Wayne Taylor from Florida outfitted his Wavewalk fishing kayak with a pair of DIY outriggers and oarlocks (read more about this boat). He sent this picture today with a short report:
-”I went fishing today with my wave walk. The oar concept works great for me as I fish small bodies of water. I’ve tried the trolling motor concept and it was too much weight and hassle for me. The issue about the oars is, I can make minor corrections to my position without laying my rod down. Using one oar at a time etc.”
Judging by Wayne’s catch, his concept works pretty well, doesn’t it?
Jeff McGovern’s reports from Florida:
-”I shot quite a bit today in just a short time. The fishing was off the chain, in other words, outstanding. I had only a few hours but was able to make the most of it. Catching fish with topwater lures is nothing but loads of fun - The W kayak allowed me to cast like a deck gun and really get some distance.”
Jeff sent us his new video clip, in which he is sharing with us the beauty of a fishing spot named Bings Landing, somewhere near Jacksonville, Florida:
Tom and Jenny on another day - enjoying surf paddling.
Tom Buddington recently wrote us from Florida:
-”Just thought I’d post a follow-up review after having several more experiences with this truly unique boat. Recently my daughter and I were caught out in what I estimate were 25 knot winds (higher gusts I would bet for certain) and the river became dark and menacing (Gosh it was so calm and peaceful moments before!). The waves were like a white water washing machine. It just happens with those out of nowhere summer storms; I try to be careful, especially with my daughter with me, but you might not ever go out if you worried about the possibility of a storm that wasn’t even predicted. THAT’s the moment of truth. 30 minutes of dark weather paddling at first into and against 20-25 knot winds and 2-3 foot storm slop and then having it on your tail (which is worse in my opinion). We just strapped on our PFD’s NICE and TIGHT and worked it with the Wyak. And she kept us out of the water and got us home. I was impressed the whole time with the stability of the W kayak in serious conditions. We used her best attributes (those twin hulls) and the geography of the Indian River Lagoon and ducked into a safe little cove and waited for things to get calm (we were in the middle and had a long way to go to get to that cove mind you). I can’t stress enough that the ability to alternate between significantly different positions (i.e., standing to riding and a few others) in the W kayak and use different muscles made this one a story with a happy ending. Would have been wiped-out exhausted in any other boat that day.
I speak from the perspective of a guy who loves the water and lives on the water and has been a waterman for, oh, say 30 years. I have 7 other boats of differing designs, 2 of which I have committed to sell to make way for my next Wyak . The W is an incredible craft and I like it.”
And here’s another picture of Tom and Jenny surf paddling at the beach:
Well, Nina managed to get that pink mini kayak for $400. It’s just her size. I gave her the high back air seat from the SOT kayak I won a couple of years ago at the Jacksonville classic kayak fishing tournament. So it was yesterday we hit the water. The trip was a long one. Our adventure yesterday lasted around 12 hours of solid on the water time. Mostly touring and a little fishing. We traveled to find the end of Moses Creek from the intercoastal waterway. Got to the point we could go no further winding our way into narrow passages which at low tide we could only see down the water way the sides were too high. Sometimes we had to remove the rods and duck down under trees and brush. The area is known for gators and alike but we only heard crashing through the brush off to our sides ans saw none of them. A few times it was up and over logs just like on the W video.The W was right at home in those tight places. I should have thought to bring just Emmrods and it would have been easier. It got into the low 90s but water temps were still cool. All in all the W did the trip just fine. Twelve hours with limited getting out time is a long day but comfort wise it was great. With both boats rated in the 325 range she had me on the heavy load part. Speed wise I was a little faster over long range and would pull ahead over open water sections of the flats heading to the creek mouth.
I have found that for cleaning out the W after nasty trips like this one it’s easier to let the sand remaining inside after rinsing just dry out. Then it can be swept with a small brush and just scooped out of a the hulls. That way you get it all. Everything you get near the water here gets loaded with very fine sand particles. By the time we got back the W hull was loaded with mud, sand, sticks, leaves, live little crabs,assorted lunch trash, and some dirty water. Remember I mentioned once the W is a 4 wheeler kayak, this is proof of that.
We got in some really tight spots. The W took the trip on in fine shape. Being so short that really helped in this situation. A long boat in the 12 to 15 foot range would have been impossible to get around in tight quarters. Of course I also had the advantage of being able to stand to see over things, very difficult in almost any other boat. Of course I did try out Nina’s mini kayak. Aside from being sure nobody saw me in a bright pink boat it worked well. To tell the truth though I don’t think I could have done the 12 hours in it. The riding position in the W works for long periods. It’s very hard to explain to someone without them trying it. Logic would at first say that air seat with all the padding should be far more comfortable. But that is just not the case.
Got to tell you that trip was brutal. When we got back we were both wasted. Getting home we still had all the gear to clean up but we made it. We arrived home around 7PM but it was well after 9 buy the time I was finishing up the reels. Nina got enough sun to match the color of her new boat.
With the tide driving into or out of a narrow creek the water can really get moving. Moses Creek is serpentine, twisting and winding through the marsh. In reflecting on 12 hours in the saddle the W works well.
–Jeff (more…)
-”Aside from the fishing today the W was a great relief. A four hour flight from LA to Atlanta yesterday, then a short hop to Jacksonville was uncomfortable to say the least - That sciatic nerve issue has been pain.
However a few hours in the W today was almost a cure. It must be the upright position combined with the paddling that does it.
According to everything I’ve been reading from trainers and alike exercise is the key. I Don’t know why but I feel so much better after time in the W boat - the W is really something.
Got a few hours on the water today and it was beautiful. The weather was just a bit chilly starting out but warmed to T shirt temps around 9:30AM.
The W performed like a champ. Fishing wise it was a busy time. Nothing huge but loads of blue fish and smaller trout. Ended up for every trout I would get four or five blue fish.
This was one of those days being able to quickly stand helped quite a bit.
At one point I kept hearing splashing and thrashing in the water on the other side of an oyster bar.
I was able to peek over by standing and saw a pod of three dolphin tearing into schools of bait fish.
Seeing their path I was able to avoid them and still be able to catch a few more fish before heading home.
I’ve attached a few pictures.
The strange looking little rod in the shot with a blue fish on the seat is an Emmrod.
The little thing handles very well from a W thanks to the upright casting position the boat allows. For close in casting at short ranges the rod is lots of fun, especially with fish that pull as hard as those little blues.
I’ll have to review the rod itself for use in the W since it’s a nice combination.
Here is Jeff’s latest fishing report from Florida, in case you’re interested to know what the fishing conditions are down in the sunshine state:
“I spent the morning and early afternoon paddling around in the W and fishing. No big fish to speak of but loads of little bluefish the largest just over 12 inches. At times they foamed the water chasing minnows and would just slam my lure the moment it hit the water. Loads of fun and it would have been one of those times kids would have had a ball because the action was nonstop. I looked around for larger fish but none were to be found in the area I was at today.
The day started with me wearing a fleece top, long sleeve t-shirt, fishing shirt, and a rain parka. By mid morning it had warmed enough I was down to just the T-shirt. The water was very clear which may be why the large game fish were not in the area. Oddly enough I saw very few kayakers until about 2PM when I headed home. I guess most people were just waiting for it to warm up a bit.
Finally made it out this morning and had a blast. Took the W but with a bit of hesitation because of that sciatic nerve pinch from the Christmas drive up to Chicago is still a bother. It’s uncomfortable to sit in some positions but I figured the W would offer at least one position of comfort. I was right, thank goodness and found a few positions. The riding upright was best where the discomfort was almost gone. Of course standing helps a bunch and that was a blessing since I did not have to land the boat for a stretch. According to my checking into this type of pain issue it can take four months or more to work itself out. Today ended up going very well, I guess I’ll get a prescription for the W and just have to fish more often.
The fishing itself was limited to just little blue fish, they were the only ones around but any fish on the end of a line pulling is great. All 10 of them were around 12 inches or so but they pull very hard and act like piranhas hitting a bait. The weather started out around 50 or so and by the time I headed home it was around 70. Performance wise the boat handled just fine using the W paddle. I met one other yaker on the water and he was fascinated with the W. I guess he had been trolling the website but bought what he could touch and feel. His boat was a little [edited: 9′ long fishing kayak] and he was a small fellow. When we got into weeds he could not even cast because they were over his head and blocking him. He also kept using his anchor to hold himself in place while I would just nudge the W’s tail end into the grass and let it catch between the hulls, worked fine to keep me in place in the light wind we had today.
It’s been weeks since I went out paddling.
We saw several snow storms in December with unusually cold weather in between, and January in has been cold as you’d expect it to be in Massachusetts around this time of the year.
Well, at least other people are having fun with their W kayaks, like Sean C from Florida who seems to enjoy his new 2008 model.
“Hi Yoav, Finally managed to shake off the northern chill and hit the water today for a few hours. Fighting a pinched nerve that’s a sciatic from that long drive to Chicago made it interesting. Thank heavens you can stand in the W, that feature alone put it light years ahead at times like this. Once I got the kinks out the time went along fine.
Weather wise it was cold and blowing. Even with a long sleeved T shirt, fleece top and Frog Toggs jacket it was still chilly. Between a heavy tide current and the wind the W held up fine today. My unfeathered W paddle made going into the wind a little harder. But I made good progress and figured why knock myself out to go only a tad faster.
After coming in I have far more respect for you northern folks. I was chilly and wet from the mist. I can only imagine doing this with the temps at like 20 or below. The whole time I was out it was maybe 48 on the water. By the way the W is the best kayak out there to launch down stairs. The new owners of the fish camp where I launch have added steps to the water. With the W I just drag it to them and off I go. Jeff”
Looks like it’s been a bit chilly lately down in that subtropical paradise
I liked the part about respect for us Northern folks since the Charles River around here (West of Boston, MA) has been pretty much covered with ice since early December.
So it was yesterday we hit the water. The trip was a long one. Our adventure yesterday lasted around 12 hours of solid on the water time. Mostly touring and a little fishing. We traveled to find the end of Moses Creek from the intercoastal waterway. Got to the point we could go no further winding our way into narrow passages which at low tide we could only see down the water way the sides were too high. Sometimes we had to remove the rods and duck down under trees and brush. The area is known for gators and alike but we only heard crashing through the brush off to our sides ans saw none of them. A few times it was up and over logs just like on the W video.The W was right at home in those tight places. I should have thought to bring just Emmrods and it would have been easier. It got into the low 90s but water temps were still cool. All in all the W did the trip just fine. Twelve hours with limited getting out time is a long day but comfort wise it was great. With both boats rated in the 325 range she had me on the heavy load part. Speed wise I was a little faster over long range and would pull ahead over open water sections of the flats heading to the creek mouth.
We got in some really tight spots. The W took the trip on in fine shape. Being so short that really helped in this situation. A long boat in the 12 to 15 foot range would have been impossible to get around in tight quarters. Of course I also had the advantage of being able to stand to see over things, very difficult in almost any other boat. Of course I did try out Nina’s mini kayak. Aside from being sure nobody saw me in a bright pink boat it worked well. To tell the truth though I don’t think I could have done the 12 hours in it. The riding position in the W works for long periods. It’s very hard to explain to someone without them trying it. Logic would at first say that air seat with all the padding should be far more comfortable. But that is just not the case.
