My new hunting and fishing boat.

Ed L.

Ed L.

Well-known member
Supporter
Since moving to Florida at the fist of the year all my fishing has been from the bank or a pier. I watch these guys that have done it all their lives and they have a ball but fishing from a pier elbow to elbow ain't my cup of tea. I needed to get back on the water. I had been looking at boats but what I could currently afford wasn't sea worthy. I decided I couldn't afford a safe boat or the high cost of storage so I started shopping for a kayak. Something that would fit on the patio. After trying several models and brands I decided on this one. This is a Wilderness Systems Commander 120 Angler. They called it a hybrid...half canoe and half kayak. There are some neat features to this boat. 1st, this is the most stable boat I've been in. Easy to get it, easy to get out. It paddles easy and tracks well.. It has two seating positions. It's deeper than other kayaks I've had. If you look at the pictures you'll notice a black band on the deck and down the sides. This is a rail that you can attach things to such as a rod holder as shown or maybe a transducer for a fish finder or a holder for your GPS. They have several accessories. I'm thinking of a short dogger on the bow and some decoy racks I can attach to the rear. There was a little sticker shock involved but I hadn't looked at a new kayak in 15 years and it seems like they're all expensive anymore. If your in the market for something new check this out.

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There's miles and miles of these mangroves. I was out today and it's just like being in the woods. Every turn looks the same. There was a couple of times I was thankful I had my GPS with me.

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Take care,

Ed L.
 
Sweet looking float Ed,

I bet that'll get you into lots of cool places. I bought two little $300 8'ers from Canadian Tire a few years ago and use them lots. Mac and I each took one on a exploratory fish hunt last week on a new creek and had a blast. We caught a bunch of big Grayling. He can fish right out of it but I'm too old and stiff so I get out and stand up to cast. Your rig looks like it would be easy to get in and out of.

I know what you mean on price - I bought a 14' Old Town Predator a while back and nearly choked on the cost. But you'll use it tons, and resale should be high.

Mike
 
Nice Yak. My wife bought us both Hobie Outbacks when I came home on leave in May. We took them to Table Rock Lake in Mo. and on my first outing I caught two nice small mouth. I am hooked on fishing from a Kayak. I've been shopping on line for all sorts of gear to install. I also plan on duck hunting with mine this fall. I think you'll enjoy it too.

Mike
 
Hi Mike,

You think you're stiff. I haven't kayaked in several years. Arms and lower back are pretty sore today. Gettin old ain't fun! It'll take a while but I'll get back into it. It's been what 9 mos - a year since your sugery? How's things going? You back some form of normal now?

Taking it easy today. I start a new job tomorrow so I'm trying to bone up on the old cad software. 7 mos out of work is a long time. It's amazing what you forget when you're not using it. Better get back at it.

Take care,

Ed
 
Hi Mike,

I kayaked Stockton Lake, Beaver Lake, Eufula the White River and the Mulberry River. I never took my kayak to Table Rock always took my big boat. There's some great county in that area. I really miss living in NW Arkansas.

Take care and thanks for your service,

Ed
 
Nice new boat Ed. I like the 60 lb weight as that is doable. How does that boat fit on top of the vehicle you have? Is there some sort of support on the back?

Still owe you a call. Sorry, just been tied up this weekend.

Mark W
 
Mark,

Yep, I like the weight thing as well. After seeing your setup at the midwest get together I bought one of those solo loading canoe racks. Works perfect. I lost a sim card and lost all my contacts. PM your phone number again when you get a chance.

Ed
 
Nice boat but dont you guys down there have gators bigger than that thing ? Not to sure I'd wanna be reeling in something to find out Ol' Mr Allie is comming right behind my fish
 
I'm pretty new here and haven't had any menacing incounters yet but here's a few things I've been told. Stay calm...yeah right! Stay in the middle of the water way. Don't surprise a gator. Gators can jump about 5 feet from the waters edge so don't paddle to close to shore especially around bends in the waterway and around shallow banks. If you encounter an area with several small gators keep moving. You're most liley in a nest area and momma is close at hand. I'm told gators have very good hearing so I have two items in the boat. One is my whistle which is attached to my PFD. I'm told they don't like the sound. I also carry a blast horn. Hell that thing hurts my ears. I have looked and can't find any fatalities of kayakers by a gator. I hope it stays that way.

Take care,

Ed L.
 
Hi Ed!

Haven't posted here in awhile but I saw your post so I thought I'd stop in and say Hi! Good looking new boat, I think you'll get a bunch of use out of it. Last 2 yrs I've only used the yaks for hunting, the last time the jon boat was actually used was for rescue work in Cedar Rapids during the 08 flood. I either need to start using it or sell it.

Speaking of floods, we been having some serious rain here in E. Iowa. Been missing the CR area but points north and south have been getting hammered. The wife's folks live up in Hazleton, they got 9.93" Thursday night! Highway 150 into Independence was closed, the wife had to go through Jesup & Fairbank to go help her folks dry out their basement today. The Delhi lake dam on the Maquoketa river broke yesterday. We rode the bikes up to Savanah today to have lunch at Poopie's but we couldn't get there. The bridge where 84 goes south over a small river that feeds into the Miss. was closed due to flooding, erosion around the piers and derailed tankcars on the railroad below. We were going to go around and attack from the south side (your old stomping grounds) , but we were told stuff was flooded down there too. Couldn't go north on 84, closed due to flooding, so we had to cross back to Sabula. I really hate that open metal mesh bridge deck on the bike, specially since it's about 60' above the water! We rode up to Bellvue & watched a tow lock up river. They only raised the water in the lock 18" to let him through! Gates are all wide open on the dam.

You glad you ain't livin' on the river now?
Have fun with the new boat!
Jim S
 
Mark,

After seeing your setup at the midwest get together I bought one of those solo loading canoe racks. Works perfect.
Ed
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How do you get the kayak to sit on it's keel without tipping to one side or another? You put wedges of somesort on the Fulton Canoe Caddy? How did you attach?

I bought another gadget this past winte that will allow me to put my boat in the bed of my truck and need to find a way to make it sit on it's keel and not tip. I bought some wheel chokes at Fleet Farm and while they will work, they are not ideal. Looking for a bette solution.

Mark W
 
You know that they mainly find old rusty whistles and air horns in a gator's stomach don't you? I think I'd check on that old wives tale with a marine biologist. Have fun.
Mike
 
Ed, my brother in law is from Tampa, and my sister lived there for a while. I used to head down to visit every year in March when New England winters begin to lose their charm. (They've moved to Chicago now--it's not quite the same.) Even without local knowledge, I found pretty fair fishing for reds and trout poking around with the kayak. There was an area around Fort Desoto that was quite good, and then a big mangrove complex south of Tampa that was a "no motors" refuge of some sort. I don't know if hunting is allowed in there, but fishing is, and I got my first tailing redfish in there. I can't remember the name of the place, unfortunately.

We also launched a couple of places off the Sunshine Skyway and found trout.

If you want to tempt the gators, take that kayak south a bit and paddle Myakka River from the state park down towards tidewater. :)

Just stay away from the tourists feeding the gators marshmallows.
 
Hmm, maybe I'll drag this cool puddler I got over your way and go poke around the 'groves with you :)
I still owe you a tour of your part of the bay. Been working 12-14hrs a day, but I'll be done after this week.

BTW....I can't wait to introduce you to gators duck hunting this year!!!
And smallish ones are generally not where the bigguns are. Big ones will eat small ones. This has been the case for me.
 
Hi Rey,

Welcome to the site. Glad to see you here. Hey...I finally found a job so I'll be wanting my guided tour on a weekend!...hehe. Bring the puddler over. I found an unimproved ramp pretty close to the apartment. We can get out and chase some fish. BTW...I'm looking forward to my gator lesson as long as there's some duck hunting involved.

Take care,

Ed
 
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