There are some great electronics available for today’s kayaks and the 2014 line of Hobie boats are pre-plumed to install Lowrance systems. I spend the majority of my time fishing in knee deep water, so I really do not have the need to put this great technology to work. The one electronic piece of equipment I have on my ProAngler 14 is the Power Pole Micro, the ultimate shallow water anchoring system. Since my last column, I have repowered the Micro. I removed the temporary wiring and 12 volt battery and replaced it with the Hobie Power Pole kit which can be found at www.hobiefishing.com or at your local Hobie delaer. This power kit allows for the most water tight fit with minimal drilling. A one inch drill bit and a screwdriver is about all you will need to install it. It comes with its own charger and a full charge will last all day.
The latest addition to my ProAngler14 is another trickle down from the power boat side of angling. I recently had the deck lined with OceanGrip non-skid pads. You may wonder why you would want this on your kayak; the benefits are numerous. It will provide you with a comfortable platform to stand on while you stalk fish on the flats. For me, having uniform padding throughout the deck allows me to move around without feeling like my feet should stay locked in the foot wells while drifting or poling across the flats. Another bonus the Ocean grip gives your kayak is that it will help dampen the usual hollow sound that comes from dropping tools on your kayak. In the rear of the kayak, it provides a non-skid surface so your tackle-box, crate or cooler does not slide around. There are several templates available for the kayak made by major manufacturers like Hobie and Native. More manufacturers are being added all the time too. The pads are made of a marine grade pressure-sensitive adhesive which allows for easy installation. Simply peel, place and stick on to the surface of your kayak. They do an amazing job with custom work so contact them at www.oceangrip.com with your specific preferences as there are plenty of color combinations to choose from. They also do beveled etching on the decking, so if you have a club or sponsor logo they will be able to incorporate that into the pads. If you wonder about the durability of the product, just know that every boat that comes out of the Yellowfin Yachts factory comes decked out in OceanGrip.
To finish decking out my ProAngler, I turned to the Hobie accessories catalog to add the steering knob that puts your hand in a much more comfortable position. I also added the Paddle Clip which screws right into one of the pad eye threads and firmly secures your paddle. This is especially important for surf launches.
Now that you are all decked out, it’s time to get on the water and catch some fish.
Pedal On!
