They say that rescued fishing lures catch more fish…
Here’s Jeff McGovern, a good citizen of the Florida waterways, standing up in his w500 fishing kayak, in a tidal current, and rescuing a lure stuck high up in a tree:
Photo: Nina Green
The operation was a success, and here is Jeff resting in his fishing kayak if full southern comfort -
Note the tons of stuff Jeff carries on board his yak…
Kevin Eastman, a kayak fly angler from Florida, already contributed the story about the wooden Greenland-Aleutian paddle he made, and a suspended storage solution for his W500 fly fishing kayak.
Since then, Kevin has introduced some improvements to his W500:
-”I snapped a couple of photos of the mounting I did for the bilge pump and the plastic clamps I used under the screws. I also have a simple PVC rod rack that some might be interested in looking at. It’s similar to one that I saw on pictures of Jeff’s before the short rods, but more slender. The pieces on the seat can be added to the ends for more rod storage or positioned for trolling. The two holders on top are cut out for holding fly rod set ups and work well.
Kevin”
We do not recommend using it in deeper water, since it’s the only W kayak model that comes with no flotation at all – not even internal, cast urethane foam in its hull tips. This means that in case of a bad capsize, it could be lost.
However, outfitting the S model with side flotation modules is very easy, even for inexperienced owners.
As for casting urethane foam flotation in its hull tips, it is possible too, although we recommend that only experienced outfitters carry out such a messy project.
The W500 S model is good news for shallow water fly anglers, who sight fish in skinny water and require no rod holders in their kayaks. These hunter-anglers will find in it a a low-cost, super-stable, stand up fly fishing kayak, offering more storage than any other kayak on the planet, and best of all: 100% free from back pain, leg numbness, leg pain and other ailments typical of all sit-in and SOT kayaks that force their operators into infamous the L position.
The two models feature only high, deck mounted rod holders (2 and 4, respectively), that put your precious tackle further away from the salt’s corrosive action, thus offering you to fish in choppy saltwater with much splashing and spray around.
No other fishing kayak in the world comes close to putting such a distance between your fishing tackle and the water.
You are free to choose any combination of tall RAM deck mounted rod holders from the following selection:
RAM-119 and RAM-301 tube rod holders, and RAM-114 and RAM-117 rod holders that are equipped with a safety latch.
More info on these deck mounted rod holders >>
Dick Sherman and I encountered some brisk winds and choppy water yesterday, but our W kayak kept us high and dry. Another slow day, but still no oil in sight.
Gary
In the past 2 years, Craig Masterman has been fly fishing from his W300 in Cape Cod and Florida.
Now he got a W500, and he rigged it to be the absolute fly fishing machine.
Craig prepared an online slide show including some 40 detailed photos of his fly fishing kayak rigging work.
Says Craig:
-”What I know is, that I cannot ever remember being so favorably impressed by any product, of any kind, as I have by the Wavewalk W500 kayak. Part of that has to do with my passion for saltwater fly fishing and the degree to which the “W” has enriched my fly fishing experience. Part of it may be that my memory isn’t what it used to be. Be that as it may, I find that I have to consciously temper my enthusiasm for the boat whenever I share its virtues with other fly fishers…
This is a boat with a design that is so beautifully simple and so inherently adapted to stand-up paddle fishing.”
Here’s another result from Craig’s visit here:
Craig is a saltwater kayak fly fisherman who’s usually fly fishing standing in his W300 kayak in Cape Cod and Florida. He got that fishing kayak back in 2008, and has contributed a kayak review about it, as well as interesting rigging ideas.
Now he’s come to test the W500, and guess what – he became an instant fan of it.
Craig is getting a yellow W500, and we can hardly wait to see how he’s going to rig it.
The movie shows Craig fly fishing standing in his kayak, paddling standing, and doing a bunch of other things that are amazing and amusing, including entertaining a guest on board, and testing a lawn chair as a seat add-on (just stick the chair in the cockpit…).
BTW, Craig said he prefers the kayak without any added seat, which proves the W saddle is a classic 
One fun thing about the W is never running out of ideas about how to modify it to meet one’s needs.
I’ve been wrestling with trying to figure out how to get a 3rd outfit on board to supplement the 2 rods I have in my flush rod holders. Right now I’ve got the 3rd rod attached to the hull with a bungee cord at the reel end (the other end of this bungee cord holds my anchor stick in place). A small clip attached to the wrap-around cord that came with the W secures the tip end. The rod is out of the way and easy to get to.
The only negative is having the reel a little nearer the salt water than I would like, but a good rinse after each trip seems to keep it in working order.
Gary
Note the extra holes drilled in the cockpit rim for attaching fishing gear
Craig Masterman is a fly fisherman from Massachusetts who likes to fish in saltwater, usually in Cape Cod and Florida.
Craig has already contributed a review of his W300 fly fishing kayak, and innovative rigging solutions.
Here are his latest innovative creations:
I’ve been working on this enhanced set-up for fly fishing from my W300. I used two short sections of the floatation noodle: one section for the front of the cockpit rim with a groove to hold the rod centered and a slit a couple inches aside of the groove to hold the leader tight, and the other section with a short bungee cord through it strung between the forward rigging loops on the hulls for the forward fly rod support rest. The darker layer on the forward rod support rest is an additional layer of foam pipe insulation secured with electrical zip ties. The idea was to have a place for the rod to rest securely with some line already stripped off the reel and ready to cast while I stand and paddle scouting for fish. A second rod can be carried in the side mounted rubber clips as seen in the pictures, all rigged and ready, as I described in my original rigging set up a couple of years ago.
Craig
You will also notice that I have installed a set of six snaps (kit available at any hardware store) along the outside edge of the forward part of the cockpit rim. I used an old towel and cut it to size and shape to snap to the rim to hold it draped over the front third of the cockpit. This is my rendition of a stripping “basket” which keeps the line away from the bottom of the hulls (and my feet) as I strip the fly line in on the retrieve. Although a crude installation, this “line management device” and rod rest design works very well as a fly fishing accessory.
Remember those three dolphins that pillaged Jeff’s private fishing spot a few weeks ago?
Well, this time Jeff got the upper hand, at least over one of them, as he was fishing from his W500 kayak and the aquatic robber was trying to catch the same redfish…
A very interesting kayak fishing day for Jeff:
Jeff is taking the next step towards simplifying his kayak fishing style. No more complicated rigging with a milk crate, and not that many rod holders: His W500 offers enough storage space for all his fishing gear and tackle, including his Emmrod fishing rods, so he uses just one deck mounted rod holder (RAM-117).
Simple is good – Keep it simple!
