People always have to ask about the W fishing kayak… and I tell them to get one. I now have rigged a Minn Kota electric trolling motor that works great for positioning an runs to a spot or back to dock.
Ray
“This seat sits a little higher, and it’s much more comfortable than the rigid seat I had added before.”
Great toolbox for convenient storage of Ray’s fishing tackle
More kayak fishing reports from Ray >>
Bob and I did do the Demo Day at the bayou last week but due to weather conditions, we had to scale it back to one day. Anytime we can get out on the water, it’s a “good thing”!
I stopped at a Wal-Mart on the way and picked up this white patio chair for $8.88 plus tax.. We now have equipped a W-kayak with a Captains Chair for under ten dollars.
It’s actually very comfortable to paddle in and very stable on the water. I think the stability is due to the fact your body weight is distributed over a larger area because of the placement of the legs/feet of the chair.
I thought it would have been more “tippy” because you are sitting a few inches higher than the saddle but the opposite is true.
Rolf
R & B WaveWalk of Houston, Fishing Kayaks
More about rigging solutions for your fishing kayak >
Having seen some of the elaborate modifications W fishing kayak owners employ to attach paddles and other gizmos to their W’s, I thought I’d share a really easy, low-cost, no-weight method that I use.
When I first got my W’s, I drilled holes on each corner of the cockpit rim, primarily so that I could drain water out of the interior when turned upside down after washing down. Then I attached short pieces of waterproof rope thru the holes, knotting the bottom of each end to secure them(large flexible rubber washers can be installed about the knots to ensure that they don’t come thru the holes, but really aren’t needed). Finally, I attached 8-inch cable ties to the ropes or to the metal eyelets on the W to create carrying loops. You can see how I carry my Stick-it anchoring rod (stake out pole) on these devices.
Different sizes of metal clips can also be installed on the ropes to handle a paddle. By having holes and ropes on each corner of the rim, I can also attach an anchor to each, thereby eliminating the need for a pulley system (this works best if you can get by with just one length of anchor rope like you can fishing the shallow Florida flats).
Gary
I finally finished that paddle I’ve been building forever, and have paddled it a bit. It’s working out quite well for the W kayak.
I laminated the shaft out of one layer of poplar in the center for stiffness, and a layer of cedar on each side.
The blade is a lamination of two different colored cedars along with a maple tip to take a bit more abuse.
The blades have fiberglass cloth epoxied over both surfaces, and the shaft is finished in Tung oil (China wood oil) over the bare wood.
I also included a ferule for the shaft so I can break it down, as well as feather the blades left or right.
The paddle is nice and light, and really moves the boat along well. I’m liking it a lot so far.
I’d like to build one with carbon fiber paddles at some point, but who knows how many years that would take a the rate I put this one together.
Kevin
Kevin is a fly fisherman from Florida who fishes mostly standing up in his W kayak. He paddles and poles his kayak while sight fishing for red fish >>
Here’s a picture of the W500 rigged and ready to go before heading out onto the California Delta.
George B.
Read George’s initial fishing kayak review >>
