Kayak Fishing and Paddling - The New Standard in Fishing Kayaks. Fishing Kayak Reviews, and Kayak Fishing Trip Reports, Movies, Pictures and Articles By and For Kayak Anglers.
Its impossible for me to take it anywhere without somebody asking me what the heck it is. I ended up installing a bow mounted trolling motor with a 12 volt battery in the stern.
I also put in a fish finder and made a custom cart so I can tow it to and from the truck.
I mostly use it for fishing San Diego bay. Eventually I’m planning on fabricating some outrigger pontoons to add some more stability when I’m standing up.
I’m also trying to find some type of product to protect the bottom of the kayak, it’s starting to get some scratches on the bottom. I was thinking about maybe finding some kind of spray on protective material or perhaps some kind of protective tape that would adhere to the plastic but I’m not sure yet.
Sharon and Jim Bramm, from Wisconsin, got a W500 early this year. Since they couldn’t decide who’s going to paddle it, they ordered a W500, in yellow. Here is Sharon’s review of her yellow W500 kayak:
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my yellow W500 kayak, and really see a difference between the new and old model (that Jim has). It’s MUCH easier to balance and to turn…you can actually see the hulls flex in the water when you get in heavy waves. I’m turning it just like a regular kayak now and sitting in all different positions…as my legs get stiff in one position, I just straighten them out or sit sideway on it.
Greater cockpit area and leg-width room is really nice. Since I’m disabled it’s really a joy to just step in from the shore with my walking stick on the side of the hull to balance me and then I just sit down and slide to the back to get it to float and we’re on our way! It’s also easier to handle in the wind. I’m still working on those pictures! My husband works as a Forest Ranger on the weekends so it’s hard to get him free to take pics when I do my fishing/kayaking on the weekends! But I promise I’ll get them to you.
Darby (my Service Dog) just got a new vest that is bright yellow (to match my kayak?). I use a fold-up soft canoe seat in it so I have some back support if I want it and when Darby comes along I just unfold that seat and lay it flat on the seat in front of me and that give him something to dig his claws into and is also softer for him to lay on. He really pouts if it’s too hot and I can’t take him kayaking!!! I use a drop/stop anchor rigging in the back with a 5# downrigger weight as an anchor. The round shape catches less weeds when you pull it up. I let Jim try mine and he really noticed the difference too. When are you going to come up with a cockpit cover for it? I’m too busy kayaking to sit down at my sewing machine and make one!
John drove all the way from upstate NY to Wavewalk (close to Boston, MA) to get his W500 fishing kayak. Being an experienced engineer, John took his time to inquire and think about trolling motors, steering systems etc., and came up with one of his own:
I’ve included some pics of my trolling motor adaptation which borrows from other W kayakers, and adds a unique steering method.
After some experimentation I decided to mount the motor at the very back using a 1/4″ aluminum plate, and added a crossbar to the top of a shortened TM shaft. So far this is Rox’s TM configuration. I then routed the steering cables thru 1/4″ brake tubes screwed to 2 strips of pine running the length of the seat.
Since I wanted the steering and motor speed control to be on the same handle, I mounted the TM head and a short section of shaft to a large plastic pulley and wrapped the steering cable around it. By doing so, I can now control the both the steering and speed from the common handle.
I attached a piece of 1/4″ plywood to the top of the 2 pine strips and covered it with some foam and a piece of vinyl material. Since there is now a hollow space under the seat I was able to run the TM wires and also a rope to raise the motor via a smaller hand cranked pulley.
I also used the flip-over loading wheel concept that one of the clever W bloggers sent in.
I’ve been out twice since the TM has been added and so far its working really well.
I finally took my new W500 to test up in the Michigan’s upper peninsula. Perfect weather awaited me as temps hit mid seventies and sunshine abounded for the three day trip. I logged plenty of fishing and paddling hours on the W500. I thought my original W300 was comfortable and stable, but for a guy my size the W500 is the perfect fit.
As always no yak-back was noticed. Tracking was great and paddling seemed even easier then the W300.
With the longer length it took a little more effort to turn in the river current but was well worth it do to the large amount of space to stretch out in and the added storage. I have not had the W500 out in rough water yet but if it handles similar to the 300 it should do great.
I am convinced that this is another winner. Great job Wavewalk, you have done it again.
I would suggest the W500 for anyone who is larger framed than the average.
The trip was great, however the rock bass moved in to the areas where I was catching walleye in June. I was never able to locate the walleye, however the small bass provided entertainment.
Friday I took a trip to a local lake. I decided to go through a channel that connects two lakes. I have been down the channel before with a regular boat but it would have been difficult to fish with the type of craft I was in. However I did see plenty of fish and I took notes of where the fish were holding in case I ever returned.
The W500 allowed me to sneak up and anchor just upstream from my first target with out being noticed. The first target was a boat dock on a bend in the channel which had a five to seven foot deep hole under it.
I started by fan casting one of my favorite lures a floating minnow. Three fan casts produced nothing. Then I decided to drift a leech into the hole. Bam, a nice largemouth broke the water and put up a tremendous fight in the current. Two more casts, two more fish. I got complacent, after all how many fish could this little hole hold?. My bad, I cast my forth cast and turned to adjust my anchor when a huge bucket mouth jumped and shed my hook into the air. I know what your thinking, yea the biggest fish of the day always gets away! Well it did.
One hour later and over twenty fish later I realized what a honey hole I had discovered, and thanks to the W500 I was able to stay stealthy and present the bait precisely where it had to go. It was obvious that these fish haven’t had a lot of pressure on them, they had no hook marks on their lips.
I proceeded down the channel which only averaged a foot deep, but I anchored before every bend and had success all day. I ran out of my three dozen leeches and called it a day after three exciting hours.
Who would of thought this little channel could hold all those fish and even some quality fish.
Light gear and current made the action fun. These are fish I would have not been able to catch with out the W500. Large mouth, small mouth bass, and pike were all caught and released. I want to be able to repeat this day again next year.
One photo shows some add-ons. Drink holder, rod holder, and paddle holder to hold net in front and easy to grab, this seemed to work out really well.
Thanks again for a great boat,
John
Was out for 7 hrs yesterday in hot weather and sun.
Ran into lots of redfish yesterday, but most were pretty spooky.
I did manage to get this beautiful 10 pounder on top water just as the sun was coming up.”
Also got a few sea trout and jack crevalle.
I just missed my “West Coast Slam” as a nice snook shook my topwater lure while airborne about 20 feet from the W (sorry I couldn’t snap a picture of that).
I also ran into a visitor who was really interested in your new W 500 (I think he thought he had just found the perfect mate). He entertained me for a good 20 minutes, repeatedly coming right to the side and of the W to get a good look.
I thought about this motorized W boat design a few years ago:
It shouldn’t be too hard to turn a W500 kayak into a similar ‘personal watercraft’:
Using standard aluminum tubes, the stem of the steering handle can be made to be telescopic, so it could extend and retract, thus allowing to steer while riding the saddle as well as standing up.
Also, such telescopic steering system could allow for the driver to move fore and aft on the saddle while still steering. This could be useful for dealing with different water conditions.
-Food for thought for the engineering-oriented members of the W kayak community…
Ben Ciliberto, a kayak carp fisherman from Pennsylvania, rigged his 3 W300 kayaks especially for stand up carp fishing. This is a picture of two of them:
Ben writes:
“Back’s improving albeit slowly.
The two kayaks, sided by side in the garage have gotten many comments and inquiries, but unfortunately not much use! The new one has still not touched water (but is rigged),– I have had mine out twice so far—high water, work, vacations have really crimped my schedule! I’m ready to roll when time permits!
Sure has been great that even with a ruptured L4 disc, and bulging L3—I can paddle and use the W without pain or aggravation!!
It’s very easy to attach a regular kayak seat, or canoe seat, or stadium seat to the W kayak saddle: You can create attachment points by drilling holes in the cockpit rim and top side of the saddle.
Some people have done it, as one can see in on website’s kayak reviews section.
Having said that, most W kayak owners don’t use a seat or a back rest, and even those who’ve added one to their W kayak end up not using it most of the time, because you basically don’t need a back rest in this kayak. This is due to the fact that in the preferred paddling and fishing position (Riding) your own legs support you.
This is true for standing too, of course.
Roger Sacla, from Michigan, sent us his ‘first time review’ of his new W500 kayak, and some beautiful pictures: -”I finally able to test drive my new W kayak. This is my first time to buy and even try using kayak and it was awesome…”
-”It took me half an hour to get used to it and get my balance and after that, I was standing and even racing with my brother who has a regular kayak. My daugther who is 11 years old used it and able to maneuver easily like a pro.”
-”The whole family had a great time using the WW kayak and intend of using it for many many years.
The photos were taken at lake Huron, Oscoda, Michigan. Roger”
In this movie Roger and his brother are paddling the W500 in tandem:
W kayakers usually report excellent performance of their boats under wind, mainly because it tracks well and offers various means for power-paddling and counter-affecting the wind.
Here are some tips that can improve your W kayak’s performance when you’re paddling in strong wind:
1. Paddle only in the Riding Position, and lean a bit forward, with your knees lower than your hips - That would give you extra power.
2. Paddle from the middle of the cockpit, as much as possible -
If you paddle from its rear it would raise your W kayak’s bow and expose it to the wind, and the boat will turn away from the wind.
If you paddle from the front of the cockpit, the stern will go up, and the kayak will turn into the wind.
3. Lean your W kayak into the wind - That would make it harder for it to affect the course of your W kayak.
4. Cover the front of the cockpit - That would improve the cockpit’s aerodynamics. Any waterproof fabric or plastic sheet would do for that matter. Every W kayak comes with a preparation for a cockpit cover that’s easy to use, and you can cover the cockpit in seconds.
5. Apply short J strokes on the side from which the wind is blowing, and more powerful strokes on the lee side (the sheltered side) - That would help you track. You may even hold the paddle not from its middle, so that you can apply longer strokes on the lee side.
6. Any object protruding from the deck is exposed to the wind, and therefore generates additional drag - Dismount deck mounted rod holders, and store your fishing rods inside the hulls whenever possible. A milk crate would act as a small sail that’s controlled by the wind, so you’d better avoid using one.
7. Keep paddling in a steady pace and a straight course - This is not about one-time corrections, but about minimizing your effort and getting there. Precision and efficiency are as important as power.
8. Again: Remember you can move fore and aft along the saddle, and by that control the angle in which your W kayak will point relatively to the direction from which the wind blows: Paddling from a forward position will tend to point the bow into the wind, and paddling from a backward position would tend to point the bow sideways and away from the wind (not a desirable thing).
-”Had a few hours without rain this a.m. so snapped a few more pictures which pretty much cover my rigging and techniques, and show how simple and economical it can be to rig the W500:”
“Noodles along the W rim serve (1) as extra flotation, (2) as head, arm and foot rests, (3) as a fish ruler, and (4) as soundproof cushions for my radio, as well as for rods and paddle which are repeatedly picked up and laid down. Regular noodles don’t fit the W500 rim very well so I use the “monster” model (4-inch diameter with a 1 1/4 - inch hole, and a smooth, not rippled, outer surface).”
“A steel reinforced outdoor mat with bungee cords serves as a cheap and easy way to minimize scratching the hulls when moving the W from Point A to Point B.”
“Large collapsible fish cooler bag packed with flexible ice packets tucks neatly into the hull.”
“Anchor set-up with rope attached to a large clip which, in turn, clips onto the anchor or heavy duty plastic grabber (for clamping onto mangroves, oyster bars, etc.). It can also clip onto the rope that comes with the “anchor pin” or “stick-it pin” (not shown, but a 6-foot rod pushed into a soft bottom to hold the W in place).”
And this is a nice redfish that Gary caught in August:
-”Here is an update on my newest Wave walk yak, the W500:
I am making a prototype out of wood for the console. I may change it to a diamond plate later.”
-”I want it to be removable, so when I don’t want to use the trolling motor, I can remove the power head.
I didn’t want to add a Dry box/tackle box to the W500, like I did on my W300’s set up, after removing the power board from the head of the trolling motor. I didn’t want the box up there in my way, it makes for easier dismounts.”
-”This time I’m leaving the power head together, just cutting the shaft, and wiring the motor (bottom half) with a quick connect connector, so I can unplug the power head and remove it for just paddling.
Again, this will be a foot controlled steering, leaving my hands free to battle my fish.
I’ll send you and update after I mount my plate for the trolling motor.
-”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”
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.
-”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.”
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.”
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.
Will keep you posted. Noel”
