John Gillio Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 This is a far cry from the nice kayaks that have been posted as of late. I have a canoe that has gotten some solid use over the past 30 years but at 67 pounds plus seats, gear , etc. it is a bit heavy for low water times on my favorite little stream. My Pelican Patomac at $199.oo and 37 pounds, plus a little customizing with a circular tackle box, two rod holders, two paddle clips, two swim noodles, some outdoor two sided tape, velcro, rope, and a cushy seat at a total of $50.00 is suiting me just fine. It was a bit tipy on the first outing . That's where the noodles came in. It looks a little funky, but it is now very stable and tracks quite well. It should portage easily and pulls easily through the shallows. It seems just right for how it is used. It has been on 4 outings to date. All were successful outings.Today was the first outing of this year. The water was quite low but it allowed me to reach some spots that I wouldn't have reached just by wading. It just so happened that those were the spots that held fish on each outing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben K. Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 Nice yak, it doesn't have to be fancy to work! Great idea with the noodles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike G Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 It almost has everything. But it needs a weapon. A tripod mounted AR15, AK-47, or at least an SKS would make it unstopable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted April 25, 2012 Report Share Posted April 25, 2012 As long as it gets you on the water, who cares what it cost? Looks like a fishing machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted April 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 Yes, a lean and mean fishing machine. The tripod and AK-47 would look great on it, and I may even be able to put a hurt on the Asian Carp population, but it just doesn't go along with the idea of traveling light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonD Posted April 26, 2012 Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 Nice yak, I am putting together a Pelican on the cheap as well. $199 for a Apex 100 at Meijer and a few bucks for some rod holders. After the Kish outing and seeing how well these guys can move in a yak, I knew I needed one. I have my 17' canoe on that trip and it was fine with myself and ericg in it, but alone it is just too big. I don't know if I would even know the difference between my budget yak and a more costly one at this point in time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted April 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 Good luck with it. I wish I would have picked one up years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted April 26, 2012 Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 John, how did you attach the noodles and can the noodles really keep the yak from turning over? Why the extra paddle? in case you drop your kayak paddle? Most excellent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim S. Posted April 26, 2012 Report Share Posted April 26, 2012 Nice, I like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Gillio Posted April 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2012 The noodles are attached with a heavy duty mounting tape that I picked up at Menards. I cannot recall the brand name. I wish I could because it has been on four outings and shows no sign of coming off. The plan is to hold them in with a couple screws and washers if the tape begins to fail. The noodles have made the Kayak very stable, but I doubt that it is as stable as a kayak like Eric or Jim has. I haven't tried to stand in it, and I have no wish to. I can lean over the edge without feeling like it will tip. I wouln't have felt comfortable doing so before the noodles went on. The extra paddle could replace the other if needed, though the other floats too, because I have it filled with styrofoam. I like it because it is easier to handle with one hand when I want to make adjustments on a drift. It also has a tape measure on it for easy measurement of the big boys. The yak paddles have velcro strips the hold it in place so it doesn't slide around when I'm fighting a fish. The cushy seat is also held in place with velcro and is very comfy. So far, I like it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Don R Posted April 27, 2012 Report Share Posted April 27, 2012 Nice ride John! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim J Posted April 27, 2012 Report Share Posted April 27, 2012 It allowed me to reach spots I couldn't have just be wading... Yes, that is the deal. Having something you can use to get to fish you otherwise would have missed. Nice job on the kayak! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.