flyfishmich
Well-known member
Cant wait to get it into the water. Still a little chili here in northern MI.
Slowly outfitting and getting it ready-3 months in advance.
Slowly outfitting and getting it ready-3 months in advance.
Just Got My NuCanoe Frontier
- Thread starter flyfishmich
- Start date
A new kayak is a fun purchase and I use mine often. Have a different brand, but remember how excited I was to bring it home. It would kill me to have to wait for three months for the first ride. Guess you'll have to sit in it in the garage and pretend for a while. Hope you have a short winter.
Actually, you can work out a lot of important stuff by sitting in it in the garage. Gather up all the rods, tackle, and gear you think you'll be taking when fishing with it, and start figuring out exactly where everything will be stowed, how you can have all your tackle within easy reach while sitting in fishing position, what kind of rod holders you might use, and if you plan on ever going on an overnight trip with camping gear, figure out how to stow it. Even down to such stuff as where to put the paddle down temporarily as you're fishing.
I'm a solo canoe guy, not a kayak guy--for my rivers and my way of fishing, the canoe is far superior. Others' mileage may vary. But I've spent a lot of time over the years sitting in my canoes in the garage, designing a better seat, a better tackle storage system, figuring out the perfect load balance on overnighters, deciding which type of cooler works the best in the allotted space, figuring out exactly how to stow extra rods so that they are safe and within reach.
Do all that, and by the time you get on the water, you'll have everything set the way you want it.
I'm a solo canoe guy, not a kayak guy--for my rivers and my way of fishing, the canoe is far superior. Others' mileage may vary. But I've spent a lot of time over the years sitting in my canoes in the garage, designing a better seat, a better tackle storage system, figuring out the perfect load balance on overnighters, deciding which type of cooler works the best in the allotted space, figuring out exactly how to stow extra rods so that they are safe and within reach.
Do all that, and by the time you get on the water, you'll have everything set the way you want it.
wee hooker
Well-known member
No pictures?? We need pictures!
---------- Post added at 06:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:40 AM ----------
Very sound advice! How a small boat (of any kind) is rigged and trimmed, makes a huge difference in satisfaction /quality of the experience.
---------- Post added at 06:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:40 AM ----------
Very sound advice! How a small boat (of any kind) is rigged and trimmed, makes a huge difference in satisfaction /quality of the experience.
flyfishmich
Well-known member
mcnerney
Administrator
Sweet ride! Thanks for sharing the photo.
flyfishmich
Well-known member
Sorry it has been a while since I have logged on. I finally got the canoe in the water after a nice warm up a few weeks back. I didn't fish much as I just wanted to see how we got along. Padded up stream for 45 minutes then drifted back down. It is not a great paddling boat. Upstream anyway. When I turned around it was a different story. It tracked well and I barely had to tap the water with my paddle to steer-it was very mellow flowing down the river.
I used a alb dumbbell as an anchor and that worked well. I bought and installed an Anchor Wizard anchor system and surprisingly that works very well. I did however get a valuable lesson in river fishing physics. When using the anchor trolly to the rear make sure the anchor comes off the center of the transom and not on an angle. Top heavy+undertow+offset anchor=John swimming in 37* water. I was close to my take out so I was able to paddle out and not get too cold. I shed my layers on the water and put my wader jacket on and I was ok.
So next time I will have the anchor point directly off the center transom-hey I didn't know-but I do now.
It wasn't a total yard sale, I floated my coffee mug and my water bottle-rod went into a deep hole but the fly line rested across the 'yak and I was able to retrieve that. Eventually got my coffee mug back because I have a sticker from my work on it and it was returned (longer story than that-but I got it back)
heres some more pics. Flats fishing for smallmouth and carp plus bass and pike on small lakes......THIS SUMMER IS GOING TO BE A BLAST....
---------- Post added at 08:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:17 AM ----------
great advice.
I have been all over kayak fishing focus and the NuCanoe forums about rigging. Eventually I moved the yak from my garage to my basement as it was too darn cold in garage and I sat-stood-spun- and practiced casting from seated position and standing position moved mounts and rigging around. It'll be a process to get it how I want. I don't want to be stuck on the water and not like how I like something set up. Easily fixed though
Thanks again
JC
I used a alb dumbbell as an anchor and that worked well. I bought and installed an Anchor Wizard anchor system and surprisingly that works very well. I did however get a valuable lesson in river fishing physics. When using the anchor trolly to the rear make sure the anchor comes off the center of the transom and not on an angle. Top heavy+undertow+offset anchor=John swimming in 37* water. I was close to my take out so I was able to paddle out and not get too cold. I shed my layers on the water and put my wader jacket on and I was ok.
So next time I will have the anchor point directly off the center transom-hey I didn't know-but I do now.
It wasn't a total yard sale, I floated my coffee mug and my water bottle-rod went into a deep hole but the fly line rested across the 'yak and I was able to retrieve that. Eventually got my coffee mug back because I have a sticker from my work on it and it was returned (longer story than that-but I got it back)
heres some more pics. Flats fishing for smallmouth and carp plus bass and pike on small lakes......THIS SUMMER IS GOING TO BE A BLAST....
---------- Post added at 08:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:17 AM ----------
great advice.
I have been all over kayak fishing focus and the NuCanoe forums about rigging. Eventually I moved the yak from my garage to my basement as it was too darn cold in garage and I sat-stood-spun- and practiced casting from seated position and standing position moved mounts and rigging around. It'll be a process to get it how I want. I don't want to be stuck on the water and not like how I like something set up. Easily fixed though
Thanks again
JC
mikew1959
Well-known member
I bought one about four-five months ago...love it!
1 360° swivel chair and one Larry chair and a trolling motor
Yeah it's not a river kayak but I didn't buy it for that. I fish ponds,lakes and swamps . Totally stand up stable I can almost stand on the sidewall and not flip it...bought two fly rod holders for it, just need a anchor system and a depth finder now....got the rear cart wheel for it also but is still heavy with that with anything over 20 to 40 yards. Looking to buy a different cart system for it for long treks to the water.
1 360° swivel chair and one Larry chair and a trolling motor
Yeah it's not a river kayak but I didn't buy it for that. I fish ponds,lakes and swamps . Totally stand up stable I can almost stand on the sidewall and not flip it...bought two fly rod holders for it, just need a anchor system and a depth finder now....got the rear cart wheel for it also but is still heavy with that with anything over 20 to 40 yards. Looking to buy a different cart system for it for long treks to the water.
flyfishmich
Well-known member
this is the anchor system that I bought. It works well. Kayak Anchoring System from Anchor Wizard
I wouldn't let this bother you Mitch, I've never had a boat that was as good going up as they are coming down
The anchoring thing can be troubling with many small boats, especially those with very little sideboard between the surface and the gunwale. The worst anchoring experience I ever had was with a small drift boat. My anchor was caught between two huge boulders about 6 foot deep and the current was strong. Nobody wants to cut their anchor line an hour into a 26 mile trip but I got really close to doing it. I managed to free it using one of the oars but due to the current it was touch and go for a good 5 minutes after we realized we were stuck.
After that I never anchored in mid channel again, I became a strict park and wade guy. I realize boats like yours are different and you may want to anchor out in order to access some fish but be careful buddy.
One other anchor horror story while I'm on a roll....... Years ago I anchored my 18 1/2 foot ATEC Sockeye so I could cast to a run of Sockeye salmon. The fish averaged 12 pounds in this river with some bigger. I had never done this before but was there to get some fish to take home so I gave it a go. First fish that grabbed a fly swam upstream and right under the anchor line. It promptly turned back for the shoreline swimming over the line. The rest went badly. I've not tried that again either.
Ard
I have the Frontier 10. It is an absolute bear to paddle but a 40# Minn-Kota on the back solves the problem really well. A 35 AH battery will get me 3.6 mph even at the nod of the day. It has variable speed control which beats a paddle all to hell for boat control. Love it.
mikew1959
Well-known member
How long does that battery last you? I bought a 114 AH...it's freaking
Heavy! I've had it wide open for 1-3 hrs and then on/off fishing all day with me and my wife in the boat and I haven't ran out juice yet. I don't remember the #'s but when I bought I think it was 4-5 hrs wide open and then you would be out of power.
I don't find it a bear to paddle...yeah it doesn't slice
through the water like a real kayak but it ain't bad...better than a lot of
Canoes i've been in.
I'm still really liking mine..it's just heavy to haul any distance.
Saw a guy recently with a homemade PVC cart that was really slick
Had a selve underneath the top support to carry his cooler and battery,big rubber tires..it broke down into two pieces...he was treaking along controlling the thing with one hand...I got to build one
I've looked at some commercial ones but this thing was way better.