The importance of electronics on a kayak

[J.A. Veil]

Just wanted to say thanks again for the advice and the extra lures today! Both were tremendously valuable to me, i ended up catching five striper 14", a chain pickerel, and two blue fish-12". The striper was my personal best, and I had not caught a blue fish yet this summer, so I was all smiles after that. The advice about maintaining my depth was really helpful to me as well. This was definitely the best fishing day I've had in a while!

-What was the name of the book that you had mentioned to me that covered a lot of the basics of trolling and etc.? I'd love to have a read at that.

Hope to see ya on the water again soon!

Jake
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Jake -

Congratulations on your successful day on the river. The book was written by Snaggedline member Yak Fish (Alan Battista). It is available on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Light-Tackle-K.../dp/1499522304.

[Cowpokey]

I've got an Elite 4 HDI and wouldn't consider going without it. It's a great tool. Anyone that doesn't have one, and thinks they are over rated, doesn't know what they are missing.

[jhoss]

Any humminbird brand suggestions???? I have a ocean kayak with the scupper hole transducer made by HB. If possible I'd like to keep the transducer I have since it's made for my yak....

[Cowpokey]

Any humminbird brand suggestions???? I have a ocean kayak with the scupper hole transducer made by HB. If possible I'd like to keep the transducer I have since it's made for my yak....

I was planning on getting a Humminbird 386ci DI combo originally. Its a nice unit, but the Lowrance screen resolution is a little better.

[reel-em-in]

I have a humminbird 587ci HD. I like it. It's discontinued but you can still find it for a discount at various sites.

[Cowpokey]

I have a humminbird 587ci HD. I like it. It's discontinued but you can still find it for a discount at various sites.

Yeah, it's weird. They discontinued the 5xx series and replaced them with 6xx series that are the same size.

[rob-kayak]

Thank you for your informative post Mr. Veil. Many people will benefit from your experience.

I still use my Mark 4 Elite GPS/FF black and white screen. Having the charts and GPS, while not as sophisticated as many of the other models (money constraints) works just great. And has proved invaluable.

Before I had the GPS...
One lesson learned on one my first adventures on the back bays in Ocean City was to always look back to remember where you came from... after an hour and a half... I finally found my way back among the labryinth of canals.

Point being, always expect equipment failure... and remember points of land to find your way back. Last Monday night... I constantly kept radio towers and water tower lights marked on the horizon if perhaps I had failure. People's house lights and dock lights may go off later in the evening, and towers/water lights may disappear below tree lines as you get closer to shore. Always have a back up bearing in mind if perhaps this is the case.
Know the tides... aka currents... so you can compensate in the dark if you have a failure.

This year I have a VHF radio.. it might fail... and don't forget to do radio checks.

Monday night I carried with me extra food, water, Frog Togs, and extra clothes, waterproof matches, space blanket, and I always have extra para-cord.. etc etc...

A fuse can blow on your electronics... goodness you don't turtle... be prepared.... anything can happen.

Thanks again for your informative post, and thanks to the group here last year that helped me make the decision for GPS and their knowledge of how to configure and extrapolate the charts with the units.

Wind at your back... sun on your face, salt across the bow... and... :-) moon over your shoulder !

[J.A. Veil]

Before I had the GPS...
One lesson learned on one my first adventures on the back bays in Ocean City was to always look back to remember where you came from... after an hour and a half... I finally found my way back among the labryinth of canals.

Point being, always expect equipment failure... and remember points of land to find your way back. Last Monday night... I constantly kept radio towers and water tower lights marked on the horizon if perhaps I had failure. People's house lights and dock lights may go off later in the evening, and towers/water lights may disappear below tree lines as you get closer to shore. Always have a back up bearing in mind if perhaps this is the case.
Know the tides... aka currents... so you can compensate in the dark if you have a failure.

This year I have a VHF radio.. it might fail... and don't forget to do radio checks.

Monday night I carried with me extra food, water, Frog Togs, and extra clothes, waterproof matches, space blanket, and I always have extra para-cord.. etc etc...

A fuse can blow on your electronics... goodness you don't turtle... be prepared.... anything can happen.

Thanks again for your informative post, and thanks to the group here last year that helped me make the decision for GPS and their knowledge of how to configure and extrapolate the charts with the units.

Wind at your back... sun on your face, salt across the bow... and... :-) moon over your shoulder !

Rob -

Thanks for that reminder. GPS is very useful for navigating, but should not take the place of personal observation and common sense. Earlier this summer I launched my center console from Shipping Creek ramp on the south side of Kent Island. I ran around Eastern Bay for a few hours. While I was out there, my electronics conked out (bad dashboard wiring, not the unit itself). I was not sure which of many similar looking creeks or coves was the right way to the ramp. I had some help from my cell phone which reminded me of the geography of Kent Island. I did make it back to the ramp, but wished I had made more visible landmarks on the way out.

My post was intended to describe the merits of using electronics for helping to find fish or at least fish-friendly spots.

[hookmeup]

Thank you for your informative post Mr. Veil. Many people will benefit from your experience.

I still use my Mark 4 Elite GPS/FF black and white screen. Having the charts and GPS, while not as sophisticated as many of the other models (money constraints) works just great. And has proved invaluable.

Before I had the GPS...
One lesson learned on one my first adventures on the back bays in Ocean City was to always look back to remember where you came from... after an hour and a half... I finally found my way back among the labryinth of canals.

Point being, always expect equipment failure... and remember points of land to find your way back. Last Monday night... I constantly kept radio towers and water tower lights marked on the horizon if perhaps I had failure. People's house lights and dock lights may go off later in the evening, and towers/water lights may disappear below tree lines as you get closer to shore. Always have a back up bearing in mind if perhaps this is the case.
Know the tides... aka currents... so you can compensate in the dark if you have a failure.

This year I have a VHF radio.. it might fail... and don't forget to do radio checks.

Monday night I carried with me extra food, water, Frog Togs, and extra clothes, waterproof matches, space blanket, and I always have extra para-cord.. etc etc...

A fuse can blow on your electronics... goodness you don't turtle... be prepared.... anything can happen.

Thanks again for your informative post, and thanks to the group here last year that helped me make the decision for GPS and their knowledge of how to configure and extrapolate the charts with the units.

Wind at your back... sun on your face, salt across the bow... and... :-) moon over your shoulder !

This is very good advice.

[Jman]

Thank you! I have gone ahead and ordered it tonight. I'm hoping to absorb every bit of information I can.

[Cowpokey]

Thank you! I have gone ahead and ordered it tonight. I'm hoping to absorb every bit of information I can.

Which one did you go with?

[Jman]

I ordered the book by Yak fish about kayak fishing.- John had suggested it to me in an earlier reply on here. I think my reply may have gone to the wrong section (rookie mistake!). But I have a 3x at the moment and it suits me. I would definitely consider an upgrade to a GPS based one in the future.

[Cowpokey]

It's a good book.