It’s not often that a major, mainstream fishing magazine reports the fact we offer something new, useful and exciting to the fishing world.
Mike Genoun, the editor of Florida Sport Fishing magazine published this short news story in the New Products section of the magazine’s March issue (paper):
Thanks Mike!
Donavan Campbell is a W kayak stream fisherman from North Carolina, who contributed a fishing kayak review of his W300.
His wheel system offers the advantages of being low-cost, simple, easy to make, and lightweight for carrying on board. It’s all-terrain, and easy to attach to the kayak.
-”Wanted to pass along pictures of the wheel system my dad and I created for the W300.
We utilized a 1/2″ aluminum tube as an axle inside a 3/4″ aluminum tube, attached plastic wheels and mounted (drilled through both tubes) aluminum shelf brackets as guides and as a place to attach the bungee.
Important thing to me was keeping the weight to a minimum (complete set weighs about 3lbs) because when you river fish, where you put in is not where you get out; the wheel system goes with you.
Additionally no ball bearings or anything that would rust as the wheel spins on a plastic bushing, the axle does not turn.
Has proven to be very stable and quick to attach and detach. Everything was purchased at Lowes Hardware for little less than $50.
No problem maneuvering any terrain now.
I imagine in a couple of years the plastic bushings and wheel will need to be replaced but this is a minimal investment. Hope someone finds this helpful.
–Donavan”
Following Rox’ recommendation, we tested the clamp-mounted rod holder from Tite-Lok, and decided to add it to our selection of optional rod holders.
The advantages we see in this rod holder are:
1. Versatility - You can mount and dismount it within seconds, and change its location along the cockpit’s spray deflector. Both vertical and horizontal angles are easily adjustable.
2. Quality - This device is built to last.
The Tite-Lok 5615 clamp mounted rod holder attached to a W500 fishing kayak’s spray deflector.
The Tite-Lok clamp mount rod holder viewed separately from the kayak
Note that the clamp offers two different attachment spots fro the rod holder: on the side and on top.
Price: We’re offering the Tite-Lok rod holder with a clamp mount for a $45.
For more information on the rod holders we offer, visit our Fishing Kayak Rod Holders page
Great weather and a good turnout accompanied the first meeting of the Nature Coast Kayak Fishing Club held yesterday in Crystal River. My W 500 was noticed by a few other W owners in the area who stopped by to say hi and chat. It also attracted many other folks inquiring about that “crazy looking” twin hull kayak on my truck.
After a few hours of paddling at a local park, we gathered for a picnic hosted by Matt and Sue Clemons of Aardvark’s Florida Kayak Company in Crystal River where Cap’t Adrian Englert also organized a Meet and Greet for the new club. He brought a few rigged fishing kayaks with him including his W 300, and lots of folks stopped by to inquire about the sport, kayaks and gear, and claim their club membership cards.
I’ve now met 5 people in our rural county who own Wavewalk kayaks, and haven’t heard a negative word about them yet. Perhaps we can organize a W convention and fishing trip sometime this summer.
Gary Rankel
This is a picture of the W’s storage area.
I modified a pulley system designed to lift bicycles to the ceiling for storage. It hasn’t fallen on anyone yet!
Some DIY projects are special - Kevin Eastman is a fly kayak fisherman from Florida, who made a DIY Greenland - Aleutian style kayak paddle for his new W500 fishing kayak.
Contrarily to what most kayakers seem to believe, aboriginal kayak paddle were not necessarily short as standard modern paddles are, and some could be as long as the paddle Kevin made, and even longer. The decision about the length of the paddle depended on the owner’s plans for usage and paddling style, and sometimes on the availability of materials in the barren Arctic.
Says Kevin:
-I made a Greenland/Aleutian paddle for my W500. So far it seems to be working out very well, and it has the advantage of being very light. One face of the paddle is the beveled Greenland style and the other face is a flatter Aleutian style. The Greenland face allows for quicker acceleration while the Aleutian surface shines at faster speeds.
It’s 9 1/2 feet long and about 3 1/2″ wide at the tip. I made it from a 10′ cedar 2X4 and finished it in teak oil. The loom (hand hold area) is 24″. I think using cedar is the key for this long of a paddle. Using some of the other woods used for shorter Greenland paddles would make it a bit heavy.
The paddle is nearly as light as the Pacific Design paddle I use for my other kayaks, and has a very low swing weight because of the thin blades, making it easy to paddle long periods without fatigue. The flex of the wood and dynamics of the paddle also make it easy one the joints.
I took a picture with it next to my Pacific Design paddle for size comparison:
Since I’m in Florida with oyster bars everywhere, I decided to protect the paddle tip with fiberglass cloth and epoxy. So far that is keeping the oysters at bay.
The drip rings are made out of oval pieces of inner tube. These are essential since the long blade surface accumulates a lot of water that will otherwise end up in your lap.
This is a fairly easy project for anyone that is game to try. There are lots of “how to” articles to be found on the Web. It’s also the first time I’ve made one.
The paddle can be used very well without a sliding stroke, but if you need to dig in on a turn it helps out. Also when standing, the sliding stroke helps with more speed, but is not needed.
One thing it does do is allow you to keep the paddle very low around the waist when stroking and use your torso to put the power to the paddle well.
I was going to order an extended midsection for my P.D. paddle initially, but after using this, I may just be content.
I’m going to take some GPS readings to see what speeds it will cruise at vs a traditional wide paddle.
I’ll send some more pictures of my W500 when I finally decide on how I’m going to rig this boat.
I did a little umbrella sailing yesterday and that was interesting.
Kevin
Some fishing kayak manufacturers try to lure potential buyers by offering bigger hatches, and additional space to put gear on top of their SOT kayaks’ decks. Obviously, those solutions are neither effective nor user-friendly, but what else can you do to solve the storage problem if you’re a manufacturer of sit-in or SOT kayaks? -Not much.
The W500 offers several times more storage than any kayak on the market - be it a fishing kayak or a touring kayak, a sea-kayak or an ‘expedition’ kayak.
Not only that, but the storage offered by the W500 is internal, dry, and always accessible to the passenger - be it an angler, a paddler, or a camper. In fact, there is so much room in the W500 kayak hulls and cockpit, that it can comfortably accommodate a second adult passenger on board.
The total storage space available on board the W500 kayak is 14 cubic feet, or 0.4 cubic meter. It’s way above the kayak league, and comparable to the storage space offered by canoes and some small motorboats.
Take a tour of Jeff’s W500 fishing kayak:
Donavan Campbell is a stream kayak angler from North Carolina, who got his W300 in the summer of last year. He took his time to write a review, and it was worth waiting for…:
I wanted to share my review of the W300 with you…
-”Look at the teeth on that Muskie!”
I use the W300 on the New River in the NC mountains (Sparta, Jefferson) for smallmouth bass fishing.
I was very impressed with the stability of the W300 for river fishing and it’s tracking.
Water depths range from 10′ to 6″ on the New River and the W can handle either along with occasional sharp rocks.
I keep the rigging light for easy maneuverability out of the water and plan to add an additional rod holder and the “wheels” I see from other owners. I fish with other standard kayaks and am glad I purchased the W, I strongly recommend the W to everyone that asks, thanks.
Donavan Campbell
Statesville, NC
Added some fish pictures, first calendared fishing trip for 2010 is March 26th & 27th!
PS- If anyone in western NC wants to check out a wavewalk I would be happy to help them…
There’s a new article available on the exciting, complex, confusing, and often daunting subject of rigging your fishing kayak.
The article is called Rigging Your Fishing Kayak: Some Basic Practical Advice
The main message it conveys is that there’s no need to hurry and start outfitting your W kayak for fishing as soon as you take it out of the box in which it came, and it’s advisable to use it at least several times as is before you decide if and what type of rigging you’d like to add to it.
The article discusses typical rigging questions like rod holders, paddle holders, rudder, seat, outriggers, motor, anchor, milk crate etc.
We recommend that prospecting clients as well as new owners of W fishing kayaks read it.
The notion that kayak fishing is booming has been repeated for years by various interested parties, but a search in Google News archives revealed these intriguing facts:
1. From 1990, the number of news articles about kayak fishing kept increasing, and it peaked in 2007.
2. Since 2007, the number of published news articles about kayak fishing has kept decreasing. In fact, the number of news articles about kayak fishing in 2009 was lower than its level in 2004.
This chart was taken from a screen shot of the Google page above:
Interestingly, the number of websites and blogs related to kayak fishing has visibly gone up in the past decade, as part of the media explosion brought by the Internet. In addition, big and small kayak manufacturers have focused on the kayak fishing market in every way they could, and tried to bring the public’s attention to their products by all means.
So what’s the reason for this decrease in media coverage of kayak fishing in the past two years?
The first explanation that comes to mind is that it could be related to the economic recession, but does it make sense? The recreational fishing boat market has been severely hit, but what kayak manufacturers and other vendors and affiliated professionals have been saying is that now, more then ever, a kayak offers a the cheap way to go fishing, and consequently, they expected sales of fishing kayaks and to go through the roof, and interest in kayak fishing to explode. They even promoted the idea of stand-up kayak fishing from their obviously inadequate kayaks, thinking the public would go for it.
However, we think, as we’ve stated in the past, that many kayak anglers quit practicing kayak fishing after some time, as they find it to be less rewarding than they had initially hoped it would be. Usually, the kayak angler’s expectation is to be able to spend a few hours on the water, having fun catching fish, while the reality in many cases is that doing so results in a sore back, an aching butt, and numb legs - on top of being wet, especially if you fish from a SOT kayak.
In other words, a significant proportion of kayak anglers drops from the sport, and it could be that their numbers are now equal to, or exceed the number of new kayak anglers who enter the sport. Consequently, the public’s level of interest in kayak fishing has begun to decline, and the lower level of media exposure reflects this trend.
At Wavewalk, we’ve experienced a totally different reality, with sales increasing year after year at a faster pace, and 2009 being a boom year. Read more >>
This success has to do with the fact that our W kayaks offer a truly good user experience, less fatigue, no back pain or any other physical pain and discomfort, plus they’re stable enough to offer stand-up kayak fishing in confidence and safety.
Related article: Read more about web search trends for kayak fishing >>
Dick Sherman, from Florida, got his yellow W500 fishing kayak a short time ago. He ordered it after testing his friend’s Gary Rankel green W500.
“First of all, I have to thank Gary for introducing me to the Wavewalk and guiding me through the maze of islands and passageways. Without him I probably would still be trying to find my way back.
The Wavewalk was great. It was easy to launch, paddle and fish out of. It is just amazing the places you can go to in the Kayak. We went out at low tide and were often scraping bottom. There would be no other way to get into this area to fish or to view the beautiful scenery. It was really great. No motor noise, beautiful birds and crystal clear water.
Unfortunately our recent cold weather had the fish huddled around a heater that we were unable to find, but I didn’t need to catch fish to have a great time.
–Dick”
And Gary adds:
-”Unfortunately, our recent cold snap seems to have chased the fish to deeper water, so I don’t have a picture of Dick hauling in a big one. He did, however, seem to be very happy with his new kayak, and is excited about learning a new way to fish.
We ran into Adrian Englert on the water, who reminded me that there will be a Paddlers Picnic and Customer Appreciation Day in Crystal River on Feb 20. Adrian plans on setting up a station to inform folks about the new kayak fishing club he is starting.
I’ll bring my W500 for folks to look at, and may even see how I fare in the competition.
Food will be served and gifts and prizes will be handed out. The day should provide an opportunity for folks to compare the W with other kayaks on the market. The event has been covered in our local newspaper so, hopefully, the weather will cooperate and we’ll have a nice turnout.
–Gary”
Since this question is an important one, I’ve decided to post this kayak fishing and paddling safety article on our main blog.
Thousands of kayak anglers are risking paddling and fishing accidents because of their kayaks’ poor ergonomics. The hazards are many and diverse:
First, there’s the danger of being unable to paddle back to shore, as a result of fatigue, and even exhaustion.
Strong wind and tidal current are external forces that could be hazardous to a tired kayak angler, especially if elderly or inexperienced. If your kayak makes you prematurely tired, you need to consider switching to something more comfortable that tracks and paddles better, namely a Wavewalk kayak.
Additionally, overheating in summer, and hypothermia in winter should not be underestimated, since they reduce your ability to paddle effectively and get back to your launching spot, and could even prevent you from getting back to shore.
If your kayak exposes you to cold wind and water, you should avoid paddling it under such circumstances, unless you’re willing to spend hundreds of dollars on a dry suit. Remember: wearing waders and boots while operating small boats is very dangerous, since such heavy clothing might prevent you from swimming, and from getting back into your boat, or kayak.
Furthermore, there’s the hazard of cramps, leg numbness and being practically paralyzed by pain in your back, or in your butt.
Cramps in your legs can be very painful, and last a long time if you can’t stand up safely and relax. Sit-in and SOT kayaks offer only one position, which is sitting in an L shape, with your legs pointing forward and being restricted by footrests. Paddling or fishing in this position for a long time is s recipe for cramps, and for leg numbness, which is not as dramatic, but still most unpleasant, and undesirable as far as paddling is concerned.
Both leg pain and leg numbness are also dangerous because they prevent you from balancing and maneuvering your kayak efficiently.
Pain in your back or butt is dangerous, since it can literally cripple you, and compromise your paddling efforts. Moreover, you might find yourself close to shore and still unable to beach your kayak, or get out of it, as Don, this California kayak angler describes in his kayak review:
-”I fished for 8 years in an [Brand, Model]. The “L” sitting position and it’s effect on my back is what finished standard kayaking for me… One day I beached the bow of that 16 footer and was still about 10-12 feet out in the water where I was sitting. I discovered I couldn’t move my legs. Getting out of that thing without causing all kinds of laughter from spectators was one of my greatest physical accomplishments.
I was sure I’d avoid those scenarios with the”W”, and I could hardly wait to find out all the wonderful differences.”
Read Don’s entire fishing kayak review >>
This is not a rare example, and in fact many people report experiencing similar things with their sit-in and SOT kayaks.
Actually, most kayakers and kayak anglers have grown used to frequently stopping their paddling and fishing, just to go on shore an ‘unkink’. This ‘unkinking’ basically means stretching, and allowing some rest for the sore back and aching legs. Stretching your legs and back improves circulation, and relaxes muscles and tendons.
Some kayak fishermen in warm regions just stand in the water, if it’s shallow enough. If such frequent ergonomic stops are impossible, the only solution anglers face is to cut short their fishing trip, and paddle back to their launching spot.
The combination of back pain or leg pain and cold is dangerous because the cold further contracts your muscles, and thus increases the pain, and therefor makes it harder for you to paddle.
Paddling in intense heat, especially if you’ve suffered from a sun stroke or dehydration is dangerous if you have pains, because such combination can increase the danger of premature fatigue and exhaustion.
The one and only Jeff McGovern produced these two new kayak fishing movies.
In the first one, Jeff shows a nice sea trout (a keeper), which is his first catch of this year.
In this second movie, Jeff has a guest on board: A Redfish he thinks he recognized from a previous kayak fishing movie he made last year 
Doug had already contributed a short review of his W300 fishing kayak:
-”Just came in from a couple hours in the inlet after work — 1 14# bass. Got a 30 and a 16 last Sat night. I don’t fish from it too often; I might throw a swimmer out on my way to and fro. For the season so far I have around 75 bass over 10#/30″. I’m running second place in the season long New York Surf Fishing contest. I’m totally satisfied with the Wavewalk. If I wreck this one somehow I’ll order another within a week. It gets me access to good fishing areas and it gets me away from the crowds. Only ‘problem’ is I put a couple pretty deep gouges on the bottom while fishing in mussel beds and around rock jetties –
Doug”
Now Doug sent us some pictures of a special kayak trolley he got for it:
Says Doug:
-”Here are some photos of a cart special made by paddlecart.com I use it all the time. Works over rough terrain, rocks, down embankments,etc”
-”Attached is the drawing I sent to Paddlecart in case users inquire” :
Fishing for bass has many fans, including in the W kayak fishing community.
Here is a list of some prolific W bass kayak anglers:
Rox Davis, Kayak Bass Fishing Superstar, from Connecticut
Norm Craig, from Rhode Island
John Fabina, from Wisconsin
Jeff Lenkowski, from Massachusetts
Wayne Taylor, from Florida
Jamie Harter, from Wisconsin
John Zoltner, from New York
Doug Hord, from Long Island, NY
Donavan Campbell, from North Carolina
Gary got a second W500 GF2 fishing kayak, and sold his old W300 to a friend.
He writes:
-”As per attached, the two 500’s fit nicely in my pickup, still leaving room in the top W500 for paddles, rods, etc. - should work out great when I’m taking a friend out.
We’re finally getting some decent weather. Headed out yesterday. Five hrs without one hit - first time that has happened. The cold water has really done a number on the fish - saw a few big snook belly up on the bottom, and F&G has just canceled the snook season for the year. Hope the redfish and trout didn’t get hit too bad.”
That’s right - today YouTube reports showed that the total number of views for all Wavewalk Kayaks’ movies posted on that website topped 250,000. That’s a quarter of a million, and a big number for a small company
The most viewed is the movie entitled ‘WALKING ON WAVES’ (22,600 views):
The second most viewed is a movie named ‘Demo of Fishing Kayak Stability’ (17,600 views):
And the third most viewed is called ‘Stand Up Kayak Paddling- Fishing Kayak Surf Launching’ (16,200 views):
Jeff’s movie named ‘Rigged W300 Wavewalk Fishing Kayak’ comes fourth, with 15,500 views, and the movie he shot called ‘Super Fishing Kayak Stability Demo 2009 Wavewalk’ is fifth, with 14,400 views.
This is an opportunity to thank Jeff again for his huge contribution, as well as others who’ve contributed interesting, fun and otherwise valuable material to our website.
These numbers give YouTube’s motto ‘Broadcast Yourself’ a real meaning for us.
Most people think that paddling a kayak in flat water isn’t very interesting. They are right, when sit-in and SOT kayaks are considered, but flat wrong when W kayaks are:
This movie is one of my favorites. It shows the W300 performing like no other paddle craft before, and highlights some of the W important advantages for paddling, touring and kayak fishing.
The reason I chose to post it again on this blog is because I recently discovered how to add annotations to YouTube videos
Yoav
Jeff McGovern to conduct kid’s inshore fishing clinic at Genung’s Fish Camp, Crescent Beach, January 23
Palatka, FL 1/4/10—Come spend an exciting, fun day with Jeff McGovern at Genung’s Fish Camp from 9 AM to Noon on January 23, 2010. Learn how to choose lures, bait, line and rigging to catch more fish in fresh and saltwater.
Emmrods will be featured and there will be a drawing for an Emmrod Packer Combo donated by Jeff’s Tackle Box at the end of the program. This free event is open to youth and youth groups of all ages and their parents and chaperones.
Coffee and donuts will be provided.
Registration is strongly recommended to avoid disappointment.
Genung’s Fish Camp is located at 291 Cubbedge Road (just below the 206 bridge at US 1), Crescent Beach, FL. For more information or to register, please contact Johnny at (904) 471-4144.
For more information about Jeff McGovern or Emmrod, go to www.jeffstacklebox.com
I thought it may be interesting to revisit the subject of motorizing fishing kayaks with an outboard gas engine.
To the best of my knowledge, so far only one W kayak angler has used such an outboard motor: Jim McGilvray, from Norfolk, UK, who rigged his 2007 W300 fishing kayak with a 2.5, 4 stroke engine, and a pair of DIY outriggers.
This is the movie Jim sent us, over two years ago:
This rig allows for more than trolling, obviously. The speed and stability are remarkable.