# Sticky  Official OGF Kayak/conoe modification thread



## monsterKAT11

Hey guys didn't see any official "kayak mod" threads so I figured i'd start one, lets try to get a sticky on this so others may be helped/inspired with idea on their own yaks. 


I picked up an ascend FS10 today (been planning on getting one for a while now) I went ahead and purchased some things before hand that I knew i'd be adding onto it from research and pictures i've seen online. 

First thing I did was add this awesome dry storage container I found on another website. This things looks like it was made for the rear none-dry storage compartment, it sits in there perfectly and as you can see, the bunches hold it down perfectly as well. I painted mine up to make it match the kayak. I will eventually add some sort of tether from the inside to avoid losing the lid on the water. 

















I bought a ram mount for my camera before hand. I had considered buying a gopro camera but read great reviews on this camera, and decided to go with that. i think i paid 55 dollars for a refurb unit, so far it's been a great camera. since I only really want to shoot footage from the yak or the tripod this was a perfect fit. If anyone wants to look into it, it's the Samsung HMX-W300. The ram mount worked out great. 









Next thing I did was decided where to mount my fish finder. I had considered getting a scottys triple rod holder, and mounting my fish finder, rod holder and ram mount for my camera on it. but decided that was too much. After having the kayak in front of me, I noticed the fish finder mount fit perfectly inside the cup holder. I decided I only needed on and it was a nice safe place to mount the fish finder. I also drilled a hole in the side of the cup holder to run both transducer and and power cable through. This turned out to be a nice clean mount. I also spent the extra 15 bucks to get a face cover on the fish finder, i figured it was worth it for the extra protection. 

























The battery box i'm definitely excited about! I took an old Lead acid battery that was still good from a UPS. My wife actually found this box at meijer, i think it was 3 or 4 dollars. This thing was made for a kayak battery box! it's got a gasket, and the a secondary door on top perfect for charging. I took some foam, cut it out and added a slit for an extra fuse. My fish finder had an inline fuse, i cut that off and just added an inline fuse on the inside of the battery box. I also added some waterproof 2 pin buccaneer connectors. I cut a hole in the the Tupperware box to mount the female pin connector (they say you should always make the power side female so you can't potentially touch both at the same time like you can with male connectors. I then cut the power cable and connected the male buccaneer connector on that side. It turned out looking real slick. 

























So far so good. I still need to run my wires for the fish finder, mount my transducer, which i think i'm going to silicone to the inside bottom of the yak. I also still have to decide how i'm going to mount the battery box behind the kayak seat. 

Sorry for the long detailed post I just wanted to make sure all the info was there incase someone else wanted to try the things I did. 

PLEASE add the mods you guys did on your kayaks and canoes!! the whole point of this thread is to share and help others who may be trying to find solutions to their issues, or to inspire them to start modding to fit their needs!!!!


----------



## streamstalker

delete


----------



## leftfordead88

Korey is an engineer by trade so no doubt he would do all of this to a kayak he has only had for 7 hours haha. Looks real good, love the fish finder in the cup holder. Ill post my super modded kayak in a bit.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## 9Left

very nice modifications monsterkat....looks clean and well thought out...thanks for the tips


----------



## Stuhly

Here are my recent mods to my Manta Ray. Added 2 scotty rod holders and 
a Ram Mount for Lowrance Elite 4 dsi . I will be adding 2 rear rod holders in next few days. 
View attachment 74114
Opps forgot ,I redid my roller cart out of Black pipe
this time it will not fall apart.
View attachment 74115


View attachment 74116


----------



## monsterKAT11

Stuhly said:


> whats with the UPS battery ??? and where can I find one at ??? Thanks for the tips.
> I have the parts now I just the battery.


You can find them online pretty cheap. I think I saw them as low as $17. Most of them are 12v DC @ 7 or 8AH. I did a test with mine and it ran my fishfinder for over 24 hours on medium illumination. It never actually got below 11.5 volts. not sure when the fish finder will kick off, but that test proved it was plenty for me.


----------



## leftfordead88

here's my HEAVILY modded trophy 126. I added a bunch of decals and stickers to it over the years which make it look super freaking cool, and the ogf decals help increase my catch rate which is always a good thing. ( decals count as a mod right? Right ) then I added a dry box and velcroed that bad boy inside the back hatch to make sure my phone and important stuff stay completely dry and then recaulked the bulkhead and rod holders for good measure.
Next I ripped out the stock seat and replaced it with this comfy sonbitch i got at dicks for 24 bucks that was made for a canoe. i had Korey install it for me so it would get done right, I sometimes have a tendency of just slapping things together. Annnnd lastly I added a kayalu suction cup mount for my gopro camera so I can move it around the kayak as I please to film me rippin lips with the best of them. Here's some pics. And yes yes I know my kayak is currently in my family room. My wife said its back to the garage after the photo shoot.



































View attachment 73184


So to recap, the only actual mod I did was replace the seat, because everyone who owns a trophy 126 knows the low back rest of the stock seat is the devil on your back. This kayak came stock with a lot of stuff I wanted already so I didn't feel the need to add too much to it. Future plans include maybe adding a fish finder and a front mount rod holder.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## SeanStone

Heres my malibu x13. I have it pretty much where I want it now, so I guess its time to get a new one. LOL. Just kidding.....maybe. 


I've added a x-wing sliding console from Malibu Kayaks. To that I have mounted 2 attwood fish pro rod holders, a hummingbird 346di, and ram mount transducer mount. I have the battery inside of the x wing in its dry storage area. Seen below.









In the stern well you can see the crate that I bought from walmart. Its great for storing 5 11"x7"x1 3/4" tackle boxes. I then attached 2 pieces of 2" pvc pipes for holding rods, nets, and possibly a stern light. 










I also bought a surf to summit gts elite seat......and saved my back a ton of pain. With the seat I bought the fishing pack, which comes with two rod holders and a bag. The bag comes in really handy...... I keep my pliers, camera and scale in it instead of leaving them between my legs all day.









I also installed two 45 degree flush mount rod holders...seen behind the seat. You can see that I also put some anchor cleats, and caribiener clips to run my anchors. 









Well thats my fishing machine. Thanks for looking.


----------



## rustyfish

Monsterkat- I need to set up a battery box like that. Good find on the dry box, Im finding just how important that is.

Sean- The Malibu is coming along awesome. At this point im sure your mods cost more than my kayak. But it looks sweet and that thing has turned into a machine. And still know Light pole? I told you kayak night fishing is as good as it gets.

You guys have put me to shame so I will not be posting any of my hillbilly contraptions.


----------



## leftfordead88

rustyfish said:


> Monsterkat- I need to set up a battery box like that. Good find on the dry box, Im finding just how important that is.
> 
> Sean- The Malibu is coming along awesome. At this point im sure your mods cost more than my kayak. But it looks sweet and that thing has turned into a machine. And still know Light pole? I told you kayak night fishing is as good as it gets.
> 
> You guys have put me to shame so I will not be posting any of my hillbilly contraptions.


I was going to add a light pole to mine but from what I understood from the law is a headlamp is all you really need. But I wouldn't mind somehow adding black lights to the port and starboard.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## rustyfish

Headlamp is not viewable 360 degrees. But I did it for a while. I have a white 360 view light pole and have 2 head lamps I use. the pole light cost less than my head lamps. A Coleman (hi,med,low,red,blue) headlamp and a UV black light headlamp. I would not have got the black light if I knew how well my green big game lines shows up in the blue setting of the Coleman light.


----------



## leftfordead88

rustyfish said:


> Headlamp is not viewable 360 degrees. But I did it for a while. I have a white 360 view light pole and have 2 head lamps I use. the pole light cost less than my head lamps. A Coleman (hi,med,low,red,blue) headlamp and a UV black light headlamp. I would not have got the black light if I knew how well my green big game lines shows up in the blue setting of the Coleman light.


From what I understand is that it only needs to be 360 deg if anchored which I never do. If not anchored all is needed is a single white light to be shown within sufficient time to avoid a collision.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Jmsteele187

rustyfish said:


> You guys have put me to shame so I will not be posting any of my hillbilly contraptions.


Feel free to share your "hillbilly contraptions", I'm all about making my own mods. It's way cheaper than the commercial accessories out there, and I usually find a way to make it even better than what's on the market too.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## rustyfish

Could be I don't know. At night I am usually anchored and I don't want a white light moving all over the water. So the pole light and colored head lamp work for me.

Back to the Mods


----------



## rustyfish

rustyfish said:


> Finished well mostly finished I still need to run the wires to the fish finder and Im sure I will find some more stuff. I guess i should have washed before pictures but is cold.
> 
> Before
> View attachment 70650
> 
> 
> After
> View attachment 70645
> View attachment 70646
> View attachment 70647
> View attachment 70648
> View attachment 70649
> 
> 
> 
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Here we go. Cheap and easy thats my type. 

New Harmony seat. Not a $200 seat but its better than sitting on plastic.

Milk crate- with pvc rod/net holders. Pvc holders for my kayak cart. Pvc post on the side to wrap my anchor rope around. PVC pipe holding a pole light that lifted up 2 ft and pined in place. In front of the milk crate I have a square bucket with a sealed snap lid I use for storage or bait/ or thats where I put my trolling bucket instead. 

Anchor trolley from front handle to back handle. Also discovered that if I unhook the D-clip then I can hook up two anchors. One off the front and one off the back at the same time and I dont have to leave my seat. I do this when tight lining for catfish.

Fish finder and Harmony transducer arm mounted on a platform cut from a cheap walmart cutting board. I used the bolts and hole of one of the factory loops.

Now for the gem, lol. The rudder made from a cutting board, two fishing line spools, and metal frame from a small caster wheel. Steering controls are small water tubing ran through the inside of the yak and sealed. Then rubber coated picture hanging wire ran through from rudder to cheap foot pegs I got online. Up and down is controlled by rope wrapped around the fishing line spools and ran to a pulley at my side.

Also have a rod holder mounted on the front and I changed my bungee cords around to fit my needs. Sorry its so long but it takes a lot of words to explain the redneckedness.


----------



## monsterKAT11

Awesome mods guys, lets keep em coming!


----------



## leftfordead88

Rusty that's a good looking kayak .

Chris1162 where you at on this?


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## ghillyguy

I made a light pole from a PVC pipe. I have an led strip wrapped around the top and wires in the pipe tht go to my main battery. Works alright but it needs a shade to block the light from the kayak. Bugs got a bit ridiculous last year.


----------



## monsterKAT11

anyone have any roofrack ideas/mods to transport multiple yaks without having to crank them down super tight?


----------



## gabertooth

so from the looks of the pictures posted here, you fellas have some experience making changes to your yaks... I am planning on doing a couple of minor mods to mine, but i want some expert advice as far as keeping it water tight... I am very weary of drilling and mounting because i don't know much about which sealants to use, which attachment method to use, or what is best practice in general... I am going to be mounting a rod holder, anchor trolly, and fish finder... I have a SOT, and the inside of the hull is not accessible for nuts and bolts, so i have to use rivets, i understand that Stainless steel is best, but how tight is this seal? What sealant should i use? Also, i have heard that "duct seal" is good for mounting transducers, and that silicone can have air bubbles that cause the fish finder to read falsely, is this the best attachment method for transducers? I guess i need to play around with it first, but i also don't want to eff anything up either...


----------



## rustyfish

gabertooth,

First off I would check to make sure it is actually air tight factory. I made efforts during my mods to keep everything air and water tight. Then after seeing water run out around my factory flush mount rod holders I removed them to check. No gaskets or sealant. My rear screw top dry hatch was also missing a gasket. So all of my efforts were for nothing until I fixed those problems. Removing parts to check could result in needing to replace the seals or gaskets but it is better to know.

I use marine sealant from the boating section at Walmart but I'm sure there are cheaper, easier, or better quality products out there. 

As far as transducer I liked the arm mounted better so that is what i went with. Lots of people shoot through the hull but I didn't like the idea of it.

Good luck


----------



## gabertooth

are the arm mounted transducer mounts universal to all transducers? IE would i have to buy a new transducer to fit the mount? and good call on checking for gaskets on factory installed hardware, i would not have thought to do that... i was leaning toward the arm mounted transducer becuase there isn't an actual access point to my hull, i would have had to cut the inside of a dry hatch out to get to the hull instead...


----------



## rustyfish

As long as your transducer has the horizontal bolt hole in the top it will work with all the arms I have seen. Many arms or transducers have brackets attached that will also connect to each other.

Mine was from Harmony for $25. It and my fish finder are mounted on a small section of cutting board from Walmart. May not be you best option but it is cheap, easy, and it works. There are many mounts out there for both by Scotty, Ram, and others.


----------



## gabertooth

rusty, you are a man of wisdom! btw, i hale from the greater portsmouth area, you ever make the trip down to Rocky Fork Creek?


----------



## monsterKAT11

gabertooth, it's all preference, if you're more comfortable with an externally mounted transducer, rustyfish has some great suggestions. I just finished my setup and used silicone to shoot through the hull, everyone i know who has done this hasn't had many issues. as for mounting hardware, yes stainless is for sure what you want to go with, you can use silicone to seal the holes you drill when you install your hardware. I try to avoid drilling below the waterline but I can't see any issue if you sealed it with silicone if you did. There is also washers with rubber gasket if you really want to be sure as overkill. Check out McMasterCarr.com for all those misc specialty hardware items. I just ordered some black stainless wide head bolts for my battery box bracket.


----------



## gabertooth

good call on that website, lots of stuff i could spend lots of money on! 

If i am attaching things to the outside of my kayak, i plan on using the rivets... The ones they sell at BPro are coated alluminum... Have you or anyone else used these, and are the coated alluminum ones okay to use, or should i just skip it and go straight to Ssteel?

sorry for the repetitive questions, but i want to be thorough, and i am at work with nothing to do other than this.... ha!


----------



## Bubbagon

I use marine grade stainless steel when I can.
As far as sealant and the rivets, I'm assuming you're putting everything above the waterline. If so, don't get too worked up over the sealant. Anything will do, but really isn't necessary. If it's above the water line, at worst you'll just get splash up water, which will not be under pressure, and won't get forced through the small opening under rivets.

Side tip: Mount rod holders with duct tape first, paddle, then mount permanently. Many people forget to take into account the length of the rod handle sticking back through the rod holder. And they end up banging the rod when they paddle.


----------



## rustyfish

Forget the permanent attachments and sealants, just duct tape everything and leave it. I like it!

No really thats a good tip Bubbagon. I have to admit there are a few "change of mind" holes sealed up on my kayak. Lucky my yak has a lot of factory bolt wells that are sealed which let me remove the the plastic hardware and put other things there instead. But I think tracks would be even easier.


----------



## gabertooth

trying to keep from cluttering up the main board with this, so forgive me for beating this thread into the ground... good call on duct taping for testing the location, i'll def be doing that...

what are the general thoughts on anchor lines amoung the majority of river/stream/lake kayak fishermen? I have seen the detachable floating anchor lines that people make, but i have to assume this is better for big water and if fishing in small water, i feel like i would wat to stay put when fighting a fish, but just haven't had that chance yet... thoughts?


----------



## Bubbagon

3 lb rubber coated dumbbell from WalMart.
The main danger of anchoring a kayak in moving water is if the anchor gets stuck BAD, bad thing.
So a rubber coated dumbbell almost never gets stuck. And you keep it at 3 lbs. The adage is: "If it can't hold you in place, you shouldn't be anchored there." Don't anchor in fast water.
Here's a video about that stuff:


----------



## monsterKAT11

That was a great video with great simple ideas. 




gabertooth said:


> trying to keep from cluttering up the main board with this, so forgive me for beating this thread into the ground... good call on duct taping for testing the location, i'll def be doing that...
> 
> what are the general thoughts on anchor lines amoung the majority of river/stream/lake kayak fishermen? I have seen the detachable floating anchor lines that people make, but i have to assume this is better for big water and if fishing in small water, i feel like i would wat to stay put when fighting a fish, but just haven't had that chance yet... thoughts?


DUDE! you're not cluttering up anything, the intent of this thread is to help people with exactly what you're doing. Maybe you thinking outloud on the thread will help other realize something will or won't work before they spend the time adding things. keep em coming guys.


----------



## gabertooth

that video really gives a good example of someone thinking outside of the box for methods of rod storage and paddle storage... Good stuff!

I really like his anchor system, not sure if i could get mine to work like that, but i like it... Also, as far as the function of a floating anchor line that is detachable from the Kayak, do you guys feel that this is beneficial in smaller water? I'm sure you guys have seen people take a pool noodle and pvc pipe to make a float that they wrap the anchor line around, then attach that float to their anchor trolly, when a big fish comes along, you can detach your float, fight the fish, then paddle back to retreive your anchor... I know this would be nice in salt fighting big stuff that is going to tow you around, but is this something i should consider for a local body of water and a fish no bigger than a LMB?


----------



## Jmsteele187

Even a bass can tow you around a little bit. I'd rather drop the anchor line than lose the fish. I feel like $20 for an anchor line cleat is a little much, although it did look nice. You can get them quite a bit cheaper though.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Bubbagon

That cam cleat is one of those things at first I thought "#[email protected]!, that's too much for that". But it's been one of the best $20 investments I've made. 
It's super fast and super safe. Plus the line has never unexpectedly slipped out...which can be really dangerous too.
Here's a linky: http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...&subdeptNum=50083&classNum=50085#.UX6SccpQ0lQ

There are definitely cheaper options and I've tried almost all of them. Whatever works but I'd HIGHLY encourage anyone to use a cam, or clam cleat as opposed to a traditional wrap around cleat. Our boats can sink quickly if an anchor incident goes wrong. Cam/clam cleats eliminate the majority of that risk.

BTW, I had some neoprene paddle grips in that video...they're junk. Ended up using them for padding on a dog leash instead.


----------



## gabertooth

Bubbagon, for what it's worth, i was out this weekend on Kiser lake and was able to play around with the anchor trolley that i made using the existing loops and rigging that was on my kayak... It's nothing fancy, just your basic anchor trolley... After doing that and considering the idea of a cam cleat rather than a trolley, i can't imagine why anyone would see a benefit of an anchor trolly rather than a cam cleat... Sure it may cost 20 bucks for the cleat, but this just seams a lot safer and a lot easier to manage than a trolley system... plus most kayaks have a handle or loop at the bow and stern that a rope can be fed through to the anchor and from the cleat... Im sold and will be putting a cam cleat on my kayak... much like the dog leash set-up on the Jacksons...


----------



## Jmsteele187

I have a clamcleat that I use with my anchor trolly. The trolly system that came on my yak was only on the stern, now I've extended it all the way up front. I also mounted a couple of small bars across my tank well, so I could attach a crate on top. The best part is that the tank well still has all of its usable storage, so I've pretty much tripled my storage space. I moved the "Scotty style" rod holder up and over and added a Scotty on the opposite side. They're a little too far forward, so I want to add a track system of some sort on the sides, to bring them back a bit. Here's a pic of the yak all rigged up.








And a link for the clamcleat. It's not as nice as the cam style, but a very good option if you're on a budget.
http://kayakfishinggear.com/clamcleat-large.aspx


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## fishwendel2

I started putting all my gear together for the crappie tournament on Saturday and took one look at my measuring board and thought...if I drop that I am screwed. Simple mod of a bungee cord and a pool noodle from Dollar Tree. I planned on using the whole noodle but I thought having something to grab onto might prevent it from falling overboard or if I need to "cast" for it..might be easier to retrieve.


----------



## gabertooth

fishwendel2 said:


> I started putting all my gear together for the crappie tournament on Saturday and took one look at my measuring board and thought...if I drop that I am screwed. Simple mod of a bungee cord and a pool noodle from Dollar Tree. I planned on using the whole noodle but I thought having something to grab onto might prevent it from falling overboard or if I need to "cast" for it..might be easier to retrieve.



Also, it looks like if you lay it flat across your lap, your knees will fit right into the spaces between the 3 noodles... looks good


----------



## fishwendel2

Yep! I should have mentioned I needed two noodles as I jacked one up trying to get that "perfect knee/thigh" wedge fit lol. Either way should be easy to retrieve if I drop it.


----------



## gabertooth

Can anyone tell me the cheepest way to make a yak cart? I ain't payin $60 bucks on a store baught one, but my engineering skills are minimal... Probably gonna have to go PVC and glue, but just want to get a grip on how much it will cost me...


----------



## Jmsteele187

gabertooth said:


> Can anyone tell me the cheepest way to make a yak cart? I ain't payin $60 bucks on a store baught one, but my engineering skills are minimal... Probably gonna have to go PVC and glue, but just want to get a grip on how much it will cost me...


If you make one out of PVC it should run you $20-30, depending on how you make it. I've heard a number of guys complain about how the PVC carts break fairly easy. You may consider making something more like this one:









Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## gabertooth

Alright, so i have my fish finder all nicely placed and mounted... I have been trying to filter through the batteries both on this forum, and on the store websites... I have a small hatch in the front of my kayak that was once a dry storage hatch a little bigger than a quart in size. I cut the bottom out of that to gain access to the hull. That said, i need to find a battery that will fit into my hatch opening (about the size of a quart paint can in diameter). Does anyone know of any "low profile" batteries? Also, if my manual says i need 10-20 VDC, do i need to live by that? Or will it operate on less? I have seen folks talk about the AA battery packs working, but that just seems like it wouldn't be enough...


----------



## gabertooth

Jmsteele187 said:


> If you make one out of PVC it should run you $20-30, depending on how you make it. I've heard a number of guys complain about how the PVC carts break fairly easy. You may consider making something more like this one:
> View attachment 74281
> 
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


did you manufacture those peices? or are the components store bought? That looks pretty dang good!


----------



## Jmsteele187

I bought materials from the store, but it's all homemade. I got the design from palmetto kayaking, but I adapted the design for what I had on hand. I had the flat steel tubing left over from another project a few years ago. My roommate brought it home from the factory he worked at, that made metal chairs and furniture. It stores very well in the tank well by my crate, or it can be easily taken apart and stored in the hull.









Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## monsterKAT11

gabertooth said:


> Alright, so i have my fish finder all nicely placed and mounted... I have been trying to filter through the batteries both on this forum, and on the store websites... I have a small hatch in the front of my kayak that was once a dry storage hatch a little bigger than a quart in size. I cut the bottom out of that to gain access to the hull. That said, i need to find a battery that will fit into my hatch opening (about the size of a quart paint can in diameter). Does anyone know of any "low profile" batteries? Also, if my manual says i need 10-20 VDC, do i need to live by that? Or will it operate on less? I have seen folks talk about the AA battery packs working, but that just seems like it wouldn't be enough...


http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produ...&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CK6yld3IgrcCFaZFMgodYmIAKg 

check out that link, maybe something like that will be perfect. doesn't say how many AH but 12 volt is what you want. i'm sure that batter would be fine.


----------



## rustyfish

Rod and sonar holder idea I saw on Youtube. Not sure if ill do it or not but I may try something with this idea in mind.
link to video and a pic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-n0Jxsj-H6I


----------



## gabertooth

So i have been hard at it tonight... And if the Campfire app were faster at telling me someone replied to a thread, i would have done it differently... But, it is what it is... 

I have no clue what order the pics are going to post in, so i will just do this off of memory...

I went to Bass Pro to check out the battery section and all they had was the basic deer feeder battery which would work, but it barely fits into my hatch alone, and i have no way of getting a dry box in there to keep it from getting wet or rolling around on to my transducer. So i ran the power cord through the hatch lid and into a box in my bow that i will put in to a dry bag or a water proof box, not sure yet. I can play with this because Bpro sells my hatch for like 12 bucks, so if it doesn't work i can just replace the lid...

I bought one of the rope clamcleats for my anchor line and mounted that in a spot where i can easily access it. feels a lot safer than a trolly that had been getting tangled on my existing bungees...

My yak came with a removable dry storage box that i hated (different conversation), and the space was too small to fit my crate. so i mounted the crate on storage box. This put my crate at a more elevated position, which i like...

My depth finder came with a mount, which was custom made 10 years ago for the spot on this kayak... it fit perfectly into that recessed area.

Only thing i have left to do is wire a fuse into my power cord on the fish finder, and then water proof an old make-up box that i jacked from my wife...

I will be fishing soon!


----------



## gabertooth

monsterKAT11 said:


> http://www.mcmelectronics.com/produ...&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CK6yld3IgrcCFaZFMgodYmIAKg
> 
> check out that link, maybe something like that will be perfect. doesn't say how many AH but 12 volt is what you want. i'm sure that batter would be fine.


wish my phone was faster at sending me these replies... would have bought that exact battery!


----------



## gabertooth

rustyfish said:


> Rod and sonar holder idea I saw on Youtube. Not sure if ill do it or not but I may try something with this idea in mind.
> link to video and a pic
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-n0Jxsj-H6I



i dig the rod holders, but it seems like the sonar would get in my vision...


----------



## silverbullet

Heres a picture of my set up. The switch u see controls my stern light, led cockpit light and soon to be mounted running red/green light. I know its not required but adding anyway.

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## gabertooth

so i am not an electrician, nor do i have any knowledge of how it works... is it general consensus that i should use an inline fuse for my fish finder? I have read a little on this and everything just says it is to protect against fires. Is this an issue with a kayak and fish finder only?


----------



## silverbullet

I use fuses on all electronics. Ive got two in my yak, one for fish finder, one for lights. 

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Jmsteele187

I'm not positive, but I would expect the fuse to protect the fish finder from frying if there is a short. Like if the battery were to get wet.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## monsterKAT11

if something goes wrong with your battery and it surges, or for any other reason a high amount of amperage would go through those wires, it's designed to blow the fuse before it blows your circuit boards on your fish finder or whatever else you're using. Yes, i would recommend a fuse. I think mine had a 30amp fuse, i cut it off and added one inside my battery box for a cleaner look.


----------



## toy boater

monsterKAT11 said:


> if something goes wrong with your battery and it surges, or for any other reason a high amount of amperage would go through those wires, it's designed to blow the fuse before it blows your circuit boards on your fish finder or whatever else you're using. Yes, i would recommend a fuse. I think mine had a 30amp fuse, i cut it off and added one inside my battery box for a cleaner look.


monsterKAT is on the right track. Normally it's what's attached to the battery that causes the problem though. It's pretty rare for the battery voltage to spike or surge but the short circuit current of a battery can be pretty high. It's possible the battery can overheat and explode if its output wires are shorted for a long time. One other thing is if your power wires start to heat up because of a current overload the insulation could start on fire. Or if there was a short in your fish finder it could burn up w/o a fuse. One rule of thumb is to use a fuse rated at twice the normal operating current being drawn from the battery. The fuse is really there to prevent a catastrophic failure in most cases.


----------



## gabertooth

toy boater said:


> monsterKAT is on the right track. Normally it's what's attached to the battery that causes the problem though. It's pretty rare for the battery voltage to spike or surge but the short circuit current of a battery can be pretty high. It's possible the battery can overheat and explode if its output wires are shorted for a long time. One other thing is if your power wires start to heat up because of a current overload the insulation could start on fire. Or if there was a short in your fish finder it could burn up w/o a fuse. One rule of thumb is to use a fuse rated at twice the normal operating current being drawn from the battery. The fuse is really there to prevent a catastrophic failure in most cases.


Alright, so i have wired in a fuse holder (which didn't come with a fuse, so i have to go back to the store to get one). My depth finder's manual says it requires 10-20 VDC.... What size fuse should I be using? I just want to make sure I do it right the first time...


----------



## KatseekN

Not 100% but my lowrance 4x dsi uses a 3 amp inline fuse.

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## gabertooth

So i bought a fuse, it had a max capacity of 37 VDC so I figure it will work... I took my yak out on Winton Woods, aka Lake of Chocolate Milk, on Sunday just to see if it would work. For the most part it worked, but I noticed at the top of the screen that there was a section of horizontal bars that would move across the screen. Each bar was about 3/4" thick. I am assuming that this is the silicone that i used to attach my transducer? Did I do a bad job at attaching it? Or is this just how it looks with a transducer mounted to the hull? Also, I am questioning the accuracy of the depth reading a bit but I don't have a reference to gauge it to...


----------



## toy boater

gabertooth said:


> So i bought a fuse, it had a max capacity of 37 VDC so I figure it will work... I took my yak out on Winton Woods, aka Lake of Chocolate Milk, on Sunday just to see if it would work. For the most part it worked, but I noticed at the top of the screen that there was a section of horizontal bars that would move across the screen. Each bar was about 3/4" thick. I am assuming that this is the silicone that i used to attach my transducer? Did I do a bad job at attaching it? Or is this just how it looks with a transducer mounted to the hull? Also, I am questioning the accuracy of the depth reading a bit but I don't have a reference to gauge it to...


Any voltage rating over 14 v should be good, but the current rating (A) on the fuse is the most important thing. I would say 2 to 3 Amps would be a good place to start, depending on the current draw/power consumption spec for your specific model. Humminbird has manuals on their webpage that list that spec.


----------



## monsterKAT11

my garmin echo 100 had a factory inline fuse of 30A, thats crazy.


----------



## BornWithGills

Has anyone made a bait tank for their yak? Not that I would even fish live bait very often but it would be nice to be able to do so in the right situation.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## rustyfish

As far as bait, I use 3 things for bait. 

Troll bucket if its on the lake or no current and its not too hot.

3 gal square cat litter bucket with a bubbler for night trips with bigger catfish bait. Square seems to fit between my seat back and my milk crate and gives me some extra back support.

If it is really hot I have a few different small coolers/insulated jugs that I hook the bubbler to. Mostly smaller bait minnows, shiners, and chubs.

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## BornWithGills

What do you run your bubbler off of? Also what kind do you use and do you like it?


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## rustyfish

I just use the D battery Frabill bubbler from baitshops or walmart. If you look online they have some that run on Ds or plug into a the lighter of your car. Im sure you could hook it up to a battery if you already use one on the yak.

Check out the Frabill website. I use the MIN-O2-LIFE PORTABLE AERATOR $24 but the $12 one is fine. The the power cord one is $34. And I would stay away from the $9 one I have had bad luck with it and other brands this style.


----------



## TimTaylor75

I finally installed my anchor trolley over the weekend on my SOT along with a Hobie cam cleat that I picked up at Outdoor Source. Need to get some pictures of the install and get some feedback as to if it looks correct (which I'm fairly certain it is).

This is the one I used.


----------



## monsterKAT11

With kayak season in full swing, i've noticed some people asking about mods, lets keep this thread going guys! i'll be posting more pics of my recent mods soon.


----------



## jmpmstr1998

Okay gentleman I need a little help. I have a sit inside kayak that I'm mounting a fishfinder on and I need a battery that's going to be dependable and also need to know if I need to buy a charger or if I can use a charger that I already have. I'm trying to get this all set up and finish this weekend as work is sending me to Cleveland on Monday and I want to Fish Lake Erie at night. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I will post before and after pictures. 
Thank you all for your help
Sent from my GT-P5113 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## stex1220

Can't help you with the fish finder I have no idea about that stuff. That is something I want to do down the road so I'll be keeping an eye on this. My dad and I did finish a cart I'm proud of I think it turned out great.


----------



## gabertooth

jmpmstr1998 said:


> Okay gentleman I need a little help. I have a sit inside kayak that I'm mounting a fishfinder on and I need a battery that's going to be dependable and also need to know if I need to buy a charger or if I can use a charger that I already have. I'm trying to get this all set up and finish this weekend as work is sending me to Cleveland on Monday and I want to Fish Lake Erie at night. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I will post before and after pictures.
> Thank you all for your help
> Sent from my GT-P5113 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


i have found that the general deer feeder batteries are plenty dependable and last long enough for any day fishing... The charger just needs to be rated for the size of battery you have... the deer feeder batteries dont come with chargers so if you have one and it is rated for the wattage or amps of the battery, i'd say keep it...


----------



## gabertooth

gabertooth said:


> Can anyone tell me the cheepest way to make a yak cart? I ain't payin $60 bucks on a store baught one, but my engineering skills are minimal... Probably gonna have to go PVC and glue, but just want to get a grip on how much it will cost me...


so i ended up using an old pull cart made for a golf bag... just cut one of the peices on the end and re shaped it a bit, then BAM! instant yak cart!... ill post pics for giggles, but it looks like it was never changed... like it was made for a yak


----------



## monsterKAT11

jmpmstr1998 said:


> Okay gentleman I need a little help. I have a sit inside kayak that I'm mounting a fishfinder on and I need a battery that's going to be dependable and also need to know if I need to buy a charger or if I can use a charger that I already have. I'm trying to get this all set up and finish this weekend as work is sending me to Cleveland on Monday and I want to Fish Lake Erie at night. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I will post before and after pictures.
> Thank you all for your help
> Sent from my GT-P5113 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


plenty of info on this subject further back in this thread even, as well as other threads. pretty much any 12v battery will work fine. some use feeder batteries, some use lawn tractor batteries, i used a sealed lead acid battery. any trickle charger will work fine. the key with those batteries is a slow charge, i bought a nice charger off amazon for 20 bucks and a friend of mine using the plain ol' harbor freight trickle charger.


----------



## BornWithGills

So I am in the process of making a dog leash style drag chain. Quick question to make the chain more snag resistant it seems a lot of people pull it through a section of inner tubing. Where can I get said tubing other than my wife bicycle? Or does anyone have any alternatives they have had luck with.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## BornWithGills

I am in the process of adding a dog leash style drag chain for my coosa. It seems like most guys cover the chain with inner tube to reduce snags. Where can I get said tubing other than my wife's bicycle? Or have you used anything else successfully?


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## BornWithGills

Sorry about posting it twice.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Snakecharmer

BornWithGills said:


> I am in the process of adding a dog leash style drag chain for my coosa. It seems like most guys cover the chain with inner tube to reduce snags. Where can I get said tubing other than my wife's bicycle? Or have you used anything else successfully?
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


Our local ACE hardware has all kinds and types of tubing that they sell by the foot.


----------



## BornWithGills

Perfect! I tried Home Depot and they didn't have squat.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Snakecharmer

This is posted in Hot deals but might be seen more in here

At my local Dick's sporting goods they are having their annual garage sale. They had an "Accuity' Golf Caddy that was normally $40 marked down to $29.97 less 25% off = $22.48. Bought $3 of golf tees so I could use the $10 off coupon to gwt the caddy for for about $14.30.....This is what I should end up with....


----------



## Northern1

leftfordead88 said:


> here's my HEAVILY modded trophy 126. I added a bunch of decals and stickers to it over the years which make it look super freaking cool, and the ogf decals help increase my catch rate which is always a good thing. ( decals count as a mod right? Right ) then I added a dry box and velcroed that bad boy inside the back hatch to make sure my phone and important stuff stay completely dry and then recaulked the bulkhead and rod holders for good measure.
> Next I ripped out the stock seat and replaced it with this comfy sonbitch i got at dicks for 24 bucks that was made for a canoe. i had Korey install it for me so it would get done right, I sometimes have a tendency of just slapping things together. Annnnd lastly I added a kayalu suction cup mount for my gopro camera so I can move it around the kayak as I please to film me rippin lips with the best of them. Here's some pics. And yes yes I know my kayak is currently in my family room. My wife said its back to the garage after the photo shoot.
> View attachment 73179
> 
> View attachment 73180
> 
> View attachment 73181
> 
> View attachment 73182
> 
> View attachment 73183
> 
> View attachment 73184
> 
> 
> So to recap, the only actual mod I did was replace the seat, because everyone who owns a trophy 126 knows the low back rest of the stock seat is the devil on your back. This kayak came stock with a lot of stuff I wanted already so I didn't feel the need to add too much to it. Future plans include maybe adding a fish finder and a front mount rod holder.
> 
> 
> Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


+1 on that seat. I have one and did the same thing because it just killed my back to be out for more than 2 hours. Now I can go all day comfortably.


----------



## RJohnson442

Here's a fuse box I made for my 14ft Scanoe. Made a switch for the Nav lights and the fish finder, both are push reset fused. Also put an Amp gauge on it. Plan to add a Cig lighter to charge the phone. there is a volt meter in the fish finder so no need for one on the box.


----------



## rkierner

Found a similar (if not the same) cleat on amazon today for $10.47:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Racelite-RL-260-Cam-Cleat/dp/B003XTKOS8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1373882343&sr=8-3&keywords=clam+cleat"]Amazon.com: Racelite RL 260 Cam Cleat: Sports & [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@415XPi-519L[/ame]


----------



## zero410

I thought i would post up some pictures of the rod holders i made for my slayer enjoy


----------



## kparrott154

zero410 said:


> I thought i would post up some pictures of the rod holders i made for my slayer enjoy


Did you fabricate those yourself? Any more details on them? I'm guess you just have a bolt and a wing nut to hold them in place? I'm interested in doing something like this for my WS Tarpon.


----------



## yakfish

Very cool thread! I've done a few mods to mine... I'll post some pics a bit later. 

I'm wanting to replace the deck rigging on the front and rear of my kayak but I can't find anybody who sells bungee cord locally. I've been to Dicks, Wal-Mart and Lowes but none of them sell it. Anybody know who sell bungee cord locally (Dayton)? I don't want the bungee straps with hooks on them.


----------



## Jmsteele187

yakfish said:


> Very cool thread! I've done a few mods to mine... I'll post some pics a bit later.
> 
> I'm wanting to replace the deck rigging on the front and rear of my kayak but I can't find anybody who sells bungee cord locally. I've been to Dicks, Wal-Mart and Lowes but none of them sell it. Anybody know who sell bungee cord locally (Dayton)? I don't want the bungee straps with hooks on them.


I don't know of anything on the local level, but hook1 has pretty good prices on bungee cord. You can buy it by the foot.


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## yakfish

I still haven't been able to find someone locally that sells the stuff. I just ended up using regular bungee cords and cut the hooks off of them.


----------



## lrobison24

I know this is an old thread but, does anyone have any mods for an eagle talon 12, I got one this summer and fished it pretty basic, but I've been trying to make it better over the winter. Any ideas are appreciated


----------



## Jmsteele187

lrobison24 said:


> I know this is an old thread but, does anyone have any mods for an eagle talon 12, I got one this summer and fished it pretty basic, but I've been trying to make it better over the winter. Any ideas are appreciated


The tank well is too small for a milk crate, so I added some padeyes and ran some steel rods across the top. Then I just zip tie my crate to the steel rods. The tank well still has usable storage and I have an oversized milk crate. I got the idea from kayak Kevin. Here's the video I found the idea in, at about 2:15. [ame]http://youtu.be/5hflTPU-2bA[/ame]


----------



## lrobison24

Jmsteele187 said:


> The tank well is too small for a milk crate, so I added some padeyes and ran some steel rods across the top. Then I just zip tie my crate to the steel rods. The tank well still has usable storage and I have an oversized milk crate. I got the idea from kayak Kevin. Here's the video I found the idea in, at about 2:15. http://youtu.be/5hflTPU-2bA


Thanks I'll check it out.
One of things we did was for the last couple trips we got a little cooler to fit on the back for the fish but it took away a lot of storage for our gear. It kinda depends on how much you keep fish and where you want to keep them tho. 

And for the milk crate I found an old one when I got my yak and I took a hand saw to it pretty good until it fit in. And it didn't really hurt the capacity of the crate at all. I'll post a pic if you want.


----------



## Jmsteele187

I also extended the anchor trolly all the way to the front of the bow. Why they only had it on the stern in the first place kinda baffles me.


----------



## lrobison24

Yeah I hate the anchor trolley mainly because I don't know how to use it. I'm always screwed up with my anchor


----------



## lukejhoward

lrobison24 said:


> Yeah I hate the anchor trolley mainly because I don't know how to use it. I'm always screwed up with my anchor


Check out my thread that I posted about anchor trolleys! There was a lot of good input from other members. I was very confused at first too and honestly I'm still a little confused (since I actually need to get out and use my trolley on the water and see how it works in action)

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=245487


----------



## lukejhoward

Hey everyone, does anyone have seat modifications that they have done to their sit in kayaks?


----------



## SeanStone

Russ.....rustyfish.....screwed a piece of 1x2 to his seat to give it added support. He said it was a night and day difference. I guess before the seat was folding over and he was losing support, now it's as solid as a rock.....er......as wood. Lol.

He is a man of engineering genius. He just made a custom Scotty console out of pvc, plexiglass, and pvc. It holds his fish finder, rod holder, pliers, and had a few holes for hooks/lures. Pretty neat to see. 

Maybe he will chime in and share pics



Sent from my SCH-I545 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## lrobison24

Does anyone use a piranhamax 176i? I have been really looking into putting one on my yak and this seems pretty good, just looking for anymore info if anyone has any other suggestions there appreciated,
Thank you


----------



## rustyfish

Here are the mods Sean was talking about.

Screwed a piece of wood to the back of my seat. It was wanting to fold really bad and giving me no support. It is still not a $200 seat but it works to save my back.

The console is made from walmart cutting board. I formed two pieces and screwed them together with a piece of hard plastic in the middle. The plastic sticks out an inch in the front with holes drilled in it to hang lures and bigger holes for scissor and pliers. I am ordering one or two more rod holders to add to the other side and maybe replace the one already there. It is mounted with a piece of metal conduit into a scotty base.

The camera clip was a last minute add that I saw online. Just mount a bolt (can't remember the size) onto a clip with a nut. It takes a few trys to get the correct angle. Screw the camera on and there you go. I wanted a camera mount that would allow me to take self photos but also quickly remove it to take photos on the measuring board.



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## rustyfish

Here is a pic from the dash camera with the help of my little assistant.


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## kayakcle216

The mod looks great man 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## SeanStone

That turned out really nicely Russ. Well done.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## kayakcle216

Why don't these fish finders have cameras installed on them by now? I mean your looking at the ff all the time. To me it would make sense 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## rustyfish

Picked up two new Scotty rod holders. I got a Power Lock for my larger catfish rods and the smaller Baitcast Holder (will hole baitcast or spinning) for my other rods. I picked them up from BassPro and their stock was a little more limited than I hoped. Although with a little help from Sean Stone I think I ended up with what I needed. 
View attachment 89064

One nice surprise came when I went to mount them on my dash. These sit right above my toes in the kayak and are more of a reach than I would like. However when I mount the bases with the side mount hole facing me I can rotate the sprocket forward and slide the holder strait into it. This brings them a couple inches and should help. I will loose some range of motion but it is an option.
View attachment 89063

I plan on using the old tube style holder to replace my flush mount rod tube behind me. I will build a base to cover the old hole and mount the holder into (probably out of cutting board). It will work as a vertical rod carrier or a horizontal rod holder for catfishing. 
View attachment 89065

Pretty excited not used to buying stuff for the kayak, but I don't think I could build a scotty. Also picked up Waist High Waders on the trip so so no more wet feet and pants for me.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## rustyfish

I've been having lot of problems posting pictures lately not sure why. Here are the two different ways they will mount.























Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## kayakcle216

That is sweet 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## RiverRunner88

I've been working on making a holder for my crate. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I used angle aluminum for the sides and a kitchen cutting board for the bottom. I attached it to the back hatch cover that way I can remove the frame if I want.


----------



## kayakcle216

Cool

Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## fishfray

I mounted a scotty deck mount on my kayak that I plan on using for a scotty triple mount. This is a heavy mount that I might use for trolling, so it really needs to be strong/secure. I reinforced it with pieces of cutting board on both sides of the kayak. I wanted a piece on top also to raise the mount a little. It turned out good and is very sturdy.

The top



The inside


----------



## FishFrenzy89

My native ultimate 12... 

i hope to get her wet soon ..


----------



## kayakcle216

Looks good guys 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## silverbullet

My new ocean kayak trident13. Finally got things mounted and wired up. May have to add a hook on the anchor trolley and something to secure my tackle bag. 

Sent from my C811 4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## Pooch

Hey guys here's a really cheap mod that I think is cool for trolling motor mount and extra rod storage. http://hmonghot.com/eG9YZnY5QXp4V0kz. A length of PVC, 5 tees, and 2 crosses. Doesn't get much easier. Very


----------



## RJohnson442

Added some lights to the canoe for night fishing. 15 ft waterproof red led strip cut in half and soldiered new leads on to run down both sides. I put a 3" strip inside also.10 bucks on amazon.














Sent from my Event using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## kayakcle216

Nice! 

Sent from my SM-N900V using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## gahannafly

Here are my final mods to the kay noe/Guide 119-I add rod holders in the back set in a piece of vanished ash, rear and forward anchors with paracord and cam and clam cleats, a sit backer seat.
It has been a fun summer on the kay noe-think today may of been the last time I will take her out-landed a 19, 12, and 11 inch large mouths on a local pond with a pumpkin seed twister tail and road runner chartreuse jig.
The photos of the canoe are in my gallery.


----------



## canoe carp killer

This is my new to me Jackson cuda 12. Nothing done to it yet. It looks like I'm selling my boat tonight so I'll have some cash to spend to deck it out. I am completely unknowledgeable lol as to what to do with it. I know absolutely nothing about fish finder but I know I want one. What should I get? How do I mount it, where do I mount it, where do I get it and battery? I have all kinds of questions. If someone can pm me that knows about all of these things and can help me out I would greatly appreciate it!! Wanna add a bunch of stuff


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


----------



## Bucho

Hey guys, recently picked up a fishfinder for my SIK Old Town Vapor and plan to silicone the transducer to shoot through hull. There is a lot of info in this thread that is very useful. However I was curious, for those of you who silicone the transducer to hull...how do you transport your yak? I ratchet strap mine to roof rack, and was unsure if I need to worry about transd. moving at all as I'm driving to different lakes/rivers?


----------



## monsterKAT11

Bucho said:


> Hey guys, recently picked up a fishfinder for my SIK Old Town Vapor and plan to silicone the transducer to shoot through hull. There is a lot of info in this thread that is very useful. However I was curious, for those of you who silicone the transducer to hull...how do you transport your yak? I ratchet strap mine to roof rack, and was unsure if I need to worry about transd. moving at all as I'm driving to different lakes/rivers?


I do the same, and have strapped my kayak in all sorts of different configurations (we typically transport more than one-sometimes up to 4 on a regular car roof so we have to get creative) and I have never had any issue with mine.


----------



## Bucho

Right on, thanks monsterKat. 4 yaks on a car with no roof rack would be a site going down the freeway...

Btw that dry box you made for your battery is pretty slick. Going to try and rig mine the same way.


----------



## monsterKAT11

Bucho said:


> Right on, thanks monsterKat. 4 yaks on a car with no roof rack would be a site going down the freeway...
> 
> Btw that dry box you made for your battery is pretty slick. Going to try and rig mine the same way.


thanks man! i'll see If i can dig up the picture, having a car roof you don't care about helps alot lol. 

I'm upgrading my kayak this year and I think i'm going to use a pelican case this time, though the origion box I made still works wonders!


----------



## Doboy

My OTHER favorite place to visit,,,, while I'm wait'n on dinner,,,
or on a crappy day.

http://www.ncangler.com/forums/threads/42560-Show-us-your-fishing-kayak-setup

There's one or two mods on this site that 'we' didn't already think of.


----------



## canoe carp killer

Ok so, I got a lowrance elite 3 this Christmas. Need help on how I mount the transducer. Could I just stick it down one of the scupper holes? I've got a Jackson cuda 12.


Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


----------



## monsterKAT11

canoe carp killer said:


> Ok so, I got a lowrance elite 3 this Christmas. Need help on how I mount the transducer. Could I just stick it down one of the scupper holes? I've got a Jackson cuda 12.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Campfire


others may be able to chime in but i'm guessing your best best would be the ram transducer mount, look into the yakattack celblok too, great little package if you do it that way.


----------



## hyonpsi

Here is my setup i've been working on. I added an 8lb 2 speed trolling motor. The small motor moves it nicely. Fishin buddy side finder that i modified. I saw the feel free gravity seat and wanted the adjustable height. I've almost finished the mount. I used Sch 80 pvc to cradle the frame.


----------



## rustyfish

I had some time to work on the Big Rig today and I wanted to get my Fishfinder set up and find a way to mount my Scotty rod holders. Yesterday I got scupper transducer kit from a buddy but I really wasn't sure how to make it fit my system. 

I started with a short section of 3/4 inch pvc and notched one side so I could slide my transducer in far enough to get a bolt through the pvc and transducer hole. The notch also allowed me to set the pvc to be at a 90 degree angle to the transducer. I slid the bungee (from the kit) through the pvc and then wrapped it in some foam I shaved off a pool noodle and wrapped the whole thing in electrical tape. This made the everything fit snug and would prevent and damage being done by the nut and bolt.








The bungee and wire then come up and through the plate from the kit. The bungee pulls the transducer up and holds everything tight. Then I drilled a one inch hole for the wire mount from the kit. The plug on my unit is too large to go through the wire mount so I folded it in half and pulled the excess transducer wire into the hull along with the power cable. Once tight the wire mount just twist to tighten the gasket around the wires.








I used the other wire mount to set up my battery dry box inside the hull along with some pieces of pool noodle to hold the battery tight.








To mount my Fishfinder and Scotty bases I cut out some pieces of cutting board (my favorit kayak rigging supply). I bolted the bases onto the cutting board and counter sunk the bolts on the bottom. Then I drilled my holes for the T-bolts and used wing nuts to hold and adjust them. Then for my panfish potrait I just used a hacksaw to knock the head off a 1/4 20 carriage bolt and threaded it into the empty bolt well (the black plastic screw on the right of the last two pictures. The camera mount threads right onto it.


----------



## monsterKAT11

Nice mods Rusty, I guess i'll jump on the Big Rig mod bandwagon. 

I sold the kayak that started this thread to my dad, who got to enjoy his first dunk in the river a couple weeks ago, not a fun way to start out a kayaking experience haha. 


Picked up my BR back in January, having the entire winter to plan, buy and buy...and buy some more. I had a long list of mods I wanted to accomplish and felt like with such an expensive boat I should try to plan and make them look really nice, plus that's just half the fun for me. 

The first thing I wanted to do was come up with a good way to mount my Lowarance Elite 7x (don't judge me). I saw alot of guy using cutting board as Rusty also did, which was my initial plan until I found an extra piece of scrap aluminum laying around, so I went ahead and traced the profile, cut it out, bolted it to my bracket and attached my ram ball to the bottom. 









So the next question was how the hell was I going to power this bad boy, well I was lucky enough to acquire a nice pelican case from a buddy, got a new foam kit on amazon for like 12 bucks and mounted two 12v 7ah batteries. I had the batteries that I salvaged from some busted UPS's. Why 2? mainly because I can...it's a friggin big rig why the hell not? Used, a waterproof connector (I'm aware that power side should not be a male plug), and Am currently using a piece of foam mounted inside the hatch with a strap around it to secure the battery box, i'm not sure if that's going to last or not, mounting batteries boxes in the kayak are always the hardest part for me. 
















For the wiring I used some Hobie thu hull wiring kits, I really like these! paired with the lowrance scrupper mount I think it made for a really clean install. I don't have a picture, but I wrapped the loose transducer wire around the molded "tower" of the scupper on the inside...yeah..it as big of pain in the ass is how it sounds, took me about 20 minutes to wrap it around but I really think it was worth it, that extra wire won't be flopping around in there. 










For now I have the fish finder mounting in the center, which i really think i'll like..again...Don't judge me..










The other thing that had me a little concerned was how lose my rods were in the rod launchers, I fixed that by using some tarp tie offs that I can wrap around the reels so they won't fall out.. I also turned down some pipe insulation to fit snug within the launchers to hold the rods nice and snug, I like the idea but need a better way to secure them and make it look nice. 

For the camera mount I am using one of the yakattack 1'' balls and a ram mount for my gopro so that could go pretty much anywhere. I do want to try to gopro mount that came with the kayak though too. 

Lastly, I modeled up the exsisting 1.5 in' ram ball in solidworks, had a buddy 3d print it, dipped the ball in plasti dip and BOOM, yakattack ram ball. I did however order a bolt kit from them. 
















As far as the anchor line goes I initially tried to utilize the through kayak line holes, but decided I liked the idea of an anchor trolley better, I am currently deciding how i'm going to do that.


----------



## canoe carp killer

Love the mods guys!!!! Makes me want a big rig too!!!


----------



## z3bul0n

those big rigs sure are nice. i sat in one and those things are the cruiseliners of kayaks. id like one but i would need to attach a hoist system to my car to load it myself. nice mods guys.

Sent from my VS980 4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## ML1187

Pre-2015 Jackson kayak owners... you can buy a sweet little mod for your seat from Jackson. Replaces that old stupid plastic strap connector with this fancy little gadget that they have on all their new seats... 

LOVE IT... allows the seat to be tightened so much better, quicker, and easier. Simple install... directions at link. And less than $7! I had Great Miami Outfitters order it for me so no shipping.



And link for directions...

http://store.jacksonkayak.com/elite-seat-kit-2-0-conversion-cam-kit/


----------



## Aaron2012

I installed 2 flush mount rod holders on my kayak this evening. Pretty easy install, didn't take long at all from start to finish.


----------



## Aaron2012

1st pic didn't load up right for some reason


----------



## bstephenson1225

Not too many Mods on my Ascend FS128T. Added a Lowrance Elite3 sonar, 360 degree Light pole, Updated the trolly system with some stainless pulleys. Rope thru pad eyes on each end was a joke! Pulled every hatch and resealed. Not so much as a drop of water in the hull since I done that. Added a 30lb thrust Minnkota for those long trips. Have a bad heart and tire out really easy so this helps me ge




























t to those far far away fishing holes in a hurry, especially when headed into the wind. Looking to add LED lighting in Green on the front and back for night fishing and want to fabricate a stand up bar over this winter. Already have the tubing, just need to locate some bimni mounts and should be good to go.


----------



## BuzzBait Brad

Finally got around to a crate mod. Still a work in progress


----------



## kayak1979

I made this wooden cooler holder and attached it on my Predator 13, it allows me to attach rod holders and is used for tackle storage as well. If out on a lake on a windy day it can cause me to be pushed some but for the most part I just fish the rivers with my kayak so I don't have to worry about wind there too often. I'm going to put something on the tackle holder areas on the top to secure the tackle cases just in case something unfortunate ever happened.


----------



## Still Hookinn

Ready for lake erie trolling. Those rod holders get expensive when you start adding different arms.


----------



## Saugeye Tom

2 rod holders a dry box, a ram ball mount and my fat butt...all my mods....oh, I LOVE THE SEAT...AIR PRO


----------



## Saugeye Tom




----------



## gahannafly

Discovery 119/Kayno update-took out the ash board and two rod holders behind the seat-the set up weighed 5 to 6 pounds.

Installed a Bee Ready rod holder on the front thwart-it weighs under 13 ozs. It is flush to the gunwale and holds the rod low so no issues with getting caught up in trees. Cost $21 with free shipping and AMERICAN MADE!

I will probably get the adjustable on in the summer and put it on the rear thwart for storage and trolling.


----------



## LZip

I've taken mine out a few times and think I'm finally zeroing in on some mods I want to make. Plan to get the Scotty triple mount and attaching two rod holders and a fish finder to that. Also plan to get a camera mount, but not sure if I should do it behind or infront of me. What I am not sure about is storing my catch. Do you all use a stringer? I'm not sure if it would interfere with paddling in any way (especially when I have hope to have some big Walleye on it). I have a pretty large front hatch, where I could maybe buy a special cooler to put fish in. I'm not sure if the triple mount with everything on it would make that difficult though.


----------



## Still Hookinn

I got a fish bag for putting walleye in last year, have yet to see how it works but it keeps ice real well.


----------



## Ni06

Who can a make a trolling motor back mont for a ascend fs 128 kayak


----------



## BuzzBait Brad

I figured I'd post my kayak crate I made from milk crates and zip ties (for the hinges) very easy and cheap to make yourself and it works great.


----------



## BuzzBait Brad

DIY kayak cart for $24. Got the wheels from a friends broken wheel barrow. Now to figure out how to make a hitch on my mountain bike so I'm able to float the river alone. 










Yak gear anchor trolley I installed this weekend


----------



## Tom 513

BuzzBait Brad said:


> DIY kayak cart for $24. Got the wheels from a friends broken wheel barrow. Now to figure out how to make a hitch on my mountain bike so I'm able to float the river alone.
> 
> View attachment 235288
> 
> 
> Yak gear anchor trolley I installed this weekend
> 
> View attachment 235289


Brad, is that a Yak Lever loc anchor trolly? if so Id like to know how you like it? I have been looking at different anchor options for my 10ft sot and am leaning toward the lever loc


----------



## BMagill

Tom 513 said:


> Brad, is that a Yak Lever loc anchor trolly? if so Id like to know how you like it? I have been looking at different anchor options for my 10ft sot and am leaning toward the lever loc


I have the lever loc anchor trolley. Cool concept, and I am happy with the lever loc feature, but the snap feature that holds the D-ring in place loosened up within a week and if I rely on it alone the ring ends up dropping out of the snap and dragging my trolley line below the kayak. I think I need to get a zip style cleat and just always keep the trolley line zipped up with D-ring loose.


----------



## bassman1014

Is this still avaialbalr


----------



## Tom 513

bassman1014 said:


> Is this still avaialbalr


What? the Yak lever lock trolly thing? yes they still sell them, I am happy with mine although my Yak hasnt seen stream current yet


----------



## Reel Magic

rustyfish said:


> Picked up two new Scotty rod holders. I got a Power Lock for my larger catfish rods and the smaller Baitcast Holder (will hole baitcast or spinning) for my other rods. I picked them up from BassPro and their stock was a little more limited than I hoped. Although with a little help from Sean Stone I think I ended up with what I needed.
> View attachment 89064
> 
> One nice surprise came when I went to mount them on my dash. These sit right above my toes in the kayak and are more of a reach than I would like. However when I mount the bases with the side mount hole facing me I can rotate the sprocket forward and slide the holder strait into it. This brings them a couple inches and should help. I will loose some range of motion but it is an option.
> View attachment 89063
> 
> I plan on using the old tube style holder to replace my flush mount rod tube behind me. I will build a base to cover the old hole and mount the holder into (probably out of cutting board). It will work as a vertical rod carrier or a horizontal rod holder for catfishing.
> View attachment 89065
> 
> Pretty excited not used to buying stuff for the kayak, but I don't think I could build a scotty. Also picked up Waist High Waders on the trip so so no more wet feet and pants for me.
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## Reel Magic

Check these out, I had them so I fitted them to my tracks two forward and to for straight down,,,perch mostly


----------



## CFIden

I'm thinking of getting my first yak. leaning towards the Ascend SOT T10. Does anyone have one or know of one that is for sale. I hate to spend the money on a new one before I know if this is going to work for me.

Thanks in advance.


----------



## crankbait09

Here are a few modifications that I have made on my Ascend FS128T. Nothing major.

1st: Added a retractable anchor line that goes to my anchor trolley
2nd: Built a rod rack to carry 4 rod combos. It utilizes two of the built in rod holder ports that are pointing towards the rear of the kayak. In my mind, useless. So the rods now stand straight up and down.
3rd: The storage compartment directly behind the seat was originally made with the handles of the hatch towards the rear of the kayak. Made it very awkward to have to reach for. Then once opened, now you have the storage hatch opening towards you. Made it very difficult to get anything out of the storage compartment easily.. I rotated it 180 degrees, so the handles were now directly behind the seat and you can easily lift up. It lifts up, and rests against the new rod rock. Works out perfectly
4th: I added a trolley system. I have an anchor, drift sock, and a stakeout pole. I just bought the stakeout pole a week or so ago, so I hope to put that to use this year. Looking forward to it.

Along with the pictures for items 1-4, I'm also including a picture of the overall view of the kayak. I don't have a side shot, but I will post one once I get it out of the garage and on to the water.



[url=https://flic.kr/p/23Kdi27]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2253QDJ]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/GGebKQ]

[url=https://flic.kr/p/GBtsdq][/url][/url][/url][/url]


----------



## DLarrick

Some mods I just put on my new cuda
Gear track and rod holder
Fish finder-using hobie thru hule wire kit. I think this came out very clean with minimal wires showing on deck. Have my ducer on a ram mount but waiting on a 1" ball to replace the larger one that is standard on these older cudas. 
Also re-rigged my battery box. Used this trailer hitch style splitter out of the box. Then anything that needs power will get one of thes e plugs to hook straight in. Have one on my power plug for FF and will be adding a USB charging port with the same connection. 
Still have an anchor system to put on as well.





































Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk


----------



## DLarrick

Volt meter with USB charging ports as well as a cig lighter port.


----------



## fishing pole

Anyone ever raise the seat on their ascend 12t? Wondering if the stability is okay afterward. Thanks


----------



## gulfvet

Guys. I have a Sundolphin Boss and I want to be able to lock it up with a chain. The problem is that the scupper holes have such small openings where they pass through the hull that the chain won't fit. The surrounding plastic appears to be just a single ply that is part of the hull. Would it be safe to drill out enough of the surrounding material to allow the chain to pass so long as I stay away from the sides of the drain tube?


----------



## Wardy

I've done a few mods to my kayak over the years. Pretty simple mods but they work for me. 

I don't care for the anchor trolley systems. I don't want the wet rope sitting in the kayak with me. I bought a retractable dog leash that attaches to the kayak via a carabiner. I just let out the amount of line I need then it has a button to lock it in place. When you want to move you just unlock it and all the line goes back inside the unit. 

I also put a canvas type cloth bag inside the kayak to hold misc. items. I attached it with existing screws that held the pad in place. It holds my soft plastics, pliers, and a lure box. The best part is that it sits under the edge of the kayak so it is out of the way.

Other than getting a new seat I haven't really needed to upgrade anything else. I mainly fish small lakes/ponds in it and sometimes Beaver Creek or the Mahoning river.


----------

