THIS RIGGING FORUM NEEDS A JUMPSTART!

Have rigging questions or a good idea? Found a good fishing product? Tell us about it.
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H2Oz
Posts: 49
Joined: Tue May 12, 2015 2:21 pm

THIS RIGGING FORUM NEEDS A JUMPSTART!

Post by H2Oz »

There's nothing like a good rigging hack. But, let's face it, the glory days of "low-hanging fruit" are largely gone. (Crates, trolleys, fishfinder hacks, etc., have almost been done to death.) Rigging posts over time have become a lot less frequent, but discussion and idea exchange are the lifeblood of ANY forum.

So I'm just gonna put one out there while I'm still AT the doodlin'/thinkin' stage....

The full heat of summer will be upon us soon, and nightfishing is a great way to beat the heat. And there's absolutely no doubt that docklights are proof that God/Cthulhu/Whatever loves fishermen. If you've never fished 'em, I weep for you. But maybe there AREN'T any docklights within a comfortable paddle. Or maybe they're on the private dock of some trigger-happy snowbird/methfreak. The obvious solution is:

"In People's Republic of Kayakfishing, dock lights come to YOU, comrade!"

I'm imagining some kind of extra stakeout pole, lightweight and waterproof (well, highly water-resistant anyway, e.g., will stand up to a howling rain), free-standing when driven in, floatable if it falls over, no tether needed (so it can be even cheap PVC, angle-cut to a point on one end), with some kind of downward-directed light (shielded from the side, so it doesn't night-blind you). Solar-powered -- maybe with a battery backup -- but good output. Should make a decent pool of light in the water, but doesn't have to make ship helmsmen claw at their eyes. Should be away from the kayak (to draw bugs away from you). Could be as simple as a cheapo LED flashlight taped/secured to the pole. Maybe one of those solar-powered LED gutter lights.

Or maybe an attachment that you could add TO your everyday stakeout pole.

You could also make (tethered/anchored, obviously) floating models, or hanging models (say, spring-clamped to or hung from an overhanging tree limb or mangrove). One type of "buoy" model might be, say, a tupperware-type tub with clear bottom/sides and a solid-color top, floated with a pool noodle "collar".

Maybe someone could weigh in here on legality/responsible-use issues, too. Obviously, you don't want to endanger OR annoy anyone. I can't imagine that sticking one of these in a flat on the edge of a finger channel/bowl/dropoff/etc. and then staking out/anchoring (with proper sternpole lighting on your kayak, of course) within easy casting distance would be a problem -- but I am not a lawyer (even on the internet :cool:).

Alright, fire up those high-powered, homemade, DIY, jerry-rigged, pool-noodlin', duct-tapin', yak-riggin' frontal lobes of yours and let's get a keyboard-tappin' BRAINSTORM going here.

OK, fall out. Smoke 'em if you've got 'em.

Ol' Sarge

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"I knowed you was crazy when I seen you staked out there. I knowed what was in store for me." -- No Country for Old Spotjumpers
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krash
Supporter 2010 - 2014
Supporter 2010 - 2014
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Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 7:00 pm
Location: Cooper City, Florida USA

Re: THIS RIGGING FORUM NEEDS A JUMPSTART!

Post by krash »

It would really not be that hard to engineer/design, DIY, a protable version of the lights we use for shrimping... using bright led's and powered by a small (motorcycle) sized 12v battery.
Years ago we, a buddy and myself, built some shrimp lites to augment the halogen, (q-beam), lites with 4' fluroscent bulbs powered by a 12vdc supply.. they work great for shrimp lites. we experimented with white bulbs & blacklite bulbs, and found green to be the magic color that lights up a good circle with out blinding you with glare.. (Very similar to Sword-Lights).

The were weighted on the bottom with lead so they floated standing upright with one end down.. you could add more weight and get them to sink, but for shrimping we use lights just below the surface. The advantage of the fluroscent was battery draw as compared to the halogen.. we did not retire the halogenns though just carried a couple extra 12v marine batterys.

But my experience with dock lites is the ones that really produce are set on timers and the fish learn the timing sequence, plus moving water comes into play. Experience of night fishing all the sword guys all run sword lights and led lights all night while fishing.

Another option might be something like the LED lites they strap to SUP's for night SUP adventures.
Image

Or Lconn installed Novalites inside his kayak for nite fishing and lights up the water... as well as makes his kayak very visable at nite.
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Senior Exalted Pro Staff Member of the Paddle-Fishing.com Kayak & Canoe Anglers Club

SW, Live to Fish, Have Tackle will travel ... >,)))~> ~~~~
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DoubleM
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Location: Sarasoda

Re: THIS RIGGING FORUM NEEDS A JUMPSTART!

Post by DoubleM »

Wouldn't under the light under a vessel/kayak spook the fish?
We're cautions with our headlamps!

Sarge, I've been with anglers who lost stakeout poles at night. Might have helped them recover 'em if there was a waterproof light attached, or maybe not. Personally I don't think they are needed at night, more like a 5lb dumbbell. But then again, I haven't had the pleasure of targeting a flat at night, on a full moon with low wind, a rising tide and happy mullet...
:nopity:
Mark .aka. Man of Purpose. Original Chincy Jones

Ultimate 14.5 sand & blue Indian River Outdoorsman.

The jig is up and weedless.
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