My yak

Just noticed this new "Kayak Anglers Forum":-). Nice! And here is mine:

My kayak is a Wilderness Systems TARPON 100 (a 10-footer SOT: Sit-on-Top) since I started kayak fishin' in 2013 (so it has been with me for 6 seasons).

If it is not the ice fishin' season, then it is kayak fishing season for me! I kayak fish for Simcoe laker/whitefish (almost exclusively off BBP) when they are open from mid May to end of September. Else I kayak fish for Simcoe perch mostly (and again almost exclusively off Lefroy/4th Line, Innisfil).

The first season I got the yak back in 2013, and in September of that year, I was fishin' for salmon off Duffins Creek/Lake Ontario on my yak with a buddy, and when we were returning to shore at night (after 10:00PM) strong wind/waves picked up, and before I knew it my yak flipped over, and I was in water in total darkness! I lost two sets of rods and reels, a box of lures, a digital camera, and a corporate/company-issued cellphone, etc (I didn't realy lose the digital camera nor the cellphone in the water, but they both got submerged in water, and were completely dead)

Right after that encounter/mishap, I bought and installed SCOTTY kayak stabilizer, and I have never managed to flip the yak again, including at least a few times when I fished deep water off BBP alone when wind was at least over 35KM/H (when I didn't even find/see any big boat the entire time while I was on the water:-)

I have landed way more laker/whitefish on my yak than on hard water:-)

I also use SCOTTY kayak anchor mount for putting down/pulling up anchor.

I now use a LOWRANCE ELITE-7Ti fishfinder on the yak that I also use for hardwater/ice fishing.

I also have a VHF marine radio with me on the yak, just in case (and finally before end of last year I managed to take course and exam, and received my Maritime Radio Operator Certificate (ROC-M).

I use MILWAUKEE M18 18V battery, plus MILWAUKEE M18 Power Source (an adapter) that converts the battery's 18V to output 12V and USB 5V at the same time to power/charge my fishfinder, VHF marine radio, and cellphone, etc.

I have a BIG Canadian flag on the yak for increased visibility (ever since two years ago on Simcoe when I was fishing and anchored down on my yak, and was hit hard from behind by a BIG boat!)

Wow ! Your really set up. Impressive

The Cadillac of yaks. Cadillyak! Nice outfit James

Dave

Very nice kayak James and reading the story.. WOW!

I knew about the mishap on Lake O, but not about getting bumped by a boat.

Thanks for the summary and story of your yak adventures.

I like your setup and one day hope to also be yaking.

It looks like a great set up. I have the tarpon 120. How did you attach the scotty stabilizer to your kayak?

The Scotty stabilizer comes with a pair of Scotty Side Deck Mounting Bracket that I just screw to kayak...

Really nice setup. You are crazy though, 35K winds, just sent a shiver up my back. I won't take my boat out in that, but good for you as long as you know what you are doing you probably get more fish than I do.

Amazing rig, I've been out on a JK Cuda 14 and it could really use some stabilizers.

What you consider them a necessity for someone bass fishing on Lake Simcoe? Say if I wanted to get from the south end of Kempenfelt Bay to the north side? With so much boat activity/traffic, I can imagine the swells that could flip a kayak.

Well, stabilizers certainly help. Ever since (6 years ago) I installed stabilizers on my kayak I have been out on water on the kayak over 200 times I am sure, and I never had the kayak flipped over again.