new fishing kayaker - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

visforvegetables · 05-12-2010, 12:03 AM

hi, i'm new to this forum and to the kayak fishing community. ive loved fishing since i was young (21 now) and after saving several paychecks, i purchased a malibu pro2 tandem (fish and dive) kayak. i chose a 2 seater as a starter so i could take out some buddies and make my trip more enjoyable. although i had to make a sacrifice for storage space on a tandem. this forum seems like a wonderful way to acquire useful information. i pick up my kayak this weekend from OEX sunset beach and im thinking about launching anywhere from balboa, huntington harbour and corona del mar. i've read about a kelp bed in CDM in which i do NOT know how to get to.. i am indeed very much new to this ocean sport and a bit unaware and inexperienced. i've reside in huntington beach for more than a decade and ought to make use of the ocean.. if anybody that's down to earth, preferably young would like to come out with me some time, catch some fish, enjoy the trip, and show me the ropes the first few times, it would be nice. looking forward to starting my ocean kayaking/fishing hobby!

also, for a bait tank, im thinking about using a discontinued Shimano Live Well container/bag. you can take a look at it here but i found it somewhere for half the price.. so note dont buy it from here!

http://shimano.fishing-store.us/shim...-live-well-bag

instead of using a pump, i'm going to use that Shimano live well with a D cell battery operated airstone aerator i could find at harbor freight or walmart for cheap... this is temporary before i would like to learn to make my own or add a pump attachment to my shimano bag. does anyone have their 2 cent on battery operated airstone kits? an example of these kits could be found in the link below. keep in mind that i have a tandem and barely have any space to spare for a bait tank! i looked into the oem malibu tandem bait tank installed in the rectangular hatch but they are well over my price range at $300 plus. i have already overspent with my new kayak along with the rest of the necessities required for this sport. help me save some bucks!

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Longer-Life-Bait-Kit/14012423

thanks in advance!

Jim Sammons LJKF · 05-12-2010, 07:32 AM

Welcome to the sport. For your bait tank you really need a full circulating not an aerator if you want your baits to live. You can set up a pump on that tank pretty cheap.

ericko · 05-12-2010, 07:54 AM

I live in HB also i might be able to go out sunday morning i will have a better idea friday. My name is Erick whats yours.

Hunters Pa · 05-12-2010, 08:04 AM

Good call on buying from OEX Sunset. Andy won't steer you wrong

visforvegetables · 05-12-2010, 10:15 AM

thanks jim! i might as well just install my own pump kit on that shimano bag. i'd rather use the shimano bag then those pet food containers or buckets. that's just my own preference. maybe because the shimano bag has 4 rod holders. heh. anyone knowledgeable with the parts, and electrical/battery installation? since i dont have much room in my tandem, i would most likely put it on top of my rectangular hatch and tie it down. i've been doing a lot of research about live wells and bait tanks on forums but nothing can beat an extra hand if you're local (HB).

hey erick. my name is ronald by the way. hopefully i could get everything ready by this sunday to pick it up. my thule glide and set kayak attachment is somewhere in transit from new york at the moment! i MIGHT even be too busy to go out this weekend, perhaps next weekend. im busy with work on weekdays and i only have weekends available and this weekend happens to be busy for me since i am still in school.

OEX has wonderful staff by the way. a nice fellow named Andre helped me with my purchase. he was also very helpful with my 21 questions and also patient with the kayak sale. so good looking out.

GregAndrew · 05-12-2010, 06:06 PM

What Jim said on the pump. You can get the pump and a 6volt 12amp battery for under $20 each. Then all you need is a little bit of wire, some terminal and heatshrink sleeve connectors, and a hose.

bigbarrels · 05-12-2010, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hunters Pa

Good call on buying from OEX Sunset. Andy won't steer you wrong

X2!

fongman · 05-13-2010, 09:52 AM

Setting up a MK tandem for solo or for 2 is a challenge. If you and a buddy go out, you don't have many options for the baittank; you either cover the front or rear hatch. Depending upon which hatch you cover, you lose some or most of the internal storage.

If you decide to go out solo, your sitting position is the big issue. If you are a big guy, sitting in the back seat is not good due to the poor weight distribution. The nose of the kayak will always be in the air. Plus, if you put your bt in front of you, your rods will always be in your way when casting.

If you sit over the rectangular hatch, the weight distribution is good, but now it is inconvenient to use the internal storage. However, the bt can now be placed behind you on the rear seat well. You'll have to devise something to level that area. A pool noodle made into a donut works well.

You'll enjoy the stability of this kayak and there is a lot of deck space--you just have to figure out how to best utilize it. Paddling it by yourself isn't bad, but you will have a hard time keeping up with others in solo yaks. Also, it is a bear to paddle when the wind comes up, so make sure the wind is to your back coming back in.

Make sure you have enough (flushmount or RAM) rodholders so you can move your extra rods around. For holding 2 more rods, I made a removable pvc rodholder which mounted over the 2 rear wellnuts supplied by MK.

Enjoy your new ride!

visforvegetables · 05-13-2010, 05:28 PM

thanks for your input fongman. majority of the time i will be paddling out with a buddy so i'm still thinking of a good place to put our bait tank while keeping comfort. maybe a simple 5 gallon homemade bait tank might do it... just set it on top of the rectangular hatch behind the front seat. also, i got the fish and dive version so i do have 6 mounts. that rod holder for the back seems like i could be useful to me. i would like to make one but i dont see how it attaches to your kayak in that picture.

fongman · 05-13-2010, 06:00 PM

I thought the older models came with wellnuts placed where I have the pvc caps. Maybe for a tank strap, but I'm not sure. I don't recall ever installing wellnuts in any of my kayaks and, in that location, you would need wellnuts.

btw, one thing you'll find annoying is when some chop or a wake breaks over the tankwell, it will run down into the cockpit!

05-12-2010, 12:03 AM	#1
visforvegetables Junior Join Date: May 2010 Location: HB, CA The OC Posts: 12	new fishing kayaker hi, i'm new to this forum and to the kayak fishing community. ive loved fishing since i was young (21 now) and after saving several paychecks, i purchased a malibu pro2 tandem (fish and dive) kayak. i chose a 2 seater as a starter so i could take out some buddies and make my trip more enjoyable. although i had to make a sacrifice for storage space on a tandem. this forum seems like a wonderful way to acquire useful information. i pick up my kayak this weekend from OEX sunset beach and im thinking about launching anywhere from balboa, huntington harbour and corona del mar. i've read about a kelp bed in CDM in which i do NOT know how to get to.. i am indeed very much new to this ocean sport and a bit unaware and inexperienced. i've reside in huntington beach for more than a decade and ought to make use of the ocean.. if anybody that's down to earth, preferably young would like to come out with me some time, catch some fish, enjoy the trip, and show me the ropes the first few times, it would be nice. looking forward to starting my ocean kayaking/fishing hobby! also, for a bait tank, im thinking about using a discontinued Shimano Live Well container/bag. you can take a look at it here but i found it somewhere for half the price.. so note dont buy it from here! http://shimano.fishing-store.us/shim...-live-well-bag instead of using a pump, i'm going to use that Shimano live well with a D cell battery operated airstone aerator i could find at harbor freight or walmart for cheap... this is temporary before i would like to learn to make my own or add a pump attachment to my shimano bag. does anyone have their 2 cent on battery operated airstone kits? an example of these kits could be found in the link below. keep in mind that i have a tandem and barely have any space to spare for a bait tank! i looked into the oem malibu tandem bait tank installed in the rectangular hatch but they are well over my price range at $300 plus. i have already overspent with my new kayak along with the rest of the necessities required for this sport. help me save some bucks! http://www.walmart.com/ip/Longer-Life-Bait-Kit/14012423 thanks in advance! Last edited by visforvegetables; 05-12-2010 at 01:22 AM.

05-12-2010, 07:32 AM	#2
Jim Sammons LJKF Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 947	Welcome to the sport. For your bait tank you really need a full circulating not an aerator if you want your baits to live. You can set up a pump on that tank pretty cheap. __________________ Jim Sammons La Jolla Kayak Fishing The Kayak Fishing Show JimSammons.com

05-12-2010, 07:54 AM	#3
ericko Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Huntington beach Posts: 594	Fishing lets go I live in HB also i might be able to go out sunday morning i will have a better idea friday. My name is Erick whats yours.

05-12-2010, 08:04 AM	#4
Hunters Pa Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fullerton Posts: 1,359	Good call on buying from OEX Sunset. Andy won't steer you wrong

05-12-2010, 10:15 AM	#5
visforvegetables Junior Join Date: May 2010 Location: HB, CA The OC Posts: 12	thanks jim! i might as well just install my own pump kit on that shimano bag. i'd rather use the shimano bag then those pet food containers or buckets. that's just my own preference. maybe because the shimano bag has 4 rod holders. heh. anyone knowledgeable with the parts, and electrical/battery installation? since i dont have much room in my tandem, i would most likely put it on top of my rectangular hatch and tie it down. i've been doing a lot of research about live wells and bait tanks on forums but nothing can beat an extra hand if you're local (HB). hey erick. my name is ronald by the way. hopefully i could get everything ready by this sunday to pick it up. my thule glide and set kayak attachment is somewhere in transit from new york at the moment! i MIGHT even be too busy to go out this weekend, perhaps next weekend. im busy with work on weekdays and i only have weekends available and this weekend happens to be busy for me since i am still in school. OEX has wonderful staff by the way. a nice fellow named Andre helped me with my purchase. he was also very helpful with my 21 questions and also patient with the kayak sale. so good looking out.

05-12-2010, 06:06 PM	#6
GregAndrew Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,384	What Jim said on the pump. You can get the pump and a 6volt 12amp battery for under $20 each. Then all you need is a little bit of wire, some terminal and heatshrink sleeve connectors, and a hose.

05-13-2010, 09:52 AM	#8
fongman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 116	Setting up a MK tandem for solo or for 2 is a challenge. If you and a buddy go out, you don't have many options for the baittank; you either cover the front or rear hatch. Depending upon which hatch you cover, you lose some or most of the internal storage. If you decide to go out solo, your sitting position is the big issue. If you are a big guy, sitting in the back seat is not good due to the poor weight distribution. The nose of the kayak will always be in the air. Plus, if you put your bt in front of you, your rods will always be in your way when casting. If you sit over the rectangular hatch, the weight distribution is good, but now it is inconvenient to use the internal storage. However, the bt can now be placed behind you on the rear seat well. You'll have to devise something to level that area. A pool noodle made into a donut works well. You'll enjoy the stability of this kayak and there is a lot of deck space--you just have to figure out how to best utilize it. Paddling it by yourself isn't bad, but you will have a hard time keeping up with others in solo yaks. Also, it is a bear to paddle when the wind comes up, so make sure the wind is to your back coming back in. Make sure you have enough (flushmount or RAM) rodholders so you can move your extra rods around. For holding 2 more rods, I made a removable pvc rodholder which mounted over the 2 rear wellnuts supplied by MK. Enjoy your new ride!

05-13-2010, 05:28 PM	#9
visforvegetables Junior Join Date: May 2010 Location: HB, CA The OC Posts: 12	thanks for your input fongman. majority of the time i will be paddling out with a buddy so i'm still thinking of a good place to put our bait tank while keeping comfort. maybe a simple 5 gallon homemade bait tank might do it... just set it on top of the rectangular hatch behind the front seat. also, i got the fish and dive version so i do have 6 mounts. that rod holder for the back seems like i could be useful to me. i would like to make one but i dont see how it attaches to your kayak in that picture.

05-13-2010, 06:00 PM	#10
fongman Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 116	I thought the older models came with wellnuts placed where I have the pvc caps. Maybe for a tank strap, but I'm not sure. I don't recall ever installing wellnuts in any of my kayaks and, in that location, you would need wellnuts. btw, one thing you'll find annoying is when some chop or a wake breaks over the tankwell, it will run down into the cockpit!