Catalina Kayak Fish Odyssey 100 - Now Accepting Applications

[Mootaineer]

Always wanted to kayak there, about to hit 50, and considering to check this one off.
Still recruiting and, if so, how many committed at this point? When do you need a final answer? Do we have to pack food for entire trip or can supplies be delivered with water and wood to one or more of campsites? Are there grills at campsites or will we need to bring one (my Adventure is a lousy pack mule with bait tank; second mirage drive will need to go up front)? Do you know if there is electricity at campsites to recharge fish finders? Love endurance, but fishing more: echoing other poster, how do you see incorporating fishing? Kayaking and then stopping at predetermined fishing spots or trolling as we move and stopping when something looks promising? Thanks in advance.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Apex Predator]

Originally Posted by Mootaineer

Always wanted to kayak there, about to hit 50, and considering to check this one off.
Still recruiting and, if so, how many committed at this point? When do you need a final answer?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes there is still room on the trip because:,
1. I want to have the chance to go as a group for a day or two offshore with everyone to see if this trip would be safe for everyone who wants to go.

and 2. Though I have many "maybes" I have no actual "FOR SURE'S" yet on the Trip to Catalina this year. Many folks are in the same boat as you.

I guess the latest you could RSVP is late September at our last OFFShore training day, but that is assuming I haven't received 5 "For Sure's" yet.

[Apex Predator]

Originally Posted by Mootaineer

Do we have to pack food for entire trip or can supplies be delivered with water and wood to one or more of campsites? Are there grills at campsites or will we need to bring one (my Adventure is a lousy pack mule with bait tank; second mirage drive will need to go up front)?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Great Question! For a trip like this, all the same principles of backpacking apply, I.E.: Pack Smart. I have a Revo 13 which doesn't have very much room either like your island. But when you utilize your rear cargo hatch(Behind your Bait Tank)properly, you can put all of your clothes, camping items and your food for the trip in there(Everything that wont be in use while underway). I use small and medium sized dry bags that i can only fit a few items in, so that they fit easily into the hatch.

There are stores in Avalon(Our Halfway Point) and there is a Bar&Grill at Two Harbors, other than that we are on our own for food. Only water and fire wood will be delivered. So that means we will need 3 days of food at the beginning of the trip(Minus the protein we will harvest from the ocean.) with the ability to resupply in Avalon at the end of day 3 and the beginning of day 4. The only perishable food I bring is:,PB&J sandwiches, Cheese, Tortillas, garlic, olive oil, and soy sauce. To save on weight and bulk, I use freeze dried backpacking food(like: Mountain House) that just requires boiling water to prepare which I use a Jet Boil Backpacking Stove. All of the campsites have grill grates on the fire pits, a roll of aluminum foil and you are good to go.

You asked a very good question about the Batteries too! Battery Power for FF's, Navigation, Lights, radio's and smart phones I will talk about that very important subject when I get back from work tonight so stay tuned......

[Chet]

Originally Posted by Apex Predator

Great Question! For a trip like this, all the same principles of backpacking apply, I.E.: Pack Smart. I have a Revo 13 which doesn't have very much room either like your island. But when you utilize your rear cargo hatch(Behind your Bait Tank)properly, you can put all of your clothes, camping items and your food for the trip in there(Everything that wont be in use while underway). I use small and medium sized dry bags that i can only fit a few items in, so that they fit easily into the hatch.

There are stores in Avalon(Our Halfway Point) and there is a Bar&Grill at Two Harbors, other than that we are on our own for food. Only water and fire wood will be delivered. So that means we will need 3 days of food at the beginning of the trip(Minus the protein we will harvest from the ocean.) with the ability to resupply in Avalon at the end of day 3 and the beginning of day 4. The only perishable food I bring is:,PB&J sandwiches, Cheese, Tortillas, garlic, olive oil, and soy sauce. To save on weight and bulk, I use freeze dried backpacking food(like: Mountain House) that just requires boiling water to prepare which I use a Jet Boil Backpacking Stove. All of the campsites have grill grates on the fire pits, a roll of aluminum foil and you are good to go.

You asked a very good question about the Batteries too! Battery Power for FF's, Navigation, Lights, radio's and smart phones I will talk about that very important subject when I get back from work tonight so stay tuned......

When I did the crossing with my buddy there, I charged my electronics at the restroom at Two harbor.

[Apex Predator]

Originally Posted by Mootaineer

Do you know if there is electricity at campsites to recharge fish finders? Thanks in advance.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

When I do a trip like this, I don't like to have to skimp on fishing gear, I bring 4 rods, a Gaff, Fish Finder, tackle and of course a bait tank. I am sure you could just use bait when you roll up on it, but you never know how consistent that will be especially in October. I didn't bring a bait tank on my last crossing to Catalina because I didn't have a good solution at the time to have enough juice for 3 days of GPS, Phone, radio, FF and Bait tank. Parsons Landing(where I camped) is primitive camping with no power sources. This time however I have a solution.

In a 10 hour day of Kayak Fishing, the average person would use no more than 6Ah(Amp Hours) of energy to power a 12vFish finder/GPS and 6v Hobie Live Well. Despite using less Voltage your bait tank consumes more than Twice the power of your GPS/FF. Also our first two days, our campsites won't have power. It will not be until the end of day 3 when we arrive in Avalon that we will have access to electricity to recharge our batteries. in Addition to the 18Ah of power we would need for FF,GPS and Bait Tank; we also need to have and Additional 4Ah of Power to Charge Your Phone and Radios. This means you will need a minimum of 22Ah of electricity if you want your to be able to use that bait tank you are planning on bringing.

22Ah in a Lead batteries would be way too heavy, who wants to lug an anchor like that across the pacific?!, not me. The lightest batteries are Lithium Polymer, but if you have ever seen a "hover board" or a "Samsung galaxy 7" burst into flames, you realize really quickly why that might not be such a good idea for open water kayaking. That leaves Lithium Ion, Still light enough, but without the risk of a burning/sinking kayak in the middle of the ocean. Lithium Ion batteries are expensive, and if you ask me, too expensive if their only purpose is for your kayak.

I have a lot of 18v Ryobi Power tools that I use all the time on all sorts of things, they have 4Ah and now 6Ah Batteries that are much more dependable then anything else I've used, plus you can buy/return them at any Home depot. After a bit of tinkering, I made a waterproof box for them that runs them in Parallel and steps down the Voltage to 12V for my GPS/FF/Lights and 6v for my bait tank. My Ryobi Charger charges 6 of them a once in about 30 minutes.

Normally for a long day of fishing I bring one 6Ah battery to Power everything from the same source, but when you go in the deep water, and "lose sight of shore", you want to have a separate power supply for your GPS/FF so just in case your Bait Tank sucks up sea weed and zaps all of its power supply, you will still have your primary Navigation equipment working.

So this is what I will be using:

GPS/FF - a small water proof box(Walmart) and a 6Ah Ryobi Battery
(3 days of Power)

Bait Tank - A larger water proof box(Harbor Freight) with 2 x 6Ah Ryobi
Batteries run in Parallel (3 days of Power)

Radio/Phone Charger - a small Waterproof Box(Walmart) with a 4Ah Ryobi
battery(3 days of power)

Spare- I will bring along 1-2 additional 4Ah Ryobi Batteries in a small
waterproof box(Walmart) in case of an emergency.

Total 5-6 batteries with 26-30Ah of power that can be recharged in 30 min while we are chilling in Avalon.

I can show you my box and how to make one if you are planning on making the Trip.

Hope this helps.
Mike

[Apex Predator]

Originally Posted by Mootaineer

Love endurance, but fishing more: echoing other poster, how do you see incorporating fishing? Kayaking and then stopping at predetermined fishing spots or trolling as we move and stopping when something looks promising? Thanks in advance.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The only part of the kayaking where we might possibly not fish, is on the Crossing over because we may decide its best just to get there before the afternoon winds pick up,.. possibly. The rest of our days will start after we eat breakfast and pack up camp(with the exception of our Day 5 Rest). All of our campsites that I have chosen have reliable bait sources nearby, this allows us to bait up in the morning and take our time fishing and trolling at whatever pace we decide, until we reach our next campsite. Once there you can Cook, Sleep, snorkel, spearfish or go right back out on the water if you like. All I know is that there will be plenty of fishing.