By Captain Larry Jarboe
Larry offers guided fishing and diving trips in the Key Largo and the areas that surround it »
More fishing adventures with Capn’ Larry »
Wavewalk S4x3 multi boat for leisure & adventure
Trolling for Barracuda in the S4
By Captain Larry Jarboe
One of my least favorite fishing techniques is trolling.
Putting a rod and reel in a rod holder and waiting for what seems like hours for a bite can be borderline boring. Then, dragging a fish against the movement of a slow moving boat as we do fishing for stripers or bluefish in the Chesapeake Bay diminishes the tug and pull of the fish. Imagine cranking in a 5 gallon bucket of water. Welcome to the successful outcome of a trolling expedition.
However, trolling from a Wavewalk S4 is a completely different experience. After good success with my kayak spinning rigs trolling custom fabricated lures in mangrove creeks and channels, I set off to find the perfect rig for trolling in the clear inshore waters of South Florida.
I finally settled on a Shimano TR200-G graphite reel loaded with 20 lb. test mono line on a 4′ kayak Ricky Rod made in Miami.
With this rig in hand and the outboard tiller in the other, a kayak trolling fisherman (or woman) can smoothly ease out line and control the action of the lure or rigged bait while steering the S4. Unlike leaving the rig in the holder, with the rod in hand, bites are easily felt and the hook set. Now, we are fishing and catching and really enjoying the battle.
In less than an hour, I caught 4 barracuda no more than a 1/2 mile from my house using this technique. All were released. But, I had to gently tow the last one back to the dock to safely release from the dive platform of my big boat. It was just too big and toothy to bring aboard.
My next project is to build a long distance de-hooker.
Larry offers guided fishing and diving trips in the Key Largo and the areas that surround it »
My Wavewalk S4
By Mike Silva
Massachusetts
I’ve had many fishing boats, including a center console catamaran, a 17 ft [pedal drive fishing kayak], and even a W300. I still use my center console boat, but I fish mainly out of my S4 now. The 17 ft [pedal kayak] was stable but just too big and heavy, and I could hardly move it on land and in the water, even with my father helping me. The W300 was too small and it didn’t work for me.
I wanted to see the S4 before buying, but once I saw it I knew that was it.
I love my S4! This boat is so stable that I stood in one of its hulls as soon as I put in in the water for the first time, like you [Yoav] did in that video. This is not a kayak, it’s a boat.
I used it once with a 2 HP motor together with a fishing buddy, but it was under powered, so I bought a 6 HP Suzuki long shaft, and it’s perfect. It goes fast!
I took two of my friends in the boat, with the new motor, and we went fishing in a pond. Each one of us weighs about two hundred pounds. Two of us stood in the boat and fished, and the third guy stood on the front deck. I told him to get down from there, because I was afraid he’d capsize the boat, but he said that he feels okay, and he stayed there. We ended up standing, all three if us, and fishing. I couldn’t believe it. This boat is unbelievable.
I’m planning to take it to North Carolina, and fish the shallow water next to the intercoastal. It will work better there than my big boat.
I’m working on a cart for it.
More fishing with Mike »
Two Wavewalk S4 skiffs motorizing in the ocean and in the mangroves
By Captain Larry Jarboe
Yesterday, I did a delightful “Wavewalk Wednesday” motorized demo w/ 2 super nice people from Georgia, John and Peni.
Two boats, with two people in each one, each boat had a 3.5 hp outboard, operating through extremely tight creeks and choppy open ocean, and no concern with tipping.
We plunged through the mangrove forest, stopped at the only natural sand beach on the Atlantic in Key Largo, circumnavigated Rattlesnake Key and, both boats ran out of fuel on the way home.
But, I had more on board.
We had a great afternoon.
Larry offers guided fishing and diving trips in the Key Largo and the areas that surround it »
Three Wavewalk S4, six divers, paddlers and anglers, and plenty of fish!
By Captain Larry Jarboe
Three Wavewalk S4 attached together to form a super stable drive & dive platform, and each paddled separately by three tandem crews of mangrove anglers.
Larry offers guided fishing and diving trips in the Key Largo and the areas that surround it »