Share Your Innovations

[Apex Predator]

I can't pry my wallet open to buy a game bag so have been thinking of alternatives. I plan on making one out of the insulating bubble wrap, the kind with the aluminum foil coating. A 2' x 25' roll is only $17 on Amazon. That and a little duct tape will make at least 3 bags, and I figure they could be used at least a few times each before they fall apart. At the rate I catch big fish I should be able to give two bags to my kids in my will.

Funny, I did the same thing and it works great and is as light as a game bag gets.

[Wyota]

Well, despite being doomed to corrosive failure, the box is still going strong. Replaced a fuse once after letting her sit a while but the o-ringed covers on switches, goop on case rubber switch covers faul, and liberAL use of dialectric grease on the buss inside has kept her looking new. Run lights fishfinder, bait tank and marine radio off it all day with no issues.



Well, based on your advice, I gooped the poop out of the switches (not so pretty now), and I decided to use a liberal amount of dielectric grease on the box seal. Took it out, and while it didn't get a full dunking, it got pretty wet. Appears to be no moisture whatsoever inside the box. Gotta give it a few more days to check for any moisture or corrosion, but appearts to be holding up pretty well. After use, have decided to mount the ff to the top of the box (assuming it passes the longer term corrosion test).

Goop is great!!!!!

Update: 16 days later and nary a bit of moisture or corrosion. I'll keep inspection, grease and regoop as needed as a critical pre op check and it should be fine. Now to build out the light rig.

[fisheyechannel]

I started out using the Cold Steel Brooklyn Shorty after testing it with the guys at Cold Steel, and it worked great, however I gave the guys at Cold Steel some feedback and they took my feedback and came out with the Boat Bat. High Visibility Orange and a hole for a leash, not that its necessary since it floats, but so does my radio and I still managed to lose that at Montana De Oro.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EfT-UvYcg6k" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Hunters Pa]

Costco has offered nice quality stadium seats for the past couple of years for around $14. What you do with it depends on your own creativity and mechanical skills.

Saw the stadium seats at Fullerton Costco yesterday. They didn’t have a ton, but other Costco’s should have them too. They are seasonal so grab one if you are considering it

FWIW, they are awesome on bleachers, which is what they are made for. My bony butt on metal stands can only take so much, but a weekend-long waterpolo tournament is comfortable.

[chinaevacase]

We custom design and produce foam Kayak seat pad, foam Kayak seat cushion, kayak back band, Low MOQ and factory price! http://www.evacase.net
http://www.gogglecase.com
http://www.goprocase.net
http://www.watchcases.net

[chinaevacase]

i got an Orvis Lightweight EVA Foam Fly Box cases with foam insert magnetic button closure
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh522/evacase007/7%20Fishing%20Cases/0707%20fly%20box/FC-FB001%20d_zpsbw0hibfr.jpg (http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/evacase007/media/7%20Fishing%20Cases/0707%20fly%20box/FC-FB001%20d_zpsbw0hibfr.jpg.html)
http://i1250.photobucket.com/albums/hh522/evacase007/7%20Fishing%20Cases/0707%20fly%20box/FC-FB001%20c_zps59rxo4yd.jpg (http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/evacase007/media/7%20Fishing%20Cases/0707%20fly%20box/FC-FB001%20c_zps59rxo4yd.jpg.html)

[Maineguy]

I built this mod from foam and carbon fiber to improve stability and extend my range on the water a bit. The bait tank pumps, 45lb thrust trolling motor and fish finder run off of 4 CALB 100 AH LI batteries. The open areas on the wing will be home for 200 watts of Sun Power Maxeon solar cells to recharge on the water.

[wiredantz]

How fast fast can you move in in still water with no current

[Ggiannig89]

I built this mod from foam and carbon fiber to improve stability and extend my range on the water a bit. The bait tank pumps, 45lb thrust trolling motor and fish finder run off of 4 CALB 100 AH LI batteries. The open areas on the wing will be home for 200 watts of Sun Power Maxeon solar cells to recharge on the water.

Bitchen. That’s some next level stuff right there. What’s your Day job? Rocket engineer or something?

[goldenglory18]

Bitchen. That’s some next level stuff right there. What’s your Day job? Rocket engineer or something?

I bet Structures Engineer.

I totally admire the quality of the DIY here, but damn at some point you just gotta go buy a boat, no?

:cheers1:

[Saba Slayer]

WOW...?
Really...on a Hobie hull...?!?! :eek::confused::sifone::sifone::sifone::sifone:

[jruiz]

How fast fast can you move in in still water with no current

I think Frank is jealous.

[Maineguy]

Speed - 4 MPH with the standard prop. I just bought an improved three bladed prop that might increase it a little.

I work on Navy Weapon Systems but this is my first ever attempt at a composite project. I learned everything from the web. Thanks to Burt Rutan for wing structural ideas.

Already own two boats on the east coast that haven't been in the water since 2006, so it was hard to justify another boat. My yard and garage here in SD does not support the size of boat I would want to have.

[jorluivil]

I think Frank is jealous.

Add sail, an Evolve motor, a Minn Kota trolling motor and fill the hull with pool noodles......................now Frank is jealous.

[HELLSTER INC.]

Did you get SpaceX approval on this?

[wiredantz]

you have 4800 watts of power on that kayak glider... I am officially jealous.... but at 4mph... that trolling motor is holding your kayak back when your fighting against current.. but im not aware of any 12v trolling motor that can push you even faster... the Torqeedo would push you faster but they wont' run on 12v 100 amp batteries. i believe the torqeedo batteries are 29v.


Just Beware: you start going faster... your going to crash into the swells when the wind picks up..


good job... show us a video i would love to see it... AT your level i would add a 2.3hp Honda engine if i need to go even faster...

[goldenglory18]

Did you get SpaceX approval on this?

Almost all of their technical designs are open-source, non-trademarked (I used to work there) so he doesn't need approval.

:D

[Maineguy]

Burt Rutan ran Scaled Composites. I did buy his publication - introduction to Composite Construction even though all of the information can be gleaned from his aircraft construction YouTube videos. I also looked at his long EZ aircraft plans online for ideas on the wings internal structure and more detail on through hole hard points for mounting the trolling motor and wing to kayak strap hardware. The rest was just what I thought would look cool and support a better fishing experience. Torquedo’s were almost 2k last time I checked. I built this for less than that total and almost 1/2 the cost was the Battery and trolling motor. Of course I spend a lot of time on it but like I tell my wife it keeps me off of crack, both kinds. Overall it was an amazing learning experience.

[BigTunaL]

Nothing fancy here, just a simple but effective solution to keep seaweed from entering the small transducer opening. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180311/06c61617002f57d35fc2fa22d306d5a0.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dirty Curti]

I made a video of my in-hull transducer mount. Please take a look and share your thoughts. Thanks.

In-Hull Transducer Mount (https://youtu.be/B4iVCDDGuMc)

[Entropy]

I bet Structures Engineer.

I totally admire the quality of the DIY here, but damn at some point you just gotta go buy a boat, no?

:cheers1:

Bro.... I have a master's degree in mechanical engineering and I can't build that. It took me over half n hour to install a hobby rod holder base on my kayak LOL :).

They don't teach you these stuff in school. It is all math and science. The most hands on, practical people for these kinda of stuff are usually technicians, mechanics, machinists, etc...

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Can you show me how to make a single piece hood top (open on the sides) for my 36 Ford Pickup?

https://pbase.com/schutze/image/164880360.jpg

[PapaDave]

I bet Structures Engineer.

I totally admire the quality of the DIY here, but damn at some point you just gotta go buy a boat, no?

:cheers1:

Indeed...

[FullFlavorPike]

Can you show me how to make a single piece hood top (open on the sides) for my 36 Ford Pickup?


Buy an English wheel and a shot bag and you can have one built in a jiffy.

[Mr. NiceGuy]

Buy an English wheel and a shot bag and you can have one built in a jiffy.

I have to stretch my brain beyond it's present capacity to think about that.

Tony Santana has an English Wheel at his Hot Rod Auto Body Shop at Santee High School. I took several semesters there looking for ideas, tools and techniques. Figuring out how to shape metal by hand with things like the English Wheel boggle my brain. I am in awe of people who can freehand materials into precise beautiful shapes.

[KozlovMax]

Interesting) thanks

[DCMosley]

I made a video of my in-hull transducer mount. Please take a look and share your thoughts. Thanks.

In-Hull Transducer Mount (https://youtu.be/B4iVCDDGuMc)

Thanks! Took a note.

[dsafety]

I made a video of my in-hull transducer mount. Please take a look and share your thoughts. Thanks.

In-Hull Transducer Mount (https://youtu.be/B4iVCDDGuMc)

That is a nice implementation of the "wet mount". Several other versions have appeared in this thread over the years. A variant which I have used for the past 5 plus years is the "grease mount". Basically you build a small reservoir and glue it to the inside of the hull.

Fill the bottom 1/2" with high-temp marine grease and push your transducer into the grease until it bottoms out on the hull. Be careful not to trap any air bubbles. Strap the transducer under a little pressure, to the reservoir with a compressible piece of rubber, (EVA, the stuff that flip flop sandals are made of works great).

The main advantage of the grease mount is that you do not have to worry about the reservoir ever going dry. The grease will stay in the reservoir even when stored upside down in a 115 degree garage.

Both of these methods work well for simple sonar transducers which can transmit and receive through the hull without a problem. As I just learned, the more recent transducers have added downscan and even sidescan. Those signals get messed up by the plastic hull.

Many of the newer boats have transducer pockets in the bottom of the hull which allow for mounting modern transducers in an exterior location where they do not have broadcast through any plastic. This is a great innovation IMO but if you have an older boat, (like my 2008 Revo), you will have to get a little creative if you want to get the most out of the current batch of fish finders.

One way to mount your transducer so it has an unobstructed view of the water below is to use a transducer arm that hangs over the edge of your yak. I have just completed my installation using this method and will be writing a post soon. (I have to check things out on the water before I can be confident that my installation is worth talking about, so please be patient.)

Spoiler alert. I usually build most of my mods from ABS or PVC pipe but for this project, it turns out that both Scotty and Ram offer relatively inexpensive transducer arms. I ended up with the Scotty and am quite pleased. More on this later.

Bob

[baileybikes]

Has anyone tried shimming up the aka mounts to get the amas out of the water when not sailing? I have heard of people bending them to get less hydrodynamic loss, but shim blocks under the cross bars to raise the whole mess seems a lot easier and safe.

[dsafety]

When I first began fishing from a kayak in 2008, things were pretty simple. You paddled out, caught bait and trolled. There were plenty of fish in LJ back then so most fishing trips were usually fairly successful. Many of us did not even start out with a fish finder or bait tank. Things began to change quickly as Hobie’s pedal-powered yaks began to transform kayak fishing in a very good way.

Along with the propulsion transformation, the kayaks themselves began to evolve as well. The new designs provided places for bait tanks and fish finders, both game changers.

Back in the day, most fish finders were simple sonar units. Sonar-only transducers have the ability to transmit through plastic so most were mounted inside the kayak hulls. Mounting methods included gluing the transducer to the hull as well as suspending the unit a water or grease reservoir. Each of these options worked pretty well.

Fast forward about 10 years and we began seeing more advanced fish finders hit the market, some costing as much as the kayak to which they are attached. The new technology added down imaging and even side imaging capabilities. These advancements came at a cost, however. Down and side imaging signals do not penetrate plastic very well so if one wants to get the most of this new technology, the new transducers have to be mounted outside the kayak with an unobstructed view of the ocean below.

The good news is that some of the newest kayak designs now have an exterior transducer mounting “pocket” molded into the hull. The bad news is that those of us with older boats now have to come up with a workaround. This post documents my solution.

When I returned to kayak fishing this summer after a couple-year layoff, I discovered that some of my gear no longer worked. The fish finder did not survive my first day on the water a month or so ago so I went shopping for a replacement.

I found a great deal on a Lowrance Hook 2 unit. Lowrance is offering rebates of $50 or $100 on most of their fish finder models right now. The offer expires October 31st 2019. I ended up with their 7X Splitshot model. The Splitshot version offers both sonar and down vision imaging along with GPS tracking. Other models add side vision imaging, and detailed maps. After rebate, my new fish finder set me back a very reasonable $180.

Now to the next challenge, how and where to mount the transducer. My old boat does not have a suitable place to mount the transducer on the outside of the hull. I did a little research and discovered that both Ram and Scotty sell mounting arms that can be attached to tracks or balls which have been mounted to the kayak deck. I chose the Scotty 141 model for its adjustability and track-mount capability.

The Scotty 141 includes their “Gear Head Adaptor” which allows accessories to be easily connected and disconnected from the transducer arm. I used this feature to create a mounting platform for my new fish finder.

As anyone who has ever installed a fish finder on a kayak knows, these things come with very long wires that link the fish finder to the transducer. For internal mounts all that wire usually ends up being stowed somewhere inside the kayak.

Given that my new fish finder rig would be mounted on the rail of my kayak and the fact that I transport and store my kayak upside down, resting on the rails, I needed to find a way to make the entire fish finder and transducer arm completely removable from the kayak so nothing was in the way while being transported or stored. The solution was remarkably simple. I just wrapped all the excess transducer wire around the transducer arm and zip tied everything in place. None of the transducer wiring enters or exits the hull.https://www.diamond-safety.com/assets/uploads/Transducer-Arm.jpg
https://www.diamond-safety.com/assets/uploads/Transducer-Arm-Installed.jpg

Up next was the fish finder mounting platform. I bought Scotty’s Universal Fish Finder adapter which attaches to the Gear Head connected to a narrow track that I mounted to the rail. The universal mount was not large enough to accommodate my 7” fish finder but a trip to Wal-Mart and about $2 provided me with a small plastic cutting board that I trimmed to a suitable size and attached to the top of the Scotty mount. https://www.diamond-safety.com/assets/uploads/Completed-1.jpg

The final step was to figure out how to get power to my newly installed setup. Again this issue proved have a simple solution. I already had a battery storage area in the stern of my yak with wiring that ran the length of the hull. I was a little uncomfortable as I drilled a one inch hole into the side of my yak but West Marine’s Thru Bulkhead Wire Cap created a nearly waterproof wiring port.

One nice feature of this wire cap is that while the fitting is close to being water tight, the power wire can be easily pushed in or pulled from the hull. This means that when I button things up for transport, most of the power wire can be pushed into the hull so nothing is left to flap around in the wind while driving at freeway speeds. https://www.diamond-safety.com/assets/uploads/Power-Cable.jpg

The maiden voyage with my new fish finder uncovered a few problems. The platform that the device was mounted on extended too far into the cockpit, interfering with my peddling and my 6 year old battery decided that it was time to throw in the towel. Both of these problems were quickly resolved.

The next time out everything worked perfectly. Well almost everything. While the new fish finder displayed plenty of bait balls, the fish in those bait balls refused to attack my sabiki flies. I felt fortunate to catch four small Spanish. In the end, it did not matter because the bigger fish had taken the day off as well. The only fish we heard about that day were a couple of rock fish and small calicos. Maybe next time. https://www.diamond-safety.com/assets/uploads/On-the-water.jpg

While I would love to upgrade to one of the latest and greatest kayak models that are designed to accommodate the modern fish finders and other things that yakfishers utilize, I will have to make do with what I have for the foreseeable future. Meanwhile, I look forward to having a new fish finder that has a screen twice the size of my previous unit along with the addition of down imaging. Now I just have to figure out how to use this great new tool. That should be fun. It might even improve my fishing.

[FISH11]

Great write up and installation, Bob. Looks great and should be awesome when the Yellows hook up, and you get to see them on the new FF screen. Thanks for sharing, it should help guys with their installation plans.

[NikitaMolot]

thank you

[2013outback]

Needed a cutting board and saw someone post on this thread a similiar idea, hope you don’t mind my take on it🤙🏽 Cheers. Have more mods coming up too will be posting soon as I start to learn to use this forum. I’m in Newport Beach and new to kayaking but if anyone is in the area shoot me a dm and let’s exchange numbers and meet up. Thanks guys, this forum is rad, glad stumbled upon it🤙🏽

[SoCalEDC]

Just recently upgraded my fish finder on my hobie and found out that the transducer did not fit into the hobie lowrance ready hull. I tried a couple of diy on youtube to add an extension to the provided adapter and tried to attach it to the existing lowrance ready cover but it cause the tranducer end to stick out of the back of the cover. When the cover was tighten down, it crushed the end of the transducer and I didn't think it was a good idea to keep it liek that. I Came up with a pretty solid solution to mount the transducer so that it fits completely in the transducer slot using my 3d modeling skills and a 3d printer. I put in a giant open to provide maximum water flow and to prevent sand from being trapped inside the cover. I was getting tired of having to flush all the sand out after every use as the sand builds up greatly and falls all over my car roof when transferring. If anyone needs something similar for their garmin transducer, lmk. I can help out. This diy could've came out really bad if I didn't have access to a CAD software or a 3d printer.very cool solution.

Needed a cutting board and saw someone post on this thread a similiar idea, hope you don’t mind my take on it🤙🏽 Cheers. Have more mods coming up too will be posting soon as I start to learn to use this forum. I’m in Newport Beach and new to kayaking but if anyone is in the area shoot me a dm and let’s exchange numbers and meet up. Thanks guys, this forum is rad, glad stumbled upon it🤙🏽
cool, does that render your hatch unusable?

[2013outback]

very cool solution.


cool, does that render your hatch unusable?

The cutting board is strapped onto the lid of the hatch with shock cord. Knot on each end and therefore making the cutting board stay perfectly in place and also makes the hatch handle easily accessible . Just lift the cutting board with same hand and lift turn and open the hatch.

Tried to upload a picture and video but it’s not workIng

[JohnMckroidJr]

Tuna Tubes

[SoCalEDC]

Tuna Tubes

Cool, what are you fishing for out there that require baits that size? Big grouper?

[JohnMckroidJr]

Cool, what are you fishing for out there that require baits that size? Big grouper?

The baits are generally no bigger than 1 to 3lbs, but the Small Tunas are a favorite food of many species. It's kind of like using live squid in SoCal in that everything wants to eat them. The challenge is keeping them alive and presenting them to the right species without catching a less desirable Barracuda or worse yet, Shark. So far I have taken Wahoo, Sailfish, King Mackerel and Black Grouper on them. Lately, Barracuda is all I have been able to get with the tunas, but I did have something good hanging for 45 minutes on 40lb test before I got greedy tweeked the drag just a little too tight, breaking the wire leader :( Earlier this year a World record 97.8lb King Mackerel was taken on a Little Tunny in the same waters that are frequently fished by kayaks. Wouldn't it be sick if the next world record King Mackerel was taken off a kayak?

[SoCalEDC]

The baits are generally no bigger than 1 to 3lbs, but the Small Tunas are a favorite food of many species. It's kind of like using live squid in SoCal in that everything wants to eat them. The challenge is keeping them alive and presenting them to the right species without catching a less desirable Barracuda or worse yet, Shark. So far I have taken Wahoo, Sailfish, King Mackerel and Black Grouper on them. Lately, Barracuda is all I have been able to get with the tunas, but I did have something good hanging for 45 minutes on 40lb test before I got greedy tweeked the drag just a little too tight, breaking the wire leader :( Earlier this year a World record 97.8lb King Mackerel was taken on a Little Tunny in the same waters that are frequently fished by kayaks. Wouldn't it be sick if the next world record King Mackerel was taken off a kayak?
Wow thats cool. I am so jealous of the south florida fishery

[whereubinh]

Thought i share this project of mine I've been working on for a bit over a month. This is my design of a Hobie style livewell. It has a self priming tube that will prime the pump when given some speed. I was able to water test it and it worked better than expected.

[JohnMckroidJr]

Thought i share this project of mine I've been working on for a bit over a month. This is my design of a Hobie style livewell. It has a self priming tube that will prime the pump when given some speed. I was able to water test it and it worked better than expected.

Interesting, what material did you use to make the livewell?

[socal.beach.bum]

Interesting, what material did you use to make the livewell?

Looks like he 3D printed it.

[whereubinh]

Interesting, what material did you use to make the livewell?

Hey man,
I used carbon fiber additive PLA plastic.

[JohnMckroidJr]

Hey man,
I used carbon fiber additive PLA plastic.
Very cool. It looks like it was made in sections that you fused together. I would like to learn more about that type of fabrication. Was it done with a 3d printer, if so what type?

[whereubinh]

Very cool. It looks like it was made in sections that you fused together. I would like to learn more about that type of fabrication. Was it done with a 3d printer, if so what type?

Yes this was made in sections. The 3d printer i used was an ender 3 pro with a couple of upgrades for better quality prints. The sections were bonded using jb weld steel reinforce epoxy.

[JohnMckroidJr]

Yes this was made in sections. The 3d printer i used was an ender 3 pro with a couple of upgrades for better quality prints. The sections were bonded using jb weld steel reinforce epoxy.

Well done! Appreciate the info, and quick reply. Does the printer come with the software needed to make the design, if not what do you consider a good program for a beginner who wants to fab parts for his kayak? Thanks.

[whereubinh]

Well done! Appreciate the info, and quick reply. Does the printer come with the software needed to make the design, if not what do you consider a good program for a beginner who wants to fab parts for his kayak? Thanks.

The printer does not come with any software. I personally use Solidworks to design and model my parts. This can take some time to learn as ita more of an engineering tool. I know alot of people that do you fusion 360 to cad for 3d printing as it is free and more user friendly. You should check that out.

[JohnMckroidJr]

The printer does not come with any software. I personally use Solidworks to design and model my parts. This can take some time to learn as ita more of an engineering tool. I know alot of people that do you fusion 360 to cad for 3d printing as it is free and more user friendly. You should check that out.

Good to know, I am checking out Fusion 360 -- Thanks.

[socal.beach.bum]

The printer does not come with any software. I personally use Solidworks to design and model my parts. This can take some time to learn as ita more of an engineering tool. I know alot of people that do you fusion 360 to cad for 3d printing as it is free and more user friendly. You should check that out.

Solid works? Wow how did you swing a license? I pay almost $100k per seat for my engineers.

[tomahawk]

Solidworks and ProE both used to be available in student versions to students. My son used the ProE version when he was in school. I think you meant $10K per seat (I did a web search and that is what I saw), still not for the casual user. I also read something that said Solidworks gives a free version to start ups.

[cris]

Solid works? Wow how did you swing a license? I pay almost $100k per seat for my engineers.

Solidworks has cheap non-commercial licenses for hobbyists and students.


Nice work on the 3D printed live well! The ender pro is pretty awesome!

[whereubinh]

Solid works? Wow how did you swing a license? I pay almost $100k per seat for my engineers.

There are plenty of youtube videos showing you how to get a version of solidworks working. Of course you shouldn't use these methods for legal businesses....

[FISH11]

FINALLY! After a few months since I told some people I know that I would film how I use the system I designed to unload and load my Solo Skiff, I did that today. I had to film it at home since conditions have kept me from being able to launch at La Jolla and film the process. It was a little harder at home because my driveway has this stupid slant that the construction company that built the house and poured the driveway thought that it needed much more slope than I think should have been needed, even with the extra rain and snow we get up in the mountains. I do believe that I covered most of what was important and if there is any additional information or more specific question, just post what those concerns are. I did forget to mention that all the Scotty bases and all the eyelets and hooks are installed using tri-fold aluminum 3/16" pop rivets. Those work great and I have always used them on my kayaks also. They allow you to mount things were there might not be a way to use pass through stainless steel bolts. The short Hobie H Rails and the swivel seat base are mounted with 1/4" through stainless steel bolts, large washers and nylock nuts. The Yakattack Mighty Mount XL gear track bases are of different lengths and all come with stainless steel screws that just screw into the polypropylene hull of the Solo Skiff. The triple rod holders on the rear are Blacktip triple nylon rod holders and I made a bracket that supports the upper section and are mounted to the Yakattack Mighty Mount XL bases using stainless steel carriage bolts that I ground two sides of the head slightly so they would slide in the gear tracks and also not rotate. They are easily removable by just loosening the nylock nuts and sliding the bolts out of the tracks, if I decide I don't want them on. The use of the ramp system is alot easier on the sand. Using it on boat ramps is also easy when you don't have to deal with boat wakes, no different then when using a boat trailer. Hope this helps all you guys that have one or are waiting for a Solo Skiff' Tight Lines.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cjzPTPyMIQI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[dsafety]

A little over 11 years ago, I wrote the first post in the Share Your Innovations thread. It was a rainy day, just like today and I was just beginning to discover how rewarding it can be to modify my kayak so it works better.

Before responding to Mark's fabulous post on his Solo Skiff mods, I checked out the stats that this thread has accumulated over the years. 802 replies and 569,608 views. Wow! To everyone who has participated in this thread, thank you for all the wonderful advice.

Back to Mark's video. It deserves another WOW! Very impressive stuff. Everything that Mark shows us in this video is well conceived, well designed and very innovative. IMO, it is one of the best posts that has appeared in this thread. Well done Mark.

While watching the video, I thought of one additional small mod that might be worth considering. It occurred to me that as often as Mark launches and retrieves his Solo, one spot on the hull may be getting extra exposure to wear and tear. Every time the hull is winched onto his truck, a small spot on the bottom of the hull is constantly being abraded away by the beach sand.

What if you created some kind of a pad, wheel or roller that could be strapped to the bow to protect this part of the hull from abrasion? Just a thought.

See you on the water my friend.

Bob

[FISH11]

Thank You for the kind words Bob. Yes I do monitor the lower edge of the bow were the hull makes contact with the sand and have not had any real wear at that point but it is something I do keep an eye on. I know it can certainly be an issue. My friend Mikey (sd fish and sips) had that very problem and ended up plastic welding that area on his Solo Skiff and adding a piece of PVC to reinforce that area. In his case though, I think most of that wear was due to how often he launches from concrete boat ramps and not from loading but due to having a habit of landing on the ramp while still on the Solo Skiff and then walking off the bow once it had slid onto the ramp. He posted a uTube video on making that repair recently on his uTube channel SD FISH AND SIPS. I noticed years ago how extremely rough the concrete surface on the ramps is (for improved traction for car/truck tires). So I never drag or let my kayak or Solo Skiff slide or that surface. When loading my Solo Skiff onto my truck bed and extender on a boat ramp the bow is still in the water and floating so it never makes contact with the concrete. When I land on the ramp I stop and get out in 1' of water and lift the Solo or Kayak and pull it up far enough so that boat wakes don't move it around. It is absolutely something guys should be aware off, just like owning a fiberglass boat, you would never want the bow/keel area to contact the concrete. Thank You Bob for having started the Share Your Innovations Thread it is certainly the most viewed thread on BWE. Hope the weather improves so we can see each other on the water soon. Tight Lines!

[SoCalEDC]

Mark, in regards to the potential wear point on the bottom of the hull, I have been researching methods of prevention as I have a fiberglass kayak on order. Some of the nor cal guys use helicopter blade tape since their sand and beaches are a little more rocky than ours. Its not cheap but it seems to do the trick for keeping the fiberglass from getting beat up if it incidentally drags across concrete/rock/etc. Its 14 mils thick which is a little less than 1/64", or about the thickness of 3 sheets of printer paper.

https://www.amazon.com/ISC-Racers-Tape-HT1314-Helicopter-OG-HD/dp/B004FKND3W

[jruiz]

Mark, in regards to the potential wear point on the bottom of the hull, I have been researching methods of prevention as I have a fiberglass kayak on order. Some of the nor cal guys use helicopter blade tape since their sand and beaches are a little more rocky than ours. Its not cheap but it seems to do the trick for keeping the fiberglass from getting beat up if it incidentally drags across concrete/rock/etc. Its 14 mils thick which is a little less than 1/64", or about the thickness of 3 sheets of printer paper.

https://www.amazon.com/ISC-Racers-Tape-HT1314-Helicopter-OG-HD/dp/B004FKND3W

This is what i've used
https://www.keeleazy.com/

[AlwaysFishing]

Mark,
I watched Alan Batista's video on using Kydex to make a keelguard for my Solo. Pretty simple to do and it protects the Solo well. I used Kydex to protect my Topwater as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9wYd5o1BIU

-Quang


Thank You for the kind words Bob. Yes I do monitor the lower edge of the bow were the hull makes contact with the sand and have not had any real wear at that point but it is something I do keep an eye on. I know it can certainly be an issue. My friend Mikey (sd fish and sips) had that very problem and ended up plastic welding that area on his Solo Skiff and adding a piece of PVC to reinforce that area. In his case though, I think most of that wear was due to how often he launches from concrete boat ramps and not from loading but due to having a habit of landing on the ramp while still on the Solo Skiff and then walking off the bow once it had slid onto the ramp. He posted a uTube video on making that repair recently on his uTube channel SD FISH AND SIPS. I noticed years ago how extremely rough the concrete surface on the ramps is (for improved traction for car/truck tires). So I never drag or let my kayak or Solo Skiff slide or that surface. When loading my Solo Skiff onto my truck bed and extender on a boat ramp the bow is still in the water and floating so it never makes contact with the concrete. When I land on the ramp I stop and get out in 1' of water and lift the Solo or Kayak and pull it up far enough so that boat wakes don't move it around. It is absolutely something guys should be aware off, just like owning a fiberglass boat, you would never want the bow/keel area to contact the concrete. Thank You Bob for having started the Share Your Innovations Thread it is certainly the most viewed thread on BWE. Hope the weather improves so we can see each other on the water soon. Tight Lines!

[JohnMckroidJr]

I bought the container at Dollar Tree (probably find it at a 99cent store in SoCal). The plastic cuts like butter with a hand grinder(less vibration than using a reciprocation saw). Long straight cuts were done with a circular saw using a masonry blade. A belt sander laid upsidedown on the ground with the trigger locked "on", can be used for smoothing out any rough edges in the plastic. Circular holes were done with a drill. The finished design was sprayed with either paint or Plasti Dip for UV protection and glare reduction. The one on the left goes to a Dragonfly 7 and attaches with velcro. The Element 7 is screwed in on all 4 corners.

[FISH11]

Mark,
I watched Alan Batista's video on using Kydex to make a keelguard for my Solo. Pretty simple to do and it protects the Solo well. I used Kydex to protect my Topwater as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9wYd5o1BIU

-Quang

Thanks Quang , That looks like a good product and easy to work with.

[JohnMckroidJr]

Everytime I had to use the Hobie Latrine(mirage drive opening), I was getting annoyed by my fishfinder shade rubbing up against my side. So I decided to make a PVC mod to be able to swivel it outboard to give me more space as needed.
https://i.postimg.cc/Njcdk22C/FFMount.jpg (https://postimg.cc/gngyYJD3)

It reminds me a little of a cactus. The base is made out of cutting boards, the stainless steel was a piece from the transom mount that came with my fishfinder. In the finalized version, I swapped out the ball mount for a socket as with an arm connected it was going to be too high.

https://i.postimg.cc/kX8jSvGt/FFMountin-Use.jpg (https://postimg.cc/VdfBQMjY)

By loosening the wing nut on the top, I can swivel the arm out when needed.
It is stable and serves its function well.

[YetiX]

What an amazing thread. I haven't fabricated anything for my kayak, yet. It will happen soon and I'll make sure to share it here!

[JohnMckroidJr]

I wanted the spread between my trolling rods to be farther apart so I used 1-1/2" and 3/4" PVC with Scotty rod components #229 and 444 to make the solution.

https://i.postimg.cc/02rnfq9N/DSCF1866e.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

I used a heat gun to coax the 1-1/2" PVC pipe to fit in the slightly smaller diameter Hobie rod holder. A stainless steel bolt in the Trackmount is wing nutted tight to secure the support that prevents the holder from rotating aft.

https://i.postimg.cc/5yWHFL9v/DSCF1867e2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

If the drag is set tight, the leverage of the extension sometimes turns the kayak when a fish strikes.

https://i.postimg.cc/yxCKTTZ1/DSCF1862e.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[SoCalEDC]

Needed more organization in the hatch

[JohnMckroidJr]

Nice tackle storage rack. That does not look like BerleyPro, Where did you buy the materials to build it?

[SoCalEDC]

Nice tackle storage rack. That does not look like BerleyPro, Where did you buy the materials to build it?

Thanks, It's 3d printed. I think the berleypro is kydex, and is open from the back, it requires a continuous face of the kayak to serve as a back to the "bin".
. I was considering having a buddy mold it for me out of kydex but there is no good way to join the seams other than rivets and I wanted a 1 piece enclosed bin that was a little "cleaner". Additionally the berley pro would have required me to screw into my nice pretty fiberglass deck and I wasn't interested in doing that.

I can print any variation of these to fit different tools, and containers. If anyone is interested, let me know.

[JohnMckroidJr]

This version fits both the PA and Outback and was made for quick installation/removal without drilling any holes in the kayak.
https://i.postimg.cc/DZ6htW3R/DR1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

The beauty of the Cannon downrigger is that it can be lowered and raised with one hand incrementally. Periodically while the fish is running, my left-hand reaches back and cranks up the weight -- 2ft/crank to have it up and clear before the fish starts circling under the kayak.

https://i.postimg.cc/cJd5PF14/Dr2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

The DR serves double duty as a descending device for our of-season barotrama fish.

https://i.postimg.cc/vHLKXRMS/Dr3.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

The base is made out of cutting boards, PVC pipe, and stainless steel hardware.

https://i.postimg.cc/PJ8jNSwn/Dr4.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[watergo]

looks impressive!

[JohnMckroidJr]

Kayakers started doing this modification about 7 years ago in SE Florida. As of now the only fracture that I have heard of was when somebody hit a piling on a pier.

I bought the Alma and was going to do the mod myself, but then this one came up for sale for less than it was going to cost me to complete what I had started.

[Ethan659]

Hi guys!
I newbie at this but thanks to you I find out more useful (https://www.worktime.com/employee-time-tracking-software). Fishing for me it is a way to analyze their own thoughts in soliude, to make the right decisions without the bustle of the city and office walls.
Really thanks guys!:cheers1::cheers1:

[JohnMckroidJr]

Better safe than sorry, nice job.

[escondidojames]

ah yes, the endless saga of DIY fixes, innovations, endless possibilities. I will be doing several soon since I will be back on the water soon. In the past, I have done seat mods, fish grippers, leashes, hook removers, Making everything watertight, motor mounts,carts/dollys,PVC pipe and fittings are my friends. Oh and not to forget the formidable bungie!

[escondidojames]

Not really new or innovation, but for easy loading from rear of a sedan I use an inverted kayak cart (from Walmart) on the trunk in tandem with the suction cup channel loader from Malone on the rear window. This keeps the boat from making direct contact with the car while loading, providing two fulcrums if you will. Lash them together to prevent sliding.