Fishing

[islanddrummer]

I know a lot of you guys here have done all sorts of crazy things with your boats. I had the idea while paddling one day that there might be life beyond trying to hold a paddle and a fishing rod at the same time. I was wondering if anyone has tried to mount a foot control trolling motor on the front of the pirot so you can sit and fish and motor where you would like. I have been thinking/designing this in my head but havn't had the time or space to go through with it. Any ideas on the size of trolling motor and the best way to mount it without losing it in the water?

regards
the drummer

 

[tx river rat]

Drummer
It shouldn't be a problem just mount you a flat piece of wood to mount your trolling motor on
I don't know how it is there but in Texas if you have a trolling motor you also have to register boat have numbers mounted on it.
Ron

 

[Wimperdink]

not a foot control but its a trolling motor nonetheless

http://www.neilbank.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3653

 

[hairymick]

G'day Drummer and welcome aboard mate.

I have a couple of boats I want to build first but I have been thinking seriosly about a paddle - bass boat too. Sort of a square stern canoe with a leccy on the back and steered with foot pedals like a kayak.

I am thinking of something around 14 to 15 feet long with a beam of about 34 inches and fairly low sides. Primarily, a solo boat but able to fish two.

Matt has a couple of fine boats that are very close to what I want.

 

[oldyaker]

Drummer, I saw that very thing on the Arkansas Fly Fishing board one time. This boy had these yaks already set up and was selling them. The electric motor was on the front and he had some type of foot control.

The question that ran threw my mind, what about real shallow spots in rivers like I have here? With the motor in the back you can quickly flip it up preventing damage and getting hung up. Now, with you sitting in the back...that electric motor sitting way up front....what happens in a shallow spot? :?
I guess on a lake, it would be fine.

 

[oldsparkey]

Check this out , a retractable trolling motor that is foot controlled.

http://foxxaero.homestead.com/indun_001a.html

Chuck.

 

[FlaMike]

Once again, a web site with an interesting idea, and just enough info to turn it into a do-it-yourself project!

As for simpler, more direct methods, I did fish with a guy in his canoe that had an off-the shelf trolling motor clamped right to the gunnel, just aft of the beam. Worked just fine.

Myself, I decided one of the major "selling points" of a rather traditional boat like the Pirogue was the ability to get away from complications like motors, batteries, trailers, boat registration and the like.

To each, his own.

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL

 

[oldsparkey]

One of the pirogues ( the 1st one that I made) I rigged it to take a small sail. The sail was transferable between my canoe and it.

Get into a large body of open water , hoist the sail and make it across there in comfort , I was known to troll a artificial lure behind the boat just for the fun of it and possibly something for supper later on.

Chuck.

 

[Kayak Jack]

My late wife allowed me to "go fishing" with her. I ran the paddle and the anchor. It cost her a sandwich and a beer, or two, or three. I'd read a book, paddle to where she NEEDED to go, and read some more. So, you may not need a motor, just a friend.

When we got back to shore, she'd look up some wistful kid and hand him the fish. While the kid grinned - his dad scowled. I surreptitiously loaded the boat and quietly drove away - grinning.

One day, we took along my buddy, Bill Breckenfeld. (Breck is big enough to be good ballast, and not so smart as to cause a lot of trouble.)

Breck's nickname is Overboard. That day, he lived up to his name. In the process my sandwich got wet and the fool spilled my beer! Now, I'd taken a vow to not do physical harm to a Lodge Brother. But the exception was in defense of Life or property. That day - he came very close.

 

[hairymick]

I am thinking something like this would be very good here.

Solid and stable but still a usefull paddle craft.

My local lake is not very big and I can paddle from one end to the other in about 3 hours easily.

My problem is that there are solid fish in it. It is a stocked impoundment, in that it has been stocked with Aussie Bass and Barramundi.

Barramundi grow to well over a metre in length and are Australias premier fresh water sport fish. (They also live in the salt) They are hard determined fighters and capable of blistering runs and spectacular aerial leaps. The trouble with fishing for them from a paddle-craft is that they often tow me into snags and I have no control of the boat while fighting them. I have never landed a big one from a paddle craft.

A foot controlled leccy on a boat similar to the one above should give me a little more control in that I could simply reverse away from snaggy areas or at least hold position while fighting the fish.

Barra can also be ferocious on top-water lures and fly is particularly effective. A boat stable enough to stand in would be a very good thing.

This one was taken from my local dam yesterday.

 

[a Bald Cypress]

m

A fair sized minnow ya got there Mick. What did ya snag him on ?

Perhaps a 4 wt rod with 2 lb tippet and a wet fly ?
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Looks as if something like that would take you whereever he wanted to go even if you had electric motor.

 

[Kayak Jack]

When I used to catch those big fish, I used two rods. He'd bite on both, and I had reins. I could steer the fish pretty much wherever I wanted. Usually, if it was a real big one, I'd just head him back toward the dock to save me paddling.

 

[hairymick]

Heya Baldy,

I didn't catch that one. My biggest so far from a canoe was only about 60cm (2 feet) and was a baby. Even with that one, I was very lucky in that he fought clean.

They generally just love big poppers or 6 inch cotton cordell minnows.

I don't know anything about fly fishing.

I haven't worried too much about chasing them from my paddlecraft because they can get real expensive on tackle. I am happy with my much smaller bass and 6 pound gear.

The guys who have been getting them regularly have also been doing real well on big soft plastics and Jackall TN60s.

The jackalls are too bloody dear for me at $25.00 each to just lose all the time.

 

[oldsparkey]

WOW.......

Nice catch ... Mick

Now what are you going to use him for as bait.:lol:

Chuck.

 

[tx river rat]

Mick
We do a lot of fishing for alligator gar out of the yaks they get up to 300lbs plus and 9ft long we rigged a anchor that we can control from the cockpit if one gets to towing us around to much just hit the button drop the anchor then you can put some pressure on them.
we usualy wear them down then go to bank to land them I don't put them in the yak they are bad about jumping and have amouth full of teeth.
Ron

 

[islandpiper]

Hey Mick, nice picture of you and Jack.......him just hanging around, as usual.

Piper

 

[oldsparkey]

Mick
We do a lot of fishing for alligator gar out of the yaks they get up to 300lbs
Ron

TX...

Two friends an myself would go out and get some of the Florida long nose gars ( Not Alligator , the narrow snouted ones ) , up to 7 feet. When ever we did that a buddy of mine ( Game Warden ) would show up and slice them down the back , pull out the back straps for his supper.

He swore they were some good eating when fried up and that they tasted like scallops. All I know is when ever I had a day off and was after some of them with a bow he would show up and get those back straps.

Joe at the Ocklawaha Outpost catches them so he can do the same thing. I have to admit the back straps Jessie cut out sure did look good.

I was told ... a long time ago that the Seminole Indians ate them because of the high vitamin B-12 content in the flesh , eat the fish and when you perspire then the B-12 is a natural mosquito repellent.

A good supper and no bugs when you are sleeping out in the open here in the land of heat , humidity , hurricanes and BUG'S.

Chuck.

 

[TradGlenn]

I've have eaten Gar before and it isn't bad. The meat is real white and if you get it from a clean lake or river it will have good taste to it.

Just peel the back straps off and throw the rest away.

 

[keith]

some of the best jerky you can make! keith

 

[tx river rat]

Gar jerky ?
Ron