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Posts: 292
Location: SW MI | I'm buying my first kayak this year and I'm looking for some ideas from the guys who use them as far as setting up for muskies. I think I have it narrowed down to a SOT kayak(Pelican Castawat 116) if that makes a difference. Definitely post pics if ya got 'em. |
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Posts: 1405
Location: Detroit River | You should check out the Ultimate Fishing Show in Grand Rapids (Mar 15-18th). There was a Kayak booth at the Novi show this past weekend so I would assume there might be one at the Grand Rapids show. |
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Location: Northern Wisconsin | Most everything I have read online says stay away from the Pelican yaks. I would suggest looking at the Perception Sport/Confluence Pescador 12, its around $500. It is just a renamed Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 which used to sell for $850 in 2008. It is a great kayak and very easy to rig. You can easily add depth finders, rod holders, anchors, etc.
As far as muskie fishing goes, I keep it simple, one rod and a few essential lures. The most important thing is to have pliers, hook cutters, and jaw spreaders out and ready. Might be a good idea to have them and any other gear tied/strapped down in case you flip. Boga's might be a good idea for landing, but I have never used one. I try to throw lures with single hooks or a single treble just to reduce the chance of being hooked. There is a video of a guy getting hooked by a big muskie while in his kayak, doesn't look like fun.
Muskie from a kayak are hard due to the difficulty of doing a good figure 8 and the fact that you can't see follows very well because your only a couple feet above the water. Figure 8's are just awkward and uncomfortable, you have to twist and turn a lot with your back since your legs are positioned stationary in front of you. I still haven't found an efficient method. |
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Posts: 496
| How long of a kayak are you looking for ? I would stay away from Pelican too , they are low end for sure. Do you want to stand up ? Some kayaks are ALOT better than others for standing ? What is your reasoning for fishing Muskies out of a kayak ? I know of some new kayaks that are coming out that could fit the bill . Even one with a live well tank and standing platform . There is also a brand with a built in wheel , for moving the boat around and dragging over the rocks. Drop me a PM and I can help if you are interested . |
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| Try googling "kayak fishing". Also www.kayakbassfishing.com has tons of great forums on what you are looking for. There are occasionally some muskie threads. Great info on boats, rigging electronics and lots of other modifications.
Most popular fishing Kayaks are going to be the Native Ultimate 12 and 14.5, the Wilderness Systems Commander 12 and 14's and the new Wilderness Ride 135. All of those are hardcore fishing designed boats. For your neck of the woods I would look hard at the commanders and ultimates. |
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Posts: 341
Location: Passaic, NJ - Upper French River, ON | Check out Austin Kayak. Great fishing yak packages, help with options and free shipping anywhere if you have access to a comerical loading dock. |
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Posts: 41
| I've been kayak fishing for muskies long enough to know it isn't for everyone. Lots of injury potential. Keep your calm until the fish is released. If you are comfortable handling muskies go for it. If not postpone muskies from a kayak till you are. I've learned my lesson with people getting their first handful of muskies and doing it from a kayak.
Boca grips have an increased danger with the swivel handle that spins. the fish can spin and wrap line and leader around grip and hand. you may have hooks out but lure is still in close proximity to your hand and arm. I use a berkley lip gripper that doesn't spin.
Folbe rodholder for long handled musky rod
super fabric release gloves
foot long pliers, usual compliment of release tools.
small 6" bouy's attatched to tools or paddle leash.
release musky head first, perpendicular to kayak to reduce tip over risk.
I use a wilderness systems pungo 120. It is a sit in. I winter fish here in PA as well. I feel more comfortable stowing rods, lures, depthfinder and tools in the sit in format. Cockpit should be over 50" with a comfortable seat. Cheaper to add your own rod holders and other accessories them package kayaks. You will probably be happier with the locations you select.
Figure 8's are tough. Only one fish for me on first turn. watch out for awkward positions when a fish is following to avoid injury. Lead a good hungry fish to a position where the rod and my arm were at a 45 degree angle backwards and got the lure away from fish just in time as I'm fairly sure I'd have hurt myself.
Feel free to PM or just ask any questions. |
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Posts: 682
Location: Sycamore, IL | Not to hijack this post...but do any of you guys row troll from your kayak's?
Matt |
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Posts: 154
Location: Appleton, WI | muskyjerk has some real good tips, especially about the bogas and spinning. All the tools need to be leashed. You have to be very comfortable with handling fish; hand, lip gripper and hooks are very close when releasing. Another thing I have done is to use a small wet towel and put it over the fish's head, seems to mellow them out. This works in nets also. I would also look into one of the better quality kayaks. Wilderness, Ocean, Native, Hobie to name a few. Scotty's, RAM, Folbe's all work, mostly depends on your preference and mount them with screws and washers or a backing plate for a little more rigidity. Casting 8's are hard but you can get an L in and go to an oval if a fish is there. Good Luck!
MD75, yes they are very effective for trolling. |
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Posts: 41
| Scotty orca I did not like, gave it away. Standard scotty rod holder,with long handled musky rod, will be pinned in rod holder under pressure of large fish. Lost a good one this way as fish stopped pulling, it shook lure before i could release rod from holder.
kayaks are trolling machines. I troll every time out. usually upstream or between spots or searching. Depthfinder are a huge help for trolling.
For casting large plugs can be twitche but not straight retrieved as you will lose a percentage of your retrieve and boat position by being pulled by lure. Forget large cowgirls. Pull and glide jerkbaits work well. topwaters can too depending on style. bulldawgs and jigs are another good option. I can cast and twitch plows without moveng kayak if they are worked like a glider. |
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Posts: 292
Location: SW MI | Thanks for the replies and advice. I think I'll stick with the Castaway 116, I like the layout and the 3 rod holders, plus I'm gonna use it duck hunting too. I like the tip of putting all my tools on leashes, I did not think about that at all. What are you guys using to keep lures in and how many do you generally take with you? I saw in an older thread while searching a guy on here (jah1317) made a "wallet" for carrying lures which I thought was a cool idea. |
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Posts: 422
| Check out WFN if its available to you. There is a show on there called the "Kayak Fishing Show." I am sure it would anser a lot of you questions.
Edited by 4reukmuskies 1/20/2012 8:54 PM
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Posts: 752
| Ever look at the Hobie Kayak's you can Peddle or Paddle? They have models specifically rigged for fishing. |
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Posts: 41
| The hobie with the flaps seems like it would sustain damage landing on shore.The prop system that pulls up into the kayak seems cool.
lure storage on sit-on tops seems to be boxes in a milk crate secured by bungees.
the flush rear rod holders can cause rods to be donated to the water if your not careful. The shorter the handle the more likely it is to drop the rod. The are also no good for multiple rod trolling as the lines will be set too close together and lines will tangle on turns. The high line position also decreases lure depth. |
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Posts: 3
| I am fortunate to have both sit in and a sit on kayaks. The sit on kayak is much easier to fish out of although the sit in kayak provides a drier ride, a good thing in really cold water. My sit on kayak is a Hobie Pro Angler. I bought the kayak specifically to fish for muskies with traditional casting equipment as well as flyfishing equipment.
The flippers used for propulsion seem kind of wacky at first but really work great. I can leisurely pedal the boat into a wind that would stop a paddled kayak cold. The pedals provide excellent leverage, have more surface area in the water, and utilize the strongest muscles. (I still always have two paddles on board, just in case.) The flippers retract up to the bottom of the hull when the pedals are fully extended. I usually have the pedals removed during launching. Installing and removing the pedals takes less than 5 seconds. The retractable rudder provides excellent and easy steering via a small joystick. The kayak allows pretty much hands free operation which in turn allows me to concentrate on fishing.
The Pro Angler is extremely stable---my 60 lbs dog rides behind me and there doesn't seem to be any tippiness. I can stand in the boat to cast. Large bucktails offer enough resistance that I can actually propel and steer the boat by where I cast. In warm weather I can fish sitting sideways with my feet in the water. I mounted a couple of rod racks in the "cockpit" so I can troll while pedaling. I also put trolley ropes on both sides for anchoring purposes and utilize them for a small drift sock as well.
The two drawbacks of the Pro Angler are the price and the weight. I can't do much about the price but the weight can be addressed by using the plug in wheel kit during launches. |
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Posts: 292
Location: SW MI | I highly doubt I'll ever have more than one rod with me so tangled lines while trolling should not be an issue. Are longer rods(8-9 foot) better or worse for kayak fishing or does it matter? |
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Posts: 41
| rod should be able to clear bow and stern with a fish that decides to swim under kayak. My rods are in the 6.5-7.5 foot range on a 12 foot kayak. My longer rods (8ft+) seem more difficult to work with for anything that requires jerks or twitches. Little more room to work with following fish on short rods. |
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Posts: 292
Location: SW MI | muskyjerk - 1/23/2012 11:28 AM
rod should be able to clear bow and stern with a fish that decides to swim under kayak. My rods are in the 6.5-7.5 foot range on a 12 foot kayak. My longer rods (8ft+) seem more difficult to work with for anything that requires jerks or twitches. Little more room to work with following fish on short rods.
Thanks, that helps a lot. |
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Posts: 20
Location: Bowling Green, Kentucky | I yak fish quite a bit and my best advice is to get a one or two man canoe instead. I choose my 12 foot canoe over my yak almost every time. My friend caught a 37 incher on a figure 8 three days ago out of it. Very effective with the higher seating. I stand in my canoe and can still carry it. Get a one man and you can still figure 8 with no problem. I would try craigs list for ideas. |
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| I second the canoe option. Sitting higher makes all the difference in the world. One option is the NuCanoe, which is a cross between a kayak and a canoe. I did extensive research looking at both canoes and kayaks before buying. The NuCanoe also has a square stern allowing me to use a trolling motor. |
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| One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the paddle and seat. Far too many people (I was guilty as well) spend all their money on the kayak, then get a $60 paddle. Spend AT LEAST $120 on a paddle in THE RIGHT SIZE. That $60 difference is night and day and when fishing for muskies can be the difference between 10 spots hit and 30.
In terms of seating, would you rather sit on a plastic bench in your living room or a couch? Treat the seats the same way. A bad seat will surely mean short trips.
Personally, if I had a $500 budget I'd get a used Prowler 13 or Tarpon 120/140. Excellent quality, excellent customer service, and both have an excellent balance of speed and stability. I think the Tarpons have better seats. I choose a Trident 13 for it's Humminbird compatibility and the Mod Pod rod locker. I got mine from Austin Kayak.
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Posts: 23
| Has anyone used this still of Gripper for big fish? looks really cheap but have heard great reviews. just wondering if its half way decent for muskies?
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Posts: 41
| does it lock on its own or does the angler have to maintain pressure to hold the fish? haven't usedf it but that would be my concern.
My friend who is still green to muskies and catching muskies from a kayak wore himself out on a fish last fal. his hands specifically and holding that on the fish might have been a problem.
Looks kind of short too.
Without ever using it I guess I don't like it.
Edited by muskyjerk 4/12/2012 2:39 PM
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | No because it does not swivel. They will gator roll when you grip them with that and cause jaw damage. Get a lip gripper expensive but the head swivels. |
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Posts: 41
| ToddM - 4/12/2012 4:12 PM
No because it does not swivel. They will gator roll when you grip them with that and cause jaw damage. Get a lip gripper expensive but the head swivels.
Swivel heads are dangerous when fish roll and line wraps gripper and hand. Even if lure is removed from fish I don't want that line or leader around my hand or arm with a musky involved. there is a youtube video of a kayak musky that gets the angler with the lure and the boca played a big role.
5 years of musky and pike released on a berkley cheapy and no broken jaws. Firm hand on gripper and the fish won't hurt itself. |
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Posts: 119
| The orange Gripper works fine, in fact, used it for the first Musky in my canoe.
Now I just use leather gloves when I remove hooks and take them from the big net. |
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| The bass guys in my area use them. I'm not really sure what the point is. |
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| catchandrelease - 4/13/2012 1:56 PM
The bass guys in my area use them. I'm not really sure what the point is.
Because fish are icky! |
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Posts: 1
| Esoxonthefly421 - 1/16/2012 9:54 PM
I'm buying my first kayak this year and I'm looking for some ideas from the guys who use them as far as setting up for muskies. I think I have it narrowed down to a SOT kayak(Pelican Castawat 116) if that makes a difference. Definitely post pics if ya got 'em.
I'm sure you have already found your kayak but if anyone else need some info there are a ton of kayak fishing specific reviews of kayaks at this site . Hope that helps.
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Posts: 154
Location: Appleton, WI | The orange gripper works just fine. Another item that I have used is a small towel that I wet and put over their eyes, it will usually mellow them out for the ones that want to go nuts or roll, works in nets also. One thing to watch out for is them jumping and coming into the kayak especially if it is large cockpit or sit on top kayak. I had that happen with a small pike, required some very quick moving. |
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