitng with current sponsors and product companies I work with. I am eager to see the new gear from Scotty and hopefully will be able to get my kayak on display with them.

The end of March will bring the Outdoor Adventure Show in Calgary where I have been asked to put on a couple demos with my Ride 135 in the pool demostrating Stand Up Kayak Fishing Techniques. While this sounds like it will be a lot of fun, sadly it won’t be!!!! I have been told that there will be no fish in the pool… What a sad state of affairs. LOL. I do plan on taking some time during these demos to go over a few re-entry techniques and demonstrate how to flip your kayak back over and get back in it. It should be a lot of fun and hopefully while peeking more interest in the Wilderness Systems Kayaks, I can also raise awareness for proper kayak safety.

Hope to see some of you there.

Tight lines and see you on the water.

Mike

Harmony Scupper Cart

I had the fortune of meeting up with Kevin Henderson with Confluence Watersports (Wilderness Systems, Harmony Gear, Bombergear) a few weeks back on the lake pike fishing. We shared stories and experiences on the lake and discussed our love of the new Wilderness Systems Ride 135 Advance Angler. It is a phenomenal fishing platform and stable beyond belief. The only issue I have is moving it around on dry land. I have a strap on cart that I got from Fishing Claus a few years ago and loved it, except it was a pain in the rear to attach to the kayak without a few choice words and dumping the kayak on it’s side a few times.

Kevin asked me what I was hauling my Ride 135 around on, and I said as of now nothing. I was always driving my vehicle down to the water and unloading everything there then driving my truck back to the parking lot. He mentioned to me that Harmony Gear was bringing out a new Scupper Cart and offered me the chance to try it out and see how I liked it.

My first experience using it was this past weekend at Medicine Lake. We reserved a great pull through campsite that allowed for our truck and trailer and my in-laws truck and camper to be parked together. It’s a beautiful lake side lot, with one downfall. It is a 60 foot walk from the truck to the shoreline, with 40′ of that being downhill. There is a drop in elevation of probably 15 feet, so I figured this would put the cart to the test.  Although this doesn’t look bad, this the hill part of the walk to the lake. Nice graveled trail and fairly level, with a few roots. I unloaded the kayaks and gear and started to get ready to try out the new cart, but my gear tester wanted to check it over first and make sure that it would track straight.

Both the poles and rest are padded with foam to prevent damage to the kayak and the tires are solid core foam to prevent flats. It is amazingly light and fully adjustable to accommodate pretty much any arrangement of scupper holes.

My first test was on dry land, it was the easiest cart I have ever used. A simple lift of the kayak and the cart slid easily under the back of it and into the rear tankwell scupper holes. It immediately sat straight and I didn’t have to fight with a strap to try and secure the cart in place. Already I was starting to see the advantages of this cart over my other one. Add in the fact that the kayak was ready to head to the lake in 15 seconds, I knew I was about to pension off the old one.

 

The cart easily stores in the tankwell by simply flipping it over and setting it in the scupper holes. The wheels pop off so the cart can be stored in many hatches or in the rear tankwell.

The real test was yet to come! I took my strap on cart and attached in to the kayak (fully loaded and ready to fish) while it was in the water, it took 2 minutes to get it setup and another 2 minutes leveling the kayak on the cart once it was on. Then I tried the same cart out once I had the kayak beached, it took close to the same amount of time. 4 minutes and a prayer that the strap was placed right to prevent it from slipping and moving while I was pulling the yak.

Next was the new Harmony cart. In the water it took 10-15 seconds to get it in place and I was walking up the launch with my kayak. I rolled it back into the water, took the cart off and beached my kayak. Putting the cart under it took maybe 30 seconds and I was heading up the hill to my trailer. The kayak pulled super easy and tracked very well.

All in all I would have to say that this is the best cart I have used and with the padded rest to take the weight off the scuppers, I think this cart should be on the wish list for every sit in top kayak angler.

Huge thanks to Kevin Henderson and Confluence Watersports for the great product, this is one piece of demo gear that will be staying safe and sound with me. Keep an eye out for this product coming to a paddling store near you.

 

Tight lines and see you at the launch.

Mike

Cow Lake Pike Fishing

I got the chance to go kayak fishing with a good friend and long time fishing buddy. We decided to head out pike fishing, we just had to decide where to go. That decision was made for us when one of Hoang’s friends sent him a picture of a 14lb pike caught out of Cow Lake. I loaded the kayaks and gear into the truck and headed off to pick him up. We made the hour drive to the lake and got the boats ready to fish.

Hoang headed out on the water while I finished rigging up my new rods. Within 10-15 mins we found a great spot along the shore where the weeds had formed a floating bog. This floatilla had an undercut on it so it made for the perfect ambush location for the pike. We started throwing lures as close the edge as we could and within minutes Hoang had the first pike of the trip on, a feisty hammer handle critter.

Normally I am happy for anyone I am fishing with to get one on the line, but we had a little wager going for first, most, biggest and last. So I was already down $2. Oh well time to fish on and hope for the best. I had a few hard strikes but failed to seal the deal. In no time at all Hoang had another on the line. This time is was a decent 23″ well fed pike. Just as he was starting to gloat, I cast a large floating Rapala crankbaits right on the edge of the weeds. I had an instant strike but no hook up. Within 5′ of retrieval there was another strike, buy this one didn’t get away. My first pike of the season was on.

Hoang managed to get this great pic of me bringing in my first pike. I was rather happy at that moment because my pike was 24.75″ and I was in the lead for the biggest fish.

Not to be outdone, Hoang tied into another fish to help secure his “most” wager. This fish looked decent and now I had to measure it on the bump board, CRAP!!!  24.75″ as well. So much for me being in the lead for biggest!

I managed to land another pike, 23″, making me only one fish down from being tied for most. After a while I paddled back upwind and casted another perfect cast right on the edge of the weeds. As soon as the lure hit the water there was a splash and strike, but no fish!!! Two more strikes on the retrieve with no luck. Then finally I was able to set the hook on the fourth strike. This fish was definitely bigger than the last 2. As soon as I got it close enough to the kayak to see I knew if was over 25″. I landed the fish and measured it. 27″!!!! Score, I was now tied for most and had the biggest. That was the last pike we landed on our trip so another score for me. I was now $2 richer and had a great time fishing with a good friend.

The pike itch has returned and I will keep heading out to scratch it all season long.

Tight lines and see you at the launch.

Mike

2013 Wilderness Systems Ride 135 Advance Angler Rigging

After using my kayak for a float down the Bow River I was finally ready to start rigging it up for the upcoming fishing season. I wanted to make sure this bad boy would handle a day of trout fishing and also a day of hard core pike fishing. I wanted to make sure that I addressed the need for silence while out fishing so I added some Silent Traction to the front of my kayak next to the front paddle keeper.

I also added it to the standing platform and to the gunwales to help keep the noise down.

Since I usually have a crate, cooler or tub of some sort in the rear tankwell, I strategically placed more Silent Traction in there to keep the noise down and to stop unnecessary rubbing.

I mounted a few small sections of the new Scotty Track onto the center console in order to be able to mount cameras, rod holders etc. within reach. With the Gear Head Track Adapters I am now able to quickly move gear from the side Slide Trax to the center console with a simple turn of the head and sliding it into the new track.

I mounted my Lowrance Elite 5 DSI onto a Scotty post with a 1/4″ piece of HDPE for a base. I used the Lowrance Scupper transducer mount for my transducer and still needed a good system for my power. I settled on the Scotty Downrigger plug and receptacle. This would allow me to easily unplug the fishfinder and remove my transducer if needed and still have a water tight hull. I coiled up all the loose cables and tied them off to a small piece of HDPE I attached to the Scotty rod holder that came with the boat. Using this system I am able to take this unit off my kayak and use it on any other boat. I purchased an extra receptacle and mounted it on a water tight box with a Scotty deck mount on the lid to make this unit portable.

I added some foam to the sides of my new Phase 3 AirPro elevated seat. This will allow me to place lures and flies to dry or for quick access for those locations where I am finding the need to change lures often.

I purchased 2 sheets of 1/4″ HDPE to use to make some custom crates and other additions to my kayak. I took measurements of the tankwell on my Ride and got to work making a custom crate. I mounted 2 pieces of PVC in the crate angled slightly back to keep rods or nets in. I mounted a tool rack to the front of it to hold pliers, scissors and hook remover. On either side of the rack I mounted more of the foam for lures and flies. I mounted eyelets on the sides towards the back with short bungees to hold the back down. On the front I mounted J-clips to the sides to allow me to use the existing bungees on the tankwell to hold the front down.

My kayak is now ready to get out and enjoy the warm weather that is here and hopefully a lot of great memories will be made in this new toy with my friends and family on the water.

First Brown Trout and First Bow River Float

April 26/2013I got the chance to go float the BowRiver for the first time with fellow Canadian Kayak Angler Team Member, Stephen Laurie. That morning I picked up my new Wilderness Systems Ride 135 Advance Angler from my sponsor Aquabatics Calgary and I couldn’t wait to get this beautiful kayak out on the river to get some fish slime on it. After spending some time talking with Simon at Aquabatics, I headed out to the launch like a giddy schoolgirl. After a short drive down 22X I hit Range Road 274 and made my way down to McKinnon Flats. Stephen was already there and getting his yak ready to go. After gearing up my kayak, I parked my truck and we hit the water. It was a nice warm day but quite windy so I opted to leave the fly gear in the truck and try my luck with my light weight spinning gear. Within 10 minutes of being on the water I had my first strike. Although I missed the fish I was excited to see that the fish were active. For this trip I was using the new camo Angler Pro paddle , and I also decided to try my new Limited Edition “A” Series canoe paddle from Bending Branches since it had just arrived. I figured it would work great for positioning my kayak on the flowing river and from the first paddle stroke I fell in love with it. Both of these paddles from Bending Branches exceeded my expectations. The Pro Angler easily powered my 13.5′ kayak through the river. With the ovalized grips, laminated fiberglass blades and the integrated measuring tape on the shaft, it proved to be a great paddle for me. The Limited Edition “A” Series paddled like no other canoe paddle I have ever used. With the double bend shaft, ergonomic palm grip and angled blade this paddle worked amazing on the river. I was almost scared to use this beautiful looking paddle, but because it has rockguard around the edge of the blade, use it I did!! LOL. We casted and paddled our way down the river for a few hours then decided to pull off and have a snack and stretch our legs. The sun disappeared behind some clouds and it was time to throw another layer on.   We floated along for a while until we found a spot that the fish were seeming to lay up in. Between the 2 of us we had 5 fish on and landed 2. I managed to land my first Brown Trout on my first float on the Bow River. At 18.75″ I was very happy and the entire trip just proved to be amazing. The float lasted us about 6 hours and covered some beautiful country. It is definitely on my list to do again and hopefully I will be able to float it with good friends and fellow kayak anglers again soon. Here is a link to a video I made about the trip. Tight Lines and see you at the launch. Mike Zilkowsky – Pikeyaker