June was soggy here in Massachusetts - It just kept raining and raining, and sometimes it felt like the monsoon season… -It was also another spectacular month for us, as we sold in it more than twice as many boats as we sold in June of last year.
The second quarter of 2009 (April-June) was fabulous too - we sold more W kayaks in it than in the first half of 2008.
As for the first half of 2009 (January-June), we sold as many boats in this period as we did in the entire year 2008.
It’s hard to tell what’s been causing this continuous increase, but we think it’s basically because more people realize that our W kayaks offer real advantages over ordinary kayaks, for which there is a growing sense of disillusionment. It’s also possible that more people feel comfortable with buying online, especially from a company like Wavewalk that’s been around long enough, and can show a high level of customer satisfaction.
The W500 kayak series we launched two months ago is a best seller, with a high level of customer satisfaction.
Traffic to our website was another record broken this month, with 16,835 unique visitors.
Note that our W kayaks sell in the upper tier of the price range for kayaks, which should have really hurt our sales, as normally high-priced products and services suffer more in times of economic recession.
And just for comparison, here are US Canoe and Kayak Market Statistics for 2006-2008:
Source: National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)
We didn’t find data that suggest an improvement in this market during the first half of 2009, and we did find information pointing to further deterioration.
It’s time for another look at this style of bait and the rigging that works best. I just got back from another of the McGovern family trips to Canada fishing Lake of the Woods. As with the last three years, the Redfish Magic type lures caught the vast majority of the fish for everyone. Even folks not in our group, who we had told about the lures years back, were using them with equal success. It did not even matter what species of fish — northern pike, muskie, walleye, and smallmouth bass all succumbed to these baits. If you have not tried this type of lure (especially if you live in the northern areas), don’t do it unless you are prepared to catch fish after fish.
I’ve gotten to the point where I build them as required from available rigging. But if you chose to tear open a Redfish Magic and use it straight from the package, that’s fine too. They are considered saltwater bait. The original design is called a jig spinner. The first of its type was the Beetle Spin, which you can read about in another article here on this site. Redfish Magic was intended to be a heavy weight version to catch redfish in US coastal inshore waters. It works very well as intended, but when you transition to freshwater, it works even better. The lure is two sections: a jig spinner harness with a blade swivel combo, a safety pin type clasp, and then a jig head which attaches to the clasp. The jig head can be adorned with a variety of trailers from plastic to bucktail. You can vary the weight of the presentation by simply going to a lighter or heavier jig head.
Rigging properly gets the most out of this style lure. I avoid the use of as much hardware as possible for this bait. My preferred method of use is to tie a leader to my main line first. Last week in Canada, it was 15 lb fluorocarbon for 8lb mono line and 20lb fluorocarbon for heavier lines. The leader is attached to the main line using a four turn surgeon’s knot. The lure is tied to the leader using a canoeman’s loop knot. Both those knots can be found and explained here in this site, as well. Most important, before tying on the lure, is to put a small section of 1/8 inch ID clear plastic tubing over the “R” bend of the shaft. This creates a closed attachment loop and prevents the leader loop from sliding onto the shaft of the harness. It also adds a movement or articulation point so the bait has more action in the water. With zero hardware (metal leaders, snaps, and swivels), you will catch more fish. The fluorocarbon leader is tough enough for even toothy fish like pike and muskie.
Our success with this type of lure and rigging is unbelievable. When we introduce it to other anglers, they are a bit skeptical. However, after they make the first attempt, they are solidly hooked. What’s funny is how this usually happens. We talk about the bait and even show pictures. They smile and say “Hey, that’s great!” and give the lure to their kids to try first. You know– too simple, only one hook, great for kids– all that sort of thing. Then, on the first day with it on the water, they are right back casting their expensive baits with loads of gang trebles on them. Of course, the kids are just catching fish right and left with Redfish Magics, while the adults pull in empty lures. By about 10AM, and who knows how much bribery, everyone is fishing them. When the group heads in for the day, the live well is full and there are some great shots in the camera.
For those of you reading this with a little skepticism, I understand. The lure is cheaper than most and does not have flashy lights or a super realistic finish. Put that aside and buy some–you won’t be disappointed. Follow the rigging instructions and make sure you have strong arms for all the pulling you will be doing. The best places to find them in the south are places that sell saltwater tackle. In the north, you can find them online in the saltwater lure sections of fishing gear stores and catalogs.
Tim Kerr is a kayaker, and member of a kayaking club in Buffalo, New York. He came to West Newton, Massachusetts, tested the W500, and ordered one right away. Here is his review:
Buffalo, New York. June 29, 2009
The Wavewalk W500 has allowed me to return to the water!
After suffering from sciatica that developed after using my single hull kayak earlier this year, I searched for a more comfortable boat. Not only did I find the Wavewalk, I was immediately taken with its unique design that allows people like me with degenerative disk disease (I’m fifty-one) to lay back and rest, sit up straight or even stand and stretch out.
Kayaking is not for everyone but the Wavewalk opens the door for so many people that may have tried the sport and then gave it up because it just plain hurts their back. I’ve got a crushed disk that hates it when I stick my legs forward and then try to paddle as in a single hulled boat. The “saddle” combined with the twin hulls in the Wavewalk is a great invention.
I took the boat into the inner harbor in Buffalo. I didn’t try to lift it myself, I’ve got to be careful about such things. I brought along two extra items, a little waterproof pad to sit on, and a camera box on a leash. Attached are some pictures taken on my second day out. I spent the entire morning in the boat without back pain. The next day I was fine–no sciatica.
PS, I drove nine hundred miles in two days to try this boat, to be sure it was right. I’m glad I bought it. I’m “back” in the water again…
Tim Kerr
Tim beaching and getting out the W way: From the front, and without getting his feet wet
-”Took the W500 out on the Farmington River in Connecticut today, and hit some flooded back waters.
Waters are very high and fast with all this rain, so my target was to get into some back waters that were not easy to get to when water levels are low.”
-”I had to cross some pretty fast water to get to the opening of a cove, W500 tracked great, and paddling cross the current was a breeze.”
-”As I got to the back of the small cove, I could see where I needed to enter.
Paddling under trees, and over some logs, then over a fallen tree to get into and out of this hidden gem.
I had the whole place to myself, and landed a few nice fish, nothing to really brag about, just new water exploring at it’s best.”
-”I was in water less then 6″ at times, paddling through with no problems at all.
The W500 handled like a champ, I included a video of me leaving the back water cove and going over the logs and tree to head back to my launch point.”
-”Thanks again for this wonderful fishing machine,
-”We just got back from Huntsville State Park, about 45 minutes north of Houston. It is home to Lake Raven, a beautiful, serene and clean lake. We camped overnight there (warm night) and went kayaking this morning. Here are a couple of clips. We tried fishing, but it’s so much fun paddling & trolling that it’s mostly what we did. I even stood up while trolling and got a few stares.. At least 7 people asked me “What is it?” and I told them…”
-”This 4th of July weekend, we will be going down to the coast to try it in the bays. I can’t wait to see how it does in the surf & small waves/wakes from boats and oh, maybe do some fishing.. Will keep you posted. Noel”
Robert Fisher is a kayak fisherman from Texas who bought his first W kayak in 2007 - It was a W300 model in today’s terms. A few weeks ago Robert ordered a second fishing kayak for himself, and this time it was a W500. Here is what Robert wrote us:
-”I have had my new W500 kayak out 4 times. The first time was just to see if there was a difference from the older Wavewalk, the next three times it was used to go fishing.”
-”The new W kayak seems to move through the water easier at higher speeds and in a straight line than the old one, it is more stable and easier to stand up in. The extra room is a welcome advantage.
I am 66 years old and am retired, so I use it to go fishing in 2 to 3 times per week.
The only negative I have found is it’s turning radius is larger than the old Wavewalk, this is probably due to the extra length of the W500, but I think with a little more use, that will become unimportant.
It is my opinion that more seniors should look at the W kayak as a source of exercise and entertainment. It is a great source of recreation.
Robert Fisher”
-”I am enjoying both of the W kayaks, but I really do prefer the W500.
I am taking the W300 to Indiana to leave with my son for my use while I am vacationing there.”
Noel put his design engineering skills to action, and came up with this perfect motorized W500 fishing kayak:
-”Problem solved with the trolling motor steering. I rotated the handle 90 degrees outward, turned around in my seat, so now the trolling motor is in the back. With this setup, you can turn at will, see the (cellphone) pics & video.”
-”My son Rainier also took it out for a spin and he’s very comfortable with it too.”
-”Sorry about the video quality, will have to do better…
Also getting more used to the weight/balance of the boat; standing is almost natural now and the boat does not feel tippy, unless I take my son in it with the trolling motor mounted. It then becomes a little top heavy. 1 person is best with the motor/battery mounted.”
-”The motor mount consists of a 2 ft long treated wood, 1×6 base & a 2×4 upright mounted with stiffening brackets from Lowes. Used 4x 1/4″-20 bolts x 3″ long with fender/spring washers/nut. Drilled 4x 3/8″ holes in the hull to allow for flex, then bolted from inside using another piece of 4″ wide 1×6, thus sandwiching the thickness of the HDPE hull between the pieces of 2×4. This, I hope, will prevent the holes in the hull from tearing out. I’ve run aground twice so far at the bank at v. low speed and it held without any problems or getting loose.”
-”Check out the anchor mount quick release set up, I don’t fish shallow water so this comes in handy. I don’t usually let the anchor hang as shown in one of the pictures, as it creates additional drag; I just pull it into the boat; it’s a 3.5 lb folding anchor.”
-”For the paddle holder, I took closet hanger wire and bent it to fit, it works great; simple solution.
Jeff McGovern is in Canada with his family, on their annual fishing trip.
-”Here is a picture of my brother and I with the largest pike I have ever caught. I would love to have battled this beast out of a W kayak. The Emmrod I used is the one my brother is holding.”
-”I have gone out a few times in my new W500. This weather has really taken a toll on me. If all goes well, next summer I may go down for a guided river trip in the W500. That should open some eyes to the W500.
As far as speed goes, though I couldn’t keep up the pace for too long, I bet I could paddle as fast as my 30# trolling motor moves my other yak. I really like paddling the W500, and I am still so amazed at the changes in it, at how much it has increased the stability of this craft.”
-”I hope to get together with a few fishermen soon, again, once they try it, they are gonna be wishing they had one.
I have everything ready to go for the motor, just not ready to add it yet.”
-”I am going to hit the salt with some fellow Connecticut kayak fishermen, just waiting on the weather for that. And if I enjoy the salt with the W500 as much as I do in the fresh waters, I might not add the motor at all.
At our local kayak fishing club we hold a Childerns fishing derby, I will be bringing my W300 and W500 to that.
I’ll send a full report on the event.
Rox”
John Fabina’s report from his inspiring kayak fishing trip in Michigan Upper Peninsula:
-”I spent time on two rivers in two days. Fishing started slow the first day but picked up the second day. The W made it possible for me to take a small entrance off the main river and find a beaver lodge. There was a nice deep hole by the lodge. I caught quite a variety in this honey hole. Smallmouth bass, perch, northern pike, and my first walleye landed on the W which was 18″. I lost one the same size the day before alongside the boat, I forgot my landing net. I was also able to sneak up on a deer, and snap a photo. My W truly made this an enjoyable and successful trip.”
John’s camo W300 at rest on the river bank
-”When I returned from my fishing trip Jeanne’s new W300 had arrived. Thanks for the extras. She is very much looking forward to getting on the water.More photos to come of Jeanne’s new W,
John”
Nice perch
John’s ‘built-in’ fish-measuring ruler
Same applied for measuring walleye
Good size smallmouth being welcome on board
John’s integrated water bottle holder (this is not a covert ad!)…
-”Received the boat without issue. Tried it out yesterday with my grandson. It has been awhile since I have done any paddling so at first all was a little awkward. Once I got the feel of it, he and I paddled about quite well. Look forward to more adventures soon!
-”I can’t say enough good things about the WW. When I washed it down yesterday, I flipped it over to get the water out of the hulls, and fully expected that some water would remain in the cockpit rim, but sure enough there was none; and then I noticed the drain hole in each end…also the hulls are sloped so that all the water will drain out of the boat when flipped over on the grass! As a design engineer, I appreciate those little thoughtful features that Wavewalk has incorporated…most excellent!”
-”Had an awesome father’s day on the water with the family and the WW.”
-”My son Rainier is a natural kayaker, and is paddling standing, sitting, fishing sideways, turning in circles, reversing, stopping, actually landing at the launch point where we put in, he is already well on his way.”
-”We had a lot of people watching today, taking pictures and passing cars were honking as they went past, it was great!”
-”I mounted a trolling motor, anchor, battery box and crate with fishing rods.. See the attached pictures.
With the trolling motor mounted in the front (I reversed the trolling motor handle to point towards me), at the 3 setting, it was moving along pretty quick. On the 5 setting, I was leaving a good size wake! Steering was a different matter though, as I kept doing S-turns or going in a circle no matter what I did with the trolling motor. I think it has to do with the flow channeling effect and the prop wash between and against the hulls. The reverse on the trolling motor is very poweful, so I’m just going to turn around in my seat & operate it like that for now. That will negate the hull effect, as I was able to steer very well in reverse.”
-”The battery location is critical. On the saddle, it makes the WW top heavy, esp. with 2 people on board and stability/balance became tricky. I moved it to the right hull, moved the anchor itself to the left hull and it stabilized. After that it was smooth trolling!
In between tryouts, my wife Nini happened to notice a Mayfly next to her, so I picked it up & took a picture.. now that’s a perfect fly fishing picture.. a mayfly & the WW!”
-”I played around with the moving (side mounted on pulleys) anchor trolley this morning again and could not figure out a way to easily stop the rope once the anchor hit bottom (and still be able to operate the trolley), so I bought an anchor stop & mounted it between the hulls in the rear, it works great, as I can release the anchor & haul it up real quick, and I have full control of the rope. I bought this in the boat section of (all places) Walmart.”
Noel Mascarenhas is a kayak fisherman from Texas, who just got his new W500 fishing kayak. Here is his ‘first impression’ review of it:
-”We christened the W500 today, it was awesome. At first it took some getting used to on balance as my son 12 and myself went, but once we got the hang of it, it was like learning to ride a bike, then it was easy. My buddy who is 250 lbs tried it with his daughter (around 60-70 lbs) and he liked it too. I’ve been sending pics of my kayak to a lot of people and everyone is impressed with it.
I have only paddled a canoe once in the past and I was surprised at how easy it is to paddle the wavewalk.
Here are some pics, we just returned from the lake..
Thanks for a great product. I did notice that the pontoons deflect outward with more weight, which is normal.
Ben Ciliberto is a kayak carp fisherman from Pennsylvania, who got his first W300 last year, and this year ordered two more…
Ben doesn’t like to sit at all in his kayak - He prefers to stand up as much as possible, and that’s why he designed and built this amazing stand-up fishing rig.
Says Ben: -”The rig is great for stability, getting in and out, a rail to grab if you get tipsy, and holds everything - I’ve completed it on all three W kayaks now—third one in half the time.”
John Fabina from Wisconsin sent this great two-day kayak fishing report:
-”I had a chance to slip up to Northern Wisconsin and try river fishing. It was still a little chilly and the fish didn’t seem very aggressive yet. We did manage to catch a few but no trophies.”
“It was a great trip down the remote river. Again the W300 opened up new opportunities. It was the most comfortable four hour float trip I ever took. ”
“It was very easy to get out on the bank of the river, spots that I wouldn’t have had a chance to get out with my old kayak.”
“Spending more time standing and fishing is becoming more second nature for me. The second day was spent on a nearby flowage. Again hours of comfortable fishing thanks to the W300! Can’t wait till my next trip. John F.”
May was a wonderful month at Wavewalk. We broke our own all-time record in the number of boats ordered with a strong double digit growth, and our website logged over 16,000 unique visitors.
The W500 is a hit, and it’s currently more popular than the W300.
This time, Wayne created a set of wheels for his fishing kayak:
-”I have made a transporter for my wavewalk when I need one.
I took an old hand truck, cut its handle, base and wheels off, and rotated the wheels with the braces re-welded into position. I also added to eye bolts and bought a wench ratchet strap, and repainted same. It works beautifully better than I thought it would.”
Norm Craig from Rhode Island owns a W500 fishing kayak (see his kayak review), and he sent us some new ideas for rigging:
-”Went fishing and wildlife watching this morning. Took a pic of my big W to show ya a few Ideas:
Rod or paddle holder made out of closet shelving: Cut the shelving 3 rods wide, bend to your liking, and bend it to clip under the lip of cockpit. EASY……No riveting ,movable, and easy on and off.
Old canoe seat I had modified: Nylon strap cut to length. Stitch in 2 round 1″key holders, hook to clips on Yak. Slide seat back and forth for back adjustment . To beach Yak unhook rings, slide seat back and off ya go. EASY
Find a car console that you like (about $5.00), get some gorilla glue and a foam floor mat. Cut the mat to the bottom of the console, glue as many pieces as it takes to be even with the bottom of the console. Make two 7″ strips out of the foam mat, 1 1/4″high, 1″ thick. Glue to bottom of console spacing, so they will fit into slits on kayak seat.
Nice and snug , easy on and off - use it if you like.
I was at a nice kayak shop today watching people cramming themselves into $2,000 kayaks. Oh my back felt bad just watching. I didn’t say anything but I wanted to.
It seems most kayak fishermen have gotten used to rigging their fishing kayaks with a milk crate attached behind the cockpit.
If you happen you own a SOT fishing kayak, rigging it with a milk crate would make sense, since SOT kayaks are basically hyped paddle boards that offer too little storage space and no real cockpit. Sit-in fishing kayaks offer a little more in this aspect, but not enough to drop the idea of adding a milk crate.
However, if you own a W fishing kayak, you may want to reconsider the pros and cons of adding a milk crate -
The only obvious pro that we can think of is that rigging your yak is fun, and attaching a milk crate to the top of a W kayak is an easy project that delivers immediate visual results…
And here are the arguments against rigging your W fishing kayak with a milk crate:
1. When launching, a milk crate would block your natural way into the cockpit from the back side of the boat. This means you might have to get in from the side, and possibly step in water. Keeping your feet dry is one of those little pleasures you can afford with a W kayak, so why give it up if you don’t have to?
2. A milk crate catches wind, which can become a problem if there’s lots of it blowing around and you happen to be tired, and have a long way to paddle - A milk crate on top of a kayak demands more efforts from the paddler. Windage is essentially a tracking problem, and since W kayaks track better than SOT and sit-in kayaks they are less prone to windage issues, but nevertheless - it’s something to keep in mind.
3. Why store anything behind you, on top of the W kayak hulls, when there’s so much space available inside the W kayak cockpit and in its hull tips - within arm’s reach? It’s like attaching your luggage to your car’s rear bumper instead of just putting it in the trunk, or in the passengers compartment. The W500 offers 14 cubic ft or internal storage space, which is more than any kayak ever would, and probably more than you could ever use … -so why not use it?
4. SOT and sit-in kayaks have a very low deck - close to the water. Kayak fishermen who fish in salt water prefer to keep their reels as high as possible, away from the salt water, and they attach tube rod holders to their yak’s milk crate. This adds almost a foot of distance, and saves them some problems. However, the W kayak hull tips are normally higher, and you can protect your fishing rods by storing them inside the cockpit when launching, so there isn’t that much of a necessity for you to use a milk crate. Besides, you can rig the W kayak stern with deck mounted rod holders that pivot to any direction you want, and will position your fishing rods higher above water surface.
5. The milk crate adds weight to your fishing kayak. It’s not really important for paddling, but it could be for carrying it. It’s not that much, unless you’re tired and have to carry the kayak a long distance. The same is true when you have to cartop your kayak.
Will keep you posted. Noel”
John’s camo W300 at rest on the river bank
