By Dennis Vircks

Saltwater Wavewalk Kayak Fisherman, California

-“Four months have passed since I received my Wavewalk.  I thought I would take some time to tell you how much I enjoy this fine little craft.  I now have it rigged to my satisfaction and to what I believe is the ultimate “individual fishing platform.”

A spotted bay bass posing for Dennis’ camera.

-“Ready to start the long haul to the launching beach at Newport Harbor Back Bay. I used Scotty rod holder bases and Cabela rod holders.  Installation was drilled holes with stainless steel screws, washers and cap lock nuts.”

-“Returning to landing beach in Huntington Harbor.  I like the large hollow hulls because I can store my seven foot long rods, inflatable PFD,  tackle, everything I need in them for transporting.”

-“Much of the enjoyment was in the actual rigging process.  I wanted to get it right before I did any modifications and each decision took a lot of deliberation before fabrication and installation.  I knew that I wanted to power the craft, I had to have rod holders and a fish finder, I also learned that I needed a paddle keeper and a way to transport it fully loaded on long sandy beaches.  When I pull it fully loaded its gross weight is about 125 lbs.  All of my rigging modifications were installed with drilled holes and stainless steel screws, cap lock nuts and washers.”

Close up on the wheel and part of the system that attaches it to the kayak.  Read more

-“The uniqueness of the craft and the comments I receive about it are also enjoyable.  Every time I take it out I get questions and comments.  “What is that?”  “Where did you get it”  “How much did it cost?”  I fish Newport Harbor and Huntington Harbor.  These are very active kayak fishing locations and most of them envy me as I maneuver under power.  One hard core “sit on
the topper” said to me, “That isn’t a Kayak.”  I responded, “Well, maybe not to you because when you look at me you see that my feet and butt are dry.”   I explained to him that after years of working and recreating in the sun I have become a melanoma farm and my skin can’t take long exposure to the sun or moist conditions.  (I wear a hat, long sleeve UV shirt and jeans.)   I switched topics to fishing techniques with our ultra light tackle.  Since then, we have had several friendly fishing encounters.  Last Saturday, as we were loading up to leave, I was astounded when he came over to me and said, “ya know buddy, I like your set up and I’m thinking about getting one.”

-“I needed a diversion from the stress of my occupation.  Now that I have this fine craft rigged, I get to spend a few hours just concentrating on something important; the challenging relaxation of FISHING!  This is what it is all about.”

-“I stern mounted a Minn Kota 30-30 trolling motor that is used for power assist during distance travel and exclusively for maneuvering when fishing.
My Minn Kota motor mount (I call it prototype #1) was fabricated out of one inch laminated hardwood.  I contoured the edges and attached it to the top with eight stainless screws, washers and cap nuts.  The lower portion of the mount is a laminated three inch by three inch cross member that is bolted through the hull with stainless steel lag bolts and neoprene washers on both sides.  I coated it with Krylon Non-Skid Coating rather than paint.
Sadly, the lamination glue was not equal to the task and it has started to crack at the joints.  It remains solid and functional but I will be replacing it after the fishing season.  I am researching various materials to use.”

-“I made a removable holder for my Humminbird Piranha Max fish finder out of ¼” hardwood.  I attached a scrap piece of one inch hardwood as a bottom extender.  To use simply force the one inch extender into the first saddle recess.  The friction holds it in place.”

A narrow foam mattress attached to small diameter tubes that fit in the saddle grooves – Dennis’ ingenious solution for extra comfort.

Dennis’ version of a ‘storm proof’ paddle holder.  Read more

Going with your kayak over oyster beds, shells, sharp rocks, broken glass, metal debris and even concrete ramps can get its hull scratched. In most cases such scratches are negligible, and you need not pay attention to them. However, if you want to avoid getting your kayak scratched you’d better watch out for signs of such potential hazards in the water – especially if you’re fishing or paddling in shallow water. Needless to mention is the fact that fishing and paddling from a higher position than ordinary kayaks offer you can help a lot in detecting potential problems in the water ahead of time, that is before hitting them. This is yet another advantage the W Kayak offers you, and W Kayak paddlers and fishermen indeed stand up in their boats from time to time to look at the water around them.

When it comes to repairing scratches in polyethylene kayaks the methods are similar and depend on how deep the scratch is.

For superficial scratches we don’t recommend any treatment, but if you insist on doing something you can just flame the scratch using a hand-held, propane blow torch. You should apply the flame over the scratch slowly and cautiously until it disappears or diminishes considerably, while being careful not to overheat the area so as not to cause a local deformation. In any case, flaming alters the color of the polyethylene to a darker hue.

 

For deep scratches or ‘grooves’ it’s better to heat the end of a metal spoon and apply the hot tip gently and cautiously along the scratch, thus ‘welding’ the surface. Here too, you need to be careful not to overheat the area you’re working on since this would cause the polyethylene to deform. You’d need to protect your hand that’s holding the spoon with a thick glove since metal conducts heat and you might get your fingers burnt.

Keep the work area free of any flammable materials and make sure you’re not accidentally directing the flame at yourself or at other people. Don’t allow children or pets nearby.

If you’re not experienced in working with a propane blow torch you may want to reconsider such a project because it can be dangerous.

As for cracks in a polyethylene kayak, those are rare, and they must be properly fixed. Just flaming or welding won’t be enough to fix a crack, and you’d need to patch it – preferably with an internal patch that you’ll weld over the entire area. This is necessary since even if welded the hull in the cracked area will be weaker than in other places, and it could reopen while you’re paddling your kayak or fishing from it – with dire consequences. If the crack appears above waterline you can reinforce the patch with rivets, but we recommend not to use rivets when making repairs below waterline because we think that drilling holes in the hull below waterline is simple too risky in the long run.

Do you have any questions for us?

John Forney has a new web page where he presents his work in designing and building kayaks  and small boats. After this beautiful wooden W fishing kayak John’s next project is a skin-on-aluminum-frame W boat.

Seal launching your kayak can be a good solution if you don’t want to spend too much time looking for a better spot to start your paddling or fishing trip from. You can do it just for fun too.
The kayaker or kayak angler who’s planning to venture into seal launching should cover the front part of the cockpit, at least for the launch.
We advise you to start learning to seal launch on a moderately steep slope, and slide over a shorter distance… You can seal launch from a dock or a deck too.

Also, before you become proficient in seal launching, and when you’re just learning the technique, remember the rule ‘Stuff Happens’, so leaving your cellphone, camera, GPS and fishing gear on shore might be a prudent thing to do.

Have fun!

The following demo video was created by Roxanne Davis, a kayak angler from Connecticut, when she fished from a Wavewalk 500. These days Rox fishes mostly from a motorized W700 –