BUYER`S GUIDE

SIGHT-FISHING TRICKS | CHANDELEUR ISLES | SHUT UP AND FISH p.54
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RIGGING
HOW TO SHOOT
BETTER FISH PORN
REDS: BEAT
THE BIGGEST
DRUM p.30
GEAR
SEE BELOW THE
SURFACE WITH
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SURVIVE “OH
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SPRING 2012
$5.95 VOL 5 ISSUE 3
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FISHING KAYAK
BUYER’S GUIDE
THE 101 BEST NEW WAYS TO BEAT THE POWERBOATS
BUZZBAIT
[GEAR]
UNDERWATER EYES
DON’T MISS A THING
THE DOWN-LOW ON DOWNSCAN SONAR
BY PAUL LEBOWITZ
N
ew downscan sonar units are taking the
guesswork out of reading a fishfinder.
They depict structure in photo-realistic clarity, without the sometimes-arcane blobs and
squiggles produced by traditional 2D sonar.
The fidelity—what you see is what you get—is
often stunning.
“You’re looking at a picture-like view of
the water. Coral looks like coral. Rocks, you
can tell the size. Brush piles, you can count
the limbs and clearly distinguish fish from
structure,” Lowrance Product Manager Lucas
Steward says.
And count individual fish, as well as distinguish their sizes. A school of bait doesn’t show
up as a single blob, but as 100 fish in a tight
group. “It’s eye-opening and shocking. People
ask us what fish look like. They aren’t arches
any more. Sometimes they have fins. It’s obvious. If it’s not attached to the bottom or looks
like a piece of structure, it’s a fish,” Steward
explains.
These underwater eyes have a few limitations. Because downscan sonar “sees” in a fan
shape rather than the circle of traditional 2D
sonar, detail drops as the water gets deepens.
At 100 feet or more, fish show up but they
appear small on the screen. At 200 feet, the
bottom structure no longer looks realistic. “If
you’re tracking a jig and want to watch fish
come up and eat it, traditional sonar is better
because it is wider,” Steward says.
Downscan sonars produced by Humminbird and Lowrance, popular brands for kayak
anglers, offer a second, lower frequency (455
kHz rather than the default 800) that provides
better depth performance, but at lower resolution. The choice between downscan and traditional sonar boils down to where you spend
most of your time fishing, skinny water or the
inky deeps. High-end models designed for
boaters offer both in the same unit, but they
aren’t sized or priced for kayak use.
The next issue poses that never-ending
challenge, how and where to mount the puck.
Downscan sonar’s shotgun shell transducer
can shoot through a kayak hull, but it loses
significant sensitivity. “Traditional sonar also
loses sensitivity, but it isn’t obvious because it
doesn’t show as much detail,” Steward points
out. One solution is to mount the transducer
on an arm that hangs over the side—the Mad
Frog Gear Liberator does the job. For a cleaner
installation, a scupper mount is the way to go.
Lowrance has a good one that fits most kayaks
called, unimaginably, the Kayak Scupper Hole
Transducer Mounting System. No tools or adhesive are required.
Lowrance tabs its downscan sonar units
with the DSI designator; Humminbird calls its
modern marvels Down Imaging or DI. Prices
start around $300 for grayscale displays, and
climb with added features such as a brilliant
color display or integrated GPS chart-plotting.
PHOTOS: 1] A PAIR OF SMALLMOUTH. IN THE SHALLOW WATER YOU CAN NEARLY COUNT THE
FINS, EVEN AT THE LOWER RESOLUTION OF 455 KHZ. 2] A BAIT BALL (AT TOP) UNDER ATTACK
BY PREDATORY GAMEFISH, THE LARGER SLASHES CAUGHT MID-ACTION. 3] A CHRISTMAS
TREE, CAPTURED IN ITS MANY-BRANCHED GLORY BY DOWNSCAN SONAR. 4] A SIDE-BY-SIDE
COMPARISON, DOWNSCAN ON THE LEFT, OF SMALLMOUTH HANGING BENEATH A BAIT BALL.
PHOTOS: COURTESY LOWRANCE
B Y
T HE
N U MB E R S
One Million
Kayakers Casting
BY PAUL LEBOWITZ
»People surveyed for
the Outdoor Industry
Association Special
Report on Fishing and
Boating 2011: 38,742
»Estimated number
PHOTO: JOCK BRADLEY
of U.S. anglers,
in millions: 45.4
16 … KAYAK ANGLER SPRING 2012
»Number of anglers
who fish exclusively
in freshwater,
in millions: 29.8
1]
2]
3]
4]
»Number of kids ages
six to 17 who fish,
in millions: 10.2
»Number of anglers who
fly fish, in millions: 5.5
»Average number of
outings per angler,
in days: 20.4
»Number of U.S. boat
owners, in millions:
19.9
»Percentage of males
age 16+ who’ve
operated a kayak or
canoe during their
lifetime: 100
»Percentage who’ve
used a kayak or canoe
in the past year,
narrowly the second
most popular boat
type: 20.9
»Percentage who’ve
used a deck / pontoon
boat in the past year,
the most popular: 22.6
»Percentage of anglers
who’ve fished from
a kayak: 2.3
»Extrapolated number
of kayak anglers in
the U.S.: 1,040,000
BUZZBAIT
[ B O AT S ]
TREND SETTERS
THE SEVEN LATEST CATCHY KAYAKS
BY PAUL LEBOWITZ
SHORT AND SWEET
Capable 11-foot fishing kayaks are surging to
the forefront. Easy to transport and store, this
handy class is epitomized by the new Wilderness Systems Ride 115, a pint-sized powerhouse that’ll carry up to 500 pounds of angler
and gear. It’s chock full of fishing features once
found only on longer models, including the
cushy, adjustable Freedom Elite Seating System,
a full set of hatches, and plenty of SlideTrax accessory mounts. www.wildernesssystems.com.
There isn’t one wasted inch on Hobie’s new
pocket rockets, the paddle-powered Quest 11
and the efficient Mirage Revolution 11 pedal
‘yak. The latter’s 47-pound hull weight is a
back-saving 25 percent lighter than the original 13-foot Revo, with the same eye-catching
good looks. No pushover in the surf, it’ll turn
in its own length. Gone are the days when a
18 … KAYAK ANGLER SPRING 2012
shorter ‘yak was the cheaper, less capable alternative. www.hobiecat.com.
BUDGET RIDE, BIG PERFORMANCE
The kayak fishing dollar stretches farther than
ever. Ocean Kayak’s sleek Tetra 12 is a great example. This sweet paddler comes with all the
essentials (Comfort Hybrid seat, Quick Seal
bow hatch and paddle keepers) and looks like
a million bucks—for a modest $750. The Angler Package, including the nifty Mod Pod II
center console hatch, is just a bit more. www.
oceankayak.com.
Elie’s impressive new Gulf 120XE Angler
comes fresh from the factory bristling with
rod holders, two slick one-handed hatches,
the Ergoflex tilt-lock seat and a silky smooth
Fluid Steering System rudder. First class all the
way. This is a dry, nimble, well equipped ‘yak—
what’s not to like? The cost is an eyebrow-raising $1,000 even; $730 for the basic boat. www.
eliesport.com.
A STAND-UP BATTLESHIP
Two trends—bigger is better and the cresting standup wave—meet in NuCanoe’s new
Frontier 12. The broad Cast & Blast deck is a
confidence-inspiring 41 inches wide, likely the
largest on any craft conceivably called a fishing kayak. Custom Fit Seats mount anywhere
along 72 inches of Freedom Track. A first for
NuCanoe, the Gear Vault accesses in-hull storage. Cutting edge factory rigging comes to the
battleship. www.nucanoe.com.
BIG WATER CRUISERS STRETCH
THEIR SEA LEGS
Open water demands longer boats with the