GrumpyOlPhartte

Well, the geriatric kayak mods are complete (for now) and while it may not be beautiful, here it is after my first successful venture out to fish. The bass weren’t impressed, but I was. I lowered the seat, put an aluminum brace across the gunnels, and realigned the seat strap to hold the seat down. The cheap seat was an issue, but by adding a couple of bolts with washers and nuts, I managed to make the seat back adjustable. The thing actually provides decent lumbar support. I was going to add this to the “Getting Older” thread but today I turned 75 and figured this is proof enough that it’s not yet time for me to give up fishing!!!

I’m a big fan … really enjoy this site immensely. There are times when I ask myself, “Self, why are there so many basic or repetitive questions in the forums?” Then I remember finding this site and probably asking the same questions as these folks are asking. I suspect that we forget that new, and often inexperienced, anglers are constantly joining. To them this is a treasure trove of information, probably overwhelming, so why should they be expected to be any different than I was? It took me awhile to get a handle on using the SEARCH function … still get some surprising results from that once in awhile. After considering my own experience I am much more patient and just pass such questions/comments. In the unlikely event that I feel I can contribute, I take finger in hand and post … a rare occurrence to be sure. I say let’s give the new, or young, or inexperienced members some slack. We were all there once.

I know everyone is waiting with “baited” breath for progress reports on this goofy endeavor so here is another update. Had to realistically review my objectives and focused on the first - be able to get from a seated position to a standing position so I could get in and out of the thing. In my case that involves raising the seat. If I can get my feet under my COB (Center Of Butt) I have no problem. If my feet are in front of my body mass I have difficulty even with the aid of a stand-assist strap. But I don’t need a seven-inch pedestal. Turns out all I need is two and a half inches. Making that change lowered the COG enough to improve stability considerably (and did wonders for stepping in and out of the yak). Next I have to deal with the outriggers, specifically the mounts. Just too much flex imparted at the original track mounts. I’m no @MN Fisher, but this project is a hoot! Now about that aluminum channel I found in the garage …

Update on the geriatric kayak project: Trial run was a qualified success. Figured it would be. Anyone considering pontoons as the cure for what ails ya should be prepared to invest some time on the water before loading up your fishing gear!!!! I stayed dry … so that was good. Rig was way too wobbly due to a couple of factors; the length of the lever arms created by the stabilizers applied too much leverage to the gunnel mounted tracks causing an extreme amount of flex in the mounts, and the height of the seat, while comfortable, was not necessary. I can probably lower the seat (COG) a few inches. The swivel seat alone made getting in and out much easier. The stabilizer arms were incredibly strong - I only tried them extended at right angles to the OSCL. The angle at which they can be installed is adjustable; may not need them sticking out 30 inches to accomplish my objectives. The issues addressed by @Bankc and @Darth-Baiter were readily apparent as soon as I launched. The idea of some type of cross member is being pondered as I speak, er, type. Back to the drawing board to resolve the two issues, keeping in mind my goals. Note to anyone questioning the sanity of this project. I went into this “cold” with no idea of what to expect so I started by bolting on the parts and “refining” as I went along. All testing is conducted wearing a life jacket in water with a max depth of two feet. I may be getting senile, but stupid hasn’t kicked in … yet. One further comment to @Bankc: if you think the logistics of the stabilizers is challenging, just imagine the logistics of sliding a 48-inch wide Bass Raider into a Subaru Forester with a 37-inch wide hatchback. ?

@A-Jay: Eight and a half years riding submarines taught me safe … like only walk on the flat parts of the deck; them round parts will get ya every time. @padlin: you figured out my next mod!

If necessity is the mother of invention, old age is its maiden aunt. Since I have put almost 75 years behind me, I have found that entrance to and egress from my venerable Pelican Catch 100 involve just a little too much excitement for my liking. My first approach was to follow the example set by @A-Jay and get into shape. I bought a couple of five-pound weights to begin … and discovered they are more suitable as kayak anchors. (Besides! Round is a perfectly fine shape for some of us.) Having quickly (and painfully) established that any modifications to be made were going to involve my kayak and not me, I decided to “pimp my ride”. The below pics show my attempt to convert my kayak into the aquatic equivalent of a wheelchair. 1. First is the original yak. 2. Then I removed the seat. 3. I cut two lengths of pipe to fit the notches for the original seat and used pipe brackets to secure them to a piece of 3/4” plywood that had been cut to fit between the gunnels. 4. I bought a seat, quick release, swivel, and 7” pedestal and mounted them to the plywood base. 5. I added a pair of outriggers. Note that the initial position is forward of the seat because the outrigger Railblaza mounts fit into existing tracks. (Outriggers came with all necessary hardware for mounting to the hull about anywhere you want.) After trying this cob job out I may relocate them aft of the seat. The result is comfortable and stable … on dry land anyway. No paddle interference if I’m using proper form. Inclement weather prevents me from trying the thing out on a local lake. ( Mebbe the weather is trying to tell me something.) If it works, I’ll let you know. If it doesn’t, @Glenn, please delete this whole thing. I obviously edit pics about as well as I fish spinnrtbaits

I’m still trying to figger out how to tell if a bass is a virgin! Just sayin’. ?

Can’t find the CAP key on his keyboard?

You might want to go to the YakAttack website and check the retail price … and don’t forget to consider tax and shipping. A working fish finder is a big plus, but if you intend to fish shallow, it will be more useful for locating structure than actually locating fish. (At least that has been my experience.) Does the price include a power supply for the fish finder? PFD? Anchor? Just a few thoughts based upon my experience. Without checking the list price it doesn’t seem like a bad deal but if you can talk him down …

Dang! World’s gone to h3ll since the demise of the Burma Shave signs … especially the ones on the other side of the road that ya had to read backwards.

Hope this helps. I have used two brands of rods for MagDrafts and enjoyed both. For years I used an Okuma TCS 7’ 3” Heavy rod that could handle lures from 1/4- to 2-oz. Used to be called the Frog and Swimbait rod. Loved that rod for Mag Drafts, S-Waver 168s, SPRO rats, and Little Creepers. Might want to contact @Catt … believe he has knowledge of the newest model of that rod. Upon the untimely demise of that rod, @WRB recommended that I consider the iRod Genesis IRG754F-H (Magic Stick). It’s a 7’5” rod rated for 1/2 - 2-oz. lures. Used it this past summer and it’s a great rod as well. Between the two I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite. From my personal experience I would say the Okuma plays more nicely if you also want to use the rod for frogs and the iRod has a bit more beef when getting up close to the two-ounce mark. In my opinion, Unless you use a heavy weighted hook with an under spin, both work great with the medium size swimbaits. (I hope all my “technical jargon” doesn’t confound you here. ?) As for reels, I’ll a Lew’s fan so probably no help there. Oh, both rods mentioned are very reasonable in price!

Don’t know if I’m too late to the party, but based on the recommendation of @WRB I bought an iRod Genesis IRG754F-H (Magic Stick). It’s a 7’5” rod rated for 1/2 - 2-oz. lures and it works fine with large jigs and small swimbaits such as 6-inch Little Creepers and MagDrafts. Not being a purist, I also use it for larger t-rigs, both worms and creature baits. I can’t address flipping and pitching but overall I love the rod. It seems to have plenty of backbone.

@PUTitinYOURmouthFISH: I may be missing something, but not sure where in MA you’re located. I will say that western MA has a bunch of ponds and lakes which produce decent fish. Don’t know if you’ve thought of this, but if you go to: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-pond-maps, there is some decent info on lakes and ponds throughout the state. Usually includes a map plus info on the resident species. Some of the stuff is outdated, but slowly the state is updating. I’ve found it to be useful for finding fishing holes. (First time I’ve tried copying and pasting a link so if you click and get sent off into the ether, when you get back just go to mass.gov and search for “ponds” or “lakes”.)

What @MidwestBassAttack said. Great rod for about $145.00 if you pay full retail. Oops! Apologies @MN Fisher! Just saw your comment. Wish you’d spoken up a week ago. The TCS at Tackle Warehouse was less than $125.00 shipped and included MA tax. Mebbe Black Friday?

I just went through the same scenario. Had to replace an Okuma TCS Frog and Swimbait rod which came to an untimely end. Here are some of the options I discovered: Okuma TCS Frog and Swimbait rod (Heavy) ($144.99) 7’3” Lew’s Custom Speed Stick (CMPS) ($159.99) 7’4” Ark Invoker (Pro Mag-Hvy) ($149.99) 7’4” All claim to handle lures from 1/2- to 2- ounces. All have received positive reviews. But, your post suggests you might be looking for something heavier so these may not be suitable. That 7’4” length limit precludes several other great possibilities. I did finally go with a 7’5” rod but had I been limited to your length constraints, I’d probably stick with the Okuma. I loved my Okuma TCS rod. I used it for MagDrafts, S-Wavers, large Keitechs, and I have been known to use it for suitably-weighted jigs and T-rigged worms or critter baits. Definitely worked well with frogs, too. Don’t know if this helps. Good luck.

Nice rig! Er, but how do you distinguish between fish, cover, and structure on that display? Just curious. ?

The reason no one talks about Quantum much is that @A-Jay owns them all. ?

@DitchPanda: I realize this has nothing to do with the topic, but thank you for bringing back the memory of my first fishing experience with my dad. I was five so it was 1953. We lived in Des Moines and my parents rented a cabin on Spirit Lake and they packed our old ‘37 Terraplane and spent a week there. I don’t remember a lot, but I remember my dad casting from the dock and hooking his pant leg. I remember the wife of the owner of the facility killing a chicken for our supper. I remember vaguely the wooden cabin we inhabited because I got to sleep in a real bunk bed … in the top bunk! But most of all, I remember my dad taking me out in a row boat with my fine new bamboo pole and digging worms out of a cardboard container to put on my hook. The result of that outing was my first fishing trip and rousing success. I caught two crappie and one perch. It was absolute heaven for a little boy! So, thanks again for allowing me to reminisce and I hope Spirit Lake remains as marvelous as it was back then. Now back to our regularly scheduled topic (with my apologies).

Methinks even most beginners don’t respond to posts from 2014 … but ya never know. ?

I have to agree with @T-Billy. I have two Lew’s Superduty 300s on two of my heavier rods. I don’t claim they are the best; haven’t used the other “big names”. I do have confidence in them because of my experiences with their drag, line capacity, strength, and handle style/shape. They do weigh around nine ounces, but to me they give a sense of balance to my rigs. I use one rig for frogs primarily and get great distance. But the bottom line for me is that I’ve found rod/reel combos that work together. For me, If the rod and reel don’t work together as a functional unit, it doesn’t really matter how good the reel is. It’s only half the equation. Line selection should also be a factor but it can be changed more easily (and cheaply) if the rod and reel work together.

Heck. If I was giving advice to a pro, the worst penalty they could give him would be to force him to take it!

@J Francho: could be. All I know is I picked up my old one just two days before I received my utility patent for dust (circa 2017 if I remember correctly).

Wow! Remind me not to do this again! Things are getting a little out of hand. My intention was just to subtly encourage folks to do a little homework before asking a “What is the best …?” type question. It isn’t supposed “to work”. If it has a goal, it’s just to maybe provide a few yuks and to point out that by using the Search option on here, a user can get (in my opinion) enough info to make an intelligent decision regarding a purchase. It took a little time but I’m completely satisfied with the selections that resulted. Can’t ever get them all though. And the dart thing doesn’t work anyway. Blindfolded I managed to stick the darned thing into the vent hose for my clothes dryer. In any case, I made a selection and I’m satisfied. And don’t worry … no one is gonna get praised or blamed. Final thought - as @Choporoz pointed out, it’s always a craps shoot if ya can’t get your hands on it. @J Francho: From what I could learn, the new TCS has “improved guide inserts” which, to me, is a good thing since I had to replace the tip on my old rod when the insert suffered a blow out. But, the new handle appears to be pregnant or has a cancerous growth just aft of the reel seat. Not sure how my stubby little fingers will relate to that. May or may not be an issue but gives one pause before wrapping one’s paws around it. (See what I did there?). ?

Wow! Remind me not to do this again! Things are getting a little out of hand. My intention was just to subtly encourage folks to do a little homework before asking a “What is the best …?” type question. It isn’t supposed “to work”. If it has a goal, it’s just to maybe provide a few yuks and to point out that by using the Search option on here, a user can get (in my opinion) enough info to make an intelligent decision regarding a purchase. It took a little time but I’m completely satisfied with the selections that resulted. Can’t ever get them all though. And the dart thing doesn’t work anyway. Blindfolded I managed to stick the darned thing into the vent hose for my clothes dryer. In any case, I made a selection and I’m satisfied. And don’t worry … no one is gonna get praised or blamed. Final thought - as @Choporoz pointed out, it’s always a craps shoot if ya can’t get your hands on it.

@WRB: You’re already responsible for the iRod being at the top of my list! I’m actually thinking about scrapping the whole dart idea. @MiceNReets: Same rod as I used and loved. Just not sure about the new design. That’s what started this whole effort.